Monday, August 31, 2009
The Hunt for an XH-A1 Continues...
Oh, Beatty Televisual... Why did you taunt me by placing it in front of me and allowing me to cradle it in my arms? I'm only at $1,000... I'll need up to $3,000 if I want a chance at winning any bids on eBay. Still... A man can dream.
Although I can get a Panasonic AG-DVX100A for cheap, too. But the lack of future-proof HD and true 16:9 sensor chips disturbs me. Still, it's quite nice for a Junior in high school.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Films: Their Artistic Importance
I have found in my years of high school that few people truly know a good film when they see it. The entire idea of what is good and what is not is, of course, completely up to an individual. Some people can listen to the persistent pounding and screaming of death metal, while others can listen to the classical arpeggios of violins and cellos. Still, people can listen to the beats and auto-tuned voices of (some, if not most) rap artists; and while some may not understand another's like for their particular taste of music, they cannot truly distinguish how it could be considered bad.
But can this be applied to film? I'm not quite so sure about that. I feel like I'm a film snob. I love good films. Ones that should be commended for their masterful use of cinematography, or the superb acting that they hold. So when I hear--like last year--how a film like Step Brothers could win the majority vote for Funniest Film Ever Made, I sort of lose faith in the school system. You can't subject people to good music, because what is good depends on the listener; but you can subject people to good movies and books. The watcher/reader may not necessarily like them, but he or she will learn a valuable insight into each medium.
A student will never be able to go through school without hearing the names Hemingway, Shakespeare, and Orwell thrown around; it's scary to think that some people will go much of their adult lives without knowing the names of Stanley Kubrick, Orson Welles, Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Scorcese, Ron Howard, and Steven Spielberg. Why, I ask, do we not have a film class as an elective in schools? Why can't we at least give the choice to subject students to films that will actually exercise their mind? If you introduce students to the beauty of film, only then will you see the true importance of them.
"Mr. Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost. Anyway, I don't think it would have explained everything. I don't think any word can explain a man's life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle."
Allow me to direct your attention to the film that is considered, by many, to be the best film ever made. Orson Welles created his masterpiece in 1941, entitled Citizen Kane. Upon the first view, it's hard to really find anything all that different about the film. "Best film ever made?" you say, "How could this be considered the best film ever made?" Only after you see it a few more times will you notice how it all works. The use of deep focus in many of the scenes; the artistic masterwork of the camera's hard, journalistic viewpoints during interviews; and its strong use of lighting and masterful acting distinguished Citizen Kane from all other films. Not only this, but it completely distinguished the entire genre of film as something truly meaningful. It revealed to all that film is art with a purpose, not just a way for Hollywood to cash a buck.
Can a school not encompass the idea of an artistic film? Can a school not view incredible films such as Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey or Citizen Kane to teach students and cause them to analyze more than just the underlying themes, but the use of lighting, angles, acting, and objects in a scene that compliment the entire message? Evidently not. And this is why we hear every day students talking about that latest spoof movie, or Michael Bay's newest explosion fest.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How the World was Made: Native American Symbolism
Reading this story is like throwing me back five years to sixth grade, where our... English class, I believe? was assigned to create a story that explained how a certain animal acquired its most notable feature. I was paired with my friend, Blake, and together we explored the idea of how a beaver got its tail. I won't go into details, as it I'll just be rattling on (but I will say it involved waffles, a hook hand, and temporary blindness); but I said this to bring me to my next point: "How the World was Made" embodies this principle. While explaining the natural world, it teaches lessons and values that allow children to progress smoothly to adulthood. In this particular story, however, not as many lessons are taught, whereas explanations are abundant.
In the beginning, the world is floating in a sea of water, suspended by the four cords hanging down from the "sky vault". Briefly exploring humanity's ultimate fear of the unknown and ultimate end, the story explains how, after all things have died and the earth has grown old, the cords will break and the earth will sink to the depths of the water it resides. All will be water again--perhaps a symbol of rebirth. Water is adaptable, and flows as the bringer of all life. This great sea of water houses many mysteries of the past, and though it is the creator and holder of the world the Native Americans live in, it is ultimately their final resting place. But even as the earth sinks into its depths, so does the beginning of a new age begin.
As time goes on and the animals above the arch of sky become curious of what the water houses, they send a water beetle to explore its depths. As it explores, it stirs up mud that eventually hardens to create the earth. During this time, many different events unfold that causes it to become what it is today, and when the animals finally descended to the earth, they placed the sun in the sky and had it set on a track. It was too low, however, as it burned the red crawfish's shell. This spoiled his meat, keeping the Cherokee from eating it. Obviously, this event is a lesson taught to the young in order to discourage them from eating crawfish meat so as not to hurt them (though I'm not quite so sure on what repercussions would materialize out of its ingestion).
