This is the TRUTH about Curious George!! Never underestimate the horrible message of imperialism in children's books!
Sunday, February 26
Thursday, February 23
Lack of Snow Melts Winter Fun
Here's my latest article for The Western Carolinian. It talks about how the lack of snow is affecting local businesses.
"Cullowhee's winter wonderland has been nonexistent this season due to unseasonably warm temperatures. While students may be bummed by the lack of cancelled classes as compared to the 2011 spring semester, local businesses also feel the heat of Mother Nature.
Ski resorts, like Sapphire Valley and Cataloochee, have experienced less business this season because few snow-loving sports fanatics want to ski or snowboard in 60 degree weather. Sapphire Valley, especially, has lost a substantial amount of business.
Steve Martel, director of amenities at Sapphire Valley Ski Resort, said revenue is less than half of what it was last year. This year, the facility has been open for only eight days.
"When you can't make snow, I guess the days of our ski hills being open are limited," he said. "You really can't compensate. It's like a golf tee time that got rained out… There's nothing you can do to change the weather."
While the majority if not all of the snow used at the resort is generated, the weather has been too warm to even create ice pellets that convert into snow for skiing. The pellets immediately melt.
"We never got to the point where we could cool down the ground," Martel said. "It's been too warm of a winter to do anything for skiing."
Cataloochee has experienced less of a hit, but Chris Bates, general manager, said that business is "ten percent off" compared to last year..."
"Cullowhee's winter wonderland has been nonexistent this season due to unseasonably warm temperatures. While students may be bummed by the lack of cancelled classes as compared to the 2011 spring semester, local businesses also feel the heat of Mother Nature.
Ski resorts, like Sapphire Valley and Cataloochee, have experienced less business this season because few snow-loving sports fanatics want to ski or snowboard in 60 degree weather. Sapphire Valley, especially, has lost a substantial amount of business.
"When you can't make snow, I guess the days of our ski hills being open are limited," he said. "You really can't compensate. It's like a golf tee time that got rained out… There's nothing you can do to change the weather."
While the majority if not all of the snow used at the resort is generated, the weather has been too warm to even create ice pellets that convert into snow for skiing. The pellets immediately melt.
"We never got to the point where we could cool down the ground," Martel said. "It's been too warm of a winter to do anything for skiing."
Cataloochee has experienced less of a hit, but Chris Bates, general manager, said that business is "ten percent off" compared to last year..."
Check out the rest of the story here!!
And if you want more Western Carolinian, be sure to subscribe!
Fall 2012
I have registered for my Fall 2012 classes, and I am very excited about them! My adviser is an absolute genius and figured out a way to substitute a UNCG credit for a required credit that I would have had to suffer through here at Western. I'm very excited that I don't have to sit through Research, Literary Criticism, and British Literature... AGAIN! It was agony the first time.So for all you English majors friends on Facebook and to anyone else wanting to know... here are the classes I will be taking starting this August to December:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays:
- Introduction to Creative Writing and Editing, 11:15-12:05
- Spanish 102, 12:20-1:10
- Formalism and American Literature, 9:30-10:45
- Mathematical Concepts, 11:00-12:15
- Film Genres, 12:30-1:45
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| Sunrise, January |
Monday, February 20
61. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Book 61: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby (B-)
I don't know what it is about these books my professors pick for us to read... I just can't get into them!!
A memoir, Bauby was the editor for France's Elle magazine when he had a stroke in his early-40's. The accident left him with a condition called "locked-in" syndrome. He is unable to move anything except his head side to side. He cannot speak, he cannot swallow, he cannot use the bathroom on his own. Bauby was only able to communicate by blinking his left eyelid. The best way I can explain it is to copy a passage from the actual novel:
While I can appreciate the pains that went into writing this novel, I find the whole thing to be so inconclusive that it's difficult to read. It is amazing to see this man's life before and after the accident, but there's no developing plot. You go here... you go there... you go everywhere. It's not until the end that you learn (if you didn't read the back cover) why Bauby is actually in the hospital.
The film adaptation, too, was all over the place. In fact, it was one the few movies I actually fell asleep during! Making a film about a man who can only communicate by blinking is not an exciting film. Oh, it's a piece of art, but it's not entertainment. I just kept thinking, "Why??"
