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Monday, August 27, 2012

Vocabulary

1. Accolade - any award, honor, or laudatory notice
Conor won an accolade for being so awesome.
2. Acerbity - to make sour or bitter; to exasperate
The lemon had an acerbity nature to it.
3. Attrition - a reduction or decrease in numbers, size or strength
There seems to be an attrition of students willing to do their own work.
4. Bromide - a person who is platitudinous and boring
Catholic priests are the most bromide people I know.
5. Chauvinist - a person who is progressively and blindly patriotic; sexist
Nathan Price is the epitome of a chauvinist.
6. Chronic - constant; habitual; inveterate
Alex is a chronic procrastinator.
7. Expound - to explain; interpret or to make a detailed statement
"Deus Ex Machina" is when God suddenly appears to expound the confusing plot.
8. Factionalism - of a faction or factions; self-interested
I have never been a fan of factionalism myself.
9. Immaculate - free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean; pure
The Virgin Mary gave birth to Christ through the Immaculate Conception.
10. Imprecation - a curse; the act of cursing
The witch put a imprecation on Shane where he could no longer get a girlfriend.
11. Ineluctable - inevitable; inescapable
It's ineluctable that I will get a better grade than Lizbeth in every class.
12. Mercurial - changeable; volatile; animated; lively
John was mercurial when he was accused of a crime he didn't commit.
13. Palliate - to relieve or lessen without curing; excuses; apologies
Tim Bundy tried to palliate his crimes, but it fell on deaf ears.
14. Protocol - the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality
"Sorry sir, we're only following protocol," said the security guards to John.
15. Resplendent - shining brilliantly; gleaming
The stars were resplendent in the night.
16. Stigmatize - to set some mark of disgrace or infamy on
Hester Prynne was stigmatized by the Boston population.
17. Sub rosa - confidentially; secretly
"Remember this information is sub rosa," the spy told his companions.
18. Vainglory - excessive elation over one's own achievements
Beowulf seems to have a little vainglory in him.
19. Vestige - a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that no longer exists
The fossil record is the only vestige we have of the years past.
20. Volition - the act of willing, choosing or resolving
Commander Shepard is re known for his volition.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

More Beowulf Questions


(Brady's Portion of the Beowulf Questions 1-25)
[Prologue]
1) Shield came to be the ruler of the Danes by conquering each clan one by one till they all were forced to obey him and worship him as a King, this made him a ‘good king’.
Shield had been very specific on how he wished to be honored at burial.  His body was placed onto a long boat, then all of his treasures of gold and silver, precious gems and chalices, were loaded on top of him, as offering and to pay homage, then came the weapons, many sets of armor and different weapons used by the Danes were loaded onto the boat,  for he was a warrior king. After that the boat was set out to sea, to drift until it sunk, or was salvaged by someone else.
Hrothgar was the great grandson of Shield and a warrior who found great riches and fame in battle.

[Heort is Attacked]
1)  Hrothgar wanted to build a mighty fort like no other, so he went to building the mighty fort of Heort, a massive fort like no other.
 the Beast Grendel  hears the sounds of music and celebration from the fort, and due to its sensitive hearing became enraged and attacked the fort continuously night after night killing every warrior and bard in the fort again and again, however it did not attack Hrothgar or the throne.
The Danes turned to old stone idols and prayed to Gods that hadn’t been worshiped for years in an attempt to be free of the beast Grendel’s ravaging.

[Hero comes to Heort]
1) When Beowulf hears of the Danes problems with Grendel he ordered a ship to be readied and gathered his mightiest warriors to sail with him to Heort to defeat the great beast and help the King of Danes Hrothgar.
2) When the Geats first arrive in Denmark they meet a Danish Watcher that had been patrolling the coast, he confronts the Geats asking their business in Denmark, and why they seem ready for a battle. Beowulf replies by stating their business, they are Geats, he tells the watcher of his lineage his father’s father and his father. He then tells the watcher they have come to slay the beast that haunts the halls of Heort.
3) Hrothgar’s Hearld is a man by the name of Wulfgar, when he hears of Beowulf and his men he asks Hrothgar to give them audience and hear their plans. Hrothgar responds by saying he remembers Beowulf from his youth, and that the Geats are hardy warriors welcome in the halls of Hrothgar.
4)  Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he plans to defeat Grendel in single battle, no lives of any Danes will be risked, only his own and his men,  that he would purge the evil from Heort so that the Danes no longer fear it.
Feast at Heort.
1) Unferth accuses Beoewulf of losing in a swimming race to a lesser man and that Beowulf would surely turn and flee at the sight of Grendel.  Beowulf replies saying that he only lost because he stopped to slay a monstrous fish along the way, and that he could best any man in swimming. This is an important chapter in the poem because it shows that he would give up a race and show that he can take a hit to his pride, if it means slaying an enemy of man, it also show that some doubt the hero and that he must prove himself.
2)  The Queen spent the feasting time passing drink to the guests of Hrothgar, Beowulf and his men, and wished them luck with their coming battle against Grendel.

