P.I.G. [Petrified Intestinal Gas]
Atlas of the Lunar Terminator
Day My Butt Went Psycho
I Try to Take One Day at a Time, but Sometimes Several Days Attack Me at Once
Okay, I know what you are thinking but believe it or not, they are REAL story names. Yes, no joke. And that is why the title of this blog is also completely irrelevant although it states "Relevant Titles"... Today's entry will all be about Misleading Titles.
Some book titles are weird. Some are hilarious and some of them are completely insane! But did you know that no matter how misleading and irrelevant they are, they still can contain meaning. You just have to look through the story and understand it. Let me give you some easy examples, stories that I am sure all of you have read. (I'm VERY sure...)
FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON: The first time and average person looks at the title of the book (remember, not looking at the pictures on the cover), he would usually think that it is going to be a romantic story with Flowers and a person named Algernon. But, who would expect, it turns out to be about a mouse and a scientific story.
THE LOTTERY: A lottery. Earning big sums of money and wealth overnight. Wow, this is going to be a fun and interesting story! Wrong! It turns out to be a story of stoning, killing and blood. Who on earth would expect that?!?!
These are just certain examples which prove my point that titles can be completely misleading. But there are certain titles which are indeed weird and insane! One look at it and I myself become confused. Atlas of the Lunar Terminator. Wow. Big words. Big terms. Misleading? Relevant? But truthfully, they ARE relevant.
Sometimes, you just have to analyse and evaluate the titles and compare them to the context of the story. After reading Flowers for Algernon, you can see a clear connection and relationship between the two playing factors. All one has to do is not scrape the surface of the context but rather take a good look beneath the surface. Look at the true depth if meaning. Remember the class we had about how the realistic setting helps in showing the meaning of the story? It is just the same thing.
Titles can be misleading. Titles can look irrelevant. Titles can hide meanings. Titles can be craftly thought of. Remember, take a good look at it and see the connections. Please comment! I look forward in hearing from you! :)
Cheers,
Raphael :D
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The Lottery Discussion... (Part 3!!!)
Hi everyone!
Yes, I know. I have been talking about the Lottery quite alot in my previous posts. I'm sorry but I just find the story very interesting and fascinating although the story is quite disturbing.
Anyway, while I was going through my friend's blogs, I stumbled over Glenn's blog post about how traditions die hard and how our own mother tongue is even vanishing. I found the relation of traditions and mother tongue really interesting as I had never saw the connection between them before. Let me elaborate.
This is the definition of tradition:
The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, esp. by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.
This is the definition of Mother Tongue:
A language from which another language is descended; parent language. Well, its along that line.
As you can see from the above, both Tradition and Mother Tongue is being passed down from parent to child. This means that there is a continuation of tradition and mother tongue by generations passing it on to the next generation.
And it is exactly due to that that they are now all slowly vanishing. They are just not practising them as often as they usually should. The tradition part is quite difficult to understand so I shall use Mother Tongue as an example instead.
We all know that in some countries and some influence in Singapore, our Mother Tongue is slowly but surely vanishing. Let me give you an example. This was told to me during a debating course.
The lecturer there said this. "I once went participated in a debate and was on the opposition side. (That means that the opponent gets to start first) The motion for the debate was something about Mother Tongue. When the proposition stood forward and defined 'Mother Tongue', he started of with "There is a tribe in South America who ate the tongues of..." I knew that this debate was going to be easy..."
The example above just shows how our Mother Tongue is vanishing. Vanishing so much that people can define it and think that it is about a tongue of an animal. Our traditions are certainly vanishing and our Mother Tongue is vanishing too...
This is my sypnosis for the Lottery Part 3. I may want to write about the Lottery again in my next post. Thank you!:)
Cheers,
Raphael
Yes, I know. I have been talking about the Lottery quite alot in my previous posts. I'm sorry but I just find the story very interesting and fascinating although the story is quite disturbing.
Anyway, while I was going through my friend's blogs, I stumbled over Glenn's blog post about how traditions die hard and how our own mother tongue is even vanishing. I found the relation of traditions and mother tongue really interesting as I had never saw the connection between them before. Let me elaborate.
This is the definition of tradition:
The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, esp. by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.
This is the definition of Mother Tongue:
A language from which another language is descended; parent language. Well, its along that line.