Bauby's story is one of beauty and acceptance of the things we cannot change. I just wish it had been told in some type of order...
I don't know what it is about these books my professors pick for us to read... I just can't get into them!!
A memoir, Bauby was the editor for France's Elle magazine when he had a stroke in his early-40's. The accident left him with a condition called "locked-in" syndrome. He is unable to move anything except his head side to side. He cannot speak, he cannot swallow, he cannot use the bathroom on his own. Bauby was only able to communicate by blinking his left eyelid. The best way I can explain it is to copy a passage from the actual novel:
"This morning, with first light barely bathing Room 199, evil spirits descend on my world. For half an hour, the alarm on the machine that regulates my feeding tube has been beeping out into the void. I cannot imagine anything so inane or nerve-racking as this piercing beep beep beep pecking away at my brain. As a bonus, my sweat has unglued the tape that keeps my right eyelid closed, and the stuck-together lashes are tickling my pupil unbearably. And to crown it all, the end of my urinary catheter has become detached and I am drenched" (57).
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| Bauby's alphabet from the film |
The film adaptation, too, was all over the place. In fact, it was one the few movies I actually fell asleep during! Making a film about a man who can only communicate by blinking is not an exciting film. Oh, it's a piece of art, but it's not entertainment. I just kept thinking, "Why??"
Bauby's story is one of beauty and acceptance of the things we cannot change. I just wish it had been told in some type of order...
Works Cited:
Bauby, Jean-Dominique. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. New York:
Vintage Books, 1997. Print.
Friday, February 17
Cullowhee Bridges Falling Down
Here is my second story for The Western Carolinian in Issue 1.
Cullowhee bridge construction causes headaches
Lex Menz, News Editor
"A Cullowhee bridge undergoing construction for deterioration repairs is causing delays and inconveniences for residents who are accustomed to crossing it.
Bridge 82, on State Road 1002 near the intersection of Rogers Road, will be closed for reconstruction for 150 days.
Joshua Deyton, Division 14 Bridge Management Engineer of the N.C. DOT, said the repairs are "due to the deterioration of the bridge deck and other vital components of the bridge. These types of repairs now will prolong the life of the structure, thus eliminating the need for a much more costly bridge replacement for a long time."
The bridge itself will not be completely pulled down, but the repairs are wide-ranging..."
Cullowhee bridge construction causes headaches
Lex Menz, News Editor
"A Cullowhee bridge undergoing construction for deterioration repairs is causing delays and inconveniences for residents who are accustomed to crossing it.
Bridge 82, on State Road 1002 near the intersection of Rogers Road, will be closed for reconstruction for 150 days.
Joshua Deyton, Division 14 Bridge Management Engineer of the N.C. DOT, said the repairs are "due to the deterioration of the bridge deck and other vital components of the bridge. These types of repairs now will prolong the life of the structure, thus eliminating the need for a much more costly bridge replacement for a long time."
The bridge itself will not be completely pulled down, but the repairs are wide-ranging..."
See the rest of the story HERE!
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| By Kalen Quinn |
Photo of the Day February 17
This is Rebel! He's the cutest puppy in the whole world!! He's our neighbor's puppy, and every time I go on my walk, he will follow me around. He actually followed Stuart and me from his house at the bottom of my mountain all the way to the top without breaking a stride. I absolutely adore him, and I wish I could get a puppy of my own! Here he is in my trailer before I had to drive him back to his house because he refused to stay on the porch!
Thursday, February 16
60. Things Fall Apart
Book 60: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (C-)
Gosh, I hate this book! I hated it in 10th grade, and I still hate it now!! And, this time I have to write a paper on it.
Why this book sucks:
1. WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL
2. The ending is abrupt and out of nowhere with too little detail
3. The names are too hard to pronounce and I keep getting them mixed up
4. What is going on with Ikefuma?
5. Why can't Okonkwo love his son and stop beating his wife (especially during the Week of Peace)?
6. I greatly dislike proud characters.
Also to Mr. Achebe, I don't appreciate you calling Joseph Conrad a racist. First of all, Heart of Darkness is better than Things Fall Apart. Secondly, everyone was a racist back then. You can't call Conrad a racist because every white man was on his high horse back then thanks to imperialism and straight up pompousness. Just because he wrote a book about it showing Africa from the white man's perspective doesn't mean you get to go around hatin'. That is how he saw Africa. It's his opinion. Yes, I'll agree that Conrad had a love relationship with the word "black," but he was a descriptive writer. He may have needed a thesaurus but that's no reason to call him a racist. So there!