A brief intermission occurs as the narrator goes on to explain the existence of an "underworld" that resides on the other side of the world. It is viewed merely as a different, unknown place, however, rather than the Underworld of ancient Greek mythology which houses the dead. To reach the world, one must follow the waters from the mountains and enter the springs, followed by a guide from the underworld while fasting. This break in continuity is, at first glance, hard to really realize its reason to be included. I see this as a way of whetting the reader's--and listener's, at the time--curiosity. While it explains everything, it includes an allusion to the unknown while stating the complicated process into reaching this enigmatic land. Perhaps back then, it gave the listener something to ruminate, while also allowing he or she to anticipate a new story.
The story comes to a conclusion, telling of how animals were decided upon to see which ones will be nocturnal. After this, man is at last introduced. A brother and sister exist, and the man strikes his sister with a fish in order to spur her into multiplying. As time goes on and multiplication proves to be too much, it is made that a woman can have a child only once a year. With this, the story concludes.
As a last note, I'll say this: I was completely dumbfounded by the fact that the brother hit his sister with a fish. What was the point? I knew there had to be one, so I decided to Google me up some symbolic meanings of fish, and lo and behold, I discovered the symbol of the fish. In general, the animal is associated with fertility, femininity, knowledge, and transformation. The collaboration of the fish and human creation easily makes sense, after this discovery.
In the beginning, the world is floating in a sea of water, suspended by the four cords hanging down from the "sky vault". Briefly exploring humanity's ultimate fear of the unknown and ultimate end, the story explains how, after all things have died and the earth has grown old, the cords will break and the earth will sink to the depths of the water it resides. All will be water again--perhaps a symbol of rebirth. Water is adaptable, and flows as the bringer of all life. This great sea of water houses many mysteries of the past, and though it is the creator and holder of the world the Native Americans live in, it is ultimately their final resting place. But even as the earth sinks into its depths, so does the beginning of a new age begin.
As time goes on and the animals above the arch of sky become curious of what the water houses, they send a water beetle to explore its depths. As it explores, it stirs up mud that eventually hardens to create the earth. During this time, many different events unfold that causes it to become what it is today, and when the animals finally descended to the earth, they placed the sun in the sky and had it set on a track. It was too low, however, as it burned the red crawfish's shell. This spoiled his meat, keeping the Cherokee from eating it. Obviously, this event is a lesson taught to the young in order to discourage them from eating crawfish meat so as not to hurt them (though I'm not quite so sure on what repercussions would materialize out of its ingestion).
A brief intermission occurs as the narrator goes on to explain the existence of an "underworld" that resides on the other side of the world. It is viewed merely as a different, unknown place, however, rather than the Underworld of ancient Greek mythology which houses the dead. To reach the world, one must follow the waters from the mountains and enter the springs, followed by a guide from the underworld while fasting. This break in continuity is, at first glance, hard to really realize its reason to be included. I see this as a way of whetting the reader's--and listener's, at the time--curiosity. While it explains everything, it includes an allusion to the unknown while stating the complicated process into reaching this enigmatic land. Perhaps back then, it gave the listener something to ruminate, while also allowing he or she to anticipate a new story.
The story comes to a conclusion, telling of how animals were decided upon to see which ones will be nocturnal. After this, man is at last introduced. A brother and sister exist, and the man strikes his sister with a fish in order to spur her into multiplying. As time goes on and multiplication proves to be too much, it is made that a woman can have a child only once a year. With this, the story concludes.
As a last note, I'll say this: I was completely dumbfounded by the fact that the brother hit his sister with a fish. What was the point? I knew there had to be one, so I decided to Google me up some symbolic meanings of fish, and lo and behold, I discovered the symbol of the fish. In general, the animal is associated with fertility, femininity, knowledge, and transformation. The collaboration of the fish and human creation easily makes sense, after this discovery.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Just a Quick Message
I understand this is a school blog, but I just wanted to show this pretty cool picture I just stumbled...
Timon and Pumba:
Timon and Pumba:
Symbolism in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye
I've noticed (out of the small portion of my classmates that have actually written a blog post as of now) that Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea is receiving a lot of attention--and rightfully so! It's pretty chocked full of symbolism and imagery, and it's the perfect candidate for anything pertaining to an analysis of symbolism and imagery. Obviously, it would be stupid of me to choose something else to write about, right? Well, being the pretentious and attention-seeking teenager I am, I decided to choose The Catcher in the Rye instead.
