My undercover artist

Soooooo.... when we first got this assingment I thought I wasnt going to enjoy it because I dont really search for new, undercover artists. My friends, people in my family, and others around me are usually the ones to find the new music and then I just start listening to it too. I guess that's why my library isnt really diverse or unique at all. Now that I think about it, it shows no distinct individuality and you cant tell the type of person I am by my library because the music is so common. But now that I've done this assignment I realized that I've really been missing out. There's so many artists out there that dont get recognition from the radio or tv. And they go unnoticed by a mojority of music listeners until artists get their big break, if they ever do. So I've also realized through this assingment that the best way to get music heard is via internet. There's no more efficient way to do it. Anyone in the world with access to internet can access the music that anyone puts out there.
Sooooo...now to the real point of this blog entry. I found an artist by the name of Kendrick Lamar. He is a guy from Compton, California. He started out when he was thirteen and has been developing his craft every since. His main goal now is to give people his real self through his music. He used to go by the name of "K Dot", but then he said he had an epiphany one morning and decided to give people his real self, starting with going by his real first name, Kendrick Lamar. He said "I just feel like it was time for the people to understand me and know who I am." And I can respect an artist like this. A person thats willing to uncover himself and peel back the layers of his life so that he can be heard. So when I listened to some of his music, I saw this goal throughout. In every one of the songs I heard by him, he put a piece of him like images of his childhood or his continued struggles as an artist in his lyrics. And it seems like he became more real through every song. I will definitely continue to search for more music by him and for  many more artists, that just havent gotten their break yet, but deserve at least for me to lend them my ear.

   

Nick and Jay :)

Sooooooooo… Jay and Nick. Nick and Jay. Without a doubt I like Nick better and I think he’s a better character. By better I mean that he’s more genuine, truthful, and up front in the story. Though the mystery of Jay Gatsby is far more intriguing, I think the secrets he is holding back from Nick and Daisy are treacherous and will make him the villain of the book. That’s why I’m just going to play it safe and keep my hopes on Nick, because he seems like he’s a lot less likely to let me down or do something bad that will make me dislike him later on in the story. And as for the relationship between the two: FAKE!! All Gatsby wanted to do was get close to him so the he could have a better chance of getting back into Daisy’s life. He was doing nothing but using Nick. He invited him over to the parties, to lunch, and had someone cut his grass without charge. For example in chapter six Gatsby and Daisy practically ignored Nick for most of the time that they were together at Gatsby’s house. For some reason they both wanted him in their presence but he was obviously serving no purpose.  The book says on page 96, “They had forgotten me,…Gatsby didn’t know me at all”. After Gatsby got what he wanted all along, he didn’t need Nick anymore. Nick had already served his purpose with him. Gatsby has already made one malicious act against Nick by using him, what’s next?

Let the Poems begin!

The ground hardens with ice,

The frigid cold chills my bones,

My hands, dry, callused, and rigid.

My teeth make a beat of their own

The trees are barren, without cover or

Shield from the unforgiving, unbiased cold

Babies, adults, the elderly, all victimized

By the frosty temperatures; it discriminates

Against none and is determined to destroy

The comfort of life

The wind smacks me as I exit my warm

Comforting home, I am shocked and startled

Though I thought I had a possibility at resisting

It with my sheep-made gloves, hat and coat

But I still stood no chance on winter’s

 Territory

The sky, so gray and hopeless, set the stage for

Another cheerless day, the joy of daily activities

Was ruined by the arctic weather and was

Never to return until the next rejuvenating spring

The atmosphere moistened as a took a long,

Careful trudge through malevolent patches of ice

As I look up to the still discouraging, bleak skies

A small gift lands on the tip of my noise

Tis’ the very first snowflake of the season

Sweeter than all the others, and unable to be  

Superseded by any other snowflake

A smile cracked across my face, and made

The rest of my body numb to the cold I was experienced

To me now the chilliness of the atmosphere

Was only in my mind, and its reigns on me

Were broken

My heart was filled with warmth as if I were

At home again and this pleasure soiled the horrific plan of winter to steal my happiness   

The person I'm most thankful for in this class is...

Mr. McCarthy of course. He's the guy that controls my grade, the amount of homework I get, AND what I learn about american literature. He's the best teacher I know on top of that. Why of course. I am definitely most thankful for Mr. McCarthy. Haha. But all jokes aside, truthfully, he's one cool teacher. For example, one thing I will never forget once I leave his class is what he says every time anyone calls on him. They'll say "Mr. McCarthy?" and he'll say, 'I am' with this really deep English voice. Haha good times.
And a few other people I love having in my class is... Brittany Simone Morris and Lauren Jeon. They are both crazy but funny and let me know what's going on when I space out occasionally. And who could ever forget the prestigious Gordon Bentley haha. One funny dude. If he wasn't there I wouldn't have anyone to talk about or look at with "why are u so stupid face" haha.