Gosh, I hate this book! I hated it in 10th grade, and I still hate it now!! And, this time I have to write a paper on it.
Why this book sucks:
1. WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL
2. The ending is abrupt and out of nowhere with too little detail
3. The names are too hard to pronounce and I keep getting them mixed up
4. What is going on with Ikefuma?
5. Why can't Okonkwo love his son and stop beating his wife (especially during the Week of Peace)?
6. I greatly dislike proud characters.
Also to Mr. Achebe, I don't appreciate you calling Joseph Conrad a racist. First of all, Heart of Darkness is better than Things Fall Apart. Secondly, everyone was a racist back then. You can't call Conrad a racist because every white man was on his high horse back then thanks to imperialism and straight up pompousness. Just because he wrote a book about it showing Africa from the white man's perspective doesn't mean you get to go around hatin'. That is how he saw Africa. It's his opinion. Yes, I'll agree that Conrad had a love relationship with the word "black," but he was a descriptive writer. He may have needed a thesaurus but that's no reason to call him a racist. So there!
Western Carolinian Issue 1
Here is an article I worked on for Issue 1 of the spring semester at The Western Carolinian newspaper. I am very excited to be back as News Editor, and I'm looking forward to what this semester has to offer. Already, there's been a lot of news drama already in all capacities!! I had two days to do this article!
WCU signs off on massive directional signs
By Lex Menz, News Editor
"The Western Carolina University Campus is experiencing a transition in decoration and direction.
New signs of all sizes have popped up in front of campus buildings and roadways directing students, faculty, staff and visitors where to go and how to get there. Ongoing for a few years, the project has caused interest, controversy, and a bit of hilarity.
Wiley Harris, director of Facilities Planning, Design, and Construction, said WCU has worked on the new sign concept since 2009. Harris and his staff placed three different sizes and panels of white and purple signs from the APCO Signs Company in Atlanta around campus starting at the beginning of the semester.
"All of the signage should be in place by the end of next week, if weather permits," Harris said. "At that time a representative from APCO and the university architect will review all in-place signs and correct any errors."
Last week, students posted a photo of one of the signs on Facebook. The campus bookstore's sign had a printing error and spelled "University" incorrectly. The snapshot went viral across Facebook's Western Carolina University network, spreading from student-to-student and even official University pages.
"The misspelled bookstore sign was taken down a couple of hours after it was installed, soon after the misspelling was noticed by university staff," Harris said. "The sign company has since provided a new sign, which has been reinstalled at no cost to WCU." ..."
WCU signs off on massive directional signs
By Lex Menz, News Editor
"The Western Carolina University Campus is experiencing a transition in decoration and direction.
New signs of all sizes have popped up in front of campus buildings and roadways directing students, faculty, staff and visitors where to go and how to get there. Ongoing for a few years, the project has caused interest, controversy, and a bit of hilarity.
Wiley Harris, director of Facilities Planning, Design, and Construction, said WCU has worked on the new sign concept since 2009. Harris and his staff placed three different sizes and panels of white and purple signs from the APCO Signs Company in Atlanta around campus starting at the beginning of the semester.
"All of the signage should be in place by the end of next week, if weather permits," Harris said. "At that time a representative from APCO and the university architect will review all in-place signs and correct any errors."
Last week, students posted a photo of one of the signs on Facebook. The campus bookstore's sign had a printing error and spelled "University" incorrectly. The snapshot went viral across Facebook's Western Carolina University network, spreading from student-to-student and even official University pages.
"The misspelled bookstore sign was taken down a couple of hours after it was installed, soon after the misspelling was noticed by university staff," Harris said. "The sign company has since provided a new sign, which has been reinstalled at no cost to WCU." ..."
Keep reading the story HERE at The Western's Carolinian's website!
