OTW Post

In Cormac McCarthy's play, On the Waterfront, decisions are forced to be made, ethical or not. Johnny Friendly's mob seems to believe that anyone who shows signs of giving them away is a traitor and this factor leaves numerous people hesitant of speaking up. This is easily demonstrated by the murders of Joey and Doogan, and the attempted murder of Terry. They all were examples of the consiquences you go through when speaking up about Johnny's gang. Terry was an exception to the other men though because he was able to prove his strength by forcefully standing up for his ethical beliefs, the very characteristics necesariy to be a whistle blower.
Unfortunately, its proven by history that it is truly hard to stand up against a society. People like Oscar Schindler, Terry, and Enviornmentalis all have a form of whistle blower in them. Being a whistle blower can be very scary, whether its your reputation on the line or, in some cases, your life in risk. I believe its a very hard thing to do and believing in something isnt always enough, you need to act on your beliefs in order to make a difference. I also believe being a traitor is the simple route. Telling on someone is not always an easy task but when you are doing it for your own personal benefit that is when you are persieved as a traitor.

AMS #1

In Arthur Miller's play, All My Sons, characters are forced into making decisions, good or bad. As all of you know, (or hopefully know by now), Joe Keller makes decisions he feels will benefit his family but ultimately lead to his death. As a business man during the war work was hard for Joe and it was not always fair so he made the unwise choice of sending out 120 broken plane parts which lead to the death of 21 soldiers. Joe believes providing for his family is the most important thing and you can see that through an arguement him and his son Chris have when he finds out about the crime Joe commited. Joe yells with desperation, "Chris...Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you. I'm sixty-one years old, when would I have another chance to make something for you?"(70) Joe clearly believes that the decision he made was what needed to be done in order for Chris to have a good life. Although Chris does also believe family is important he didn't think what his father did was necessary or moral in any way. Chris screams, "What the hell do you mean, you did it for me? Don't you have a counry? Don't you live in the world? What the hell are you?". Chris feels that what his father did was completely out of line because he once faught in the army and he believes that decisions should be made idealisticly and in a way that is best for his country.

Although Miller's play was extremely depressing I found it very entertaining because it made me think about where people should draw the line when dealing with what it best for loved ones, or what is best for everyone. It's always tricky being put in situations where full responsibility is put on you and when a hard decision comes my way I'm like Joe Keller, all I want to do it stay in bed. Unfortunately there is not necessarily a line determining if what you do is right or wrong so you just have to do what you feel is overall smartest. I can see why Chris was upset with his father... I mean, killing 21 people is a big deal! But then i look at Joe's perspective and you ask, Is this really my fault? Was I wrong to do what I honestly thought was best for my family? The argument is very controversal.

Angela's Ashes Blog #2

As I get deeper into Angela's Ashes I become more interested in what is to come next and my emotions get tangled up with each passing event. Some parts of my novel make me frustrated with Frankie's parents and other parts of the story make me impressed with how these two struggling parents get through everyday alive. So far in the book, Frankie's new born sister, Margaret, dies without much warning. While his parents are mourning in their own strange ways, things around the house turn into complete chaos for the twins, Malachy, and Frankie. There is no supervision, no food, and no attention being given to these poor kids except for the occasional soup from Mrs. Leibowitz (the McCourt's next door neighbor). After a few weeks the family moves to Ireland in hopes of a better life.

One thing that really stands out to me through Frank McCourt's memoir is his sense of maturity at age 5. By this time, he is talking care of his two twin brothers, doing anything he can to help his "Mam",  and trying his best to stay out of trouble for sake of the unfortunate family. Frank writes, "Most fo the day Mam lies in bed with her face to the wall. If she drinks tea or eats anything she throws up in the bucket under the bed and I empty it and rinse it in the lavatory down the hall."(McCourt 41)This simple quote captures the depressing atmosphere surrounding Frankie as a young boy and points out how no matter how gruesom things get, he is there to help. Frankie and his brothers don't get much attention and when they do, they drowned in delight. Frankie is desperate for love and after the death of his sister he writes, "I climb into bed and my father, still in his clothes, lies beside me. I'm hoping he'll put his arms around me but he goes on singing about Roddyy McCorley and talking to Margaret, Oh, my little curly-haired, blue-eyed love, I would dress you in silks..."(McCourt 41) When I read this part in the book all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around little Frankie and show him that he is loved. I can tell Frank McCourt did not get enough love as a child and it seems to have really scared him through his writing. Often, McCourt writes of times when he is all alone and sad.

