Knowledge Is Power

Knowledge to me is defined as the skills and information an individual has acquired throughout their lives. Whether this be through experiences, or in a classroom, it’s the wisdom someone has gained. Outside of the classroom, I engage in conversations with people with different backgrounds. I have been able to get to know people from various religions, sexualities, nationalities, etc. I try to see things from different perspectives in the simplest of things, and ask why a lot. I tend to think about how my generation as a whole is doing, and why we do the things we do. Why do we enjoy certain genres of music? Why do we wear certain styles of clothes? Our slang, and even the foods we consume seem to have a trend. If we do not attempt to keep acquiring knowledge, we will conform with what we know. If we do become knowledgeable on topics other than what filters make us look on fleek, then we will stop growing as a species. We will become very susceptible to being possibly told what to do by the government or some person with power. By being knowledgeable on current topics, we gain the ability to voice our opinions in an educated manner. It helps us become more self-aware of our surroundings and our thoughts. Striving to further our knowledge allows us to answer many of our questions and to help educate the next generation. 

The Value of Music

                 “Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for.”, Taylor Swift wrote in The Wall Street Journal. I agree with Swift in her belief of music as art. However, she fails to see that streaming services broadens the extent of her popularity in not only the music world, but in pop culture as well. When Taylor Swift pulled all of her discography from the streaming site Spotify, it sparked controversy in the music industry. Not because it left around 2 million fans disappointed and without any T-Swizzle music, but because of the reason behind her actions. I believe streaming services are an important tool to any avid music fan, and that they will replace digital sales, just as they replaced CDs, and the audio cassettes before them.

 Music artists are conflicted with their emotions. Taylor Swift was not the first artist to shun the streaming giant Spotify. Multiple artists such as Beyoncé and The Black Keys have opted to not release their albums on the streaming service. What artists are really scared of are sales in their albums dropping. And so far, their decisions of not making them available on these sites have gone in their favor. The 2013 Beyoncé by Beyoncé (which she has since allowed Spotify to play a year after its release), holds the record for fastest selling digital album with 830,000 copies sold in its first three days, while Swift’s record 1989 was the biggest selling album of 2014, recently hitting 4 million in the US alone. Having no access to them on streaming services, fans were forced to go out and buy them or to download them. However, they fail to realize millions of people illegally download their music. Studies have shown that these people also tend to be the ones subscribed to streaming sites such as Spotify and Pandora. Swift lost some 6 million dollars profit by taking her music off Spotify alone.  “It's my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album's price point is. I hope they don't underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.", Swift said during her American Music Awards acceptance speech for the Dick Clark Award of excellence. Her speech lead to many artists taking to Twitter or interviews to voice their stance on the subject. Artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé may be able to shatter records without being on streaming sites, but others aren’t as lucky. While some argued that it degraded the value of music, others believed that they served as incredible means of exposure for new emerging artists, as well as new releases from those who aren’t titans in the music business. It allows those performers’ albums, who would probably not get picked over say Ariana Grande’s or Bruno Mars’ albums, to receive some sales and exposure. I’m not saying people shouldn’t buy albums, but I believe that it’s the lesser of two evils if someone can’t afford to buy hundreds of songs.

     

Music expresses the thoughts we can’t put into words. It reflects our personalities and who we are. It lifts our spirits when we’re down, and it helps us remember those memories from years past. Music is there when you’re singing at the top of your lungs driving down the coast with friends, or after your breakup with your 8 month boyfriend. Now imagine if you could only listen to a few songs and albums all year. For those who listen to music 24/7 like I do, we wouldn’t be able to cope. Spotify is a great alternative to illegally downloading those songs you can’t afford. Not to mention the artist’s entire collection of works are accessible. I can go from listening to Uptown Funk (2014) to Vison of Love (1990), and even every single song produced by Linkin Park since their start. You could also listen to an album completely and then decide if it is worth purchasing or not. Pandora likewise offers hundreds of songs based on your preferences and broadens your music taste from just the top ten singles on iTunes. These sites give us access to millions of songs from decades and decades past, as well as the Top 40 radio hits from today.

   
I believe that music is an important part of humanity. A beat can explain an indescribable feeling, a song can hold a hundred memories, and an album can represent an important part of your life. Music has always been an immensely large part of my life, and I’m sure it’s important to most people as well. I am completely for streaming services. I do not believe that these sites will be leaving any time soon. They will become a defining part of the music industry, and they will help launch new artists to the top of the charts. The music industry will continue to evolve, and this is just one more tool that hardcore music lovers now have to keep up.