As you can see from the above, both Tradition and Mother Tongue is being passed down from parent to child. This means that there is a continuation of tradition and mother tongue by generations passing it on to the next generation.
And it is exactly due to that that they are now all slowly vanishing. They are just not practising them as often as they usually should. The tradition part is quite difficult to understand so I shall use Mother Tongue as an example instead.
We all know that in some countries and some influence in Singapore, our Mother Tongue is slowly but surely vanishing. Let me give you an example. This was told to me during a debating course.
The lecturer there said this. "I once went participated in a debate and was on the opposition side. (That means that the opponent gets to start first) The motion for the debate was something about Mother Tongue. When the proposition stood forward and defined 'Mother Tongue', he started of with "There is a tribe in South America who ate the tongues of..." I knew that this debate was going to be easy..."
The example above just shows how our Mother Tongue is vanishing. Vanishing so much that people can define it and think that it is about a tongue of an animal. Our traditions are certainly vanishing and our Mother Tongue is vanishing too...
This is my sypnosis for the Lottery Part 3. I may want to write about the Lottery again in my next post. Thank you!:)
Cheers,
Raphael
Sunday, March 7, 2010
AAP Camera Angles Advertisement! :)
Advertisement Chosen: Coca Cola "Heist" Super Bowl commercial
Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCGRSQXLTaQ&feature=related
A group of insects band together to steal a Coke from a napping picnicker.
Shots used:
Establishing Shot – Shows the quiet peaceful countryside with a man napping during a picnic. Establishes the setting of the advertisement, which is the countryside or at a park.
Long Shot – Shows the size of the ladybug in relation to the Coca-Cola bottle.
Medium Shot – Shows what and how orders were issued by the ladybug.
Close-Up Shot – At various parts of the commercial, the camera closes up on one of the many insects to show detail and the facial expression of the insects.
Head On Shot –It causes the audience to be more involved. (Scene – There’s a short part when the coca-cola bottle is floating on the water and a dragonfly flies nearer to the camera. Or a more obvious one is at the end when the ladybug flies towards us.)
Point of View Shot – Allows the audience to be more involved. (Scene – When the coca-cola bottle was floating down the stream and when it fell over the curb.)
Extreme Close Up Shot – Shows the expression of the man and causes the audience to wonder what he will do next.
Zoom Shot – Zooms out to show the coca-cola bottle and the insects from a wider context.
Cheers,
Raphael :D
Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCGRSQXLTaQ&feature=related
A group of insects band together to steal a Coke from a napping picnicker.
Shots used:
Establishing Shot – Shows the quiet peaceful countryside with a man napping during a picnic. Establishes the setting of the advertisement, which is the countryside or at a park.
Long Shot – Shows the size of the ladybug in relation to the Coca-Cola bottle.
Medium Shot – Shows what and how orders were issued by the ladybug.
Close-Up Shot – At various parts of the commercial, the camera closes up on one of the many insects to show detail and the facial expression of the insects.
Head On Shot –It causes the audience to be more involved. (Scene – There’s a short part when the coca-cola bottle is floating on the water and a dragonfly flies nearer to the camera. Or a more obvious one is at the end when the ladybug flies towards us.)
Point of View Shot – Allows the audience to be more involved. (Scene – When the coca-cola bottle was floating down the stream and when it fell over the curb.)
Extreme Close Up Shot – Shows the expression of the man and causes the audience to wonder what he will do next.
Zoom Shot – Zooms out to show the coca-cola bottle and the insects from a wider context.
Cheers,
Raphael :D
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Lottery: Explanation PART 2!!! :)
Hi!
First of all, thank you everyone for your constructive and useful comments and feedback on comments. This sparked of new thoughts in my head and I realised that the Lottery is not just what I first thought it was. The story had a deeper meaning and a deeper depth of understanding to it.
When Shirley Jackson wrote the story, she received alot of hate mail from the readers. So much hate mail that the post office had to send to her a huge package filled with them at the end of the week. However, Shirley Jackson still kept numb. This meant that she had expected this long before she even started writing the story. But why did she still continue doing so and made it published?
