So I studied for a couple hours and only like to get A's on my report cards, does that really make me a bad person?
Ever since I was little, I was raised to get good grades. A's were like the average, so it wasn't anything special. B's were OK, but I needed to try harder. C's put me in "Desperate-Mode" to get my grades back up. I stressed out over little quizzes and tests, and even cried when I got my first F in elementary school. I was called an Overachiever many times, but although my peers meant it in a negative way, I found myself proud to be an overachiever.
I liked that I pushed myself to reach goals, and did anything I could to get that A, while others did nothing at all. To them, overachievers tried too hard and wasted their lives studying, rather than getting wasted. Overachievers get higher grades than they are 'supposed' to but aren't always happy with their results.
Call me an overachiever if you'd like, because at the end of the day, a potato is still just a potato. I guess I am an overachiever... And I'm proud to be one. (:
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Blog #7: The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald creates a whirlwind of messages he conveys throughout the book. It is about unrequited love, society, loneliness and the dangers of assumption. At the end of the book, Fitzgerald leaves it up to the reader to decide whether Daisy really did love Gatsby or not. The author argues that life isnt fair. Gatsby spends his time trying to impress Daisy and win her back, but ends up alone (and dead, also due to Daisy). Fitzgerald also argues that society isn't as great as its cracked up to be. Strangers attend every one of Gatsby's grand parties, assuming he's a murderer or a bootlegger, but are careless to actually get to know him personally. When Daisy ironically kills Mrytle, Wilson murders Gatsby, assuming he was responsible. After his death, only Nick and a very few others attend Gatsby's funeral. Fitzgerald argues that bad things happen to good people, because Gatsby was generally a good person who even worked on self improvement.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Blog #6: Nag, nag, nag, that's all they ever do!
Do this, do that. Nagging can be a big annoying pain in the butt. It is known to be a negative thing, (described as someone "causing persistent mild pain" by Google) but without it, I would not have gotten so many things done in my life. My procrastination would catch up with me and I would always be running around in circles! I can honestly say, that even though it seems annoying or frusterating when someone is a Nagging Nancy, they usually nag with the best intention for the nag-ee.
It may sound corny, as I have no authority to command anyone to do anything, but-
Do that homework, do those chores! It will all work out in our benefit, I promise! (:
It may sound corny, as I have no authority to command anyone to do anything, but-
Do that homework, do those chores! It will all work out in our benefit, I promise! (:
Blog #5: Solitude and Society
In "the Box Man", the Box Man chooses to live happily homeless, even though society looks down upon it. I believe that there is such a thing as "nonconformity" but sometimes conformity isn't a bad thing. Of course we all have our own opinions on how we should do things, and sure, we should follow what we believe in. Unfortunately, life can't always be perfect, with everyone praising our every word and treating you like a god. Therefore, I believe that we should follow our own ideas, to the extend of ourselves, and let others follow their own as well. What I mean by that is, maybe we have an idea that everyone should wear their hair in pig tails everyday. Instead of degrading non-pigtail wearers, you should follow your own style, and keep in mind that others are doing the same.
Today, we can find many examples of conformity in society by looking at high schoolers. Some students conform by doing what everyone else is doing. They wear what is "cool" and do whatever everyone else does. Then there are the "nonconforming" students. They strut their own style, oblivious to what others may think, and follow their own path through school.
As a person, I know that I am free to act how I want to act and do what I want to do. We are all able of conforming and not conforming, its just a matter of which you choose. I dont try to do either, I just do what I think is best for me. Sometimes conforming seems like the right thing to do, and at other times it may be the exact opposite. At times I may feel out (or in) the loop, but I try to keep an open mind that even though i may not agree with something, doesn't mean that its wrong. I think this is a lesson that everyone (especially students in high school) need to learn, but hey, thats just my opinion. (:
Today, we can find many examples of conformity in society by looking at high schoolers. Some students conform by doing what everyone else is doing. They wear what is "cool" and do whatever everyone else does. Then there are the "nonconforming" students. They strut their own style, oblivious to what others may think, and follow their own path through school.