Angela's Ashes Blog #1

Angela's Ashes Blog #1

Frank McCourt's modern memoir, Angela's Ashes, appears to be written as a classic example of immigrant's living in the time of the Great Depression. Frank McCourt, son of Malachy and Angela McCourt writes about his recollections of past experiences and hardships. So far, Frank talks about his family life. His father is still searching for work and his mother is at home taking care of him and his 3 younger brothers. Its rare to find food in the "ice box" and the best form of entertainment Frank can get is one of his father's old tales. Things seem very rough for the family with their lack of money but as of now Francis McCourt seems very content as a three year old boy growing up in Brooklyn, New York City.

Surprisingly, I began reading this book without much interest and now I am quite intrigued. The fact it is based on an Irish based family interests me because I also am very Irish, (hence Delaney Kathryn Sheehan). This book tests my comfort level when leading me to think about what it must be like to live in such a poor economic time. I know it sounds like a cliche but reading Angela's Ashes helps me appreciate the the time period I live in; prosperous, with food and beds to sleep in at night. Maybe I am too young to fully grasp the idea of a life full of suffering and hard work but I can see at one point in this memoir this very idea will hit Francis right between the eyes, and sooner or later in my life, that flying load of (you know what) will hit the fan and be clear to me too.

TWILIGHT

This past weekend I was consumed in Stepenie Meyer's new hit, Twilight, soon to be made into a major motion film. The story takes place in Forks, Washington where 17 year old Bella Swan moves in with her dad, Charlie. Forks is muggy and wet 24/7 and Bella cannot stand the thought of living there for a whole year...until she meets Edward Cullen. He's handsom, charming, and breathtaking...literally. At first Edward seems to despise Bella, he couldn't even stand to be in the same room as her, but as the story continues Edward and Bella form an intriguing relationship. Instantly Bella falls in love with Edward but she knows he's not normal, not like the other people in Forks. Eventually she realizes the love of her life is a vampire, surprisingly, she still loves him for what he is. Edward adores Bella and loves with all his heart but because he is a blood thirsty vampire things are bound to get complicated...

Like most of the Edina girls population, I LOVE Twilight! It was a very easy read, well written, and it always kept me interested. Following Bella and Edward's relationship was so fun to read I actually couldn't keep this book down. I read it in class, I read it in the hall ways, and yes, I even read it on the weekend. I love the mix of Edward's mysterious personality and Bella's silly humor. The dynamic duo is the perfect couple and I cannot wait to see the book as a major motion film this November! It's extremely hard to talk about Stephenie Meyer's novel, Twilight, without giving too much away so all I have left to say is READ THIS BOOK. Its great for anyone 10 and up and its the best book I've read this year. If anyone wants to talk about this book with me I'll be there in a heart beat :)

-Laney Sheehan

Photography: Learning the Basics

"The purpose of photos are to communicate ideas. " An expert from the book, "Beginner's Guide to Nature Photography" gives advice in hopes of helping aspiring nature photographers. This expert, Cub Kahn, says that by incorporating different aspects such as; lighting, angle, focus, color, and tone to compose nature photos, pictures can really be brought to life. Kahn explains another key factor for a good outcome is to ask yourself two questions. 1. What is the message of this photo? 2. What is the best way to communicate that message? When you can create a clear message with your nature photos you are on the road to becoming a smart photographer. By creating a clear message you need to be able to keep the idea simple so viewers can recognize the meaning of the photo and so its a photograph worth looking at. 

My dad is a professional photographer and I hear about his shots ALL THE TIME. I know that in order for his succession he is always following the basics. He spends an overwhelming amount of time making sure the lighting is just right, focusing on the product, creating a clear message with each photo. I told him about the article I read and he said the information given was right on. An accomplished photographer needs to be patient, consider angles and lines, and keep the message simple. 

Marci! Picture Post

Hungry?

Everyone experiences hunger. This is a feeling experienced usually followed by a desire to eat. Some people choose to over react and eat a bunch of junk food, and others choose to have a nice snack. A researcher at Cornell University conducted an experiment where children were given cookies in a plastic baggie or were allowed to choose cookies from a platter. The kids eating cookies from the bag were satisfied that they had eaten their portion and didn't want any more, but the kids who ate from the platter wanted more even when the platter was empty. This experiment proves that by giving yourself a normal portion of a  snack you will be more satisfied than continuously eating without a stopping point. Unfortunately many Americans do not bother to look at portions and therefore gain excess weight. The article I read gave a few simple 100 calorie snacks that are easy to grab and eat on the go: 10 ritz bits peanut butter cracker, 2 sugar cones, fat-free yogurt, peanut butter on a celery stick, an apple, and one serving size of popcorn. There thousands of fine snacks its just important to eat the right portion of the food to stay as healthy as possible. Hunger can become overwhelming but by being smart about eating a small amount can make a big difference to your health.