I am a Plow.....HUH???

Soooooo...once again here's Mr. McCarthy picking some random qoute out of thin air and wanting me to decipher it. Grrrrr!!! And here he is once again stretching my imagination, becasue at first I didnt know what to say to this. Its a statement. Not a controversial opinionated phrase, but a statement. So here's me trying my best to make this quote mean something to me. The definition of a plow is an agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil and sometimes it is used as a verb and it means to tear up, cut into, or make a furrow or groove. Generally, this word refers to the changing or the altering of something. 
When I substitute this into the phrase given, it makes me think of how I am able to change the opinions, minds, and the condition of the world around me. I am young and learning new things everyday which in turn stretches my mind and molds me into a person of few boundaries. For example, only after one year and a quater at Whitney Young I look at particular ethnicities in a completely different light. I am also exposed to all types of people under the Sun. And I can influence their opinions of my culture. Another way I am a "plow" is because I have the determination of no other and no one can put a limit on what I am capable of. I have a voice that no one can muffle or take away. The sky is NOT the limit. I am in the prime stage of my life i think, becuase I am still under the protection of my parents yet I still have responsibilities and I am dependent on myself to handle schoolwork and make thoughful decisions. It's like the best of both worlds. 
I can make changes within myself and influence the decisions, ideas, and perception of  my peers and youger people close to me. I am... powerful beyond imagination.The real question is will I take advantage of my potential and use this gift? 
   

Mr. McCarthy

Soooooooo.... Im definitely liking this class so far. We have enough assignments for it not to be a slack of class but few enough assignments to keep it chill and the mood of the class relaxed. At first I didnt like the blogs because I thought it was just another thing to add to my homework but its actually pretty cool to express my opinion on the web and anyone ewith access to the internet can read it. Its a quick and easy way to get my point across :). And the people I sit by make the class that much better. (Lauren, Emmitt, Brittany, Porsha.....and last and definitely least Gordon Bentley, I love these guys). But on the downside we've only read one book that has kept me remotely interested, The Crucible. And that was just okay. I think we should just start watching the movie in class and taking notes on that. I think I would retain the details a lot more, because I'm a visual person.

Is slavery completey dead???

Sooooooo.... My opinion is that slavery has not be completely abolished everywhere in the world. It's really sad after all this time that we still haven't learned our lesson to treat others how we want to be treated. No one wants to be enslaved and no one has the right to enslave anyone else. No matter how superior people think they are over other people, nothing gives them the right to demean and strip the rights of any human being. Even though special documents like the Declaration of Independence don't exist in all countries and it only protects the rights of Americans,I think every place in the world should have a document that promises every human being apart at least this one unalienable right: FREEDOM! Slavery I know is still alive because there's always going to be a group of people that feel superior over another. This is the reason slavery will never die, because people will never see all other people equal to themselves. I think in many impoverished countries and places where the government has much control over their citizens' lives is where slavery continues. The citizens are unable to organize and rise up against "The Man" (whoever the higher authority may be). Or the citizens just don't know how to escape this confinement.

Insight and Questioning into The Puritans, Salem, and The House of the Seven Gables!

                    Sooooooooo......today I have the responsibility of commenting on three different topics and Ill try my best to make sure it flows. So, here goes. I would like to first recognize the Puritans. I've learned a lot about them in class and about their lifestyle, but after more research it got me thinking about the logic of their reasoning behind all of it. I already knew that they lived a very strict lifestyle and they could not waver from it in any way. But they also believed that God had a pre-destined place for everyone to go, as in Heaven or Hell. So why would people just not live 'normal' lives, and just do the stuff that they wanted to do because no matter what they only had one, definite resting place. And as in normal I mean commit sins like all other people and allow themselves to make mistakes because no matter what their eternal resting place had already been decided.
                    On to the next subject, Salem. The one and only Salem, Massachusetts. The place Salem itself is only interesting to me for two reasons, the Salem Witch Trials and the House of Seven Gables book but there are other little, imposrtant tidbits about it that are good to know. The city actually was started by a group of fishermen. Back then it was a very important shipping and trading place because of its close location to the water. And this made the town very rich and increased its size. 
                   
  

The times when I know I cant be anything BUT American

Soooooo... I cant choose one day when I realized that I was American. That day was either far too long ago or maybe it just wasn't memorable, but for now I'll just tell you about the times when I just know the things I do, say, or think are American. For example, when I'm riding in the car with my parents and we drive past any fast food chain or just a fast food place, I always see the lines packed with people. The drive- thru and the insides of the restaurant are full. no other place likes fast food like Americans. We love our fast food because its quick, easy, and most importantly CONVENIENT. Us Americans like everything that's convenient and veer towards that more than anything else. Part of the American way is having convenience in your life because our lives are very fast- paced and the quicker we can get something the better. Also Other instances when I know I'm American is when I find myself looking at the late- night infomercial that come on TV. They are always trying to sell you something that makes life more "convenient" and that will make life "easier". They try to sell you all types of things just to make that fast buck. And you cant forget their famous slogans at the end: "Buy now or they'll all be gone"  or "Call right now". They always try to get their product to sell quickly to make the fast buck. These are the few times when I know I'm American because they directly exhibit our fast paced life and one of our top priorities, convenience. 