[Fight with Grendel]
1) Beowulf does little to prepare for the battle with Grendel other then enter Heort, he strips himself of his armor and weapons, wanting to fight Grendel with no armor or weapons, as it fights. This is the opposite of what would be expected, one would expect him to done more armor and weapons to fight the beast but that is not so.
2) Grendel  breaks through the front gates of the fort and immediately set upon one of Beowulf’s men and ate him immediately, upon trying to attack Beowulf the man jumped upon them.
They fought, grappling with each other, trying to tear each other apart with only their arms and bodies. Grendel leaves behind an arm at Heort for Beowulf tore it off as the beast tried to run from the battle.
Though Grendel escaped he bled to death in his mother’s arm.


[Celebration at Herot]
1) Sigemund was a warrior who bravely fought and killed a ferocious dragon that was terrorizing the land. Beowulf is a warrior who bravely fought and killed Grendel who was terrorizing the land. Heremod was a Danish king who betrayed his subjects and was power-hungry. He killed many of his people, to the point where he was exiled and subsequently killed for his many deeds. Beowulf has shown no signs of intending to kill his own subjects, nor of being corrupt.
2) Hrothgar offers to let Beowulf join his family as an adoptive son as thanks for his great deed, which Beowulf accepts.
3)
4)
5) The narrator says Beowulf's king Hygelac, will wear the necklace in his last battle, and the Franks will steal it from his corpse at a later time.  The Queen presents the necklace to Beowulf and asks him to guide and protect her sons and wishes him good luck and fortune.
6) Though Grendel is dead the narrator says at least one of them is marked for death and Grendel’s mother still lives.

[Another Attack]
1) Grendel’s mother attacks to get revenge on the Geats and Danes for her son’s death, rather than an act of rage it is an act of revenge.
2) Grendel’s mother kills soldiers from both tribes, Danes and Geats, as well as kills and steals the body of Hrothgar’s Retainer, one of his dearest companions, a man named Aeschere. He asks Beowulf if he will track down and slay the demon.
3) The mere is a dark lake with seemingly no bottom, filled with sea creatures and monsters, that glows like fire at night, Grendel’s mother supposedly lives on the bottom.
Beowulf fights Grendel’s mother
1) Beowulf says that Hrothgar should come as well, for everyone dies and it is their duty to avenge their loved ones before they die.
2) The Geats and Danes kill a large Sea Monster before Beowulf enters the mere.
3) Beowulf prepares by wearing a golden helmet and chain mail shirt to not be cursed by the sea creatures on his way to Grendel’s mother. He wields a sword called Hrunting, a sword made and tempered in blood, it had never lost a battle and with it Beowulf would be unable to lose.
4) The poem is not very descriptive of it other than that the lair seems to be in a pocket of air under the lake, filled with treasures.
5) During the fight against Grendel’s mother the sword Beowulf borrowed is thrown aside when it cannot seem to harm Grendel’s mother.
6) Beowulf’s chain mail saves him from the knife Grendel’s mother tries to kill him with and is able to throw her off of his body, he heaves a large sword, from the era of giants the poet states, and uses it to cleave into the demon’s neck, killing her.

Peer Feedback #1


Not my best work, but any feedback would be appreciated.

Beowulf Questions 26-53

(A continuation from Brady's first 25 questions. Brady did the first 25 questions, and I cleaned up the rest. Took me roughly 2 hours to answer them all by myself, with a little help from the internet when things were a little dicey.)
[Beowulf fights Grendel's Mother]
7. Beowulf finds a great sword, one forged by the giants long ago, unsheathes it, and with one big swing lops of her head. He then searches for Grendel's body, determined to avenge all who dies because of his "raids". He finds the corpse, and decapitates it. By doing so, though, the sword melts due to Grendel's acidic blood, leaving him with only a hilt and Grendel's head. (Is Grendel an alien?)
8. Beowulf is able to swim back to the surface without any monsters attacking him. As he come out his men are rejoicing for his arrival, themselves not even believing he could best Grendel's mother.

