The Golden Compass Blog

The movie was a little hard for me to fully understand. I feel that the film did not attack Christianity, though. It doesn't sound like it was created for any purpose, except to tell a fictional story. I, like many of my classmates, would have thought it was about the government, if Mr.Hughes didn't say otherwise.

“I don’t think that’s democratic,” he continued. “I prefer to trust the reader. I prefer to trust what I call the democracy of reading – when everybody has the right to form their own opinion and read what they like and come to their own conclusion about it. So I trust the reader.” I agree with Philip Pullman, the writer, about this. I don't believe he is promoting anti-Christianity or attacking Christianity. He just put a fictional story that he thought up in his head and has no control over how people respond to it. The story may merely mean nothing to him, but the world to someone else. Whether it is about government or Christianity doesn't matter. All that matters is the man made up a fictional story with no harm intended and got critized for having a great imagiantion.


http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071105/29957_'Golden_Compass'_Author_Denies_Promoting_Atheism_in_Books.htm

WHAT I WANT FROM life

I am a huge dreamer and haven't really figured out if that is a good or bad thing. I would say my biggest dream is to be a successful actress. Unfortunately, its one of my harder dreams to make come true. I'm not sure if I even want to seriously pursue that dream because it seems very far fetched and it would take a lot of struggle. I hope though, to be generally very content and happy in my future. I hope to have a big family one day. Also, I hope to that Angelina Jolie and I will one day have a little chat; but it's not that important to me. I hope to find myself and know myself. One of my fears is that I will feel lost forever and never become generally happy and content. Giving birth to children is another fear of mine. I also, fear that I will be attacked in my home by a psycho person or that I will see a ghost. My biggest fear of all though, is pain. I have a dream, that one day, I will open up a resteraunt in North Carolina. My favorite quote is, "People say your going the wrong way when its simply a way of your own." I like the colors pink, purple, off white, and black. They are such great colors.

My goal is to obtain happiness, as previously discussed. I just want to be happy in its fullness.

A Confused Mind

I am very mad right now. I just wrote this whole blog and tried to post it and this error showed up, so I lost everything. Something like this would only happen to me. Not to mention the cold i got this weekend and the $25 or $30 i lost this weekend as well. It really can't get any better than this; sitting here feeling miserable writing a completly different blog from the previous one i lost. This is my life ladies and gentlman.

I'm watching Walk the Line on tv and my bath water is running. Its 9:39 and I'm dead tired. Waking up by an alarm hurts, thats why nobody likes to wake up earlier. As a growing human, i have many many questions about everything. I don't think its natural for someone to have so many questions. Maybe, I'm suppose to know some of these things or maybe not. I feel that not everybody thinks as deeply as other peolple. I was talking to a friend and she said she hated thinking about the things I think about all the time. Things that don't have a quick answer and make you feel lost. This is life and its yours, what do you do? I feel like nothing is every enough. I mean what do you do with life, it seems so limited sometimes. Or do I feel limited? Everybody seems so simple compared to me. My friends tell me I make things complicated. I don't like to assume or judge but it gets real hard no to sometimes. Its really not a good thing to do. I don't know a lot of things but I want to have a big part in life, and I have no clue what thats going to be.

I went to edit this post and I have a draft of my other blog, just my luck.

Sex Education

Sex education has not always been taught in American schools. In earlier years, the idea of teaching children about sex was very controversial. Many parents disagreed with the idea because they felt that it was their responsibility to discuss sex with their children. Now, as sexual activity has become greatly popular among teens, the fight whether to teach sex education has diminished into simple questions like what grade it should be taught in. Sex education is important because it informs teenagers of the risk of having a sexual relationship.

Most teenagers participate in sexual relationships. Speaking as a high school student, more than half of the students in high school are definitely involved in sexual relationships and sometimes more than one. The current generation promotes sex as the ultimate fun or cool thing to do. Often, times there is great pressure put on non-sexual teenagers to become in sexual relationships by their peers and society. Teenagers think of celebrities as Gods, making them their number one role model. This is not good considering the way celebrities portray themselves as lustful objects. The celebrities make it look cool to be promiscuous and give teenagers the okay to be that way.

Sex education is an important subject to be taught during teenage years. It is reported that everyday 8,000 teenagers are infected with a sexually transmitted diseases. In 2000, 240,000 girls 18 and younger became impregnated. Sex education about risks, preventions, and cautions can decrease disease and physical harm throughout young America. Emotionally, it helps to talk about sexual problems or relations with someone, decreasing suicide attempts. Several unplanned babies are born every year due to non-education. Sex education has the power to reduce teenage pregnancy, saving lives. Sexual relationships can turn into something life threatening and education can lessen the danger.