Conflict and the consequences of NO resolution

               Conflict...bickering...disagreement with no resoltion in sight= DEATH! Now if you ask me this chain of events makes no sense and is completely irrational. Just because a disagreement cannot be settled means that someone has to lose their life? What kind of mindset is that!!! This kind of thinking makes no sense and I fear anyone that thinks this mentality to be right or just.
               This kind of thinking, in certain situations,  is an utter contradicton of the Constitution that our country was built on. For example, The principle of freedom of speech is not just exclusive to one group of people but is given to all people upon citizenship. Peolpe are allowed to say anything they feel and to express their opinion. Undoubtedly, people are going to disagree at times, but life goes on. People get into conflicts over their ideas at school, on the job, and in homes, but no idea is so strong that someone should lose their life. There will always be someone on the other side of the fence of you. No act of murder is justified in the sense of differing opinions no matter what subject is being argued.
              People should also never be persecuted or treated unfairly for having different and unique ideas. If people are in conflict, they dont have to take it to the next level of actually abusing or hurting the person physically. The best way to deal with conflict is to respect the other person's position and moreover to put yourself in their positions. I these two steps are followed a lot less conflicts would end in tragedy.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God >:-(

               Sooooooo.... This excerpt of Jonathan Edwards was funny yet eye-opening to how serious people valued religion during the time period that this was taught. It also teaches me how single- minded that Christians were back then and were willing to believe any preposterous thing that came out of the mouth of a priest.
               I found this excerpt funny because of the way it described God and how he was willing to punish sinners for the sins that they committed. It was also amusing to me because of the way God was portrayed and described throughout the entire piece. This is completely contrary to the way I and most people view God today. The wrath of God was so exaggerated that it became unbelievable and was taken to an extreme. Yet it was interesting to compare the beliefs of God back then and the God I know today.
              But this was also somewhat of a history lesson in itself. I got and insight as to how religion was viewed and valued back when this was written. From this piece I understand that religion was a vital part of a Christian's life. Christians were willing to do anything to serve and please God and people had the utmost respect for the Church. This was a good thing in some ways but, this willingness also made the Christians very gullible. Anyone that claimed to know the Bible it seemed like they would listen to and would do and believe whatever they said. This opened them up to be taken advantage of.
            And I know for a fact that if someone started preaching the same sermons like this in churches today people would walk out and people would challenge the teachings of this preacher. In our society today people are more independent and are willing to speak up for what they know is right and will not just go with the flow like they did back then. PEACE OUT!

There goes my neighborhood...

Personally, I have only encountered one experience where a group of people have clashed, but it wasn’t over territory. The cause wasn't someone moving into the neighborhood either. But it all started when I was in fourth grade and we began studying the civil rights movement in history class. This was the first time my class and I had studied this time period in depth. And out of nowhere, as we learned about the separation and segregation between whites and blacks during that time period, my grade started to follow the pattern. (F.y.i My school wasn’t that diverse and it was predominantly Caucasian, but there was never any separation and we all got along.) At lunch all of me and my friends sat together and all the other Caucasian people sat in another section. And at recess, when we played sports like dodge ball all the African- American people played on one team and all the other people played on the same team. It was a really weird period and eventually teachers caught on and addressed the situation.

That I can say was my first time experiencing separation of races and it is not something I want to go through again. But otherwise the only other clashing of people that I have seen is in movies like "Remember the Titans" and "Freedom Writers".   

Hello Blogging World

              My name is Briana Hammons. I'm 15 and in Mr. McCarthy's fourth period American Lit. Class. Soooo... (just to describe myself a little bit) I'm energetic, funny, optimistic, easy-going, and a little crazy at times, but who isn't?? But don't let all those other qualities fool you, because I'm intelligent and dedicated. I take my schoolwork very seriously.
             
               I am involved in dance and modeling classes outside of school. And I enjoy playing basketball and hanging with friends during my free time. In school, my favorite subject is math but I excel the best in English most of the time. (Hopefully that's the case this year too).

              One thing that I value a lot in my life besides school and my hobbies is family. I have a big family and they have always been a huge part of my life. I always spend holidays with them and we make fun of each other and tell old funny stories of my parents as kids. I couldn't imagine being without them. Family has always been important to me and always will be.

              And this year I plan on getting drastically better at all types of writing. My goals are to broaden my writing style and to compare it with the style of other American works. I also want to learn new techniques from this course to improve and intensify my writing. I hope to learn a lot this year and to have fun while doing it. Until my next post, PEACE OUT!