The story is like a mystery. It is hiding a simple yet craftly hidden meaning under all that rich description of the setting and suspenseful elaboration of tje plot. However, it is hard to uncover that meaning. First of all, we have to see what the themes of the story is associated with. To put it simply, they are RITUALS and TRADITIONS. Some presume that it is simply superstition. But is that a good word to use? Every religion, race and culture has their own thoughts of what ritual or tradition is superstitious so "superstition" cannot be associated with the story.
Let me elaborate. I'm sure all of you know how RITUALS and TRADITIONS are connected to the story. And I'm also very sure that you all heard my story on the bread and wine turning into real flesh and blood in class today. Being a Catholic, my cathecism teachers have told me various stories like the one above. I went onto Youtube searching for the video footage of another story related to this but unfortunately I can't find it. Sorry. But anyway, coming back to the main theme of the story. These stories just prove the fact that the traditions and rituals of various religions are very different and complex in many many ways.
The main point which I think that Shirley Jackson is trying to drive at is the fact that rituals can be deadly and can be very hard to understand. It's exactly the same way like how we don't understand the Aztecs sacrificing human hearts during the peak of their goldenage and also to make it easier for everyone to understand, how a friend that you don't like act. Human behaviour and the way you think is too complex to understand. One can do things that one don't expect to do and one can be influenced by the people around him, the society and the traditions of a culture. It's just like how the villagers in The Lottery have been influenced by their ancestors that stoning the people to death would result in a good harvest. The influence have been passed on generation after generation and in the end, people just follow the society that they have been brought up in and they think that it is right.
Wow... I didn't expect myself to write that much... Please, please write your comments below! I'm looking forward to reading them! Thanks! Please come and view my own blog too! Here's the website: hcimemories.blogspot.com
Cheers,
Raphael :D
And anybody don't want to go and watch Animal Farm? I'm always the next available option! I have been waiting for the consent form enthusiastically for 3 weeks! But sadly, luck wasn't on my side today. So anybody???
Just for Fun... P.S.The reason why everyone seem to write better on the internet...
The reason why everyone seem to write better on the internet is mainly due to two points. Number 1 is that people who are shy and don't like to talk in front of everyone in class would not want to share their views openly and verbally during class. Therefore, they make use of their blogs to share them as they don't need to say them out verbally. The second reason is that people prefer using computers. Technology has been advancing... Wow. Technology is taking over to world! :):D:P
First of all, thank you everyone for your constructive and useful comments and feedback on comments. This sparked of new thoughts in my head and I realised that the Lottery is not just what I first thought it was. The story had a deeper meaning and a deeper depth of understanding to it.
When Shirley Jackson wrote the story, she received alot of hate mail from the readers. So much hate mail that the post office had to send to her a huge package filled with them at the end of the week. However, Shirley Jackson still kept numb. This meant that she had expected this long before she even started writing the story. But why did she still continue doing so and made it published?
The story is like a mystery. It is hiding a simple yet craftly hidden meaning under all that rich description of the setting and suspenseful elaboration of tje plot. However, it is hard to uncover that meaning. First of all, we have to see what the themes of the story is associated with. To put it simply, they are RITUALS and TRADITIONS. Some presume that it is simply superstition. But is that a good word to use? Every religion, race and culture has their own thoughts of what ritual or tradition is superstitious so "superstition" cannot be associated with the story.
Let me elaborate. I'm sure all of you know how RITUALS and TRADITIONS are connected to the story. And I'm also very sure that you all heard my story on the bread and wine turning into real flesh and blood in class today. Being a Catholic, my cathecism teachers have told me various stories like the one above. I went onto Youtube searching for the video footage of another story related to this but unfortunately I can't find it. Sorry. But anyway, coming back to the main theme of the story. These stories just prove the fact that the traditions and rituals of various religions are very different and complex in many many ways.
The main point which I think that Shirley Jackson is trying to drive at is the fact that rituals can be deadly and can be very hard to understand. It's exactly the same way like how we don't understand the Aztecs sacrificing human hearts during the peak of their goldenage and also to make it easier for everyone to understand, how a friend that you don't like act. Human behaviour and the way you think is too complex to understand. One can do things that one don't expect to do and one can be influenced by the people around him, the society and the traditions of a culture. It's just like how the villagers in The Lottery have been influenced by their ancestors that stoning the people to death would result in a good harvest. The influence have been passed on generation after generation and in the end, people just follow the society that they have been brought up in and they think that it is right.