As a person, I know that I am free to act how I want to act and do what I want to do. We are all able of conforming and not conforming, its just a matter of which you choose. I dont try to do either, I just do what I think is best for me. Sometimes conforming seems like the right thing to do, and at other times it may be the exact opposite. At times I may feel out (or in) the loop, but I try to keep an open mind that even though i may not agree with something, doesn't mean that its wrong. I think this is a lesson that everyone (especially students in high school) need to learn, but hey, thats just my opinion. (:
Blog #4: Ironically Different, but Overall the Same
"The Box Man" is a story that tells of a proud homeless man, and two lonely ladies. They are similar in many ways, but are also very different. The Box Man is the homeless man who takes pride in his lifestyle, whereas the ladies are sad and forced into loneliness. The women take their time, following the same routines they have every single day. But at the end of the day, they are all alone. They have no one to care for them, but themselves. When they go to bed, there is only one thing that sets them apart from each other: whether they embrace the fact that they are alone, or if they burden themselves with it.
Another example of "ironically different, but overall the same" things are feathers and flowers. They are both obviously different, since a feather is a feather, and a flower is a flower. Feathers come from birds, whereas flowers come from the earth and soil. But although they are so different on the inside and outside, they can both make people feel relatively the same. Feathers and flowers resemble the idea of Hope. A feather symbolizes the idea that hope is coming for those who need it. Flowers give the hope that you will find true love, and that things will get better soon. Feathers can come from ugly birds, and flowers are just weeds that grow in multiple colors, but at the end of the day, they make people happy and hopeful.
Another example of "ironically different, but overall the same" things are feathers and flowers. They are both obviously different, since a feather is a feather, and a flower is a flower. Feathers come from birds, whereas flowers come from the earth and soil. But although they are so different on the inside and outside, they can both make people feel relatively the same. Feathers and flowers resemble the idea of Hope. A feather symbolizes the idea that hope is coming for those who need it. Flowers give the hope that you will find true love, and that things will get better soon. Feathers can come from ugly birds, and flowers are just weeds that grow in multiple colors, but at the end of the day, they make people happy and hopeful.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Blog #3: Critical Review
Fast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser
Before I give my review, here is a summary on this New York Times Bestseller. Eric Schlosser reveals some ugly truths in his book, Fast Food Nation. He tells us about how the whole fast food industry started, beginning with Mr. McDonalds and Mr. Carl Karcher (founder of Carl's Jr.) themselves, and elaborating on how and why this industry is so horrible. Schlosser tells the reader a bit of these founder's life stories, and one may find that these people, along with many others, started this whole fast food phenomenon from literally nothing.
This book is split into two parts; "The American Way" which told us about the beginning of fast food, and "Meat and Potatoes" which focused on what is really in the food and where the food comes from. In the second part of this book, Schlosser reveals that french fries taste so great because they are fried in beef tallow instead of oil. He elaborates on how the food sold in these "restaurants" are poor quality, and the meat packers allow tainted meat to be distributed to national restaurant chains. He goes into great detail about the worst and most dangerous jobs in the US: meatpacking and the people who clean the meat factories. This section of the book also focuses on the foodborne illnesses from E.Coli, Salmonella and Mad Cow Disease, which are common to catch in fast food places.
When I saw that this book was listed as an option for summer reading, I knew that I had to read it. Being interested in food myself, I wanted to know more about what I eat. I expected it to be like Super Size Me, with more facts about the actual food rather than the industry and history. Fast Food Nation was not what I expected, but I wouldn't say it was any better. Schlosser has a great writing style, but after a couple chapters, I found myself bored and I just wanted to get straight to the point he wanted to make, rather than tie in multiple things into one detail. He was obviously very biased and very anti-fast food, to the point where I felt that at times his statistics and facts seemed overdramatic. Also, I noticed the author was very repetitive, especially towards the end of the book. Schlosser addresses many issues in today's fast food world, but concludes with a simple small speech saying that nobody needs to eat fast food.