Sunday, February 12
Photo of the Day February 12
Justin wrote this article even though I told him not to! Apparently, it's news that I'm back. HELLO, WESTERN!! And, I'm very happy to be back. This has been (so far) the best semester I've had in college.
Friday, February 10
Movie Minute: The Many Voices of Meryl Streep
I think this is just AMAZING!!! Meryl Streep is my acting idol, and I absolutely love her! I have looked up to her since the first movie I saw... which I do believe was Death Becomes Her, hilariously enough!
This clip shows off some of her amazing acting skills!!!
This clip shows off some of her amazing acting skills!!!
Wednesday, February 8
Movie Minute: Persepolis
This week in Film Adaptation, we are studying Persepolis. We've finished the novel and are now comparing the novel to the French film adaptation. This is the BEST scene in the entire movie!!
Marjane, the main character, returns from exile in Austria to her home in Iran. Upon her return, she feels left out and lost. Before, she was an Iranian in the West. Now, she feels like a Westerner in Iran. In this scene, Marjane decides to kick depression in the butt in the classic Rocky way - by singing "Eye of the Tiger!"
Marjane, the main character, returns from exile in Austria to her home in Iran. Upon her return, she feels left out and lost. Before, she was an Iranian in the West. Now, she feels like a Westerner in Iran. In this scene, Marjane decides to kick depression in the butt in the classic Rocky way - by singing "Eye of the Tiger!"
Sunday, February 5
59. Oedipus Rex
Book 59: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (A-)
This book is actually a play written during the Renaissance... which is why I had to read it for Renaissance class. It tells the story of a man who is fated to kill his own father and marry his mother. It's a classic, twisted tale that lets us know that no, today's generation isn't where the problems started. And, it wasn't the hippies either.
No, it was Sophocles, whose graphic ending is sure to leave your stomach turning. I read the passage out loud to Stuart, who immediately made noises of disgust and said, "That's gross, baby."
It is a captivating story, however - pure classic. Still, to get through the ending... I'd hate to see the live theater version.
This book is actually a play written during the Renaissance... which is why I had to read it for Renaissance class. It tells the story of a man who is fated to kill his own father and marry his mother. It's a classic, twisted tale that lets us know that no, today's generation isn't where the problems started. And, it wasn't the hippies either.
No, it was Sophocles, whose graphic ending is sure to leave your stomach turning. I read the passage out loud to Stuart, who immediately made noises of disgust and said, "That's gross, baby."
It is a captivating story, however - pure classic. Still, to get through the ending... I'd hate to see the live theater version.
Saturday, February 4
58. The Complete Persepolis
Book 58: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (B+)
I really didn't like Persepolis. The reason it gets a B+, however, is because of its innovative use of the graphic novel style to tell a memoir set during the revolution of Iran. Satrapi recounts her childhood and adolescence in the tumultuous Iran when women began to have to wear the veil and the Islamic Revolution heated up. The novel also tells of her time in Austria as an Iranian living in the Western world and how much of an outcast she was, particularly with never having found diaspora (I learned that word in class yesterday!).
The final novel, originally split into two separate books, is told in black and white, stark comics that really show the harsh differences between their culture and ours. I did have some problems with the comics, though, because there was so much that needed to be said. Most of the frames were of a hooded Satrapi saying a long dialogue of political jargon that couldn't be explained as properly as it could have been in a standard novel.
I found Satrapi's voice, especially as a child, to just be annoying. She didn't captivate me. While she was brutally honest which was needed for her story, there was also a kind of deattachment. It was like because she was writing in a graphic novel setting that she didn't know how to express herself well enough in the what was going on around her.
Also, the ending... sucked!! One of the worst endings I've ever read... right up there with Vulpes the Red Fox and My Side of the Mountain. It was abrupt, unexpected, and left a lot of loose ends. I was extremely disappointed and confused. I understand that a memoir isn't an autobiography. It isn't meant to explain her entire life, but seriously... what was that????
I really didn't like Persepolis. The reason it gets a B+, however, is because of its innovative use of the graphic novel style to tell a memoir set during the revolution of Iran. Satrapi recounts her childhood and adolescence in the tumultuous Iran when women began to have to wear the veil and the Islamic Revolution heated up. The novel also tells of her time in Austria as an Iranian living in the Western world and how much of an outcast she was, particularly with never having found diaspora (I learned that word in class yesterday!).