Latin Roots #7

Roots & Derivatives
1) Duc(t), Duce (to lead): Conduct, reduce, education, abduct, deductive, ductile, induction, deduce.
2) Fed(er), fide(e) (faith, trust): Federal, confidence, affidavit, infidel, bona fide, confide, confederate
3) Fine(e) (end, limit): Finish, confine, define, infinitesimal, affinity, infinity, finial
4) Flect, Flex (to bend): Deflect, reflex, reflector, flexibility, genuflect, flexor


Word List
1) Aqueduct: A large pipe or other conduit made to bring water from a great distance.
The Romans are responsible of the invention of aqueducts, which they used to transport water. 
2) Conductive: Tending to lead, help, assist, or result in.
In FFA, you must develop a conductive nature to organize a meeting by leading others. 
3) Definitive:  A completely accurate, reliable, and authoritative; decisive or conclusive.
His finger prints on the weapon used to murder the man was definitive proof that he was guilty.
4) Fidelity: A faithfulness to one's promises or obligations; steadfast faithfulness, technological faithfulness.
Adultery can also be considered infidelity for it is unfaithful. 
5) Fiduciary: An individual who holds something in trust for another; a trustee.
I made my friend my fiduciary, as she held my phone during my race.
6) Finale: A "grand" conclusion, as of a performance; the last scene of a play.
After the finale all the actors came out and took a bow during a final applause.
7) Finite: A limited or bordered by time or by any measurement; measurable.
There is no finite amount of numbers. 
8) Flexuous: Winding in and out; bending or wavering.
The young tree was quite flexuous during the storm.
9) Inducement: Anything used or given to persuade or motivate; an incentive.
With the promise of food as an inducement, I had my friends helping with chores.
10) Inflection: A slight change in tone or modulation of the voice, as in a point of emphasis. 
In an attempt to foreshadow what would happen next I changed my inflection for certain words in the story. 
11) Perfidious: Characteristic of one who would intentionally betray a faith or trust; treacherous.
Because of his perfidious nature, he had no second thoughts about spreading the rumor.
12)Traduce: To speak falsely of; to slander or defame; to disgrace another's good name; to vilify.
Our department manager called a meeting because one of our colleagues has been spreading rumors and traducing the name of our other colleagues. 

Lit Analysis #3 : The Joy Luck Club

“I closed my eyes and pondered my next move.” (Tan 101) Life is a game that gets more and more complicated as the years go by. We learn the rules and how to play from our parents from an early age.  For many, their mothers teach them many life lessons, many that at first they don’t listen to. In The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, we can see the relationship between mother and daughter, in which both learn from each other. In each story, four mothers instruct their daughters, learn from them, and realize many things about themselves.

            “You must watch what everybody else throws away and keep that in your head as well.” (Tan 33) Throughout the novel, we learn of the different hardships that each of the Chinese-American families has experienced. From Lindo Jong’s arranged marriage, to Rose Hsu Jordan’s loss of her brother, there’s one recurring thing in each chapter. The Chinese mothers attempt to advise and provide support for their white-washed American-Chinese children. In many cases, the daughters seem to realize that their mothers were indeed right. The mothers draw from their own experiences with their mothers, in attempts to save their daughters from suffering. Many of the mothers have a fear that their daughters will not be “proper chinese women” and proceed to try and chance their offspring.  An example of this is Jing-mei’s mother, Suyuan Woo. Out of jealousy of her friend Lindo Jong, she attempts to “bring out Jing-mei’s inner genius.” She wasn’t doing it so that her daughter could become a better human being, but rather so she could boast to her friend. Regardless to their beliefs, each of the mothers learn new things from their daughters that ultimately influence them and their decisions later on.

            “A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you.” All four mothers of The Joy Luck club, believe they know what is best for their daughter. They never consider however, that maybe they could learn a thing or two from them. Lindo recognizes through her daughter Waverly that she has been changed by American culture. Ying-ying realizes that Lena has unknowingly followed her passive nature in her marriage to Harold. An-mei realizes that Rose has not understood the lessons she taught her about faith and hope, which she herself has lost belief in.    

Leopard Man First Reading Questions

9. Tom Leppard is known as Leopard man, as he is completely covered in leopard spots, Tom has also altered his teeth to resemble those of a leopard.

10. The author considers people with tattoos and piercings as antisocial freaks. He has these opinions based on his experience/knowledge with other people with these

11. The Leopard Man is different from other tattooed and pierced individuals because he doesn't do it for attention but just because he chooses to live this lifestyle.

12. The Leopard Man lives in a small cabin in the Scottish wilderness

13. According to Feys, society tends to fear people that are different because they're not like everyone else so people react in fear towards them

14. The world's most common but dangerous psychological order is conformity. Feys argues this by stating that the consequences of it are destroying one's individuality and just becoming like the majority of people which is horrible because you're doing this with your own consent

15. Leopard Man is happy because he has seceded from society, which has allowed him to break free of social pressures. He has created his own personal paradise by living the way he does.