Eric Schlosser also includes an updated Afterword, which addressed more dangers of Mad Cow, and also tried to defend himself for the negative reviews on this book. The fact that he needed to clarify what Mad Cow is in the updated Afterword, rather than when he first published his book, made it seem like Schlosser was just ranting to get his point across to his readers, instead of throughly explaining everything in a professional way. Also, when he "defends" himself from the negative reviews from several reviewers, I find it very unprofessional. Lastly, he gives us an update on how policies for meat packing workers have changed. He tells us that his book didnt give a positive impact for the Boards, and that statistics have actually gotten worse.
I came into this book, interested in what it had to say. I learned a lot from this book, but unless these topics are what you want to know, recommendation is a split decision for me. It had me turning pages at times but also left me skimming through certain sections. I was more interested in the actual facts, rather than Schlossers repetitive opinion, which left me unengaged in the stories. Read this book, don't read this book, you'll be informed and look at food in a slightly different perspective.
Before I give my review, here is a summary on this New York Times Bestseller. Eric Schlosser reveals some ugly truths in his book, Fast Food Nation. He tells us about how the whole fast food industry started, beginning with Mr. McDonalds and Mr. Carl Karcher (founder of Carl's Jr.) themselves, and elaborating on how and why this industry is so horrible. Schlosser tells the reader a bit of these founder's life stories, and one may find that these people, along with many others, started this whole fast food phenomenon from literally nothing.
This book is split into two parts; "The American Way" which told us about the beginning of fast food, and "Meat and Potatoes" which focused on what is really in the food and where the food comes from. In the second part of this book, Schlosser reveals that french fries taste so great because they are fried in beef tallow instead of oil. He elaborates on how the food sold in these "restaurants" are poor quality, and the meat packers allow tainted meat to be distributed to national restaurant chains. He goes into great detail about the worst and most dangerous jobs in the US: meatpacking and the people who clean the meat factories. This section of the book also focuses on the foodborne illnesses from E.Coli, Salmonella and Mad Cow Disease, which are common to catch in fast food places.
When I saw that this book was listed as an option for summer reading, I knew that I had to read it. Being interested in food myself, I wanted to know more about what I eat. I expected it to be like Super Size Me, with more facts about the actual food rather than the industry and history. Fast Food Nation was not what I expected, but I wouldn't say it was any better. Schlosser has a great writing style, but after a couple chapters, I found myself bored and I just wanted to get straight to the point he wanted to make, rather than tie in multiple things into one detail. He was obviously very biased and very anti-fast food, to the point where I felt that at times his statistics and facts seemed overdramatic. Also, I noticed the author was very repetitive, especially towards the end of the book. Schlosser addresses many issues in today's fast food world, but concludes with a simple small speech saying that nobody needs to eat fast food.
Eric Schlosser also includes an updated Afterword, which addressed more dangers of Mad Cow, and also tried to defend himself for the negative reviews on this book. The fact that he needed to clarify what Mad Cow is in the updated Afterword, rather than when he first published his book, made it seem like Schlosser was just ranting to get his point across to his readers, instead of throughly explaining everything in a professional way. Also, when he "defends" himself from the negative reviews from several reviewers, I find it very unprofessional. Lastly, he gives us an update on how policies for meat packing workers have changed. He tells us that his book didnt give a positive impact for the Boards, and that statistics have actually gotten worse.
I came into this book, interested in what it had to say. I learned a lot from this book, but unless these topics are what you want to know, recommendation is a split decision for me. It had me turning pages at times but also left me skimming through certain sections. I was more interested in the actual facts, rather than Schlossers repetitive opinion, which left me unengaged in the stories. Read this book, don't read this book, you'll be informed and look at food in a slightly different perspective.
Blog #2: Nonfiction Literature
Nonfiction Books I have read:
autobiography- All But My Life By Gerda Weissmann Klein
diary- Diary of Anne Frank
biography- ...
history- Founding Brothers By Joseph Ellis
criticism- ...
personal essay collection- ...
journalists- Fast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser
political commentary- ...
scientific topics- ...
nature topics- ...
humor- ...