[Further Celebration at Herot]
1. There is a huge feast in honor of Beowulf, with Grendel's head and the hilt of the sword given to Hrothgar as a sign of good faith.
2. Hrothgar has a speech prepared so as to praise Beowulf while at the same time warning him about what it takes to be a good and fair ruler. He gives an example of Heremod, a man who some considered the worst king ever to exist due to he betraying and killing his own people. Heremod was eventually banished and exiled to the Jutes, where he was subsequently betrayed and killed. He uses this example to show to Beowulf what happens when you aren't a fair ruler of your people.
3. Beowulf returns Unferth's sword, Hrunting, back to him.

[Beowulf Returns Home]
1. Hrothgar predicts a great future for Beowulf, one where he will come back and protect the Danes yet again.
2. Hygd is the Queen of the Geatlands. She is a young, yet wise woman, one who would not kill and torture many of her people just because they looked at her, unlike say, Modthryth.
3. Hrothgar hopes that by having his daughter marry Ingeld, he can create peace between the Danes and the Heathobards and end the bloody conflict. Beowulf is under the impression that Hrothgar only brought back up the feud from its dark recesses and that more conflict is inevitable, especially once the Danes and the Heathobards see each other's possessions of their own families. This is different than what we're used to from Beowulf, as he usually acts on impulse and doesn't think things through until they've already happened.
4. Beowulf exaggerates the story, emphasizing things like the viciousness and how terrifying Grendel and his mom were and how intense the fights were, so as to make himself seem even more superhuman than he already is.
5. Beowulf gives the treasure he received from Hrothgar to Hygelac. In return, Hygelac gives Beowulf a jeweled sword, land, his own personal hall with his own personal throne and 7,000 hides.

[The Dragon Wakes]
1. This part of the story takes place 50 years after the events of the last. Both King Hygelac and his successor Heardred have been killed, leaving Beowulf as the King. And then the dragon awakes.
2. The dragon is furious because someone stole a cup from under his nose! He had given himself one task, guard the treasure, and now a cup is missing, stolen by slave who hoped to give it to his master so as to obtain freedom. The treasure trove was originally guarded by an ancient civilization, until only one man was left. After that man died, the aforementioned dragon found the trove and guarded it for 300 years until a cup was stolen.
3. In a fit of rage, the dragon goes about destroying the Geatlands, hoping to avenge his failure.
4. By having his great hall destroyed, this leaves Beowulf believing he has offended God. He orders an iron shield, one that can protect him from the dragon's flames. However, he also has nagging suspicions that this will be his last battle, the one where he will finally be slain in battle (which turns out to be the case).
5. Hygelac was killed in battle, with Beowulf barely escaping with his life, swimming to safety while carrying thirty battle dresses. Hygd offers him the chance to become king, but he declines it, believing that it should got to Headred.
6. Headred accepts a group of exiled Swedes who also happen to be the brothers of Onela. Onela attacks Geatland in the hopes of killing off his brothers, which lead to Headred being killed in battle along with one of the brothers, Eanmund. The other brother, Eadgis, and Beowulf avenge the deaths of Headred and Eanmumd by killing King Onela.
7. Eleven warriors selected by Beowulf and the slave who stole the cup accompany him to meet and fight the dragon.
8. Haethcyn accidently killed his brother, Herebeald, with an arrow while they were hunting. King Hrethel, knowing this was an accident, but still mourning the death of his eldest son, died in a fit of grief, leaving his kingdom to Haethcyn and Hygelac. After Hrethel died, the Swedes and Geats continued fighting, eventually leading to the deaths of both Haethcyn and Hygelac. Angered over the death of Hygelac, Beowulf avenged his death by killing Dayraven, a great Frankish warrior.

[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon]
1. Beowulf tells his men to wait outside and not attack the dragon.
2. Beowulf's trusty sword doesn't pierce the dragon deep enough to do much damage. This leads to Beowulf retreating while the dragon is continually breathing fire on him. His men, seeing Beowulf retreating, flee back into the woods except for one, Wiglaf. He tells the fleeing soldiers that Beowulf put his trust in these men, and they must repay his trust by aiding him in battle. Beowulf also asks for help, but only Wiglaf aides him.
3. Beowulf's sword snaps as he tries to pierce the dragon's neck, leaving his own neck vulnerable for a bite. As he is bleeding, Wiglaf stabs the dragon in the stomach, giving Beowulf the distraction he needs to pull out his knife and fatally stab the dragon in the neck.
4. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to search the lair and bring back some of the treasure so that he can see what he won before he dies. He praises God for all the treasure he can now give to his people, and asks Wiglaf to build a barrow "Beowulf's tower" by the sea where he can be buried on a funeral pyre and where he can be recognized by anyone who spots it.