It is necessary for teenagers to be educated about the risks of sexual relationships. Most teenagers are engaged in sexual relationships because of celebrities and peer pressure. Teaching sex education is important because it causes the danger of death and disease to decrease. It also, decreased unplanned pregnancy and emotional problems. Sex education has helped some problems in America attempt to diminish.

Inaudible Melodies

I chose "Inaudible Melodies",an oxymoron, because Jack Johnson's music usually appeals to me. After reading the lyrics I not only liked his message but agreed with it. The purpose of Jack Johnson's song is to cause peolple to start living every moment of their lives. He states that purpose bluntly thourought the song by saying, "Slow down everyone, you're moving too fast." He repeats that more than 3 times during the song, making the purpose quite obvious. A cliche can also, connect with his purpose in saying, "Slow down before life passes you by." All this means is that don't rush your way throught life or before you know it, you'll be old and just about dead.

Jack Johnson's tone strikes me as nostalgic because of his mention towards a different time. He says, "Bushfire fairytales, Itsy bitsy diamond wells, Big fat hurricanes, yellow bellied given names", inferring to a fantasy world where everyrone lives timelessly. If a person lives in a fantasy world you have no worries, therfore you live in relaxation instead of rush. The title of Jack Johnson's song is being compared with the way people live life. Inaudible melodies literally means a melody without sound. If you can't hear a melody, what's the point? Like life, if you don't have a melody or meaning, what's the point?

Jack Johnson goes on to talk about how we live the way we are deemed to, the way we're "suppose" to live. We go school, graduate, get a job, and settle down to get married and have kids. "Well dust off your thinking caps. Solar powered plastic plants.", he says when he explains how we don't take a moment and think anymore because we are so caught up in doing the "supposed" life. Jack Johnson appeals to his audience when he says, "Well shortcuts can slow you down", which is a paradox. At first glance it wouldn't make sense becuase shortcuts are meant to speed things up, not slow down. Another look at it however proves that it infact could make sense. What may have started out as a shortcut could turn into a life wasted. Shortcuts can aslo make you stumble upon the unexpected that inevitably makes you slow down and take a look at life. With Jack Johnson's nostalgic tone and hidden messages he captures his audiences' emotions to turn their attention to his purpose. He uses the song as a metaphor which makes a deeper connection ti his audience, forcing them to belive that taking in every moment of life is in fact, important.

"Jeremy" by Pearl Jam

The song "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam is rightfully controversial. The song overviews how a tormented boy, Jeremy, decides to kill his fellow students to solve his problems. Other people may say that Jeremy murders the students and himself or just himself, depending on how a perosn interprets the lyrics. The speaker is a boy who tormetned Jeremy throughout the song showing feelings of regret and guilt.

The speaker opens the song with the description of a painting of Jeremy. In the picture Jeremy stands on a sun over dead bodies with his arms in a "V". This paints a description of Jeremy's thoughts to overcome torment form his peers by death, possibly meaning victory. "Daddy didn't give attention. Oh, to the fact that mommy didnt care." also mentions Jeremy's lack of parental support.

The speaker then sinks into discussion about his attitude towards Jeremy, proving more the situation as an antecedent. "Clearly I remember pickin' on the boy. Seemed a harmless...", describes the blame the speaker accuses himself of. The speaker also witnesses suprise by Jeremy, "Ooh but we unleashed a lion.....and he hit me with a suprise left." Jeremy left a lasting emotional scar on the speaker as well, "My jaw left hurtin'.....try to forget this...try to erase this." He obviously will never be able to forget what Jeremy's done.

The last piece of evidence leading us to believe Jeremy committed some form a murder comes from the line "Jeremy spoke in class today." The line simply does not mean he talked in class, it refers to him making a significant action in class, in this case murder. The speaker blames Jeremy's parents, peers, and himself for the gradual build up toward Jeremy's final actions. In my opinion Jeremy murded his classmates to feel victorious and the message, the most important, is not to tease anyone because you never know whats happening in their home life.

Improve Writing

To improve my writing on my last rhetorical analysis I could have done many things. I need to wach for the way write my sentences and make sure they make sense. I should let somebody proofread my papers from now on. I should watch my word choice and reread my papers aloud. I should take more time to write them also. I should watch my past tense and pre tense when writing and watch my comma usage.