Nonfiction isn't a genre I usually choose to read, although I am finding these books more interesting than I used to think.
In All But My Life, I remember feeling so much emotion when i read it! Gerda Weissman Klein wrote very detailed experiences and I could picture the scenes in my head. One part that really caught me was when one of Gerda's friends died a couple of days before the liberation of her camp. This book is one of the first nonfiction books I had ever read, and made me realize that nonfiction books arent bad!
I read the Diary of Anne Frank a couple years ago, but I will recall what I can. Reading these Holocaust stories really made me think of how horrible it must have been for people back then. I remember not liking Anne's teenage attitude at times, but I couldn't blame her because I know that I get grumpy too, and would probably be worse if I were in her shoes.
Founding Brothers was a historical novel, and included multiple short stories about important events in US history. I liked the way Ellis described everything in full detail, but it wasn't every engaging.
I chose to read Fast Food Nation for one of my summer reading books, because I have an interest in food and wanted to learn more about what I eat. I really liked how Schlosser started the book with something that had nothing to do with fast food, but then slowly mentioned it and tied them together in a witty last sentence before the next section. It was amazing to learn about how the fast food industry really works. What surprised me the most was how the meatpacking industry cheats its way through Statistics tests and abuses their workers. After reading this book, it has informed me with what I am really putting in my mouth, and I have become more interested on the topic.
A philosophy that has imparted to me is from All But My Life. It is so inspiring to read about someones brutal real-life experiences, and read about the sadness and trauma she has gone through, but she makes it through the end. She writes about how the people that she cared for, people that she loved, were all separated from her. Her story resonates with hope, and the philosophy that when all hope is gone, if you keep pushing, you might just turn out on the other side.
autobiography- All But My Life By Gerda Weissmann Klein
diary- Diary of Anne Frank
biography- ...
history- Founding Brothers By Joseph Ellis
criticism- ...
personal essay collection- ...
journalists- Fast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser
political commentary- ...
scientific topics- ...
nature topics- ...
humor- ...
Nonfiction isn't a genre I usually choose to read, although I am finding these books more interesting than I used to think.
In All But My Life, I remember feeling so much emotion when i read it! Gerda Weissman Klein wrote very detailed experiences and I could picture the scenes in my head. One part that really caught me was when one of Gerda's friends died a couple of days before the liberation of her camp. This book is one of the first nonfiction books I had ever read, and made me realize that nonfiction books arent bad!
I read the Diary of Anne Frank a couple years ago, but I will recall what I can. Reading these Holocaust stories really made me think of how horrible it must have been for people back then. I remember not liking Anne's teenage attitude at times, but I couldn't blame her because I know that I get grumpy too, and would probably be worse if I were in her shoes.
Founding Brothers was a historical novel, and included multiple short stories about important events in US history. I liked the way Ellis described everything in full detail, but it wasn't every engaging.
I chose to read Fast Food Nation for one of my summer reading books, because I have an interest in food and wanted to learn more about what I eat. I really liked how Schlosser started the book with something that had nothing to do with fast food, but then slowly mentioned it and tied them together in a witty last sentence before the next section. It was amazing to learn about how the fast food industry really works. What surprised me the most was how the meatpacking industry cheats its way through Statistics tests and abuses their workers. After reading this book, it has informed me with what I am really putting in my mouth, and I have become more interested on the topic.
A philosophy that has imparted to me is from All But My Life. It is so inspiring to read about someones brutal real-life experiences, and read about the sadness and trauma she has gone through, but she makes it through the end. She writes about how the people that she cared for, people that she loved, were all separated from her. Her story resonates with hope, and the philosophy that when all hope is gone, if you keep pushing, you might just turn out on the other side.
Blog #1: Intro
Hi I'm Mallory! My favorite things in life are traveling, making food and taking long naps. I love the beach and the color turquoise. I aspire to do great things, although I’m not sure exactly what yet. Hopefully, in the world of bloggers, I may find some inspiration. (:
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