Lit Analysis #2

The Giver

Part 1) The story beings with Jonas recounting a time he felt afraid. His recounting provides the reader with a small description of the dystopian setting in which the story takes places. The ceremony of 12 is approaching in which all the members of the communist like community will attend. All children age 11, will become 12’s and will receive the job they will continue doing until old age. Jonas is selected to be the new Receiver, or more specifically the successor of the only current receiver. He receives the memories of color, emotions, pain, etc. from the Receiver, as they are the only members who hold those memories. Jonas and the Receiver make a plan, so that all members of the community shall have to share the burden. The night of the escape, Jonas is forced to leave earlier due to the risk of death for a baby his family is taking care of. If the baby, Gabe, were to remain he would be killed. Jonas escapes the community, and goes out into the area known as Elsewhere, where he and Gabe, eventually starving and freezing to death, slide down a snowy hill towards what Jonas believes is a village or a mirage.

Part 2) I believe that the main theme was/is the importance of memory. Without memory, we wouldn’t learn from our mistakes, know true pain or true love, and we wouldn’t be able to become individuals. Our pasts shape us and prevent us from making the same mistakes over and over. 

Part 3) The protagonist, Jonas is a dynamic character, as he changes drastically from the beginning of the book. He changes from being a controlled communist-like drone thanks to experiencing true emotions and actually becomes an individual by being able to make choices. However, he is a flat character, as we do not really get to know him or his background in depth. Another important character is the current receiver of Memory, The Giver. The Giver transfers the memories into Jonas, helping him through the process of dealing with his newfound memories.

Part 4) The color red is a motif that appears four major times in the book. The first is the apple Jonas plays catch with. It is the first time he experiences “seeing beyond”. The next is the faces of people in a crowd, followed by Fiona’s hair, followed by the sled. This color represents Jonas venturing into a new world in which he feels emotions, sees color, and for once is an individual.

Part 5) I have read the book before, in 8^th grade and I loved it. I wanted to see if I understood the book from a different perspective now 2 years later. I really enjoy dystopian future books, as they make you think and like I stated, see things in a new light.

Part 6) Some connections I can make might sound negative, but one is the need to be the same. Many people, especially teenagers, strive to fit in and find their place in society. Likewise, the community in The Giver encourages sameness, and discourages individuality. That fear of being judged is prominent in both our and their culture/community. 

Part 7) An idea I will remember is that of the balance of pain and pleasure. Without hardships, we would not appreciate pleasure. And without pleasure, everything in life would be misery. Both balance each other, and are necessary to not feel superior or down in the dumps.” It was much the same, this memory, though the hill seemed to be a different one, steeper, and the snow was falling much more thickly than before.”(Lowry 108). On his first ride he experienced the emotion, but the second time it was the sensation of overwhelming pain. This shows how the same thing can give completely different experience under different circumstances.

Latin Roots #6

Roots and Derivatives 

1. corp(or) (body): corpse, corporation, corps, corpuscle, corporeal, corpus, corset

2. cred (to believe, to trust): credo, credit, discredit, credence, credentials, accreditation

3. cur(r), curs, course (to run, to flow): current, excursion, discourse, concur, recourse, curriculum, recurrent

4. dic(t) (to speak, to say): diction, indication, edict, jurisdiction, dictionary, addict, interdiction

Word List

1. benediction: the invocation of a divine blessing, as at the close of a religious service; a blessing or a state of blessedness
Example: He dismissed the congregation with a benediction.

2. concourse: a running or flowing together; a broad public walkway or hallway; a crowd or throng
Example: The woman was lost among the concourse at the concert.

3. concurrent: occurring at the same time; meeting or acting together
Example: Earthquakes and tsunamis are usually concurrent, causing massive damage.

4. corporal: related to the physical body
Example: Although corporal punishment is illegal in schools, some students see p.e as the same thing.

5. corpulent: very stout; fleshy and obese; fat
Example: More and more americans have steadily become corpulent due to fast food.

6. credibility: the quality of being believable or trustworthy
Example: The singer lost all credibility after being caught lip syncing the national anthem.

7. credulity: the (naïve)willingness to believe too easily without proof
Example: The internet has caused human credulity to become much more common.

8. cursory: done in a superficial or hasty manner
Example: The knot was cursory, ended up coming loose dropping the bag.

9. dictum: an authoritative saying or maxim
Example: His favorite dictum was, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

10. incorporate: to form into one body or functioning unit; to combine several different things into a whole
Example: The author liked to incorporate parts of her past into her writing.

11. incredulous: not believing, skeptical, or doubting
Example: The girl had an incredulous look on her face after watching the magician's act.

12. indicative: characteristic of or very much like; suggestive
Example: The results of the CAT scan were indicative of some type of tumor growth.