Sixth Blog Assignment

 There are moments in each of our lives when we realize that something we believed to be true is not. In Neil Gaiman’s novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the narrator describes this moment: “At home, my father ate all the most burnt pieces of toast…When I was much older he confessed to me that he had not ever liked burnt toast, and had only eaten it to prevent it from going to waste, and, for a fraction of a moment, my entire childhood felt like a lie: it was as if one of the pillars of belief that my world had been built on had crumbled into dry sand”(18). Compose a narrative paragraph about your own experience finding out that something you believed was a lie. How did it impact your relationship with the person you had believed?

Fifth Blog Assignment

 For this week's blog assignment, I would like you to watch the following video:

After watching the short film, briefly describe what happens.  Then, I would like you to identify the author's purpose...why they chose to write and direct this video. Give a clear explanation as to your reasoning, how did you identify the author's purpose and why is that a good inference.  Additionally, I would like you to identify the author's audience...for whom did the author make this video. Give a clear explanation as to why you think that is the audience; what clues/evidence do you have from the video to help you identify the audience.  Finally, identify three ways that this video can teach people about community.

Fourth Blog Assignment - No Assignment

No blogging required this week.  Work on Essay #1 (due Monday, February 15).

Third Blog Assignment: A Music Playlist for your Life

Everyone listens to music, some perhaps more than others.  I absolutely love music...most every genre.  My first love is classic R&B and Motown music...it is what my mom listened to when I was a kid and I still thoroughly enjoy listening, especially to Sam Cooke.  I am a huge AC/DC fan.  My kids bought me an AC/DC mug for mother's day several years ago.  My head starts banging anytime I hear "Highway to Hell" or "Thunderstruck".  I think Angus Young is the best damn guitarist in heavy metal.  I love rap...especially the stuff from my generation (after all hip hop really took off in the 80s when I was a teenager --I remember Will Smith as part of  DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince way before he was a movie star and Queen Latifah as a rapper before she was a famous actress and talk show host).  I am a huge Public Enemy fan (I still have the first cassette I bought of their Yo!Bum Rush the Show album) and I love Run D.M.C.  I definitely prefer East Coast rap. I also enjoy jazz music (in fact, I am listening to my Diana Krall jazz station on Pandora right now while at work).  Music not only makes our lives enjoyable; it makes our lives meaningful. 

I want you to select the top ten songs that represent your life, so don't just focus on what you are currently listening to, but also what you loved in the past.  Along with listing your life playlist, you will need to EXPLAIN why you choose each song on this playlist (a detailed explanation...not a "just because I like it" explanation).