[Beowulf's Funeral]
1. When the companions return, they witnessed Wiglaf starting to bury Beowulf. He chastises them for abandoning Beowulf when he needed them most, and predicts that the Geatland will eventually be attacked and destroyed by their rivals.
2. The messenger tells the city that Beowulf is dead. He tells them of Ongentheow, the man who killed Haethcyn, and how he made fun of the Geats all night in Ravenwood. However, he did not account for Hygelac coming the next day and subsequently was overwhelmed and corned. Refusing to give up, his defiance had him killed by Hygelac. According to the messenger, the gold is cursed in that anyone who attempts to steal it will be cursed (much like Indiana Jones). The final image is that of... a dragon!
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd of the various heroics Beowulf did, and how Beowulf was a warrior among warriors and a king among kings who will never be forgotten, and always be honored.
4. The dragon was pushed off a cliff and into the ocean, never given a proper burial due to its evil nature.
5. People cried and sang over the death of Beowulf during and after the funeral.
6. According to the Geats, Beowulf was a kind and beloved hero who will be remembered for all time. If one were to describe a military hero, one who made fame by killing other creatures/people, I would think that the world "kind" would seem a little out-of-place.

Monday, August 20, 2012








All the various videos of me failing to recite "The Laughing Heart" by Charles Bukowski properly. Disclaimer: there is some mild swearing involved. Be forewarned.
Finally! Hopefully after Google+ has Instantly Uploaded the rest of my videos, I can show you the many (read 4) time I failed.

A Reflection of Week 1 cont'd

2. Which reminds me of, at least to me, what I would consider the best learning experience in my life. Back in my elementary and junior high school days, I strived for one-thing-and-one-thing-only: an "A" on my report card. It didn't matter how I got it or what I had to do, that A was mine. You remember those annoying kids always asking for extra credit and begging the teacher to raise their grade by .01%? Those who were the biggest brown nosers you could find, and also the most persistent whiners? Those students that just grinded your teeth and make you wish they had never been born? I was one of those. Actually, I take that back. I was the epitome of those. I did extra credit that you didn't know was extra credit. I volunteered on every question. I was always the "super polite and faking it" student who knew how to get teachers on his good side. To put it simply and crudely, I was the biggest pain-in-the-ass you could find. But I was also one of the most successful. Kids knew it. That's why I was always one of the first picked when it came to any academic competition. I was much like Kobe. I may not have been liked but I was respected. Now, that all changed freshman year (my attitude mind you, I'm pretty sure that most students still find me to be a royal pain-in-the-ass, but that's for a different time) in my Honors Biology class, period 5. It was around the beginning of autumn, and we had a quiz that day. I was fretting around, nervous as can be, believing that the quiz was to be a harbinger of things to come. (Remember, I was going to do anything for that "A", and anything less was bound to be punished through sweat and tears.) I was shaking as if the room had become Antarctica. My heart was the beat of a thousand drums, all pulsing through my skull. Mrs. Wingerden, our teacher, noticed my obvious state of anxiety and said something to comfort me, something I'm sure she thought would subside my nervousness, if only for that moment. I highly doubt she could understand just how much that statement has met to me. "Don't worry, it's just one quiz. I'm sure ten years from now you will have forgotten all about it. In the vast realm of things, it doesn't matter." Those were the words. Those words that have forever changed my realm of thinking. Those words that made me re-evaluate myself, and make me wonder "What am I? Is this who I want to be?" Essentially, my MIND=BLOWN moment. As you can understand, I was lost. My whole identity, gone just like that. I didn't know what to do, so I did what any self-respecting freshman does. I went to my dad. I talked to him, wanted to know more about him. As I found out, unlike me, he was not a straight A student. He got his fair share of A's, yes, but he also got his fair share of B's. Me, being the ignorant freshman I was, asked how he felt getting a "B". As he told me, "You probably wouldn't understand, but there are times in life when no matter how much work you put in, no matter how much you try, a B is all you can get and you are proud of that B. Some of my B's are the proudest I've ever learned. And as you'll learn in college, getting an A isn't like high school. You will be graded harshly beyond belief, and I will honestly be surprised if you manage to maintain a 4.0 average all throughout college." And as both my parents have told me, "If we see that you're trying as hard as you can, and you get a "B" we're still very proud of you. After all, you tried your hardest. What more can we ask for?" Those three moments, up until now, have been my defining moments. Granted, I still haven't got my first "B" on my transcripts, but don't think that hasn't changed me. I still want that "A" much like anyone else, but that doesn't mean I'll cry if I get a "B", nor will I attempt to bring myself to such low levels as I used to. Life is too important to be crying over such semantics and which is more important: The amount of knowledge you have retained, or the grade you obtained? 
P.S. I don't think my parents can understand just how much I appreciate being their son and the amount of values they have instilled in me. And so, here I hope they read this post and understand my gratitude. 