First and foremost, I'll start off with the name of the main character, Holden Caulfield. In my research of the novel, I acquired information on the actual term "caul". A caul is actually a thin membrane that covers the head of a fetus during development. Obviously, considering Holden's inability to truly let go of childhood and pursue into the world of adulthood, this part of his name could be considered his ignorance towards the world. Not only that, but during Holden's escapade around New York City, he is completely unaware of the fact that he is suffering from a mental breakdown. While on their date, Sally continuously tells Holden to quit yelling, while Holden is completely oblivious and responds believing that he is talking in a normal tone.
One of the most poignant pieces of symbolism in the novel is Holden's red hunting hat, however; but what is most interesting about it is that, while it has ear flaps and is meant specifically to warm one as they wear it, Holden only seems to wear it while safely alone. Even while slowly making his way through the cold of winter, he thinks not to wear the hat as a necessary accessory, but only as an individual's distinction. Ackley makes a comment towards Holden's hat earlier in the novel, stating that every hunter in his home town used to wear those as they shot animals. Holden, in desperate retaliation, distinguishes from the rest by doing one thing: eliminating any kind of potential enemy to his individualism.
"This is a people shooting hat . . . I shoot people in this hat."
As the novel progresses, the reader learns that Holden wishes only to be the catcher in the rye; to save children from the fall into adulthood. Thriving off the ignorance of childhood and knowing (or at least he thinks he does) first hand about the adult world, he idolizes the value of childhood. Phoebe, his younger sister, is the largest flaw in his idealized view of the world. She represents the perfect child, yet she knows the value of aging and growing. Holden, in hopes that she will take his place as the catcher, gives Phoebe the hat. Yet later on in the novel, Phoebe returns the hat to Holden and exhibits the perfect look into his romanticized version of the world. Phoebe, as it turns out, seems to know what Holden needs. Though she denied the offer of being the catcher, she allows Holden to save her one time; if only to have him truly happy at least once.
Another strong piece of symbolism in the novel is The Museum of Natural History. Holden remarks of how odd and frightened he seems to feel any time he is in it. He views the fact that, when anyone takes a visit to the museum, nothing at all has changed except for themselves. Already known is Holden's ultimate fear of growing up, and so his being in the museum itself is a symbol for the undeniable truth that, no matter what, time will continue. Holden is no exception.
First and foremost, I'll start off with the name of the main character, Holden Caulfield. In my research of the novel, I acquired information on the actual term "caul". A caul is actually a thin membrane that covers the head of a fetus during development. Obviously, considering Holden's inability to truly let go of childhood and pursue into the world of adulthood, this part of his name could be considered his ignorance towards the world. Not only that, but during Holden's escapade around New York City, he is completely unaware of the fact that he is suffering from a mental breakdown. While on their date, Sally continuously tells Holden to quit yelling, while Holden is completely oblivious and responds believing that he is talking in a normal tone.
One of the most poignant pieces of symbolism in the novel is Holden's red hunting hat, however; but what is most interesting about it is that, while it has ear flaps and is meant specifically to warm one as they wear it, Holden only seems to wear it while safely alone. Even while slowly making his way through the cold of winter, he thinks not to wear the hat as a necessary accessory, but only as an individual's distinction. Ackley makes a comment towards Holden's hat earlier in the novel, stating that every hunter in his home town used to wear those as they shot animals. Holden, in desperate retaliation, distinguishes from the rest by doing one thing: eliminating any kind of potential enemy to his individualism.
"This is a people shooting hat . . . I shoot people in this hat."
As the novel progresses, the reader learns that Holden wishes only to be the catcher in the rye; to save children from the fall into adulthood. Thriving off the ignorance of childhood and knowing (or at least he thinks he does) first hand about the adult world, he idolizes the value of childhood. Phoebe, his younger sister, is the largest flaw in his idealized view of the world. She represents the perfect child, yet she knows the value of aging and growing. Holden, in hopes that she will take his place as the catcher, gives Phoebe the hat. Yet later on in the novel, Phoebe returns the hat to Holden and exhibits the perfect look into his romanticized version of the world. Phoebe, as it turns out, seems to know what Holden needs. Though she denied the offer of being the catcher, she allows Holden to save her one time; if only to have him truly happy at least once.
Another strong piece of symbolism in the novel is The Museum of Natural History. Holden remarks of how odd and frightened he seems to feel any time he is in it. He views the fact that, when anyone takes a visit to the museum, nothing at all has changed except for themselves. Already known is Holden's ultimate fear of growing up, and so his being in the museum itself is a symbol for the undeniable truth that, no matter what, time will continue. Holden is no exception.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Introduction
First and foremost, I'd like to introduce myself to anyone not from my school that's reading this blog--or if you are from my school and don't know me. My name's Drew. I'm writing in this blog for Mr. Langley's English class. In it will be thoughts and feelings about anything having to do with what's going on in my class. Other than that, there's not much else to say. I'll get onto symbolism about The Catcher in the Rye or The Old Man and the Sea in my next post.
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