People:
-Bilbo Baggins: main character; Lives in the Shire; is a hobbit, which is a little person, smaller than a dwarf
-Gandalf: wizard; friend of the dwarfs; is very old, lived for hundreds of years;
-Thorin: main dwarf; ancestors were wealthy, but lost treasures to Smaug
-Smaug: dragon who stole Thorin's ancestor's gold and jewels; sleeps on big pile of treasure in a far-away mountain
-Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur: other dwarfs that are helping Thorin
Places:
-The Hill: where Bilbo lives and first section takes place
-The Mountains: where dwarfs are from, where Smaug lives, and where they are headed
Events:
Gandalf visits Bilbo, who doesn't remember him at first. Gandalf says he'll return Wednesday for tea, but on Wednesday thirteen dwarfs turn up unannounced. Bilbo is baffled and irritated by the sudden presence of a throng of dwarfs in his home, asking for food and various non-tea drinks. Gandalf finally turns up and they discuss the mission that Thorin is leading the other dwarfs on. They need one more person, or else their number will be the unlucky thirteen. But aside from being the fourteenth member of the group, Gandalf says "and here is our little Bilbo Baggins, the burglar, the chosen and selected burglar" (Tolkien 22). This underlies the fact that Bilbo's size will come in very handy later in the book when they try to break in to the mountain where Smaug the dragon lives to try and steal back the treasure. This quote also shows some of Bilbo's character traits, by calling him a "burglar".
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
180 Degrees South Response
Quote: "The end is useless...but I find I learn something along the way....If you take a spiritual journey & you compromise the process you have failed...you are a [jerk] when you start and an [jerk] when you finish."
This quote is pertinent to many of the ideas the movie gets across. It says the journey is the important part; the ends don't matter nearly as much as the means. The process of completing something greater is more valuable than the end product. Jeff Johnson found solace in this idea because although he did not complete his journey, the lessons he learned along the way were worth more. This translates into my life greatly because I will be going off to college next year, and it's important for me to grow along my journey. I must to pay attention to all the lessons along the way, and although in the end college is about getting a degree, all the experiences I have during that time will be just as important, if not much more.
This quote is pertinent to many of the ideas the movie gets across. It says the journey is the important part; the ends don't matter nearly as much as the means. The process of completing something greater is more valuable than the end product. Jeff Johnson found solace in this idea because although he did not complete his journey, the lessons he learned along the way were worth more. This translates into my life greatly because I will be going off to college next year, and it's important for me to grow along my journey. I must to pay attention to all the lessons along the way, and although in the end college is about getting a degree, all the experiences I have during that time will be just as important, if not much more.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Over-Arching Question 1/25/11
I think that all that Jay Gatsby ever wanted to accomplish was to get Daisy back. He didn’t really care about anything else. Every single action he performed was in order to win her back; all the parties and such were just to one day get her over to his house. All of the money that he made was just so he could return as a rich guy. Although he had an impact on other people, it wasn’t really on purpose. He didn’t really have any wish to impact the world in a certain way.
The Narrator in Invisible Man wanted to become someone who was accepted by the world at large. Throughout the novel he tried to gain the respect of all the people around him, but most of them were just using him and they never saw his inner identity. By the end, when he realized this, he found his true identity and removed himself from the world. When the Narrator was a part of the Brotherhood, he wanted to impact the world by ending oppression towards his fellow African Americans.
The Narrator in Invisible Man wanted to become someone who was accepted by the world at large. Throughout the novel he tried to gain the respect of all the people around him, but most of them were just using him and they never saw his inner identity. By the end, when he realized this, he found his true identity and removed himself from the world. When the Narrator was a part of the Brotherhood, he wanted to impact the world by ending oppression towards his fellow African Americans.
Friday, January 7, 2011
IR Blogpost 4-NPR Topics: News
Article: Unemployment Drops To 9.4 Percent In December
Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132732781/unemployment-drops-to-9-4-percent-in-december?ft=1&f=1001
1. This article is about the recent unemployment shift down from 9.8% to 9.4% over the last month.
2. 103,000 new jobs were added, which is a lower amount than many thought would be added in December.