Reflections on Week 1

"Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't." - Pete Seeger. 

1. Ahh yes the interwebz. A place where one can find solitude from the outside world, assuming of course that one has access to it. And herein lies my potential problem. There are four people, all fighting for either one computer or one laptop, meaning there is a good chance that I will have to wait. And by wait, I mean really wait. Like Duke Neukem Forever or Half-Life 3 wait. (Perhaps if Gabe Newell focused less on hamburgers and his beard, the game could be made.)


3. However, I shouldn't let that deter me from my excitement towards AP English Literature and Composition. This will be a completely new experience, something I'm doubtful many others can brag of. After all, how many teachers do you know who not only allow phone usage during class, but actually encourage it? How many teachers out there use QR codes, and whatever other technology they can find? Ironically, technology is the future yet it's the one area schools are most hesitant to adapt to. Rather, they would pursue more AP classes when instead their students need to be more versed into technology, most notably computers and/or coding. Hopefully, I can expand my knowledge on technology and not look like such a n00b at times.

Thursday, August 16, 2012


<prompt: As David Foster Wallace wrote in his 2001 story "Good Old Neon":

What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant.

Using what you've learned from your reading of Montaigne's techniques and topics, do you agree?  How does Montaigne's style provide a window into his thinking?  Compare with Austen's style in Pride & Prejudice.  Include examples, and avoid merely summarizing the main points of the former or the plot of the latter.> 
While trying to make do with what short time was allotted towards writing my new essay (roughly twenty minutes I would estimate) it came to mind that I simply could not finish in time and deliver a quality essay that is expected of someone taking AP Literature and Composition. Simply put, I ran out of time. It's to be expected out of all of us at least once at some point or another, but that doesn't make the disappointment any more comfortable. Combine that with the inevitable "Oh shoot, I just remembered something I could've added to my essay  to make it better" train-of-thought, and it's bound to stitch into the recesses of your mind. Had I had more time, I probably would've focused on the differences between an essay and a novel, most notably how an essay is supposed to a piece of writing where an author establishes his point of view and usually supports said point-of-view with evidence, while a novel is usually a fictionalized piece of work that tells a story. With Montaigne, we get a clear frame on his thinking process, and why he thinks the way he thinks. His essays are bound endlessly with quotes and evidence from men like Horace, Cato, Cicero, Alexander, Caesar, Dionysius, Pompey or Aristotle. We see where he's coming from, and usually can agree with what he says. With Austen, it's a bit different. She can't just openly state what she believes. She is a novelist, first and foremost, meaning that her beliefs must be masked behind the characters and setting she creates. The way her characters act, the way they think, that is the best determinate of her thought process. (Most notably societies emphasis on what makes a "real woman" and the importance of marriage). Oh well, it is what it is.
That's not to say that the interruption was, per say, bad or an absolute abomination. One great advantage it lent to me was that, realizing there was no hope of finishing without completely rushing and BS'ing my way through, I proceeded to take my time, and focus on key points that I could elaborate on in the time given. Rather than jot down any little thought that came to my head, I could instead study the prompt, and form the best argument that I felt I could give.

Sunday, August 5, 2012


Ahhh... AP Literature and Compostition. The one subject I'm told will be the bane of my high school career. The one every high school senior has uttered with a sense of foreboding, that one class that is knotted with despair so profound it's bound to shake the core of even Commander Shepard. However, I do not intend to cower or plead for mercy. Rather, I, much like Nathan Price, intend to take this challenge head-on.
“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.” - Bernice Johnson Reagon. What is the point of life if not one string of endless challenge? What fun is there if one does not wish to challenge him/herself? If high school and college are the years that define who you will be, the years where our knowledge can reach no limit, then why settle for second?

We live in an era of technological advancement, one filled with endless possibilities and breakthroughs. As such, one must become quickly acclimated to the various ways people communicate, most notably through blogs, vlogs or Facebook. In an age of a global economy, communication has become even more important, one of which I hope to understand and expand my knowledge on. While I do not see myself as a blogger, perhaps this experience can lend itself to bigger and grander things, ones of which I will not see until they have long passed me by. And hopefully, while this experience feels wholly new and I unprepared, I can take one step into the darkness and emerge a greater man than I once was.
Music that I find fits the mood of how I feel towards the new school year.