Intelligence

How do you know if someone is intelligent? I think it varies from person to person, especially if your one of those people who think you are intelligent, but are in fact not. I belive to be intelligent you definately have to have knowledge about life, which is wisdom. What's the point of being intelligent in school and not life. Great intelligence I think is when you come up with great unique ideas about life and they're better than anyone could have ever thought of. Uniqueness is in other words a great form of intelligence. Most greatly intelligent people are also the ones that don't even know they are. Basically, you know if someone is intelligent if they have great wisdom and make great choices.

Knowledge,Truth, & Beliefs

To believe something is to know something. To believe someting is to believe something true. You can't know anything if you don't believe it. If you believe someting true, you know it. Those three words tie in together in various ways and none can work without the other. Put together they contribute to a greater knowledge, more beliefs, and a changed truth.

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta is a movie about the government and its citizens. In the movie the main character is V, a man who terrorizes London wearing the mask of a historical figure called Guy Fawkes. November 5th,1609 Guy Fawkes planned to blow up Parliament because he disagreed with their ways of running the government. In the movie, V doesn’t agree with the government either and he follows Fawkes’s idea of blowing up Parliament. V broadcasts a speech during the movie trying to persuade the people of London to help him in his cause. In V’s speech he uses methods of persuasion, mostly pathos and logos, and makes arguments against the government including forensic, evaluation, and means to an end.

V starts his speech to London using a nonchalant tone. He first, began using a method of persuasion by making it clear to the people of London that he was just like them. In attempt he says, “ I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition.” V also, in the beginning, argues that it’s wrong for them to forget November 5th.

V then points out an argument of truth in the speech saying, “ Because while the truncheon may be used in lie of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?” V accomplishes to make the audience question the truth of their government. In the text above V also, is trying to make sense to the people. V is trying to persuade the audience that the government did lie to them and deceived them by pointing out facts.

V slowly leads into arguments of injustice and guilt. He mentions injustice in the text as one of the many things the people have given up mistakenly. He also, blames the people for their lost of freedom by saying, “….looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.” V states the argument there that the people of London are the guilty ones who gave their freedom away. Then, V tries to persuade the audience simultaneously by using evidence and facts. He uses facts and evidence by saying statements such as, “..you now have censors and systems of surveillance, coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission.”

V, then furthers his persuasion by attempting to appeal to the audience’s emotions. In the speech he says, “ I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War. Terror. Disease……Fear got the best of you and in your panic..” V goes on to explain to the people how they were manipulated by using their emotions they feel or felt. V argues in this time that the blame is put on the emotions of the people. He uses examples of various emotions throughout the text, such as fear and panic.

Toward the end of V’s speech he discusses the end result he expects from his speech. He says, “ Last night, I sought to end that silence….crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I suggest that you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked.” In his mention of unknown, is also a inference to a problem. V makes his final persuasion by using facts. He explains, “ More than four hundred years ago, a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice and freedom are more than words - they are perspectives.”

Throughout V’s speech he uses collaborations of arguments and persuasion methods. From the beginning of the speech, dealing with wrongness and emotions; to the end of the speech, dealing with facts and solving his problem. All for V’s goal to convince his audience to follow him to form a better nation.

About Yours Truly

I’m a pretty unique person. I get called weird everyday. Angelina Jolie is totally boss when it comes to role models. She is the center of my life. Things I like to do: work-out, watch movies, party, travel, and learn/try new things. I don’t like mean people and hate when others disrespect other innocent people.. Obsessed with the idea of love. Music is life, it means so much. My favorite kind of music would have to be Pop Rock BUT I still love ALL kinds. My feelings get hurt easily. I can’t do my hair because I don’t know how. September 6th, remember that, its my birthday. If your funny you have my heart, unless I don’t like you. But I pretty much like everyone and try to see the good in people. I LOVE open-minded people, it’s the RIGHT way to live. I don’t really like to sleep, it’s

a waste. My biggest fear would have to be to wake up to a deformed person standing over me. I sleep with the big light on and I never sit on ANY toilet, even the house one. I don’t let my behind touch the bathtub either. Nip Tuck would have to be the best show created. My dream job would be to be an actress, but realistically I wanna be a psychiatrist. I don’t like high school at all and I can’t wait to graduate because I feel like that’s when your life really starts. My attention is gone within a second and I can’t listen to stories or discussions often. I absolutely cannot standddddddd when people ignore people. It’s the number one way to make me mad. Its unnecessary. Oo and I play soccer.