I found Satrapi's voice, especially as a child, to just be annoying. She didn't captivate me. While she was brutally honest which was needed for her story, there was also a kind of deattachment. It was like because she was writing in a graphic novel setting that she didn't know how to express herself well enough in the what was going on around her.
Also, the ending... sucked!! One of the worst endings I've ever read... right up there with Vulpes the Red Fox and My Side of the Mountain. It was abrupt, unexpected, and left a lot of loose ends. I was extremely disappointed and confused. I understand that a memoir isn't an autobiography. It isn't meant to explain her entire life, but seriously... what was that????
57. Heart of Darkness
I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not going to reach my 100 book goal by mid-March, but I'm still keeping track of my reading. Nowadays, all my reading time is dedicated to my five English classes. That, and the slow going few pages a night through Ken Follet's massive Fall of Giants novel before bed. Here is Heart of Darkness, a novel I had to read for Non-Western World Literature class.
Book 57: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (B)
I'll be honest, we covered this book in class for three days... it wasn't until Day 3 that I finally understood what was going on. I got the whole, someone telling a story inside another story. That was fine, but the way it was written was just confusing. Everything was just one huge block paragraph after another with no breaks for dialogue and barely any for switching scenes. I was beyond lost until I cornered one of my classmates and demanded that he explain the plot to me outside Coulter. What he said was exactly the background I needed to piece together the story, and I saw the light!!!
My final night of reading one of clarity and hope! I fell in love with the last third of the novel. I really wished my professor had done that the first day of class. According to her, she said that she thought everyone had read the novel in high school and to go over the background would be boring and repetitive. See, there's that ASS-U(&)ME thing again. It never ends well. No, I had to read that ridiculous thing of Things Fall Apart, which, yes... we're reading.
Heart of Darkness is the white man's perspective on how much imperialism sucks. It is told through the first-eye account of a man who then repeats the first-eye account of Marlow, an ivory man who traveled into the "heart of darkness" to fetch the goods and the infamous Kurtz. Marlowe and Kurtz have different opinions on the idea of being in Africa - Kurtz believes that imperialism is amazing. He's there to escape the suffocation of his clingy woman, My Intended, and to gain riches. Marlow sees the country for what it is and tells this story to try and show the beauty of Africa. However, according to my friend, his shipmates listening to the tale believe he's got nothing to be ashamed of. It's a tale of swashbuckling adventure not tragedy!
If I hadn't been so completely confused, this novel would have received a higher rating, but I completely missed the first half.
Book 57: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (B)
I'll be honest, we covered this book in class for three days... it wasn't until Day 3 that I finally understood what was going on. I got the whole, someone telling a story inside another story. That was fine, but the way it was written was just confusing. Everything was just one huge block paragraph after another with no breaks for dialogue and barely any for switching scenes. I was beyond lost until I cornered one of my classmates and demanded that he explain the plot to me outside Coulter. What he said was exactly the background I needed to piece together the story, and I saw the light!!!
Heart of Darkness is the white man's perspective on how much imperialism sucks. It is told through the first-eye account of a man who then repeats the first-eye account of Marlow, an ivory man who traveled into the "heart of darkness" to fetch the goods and the infamous Kurtz. Marlowe and Kurtz have different opinions on the idea of being in Africa - Kurtz believes that imperialism is amazing. He's there to escape the suffocation of his clingy woman, My Intended, and to gain riches. Marlow sees the country for what it is and tells this story to try and show the beauty of Africa. However, according to my friend, his shipmates listening to the tale believe he's got nothing to be ashamed of. It's a tale of swashbuckling adventure not tragedy!
If I hadn't been so completely confused, this novel would have received a higher rating, but I completely missed the first half.
Friday, February 3
Photo of the Day February 3
As you can see, Sparta is adapting well to his new home in the mountains! His latest way of entertaining himself is to run through the house and jump into the bathtub to hide behind the curtain and underneath the lip of the tub when I get ready for bed. He also grown fond on his Christmas present, a five foot tall cat tree. He literally climbs it like a monkey - a feat that I've been trying to get on camera but have yet to succeed!
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