Article By Anthony Lonetree from Startribune

Outside Reading 2

A St. Paul man's good Samaritan act ended up with an arrest for kidnapping. Ali Abdilahi of St. Paul was falsely accused for kidnapping a 14-year-old girl. He's a married father with two girls and he was arrested in April. Then in July the Ramsey County attorney's office discovered the victim was not credible. Last week Ali recieved dozens of cards strangers sent to show their empathy and gratitude for helping a girl who was bleeding alongside a road.
I chose to write about this article because it shows how risky helping a stranger can be. Many people don't stop to help either because they are afraid they can accidently injure the victim futher or are freaked out by the situation and choose to avoid getting involved. These are a few of the reasons I really respect Ali Abdilahi for stepping in and trying to do something good for society. Its unfortunate that he was falsley accused but without the people in the world like Abdilahi there would be no love.

Homer, an Olden Day Sexist

In my opinion Homer was an old fashioned sexist. He demonstrates this through The Odyssey when he frequently writes things that signify how women are judged and fail to be appreciated. My first demonstration of Homer being an old fashioned sexist is through Odysseus. Odysseus is on his way back to Ithaca where his wife Penelope has been faithfully waiting for 20 years for his return. During Penelope’s devastating years when she long for Odysseus, he has been fooling around with other women. In this quote Homer writes of Odysseus’ encounter with the temptress Circe; “Straightaway she began to swear the oath that I required—never, she’d never do me harm—and when she’d finished, then, at last, I mounted Circe’s gorgeous bed…”(245). This quote shows how undervalued Penelope is by Odysseus. This is one of the many times in the novel where Odysseus is only thinking about himself and not respecting his wife of more than twenty years. Odysseus has another encounter with a beautiful nymph, Calypso. Despite the fact Odysseus is on a voyage home to be with his wife and son, “as soon as he can”, he chooses to have sex with this immortal. Homer writes, “Even as he spoke the sun set and the darkness swept the earth. And now, withdrawing into the cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love.”(159). Calypso is just another woman used as a sexual toy and is not recognized for her own achievements but because of her beauty. This instance really indicates how Odysseus treats his wife Penelope and Calypso with such disrespect which leads me to believe Homer was sexist.
Not only does Homer write about Odysseus’s unfaithfulness, he writes about how women are used as servants without any recognition. While Odysseus is in the land of the Phaeacia’s he is warmly welcomed by all of the people and there are frequent quotes of women doing work just because of his arrival. Homer demonstrates this by simply stating, “A maid brought water soon in a graceful golden pitcher and over a silver basin tipped it out so the guest might rinse his hands, then pulled a gleaming table to his side. A staid housekeeper brought on bread to serve him, appetizers aplenty too, lavish with her bounty.”(185).This is just one of the hundreds of times Homer describes women working for men. Another time when women are being used for their help is when suitors come crowding Odysseus’s wife Penelope. They surround the kingdom trying to please Penelope in order to get her wealth and kingdom, not because they are infatuated by her as a person. Homer illustrates the women in the novel as not remembered for their accomplishments but used for wealth and physical desires.

http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/26475669.html

Minnesotans stabbed while in China for Olympics

On August 9th Todd and Barbara Bachman of Minnesota were victims of a stabbing that took place in Beijing during the summer olympics. Todd was killed and Barbara was hospitalized with serious injuries. The Bachmans were visiting a tourist site called the Drum Tower and the Chinese man attacked them with a knife and then committed suicide by throwing himself from the second story of the site.
Todd and Barbara are the parents of a former Olympian Elizabeth Backman who is married to the men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon. They are also the parents of my former 1st and 2nd grade teacher Sarah Bachman.Surprisingly the olympic officals said the two weren't wearing any clothing that would have shown they were involved with the United States Olympic Team and people came to the conclusion that the horrible actions that took place at the summer olympics were out of pure cruelty.

When I read about the events that had taken place I was shocked. Its so sad to think about what a dangerous world we live in and how anything can happen at any given time. Because of this horrific crime many Olympic fans lost their Olympic spirit, including myslef. I find it depressing that something like this can happen and ruin the esscense of something as special as the Olympics.

- Laney Sheehan

English Blog

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