Wow... I didn't expect myself to write that much... Please, please write your comments below! I'm looking forward to reading them! Thanks! Please come and view my own blog too! Here's the website: hcimemories.blogspot.com
Cheers,
Raphael :D
And anybody don't want to go and watch Animal Farm? I'm always the next available option! I have been waiting for the consent form enthusiastically for 3 weeks! But sadly, luck wasn't on my side today. So anybody???
Just for Fun... P.S.The reason why everyone seem to write better on the internet...
The reason why everyone seem to write better on the internet is mainly due to two points. Number 1 is that people who are shy and don't like to talk in front of everyone in class would not want to share their views openly and verbally during class. Therefore, they make use of their blogs to share them as they don't need to say them out verbally. The second reason is that people prefer using computers. Technology has been advancing... Wow. Technology is taking over to world! :):D:P
Monday, March 1, 2010
E- LEARNING!!!!! :):):)
Hi!
This was my result for the quiz that I did:
INTRAPERSONAL...
I actually have to agree with my quiz result. I am an individual who can do work better if I work by myself and is allowed time to think through my thoughts and organize them. I also usually have a very strong opinion on a subject which may or may not be the same as the people around me... Wow. This quiz is good....
Well getting back to the main topic. I decided to choose Choice A out of the 2 Choices. This was the assignment posted to me:
a. Write a journal entry from the point of view of one of the characters in Flowers for Algernon. The title of your journal is Journal according to… FRANK REILLY.
April 30th:
Something is weird about Charlie Gordon. Something very, very weird... Being one of his "best friends", I know he quite well. Ever since I started to know him, I had always known that he was mentally retarded. He was always different from us and he acted very strangely. We always took him to our advantage and he was such a source of entertainment.
However, ever since he went for some operation or something like that, he started becoming intelligent. Do you know how that felt? We were once so superior to him and now suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we become inferior! How is that even possible?
Once at the parties we had occasionally, Charlie Gordon finally realised that we were making fun of him and that cut our friendship into half. He used to be such a good friend to us but now he has changed. Changed too much.
Joe Carp has started a petition to fire Charlie Gordon from the factory. Everyone except Fanny Girden has signed it. I don't understand why Fanny did not sign it. However, after I disagreed to talk to Charlie about the issue, I saw him and Fanny talking to each other. Fanny didn't seem as welcoming as before. She has changed too...
Charlie Gordon has left. I hope I'll never see him again. I hate him for his knowledge and intelligence. If only he will change back to the Charlie Gordon that I once knew...
Frank.
So that was my answer to the question. What do you think? Feel free to comment on it! Thanks! :)
Cheers,
Raphael :D
This was my result for the quiz that I did:
INTRAPERSONAL...
I actually have to agree with my quiz result. I am an individual who can do work better if I work by myself and is allowed time to think through my thoughts and organize them. I also usually have a very strong opinion on a subject which may or may not be the same as the people around me... Wow. This quiz is good....
Well getting back to the main topic. I decided to choose Choice A out of the 2 Choices. This was the assignment posted to me:
a. Write a journal entry from the point of view of one of the characters in Flowers for Algernon. The title of your journal is Journal according to… FRANK REILLY.
April 30th:
Something is weird about Charlie Gordon. Something very, very weird... Being one of his "best friends", I know he quite well. Ever since I started to know him, I had always known that he was mentally retarded. He was always different from us and he acted very strangely. We always took him to our advantage and he was such a source of entertainment.
However, ever since he went for some operation or something like that, he started becoming intelligent. Do you know how that felt? We were once so superior to him and now suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we become inferior! How is that even possible?
Once at the parties we had occasionally, Charlie Gordon finally realised that we were making fun of him and that cut our friendship into half. He used to be such a good friend to us but now he has changed. Changed too much.
Joe Carp has started a petition to fire Charlie Gordon from the factory. Everyone except Fanny Girden has signed it. I don't understand why Fanny did not sign it. However, after I disagreed to talk to Charlie about the issue, I saw him and Fanny talking to each other. Fanny didn't seem as welcoming as before. She has changed too...
Charlie Gordon has left. I hope I'll never see him again. I hate him for his knowledge and intelligence. If only he will change back to the Charlie Gordon that I once knew...
Frank.
So that was my answer to the question. What do you think? Feel free to comment on it! Thanks! :)
Cheers,
Raphael :D
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