3. The job market it growing, but many experts and politicians say unemployment should be decreasing faster.
1. What was the unemployment rate at the start of last year?
2. Should we be worried that the unemployment rate is not decreasing faster?
1. I think it's good that the unemployment rate has dropped so much recently, and this shows that the change in government policy over the past 2 years has had a good effect on fighting unemployment.
Article about payoff of democratic policies: http://www.talkradionews.com/quicknews/2011/1/7/reid-unemployment-drop-shows-dems-policies-are-paying-off.html
Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132732781/unemployment-drops-to-9-4-percent-in-december?ft=1&f=1001
1. This article is about the recent unemployment shift down from 9.8% to 9.4% over the last month.
2. 103,000 new jobs were added, which is a lower amount than many thought would be added in December.
3. The job market it growing, but many experts and politicians say unemployment should be decreasing faster.
1. What was the unemployment rate at the start of last year?
2. Should we be worried that the unemployment rate is not decreasing faster?
1. I think it's good that the unemployment rate has dropped so much recently, and this shows that the change in government policy over the past 2 years has had a good effect on fighting unemployment.
Article about payoff of democratic policies: http://www.talkradionews.com/quicknews/2011/1/7/reid-unemployment-drop-shows-dems-policies-are-paying-off.html
IR Blogpost 4-NYT > Books
Article: Publisher Tinkers With Twain
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/books/05huck.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
1. This article is about a new version of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" that has been censored by the publisher.
2. The published replaced the N-word 219 times with the word "slave".
3. Many people have conflicting views on the issue: Twain admirers are against it, while many teachers are for the change.
1. What effect will this have on other literature of the same genre?
2. Is this actual censorship? Or is it just an attempt to reduce the usage of offensive language?
1. I feel that people shouldn't feel awkward for reading the N-word in literature because the author was just using it to make the novel more real, but people should abstain from using it in everyday speech.
Article about Roger Ebert apologizing for his comment about the new "Huckleberry Finn" http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=20239&count=0
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/books/05huck.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
1. This article is about a new version of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" that has been censored by the publisher.
2. The published replaced the N-word 219 times with the word "slave".
3. Many people have conflicting views on the issue: Twain admirers are against it, while many teachers are for the change.
1. What effect will this have on other literature of the same genre?
2. Is this actual censorship? Or is it just an attempt to reduce the usage of offensive language?
1. I feel that people shouldn't feel awkward for reading the N-word in literature because the author was just using it to make the novel more real, but people should abstain from using it in everyday speech.
Article about Roger Ebert apologizing for his comment about the new "Huckleberry Finn" http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=20239&count=0
IR Blogpost 4-NFL.com
Article: With Young on his way out, Titans to explore all QB options
Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d81dd5/article/with-young-on-his-way-out-titans-to-explore-all-qb-options
1. This article is about the Tennessee Titans getting rid of quarterback Vince Young.
2. They are searching for a new quarterback because of Young's problems with coach Jeff Fisher.
3. The team will decide on their new quarterback after deciding whether or not to keep the coaching staff.
1. What quarterback on the market would the Titans like to have most?
2. Are there any quarterbacks on the market that are better than their current quarterback, Kerry Collins?
1. I think that Kerry Collins should play as long as he is still effective in the game, which he will be next year.
Article about how Kerry Collins wants to continue playing next season:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d5e082/article/titans-qb-collins-ive-got-some-good-football-left-in-me
Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d81dd5/article/with-young-on-his-way-out-titans-to-explore-all-qb-options
1. This article is about the Tennessee Titans getting rid of quarterback Vince Young.
2. They are searching for a new quarterback because of Young's problems with coach Jeff Fisher.
3. The team will decide on their new quarterback after deciding whether or not to keep the coaching staff.
1. What quarterback on the market would the Titans like to have most?
2. Are there any quarterbacks on the market that are better than their current quarterback, Kerry Collins?
1. I think that Kerry Collins should play as long as he is still effective in the game, which he will be next year.
Article about how Kerry Collins wants to continue playing next season:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d5e082/article/titans-qb-collins-ive-got-some-good-football-left-in-me
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