Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Talking With by Jane Martin (play assignment 1)

1. What did you think about the play as a whole? Did it surprise you or please you or frustrate you? Explain why you reacted to the play in this way.
I was very pleased with the play, because I found her writing and her characters relate able in some sense and also realistic, I especially enjoyed "Twirler" and all the quirks of the characters as well.

2. What is the premise of "Talking With"? In a sentence or two, explain what you think is the premise or main idea/theme of the play.
I think that the main idea is the variety of people and their own life experiences and stories.

3. The "audience" for each character changes as the play continues. How does the author help a viewer or reader understand who the character in question is "talking with..."? Overall, by the end of the play, who do you think the playwright Jane Martin is "Talking with...?" Support your opinion.
Jane martin helps us understand who the audience is by the dialogue used through out each monologue, when the character uses names, titles ect. also in the stage directions there are some hints also. By the end of the play I realized that Jane Martin is "talking with..." different aspiring and hopeful people telling their own stories and their own audiences.

Dear Dad,

Amy a young woman in her twenties wearing a simple black dress, is at her fathers funeral she stands beside the closed coffin in a otherwise empty funeral home.

AMY: Well, here we are. twenty two years later and we meet again.
Do you find me crazy? to actually come to your funeral?, because I know I do.
My mom laughed. yeah she fucking laughed about it! her full belly laugh too. I almost understood why you left her when I was barely one month old.
But then I remembered the years and years of my life i spent struggling with relationships and that whole "love" bull shit. When i was fifteen, my therapist blamed it on you and when i used to try and talk to mom about it she would say I can only blame it on myself. That there are kids starving in Africa worse off than me, who have no father either but also no water or bread, and yet they are the most grateful and kind people around. That's when we just argued and she sent me to talk to the therapist about my problems.
I know you are probably wondering what her problem is? well, I'll tell ya I'm sure you made her this way, no offense, I mean only cause your dead and I respect you, not cause i actually feel bad for you or anything,
But I bet after you left and broke her heart that she turned this sour and bitter.
I used to resent her so much for it, but it wasn't only until the other day that i hugged her in five years, and told her i love her.
Because at that time I finally understood, and I understood that although you left her so long ago, that she was still carrying this poison in her gut eating away at her stomach and heart! I know, I know Dramatic! she says I got that from you,
but, that's besides the point, back to my story, I realized that deep agonizing pain the other day when my fiance left me for another woman.
Yes, that's correct "daddy" I was engaged, there's twenty two years of life that you missed out on so don't sound shocked.
either way, after i lay in my bed a few hours, realizing that my hair was stuck up and my face dirty with make up i had smeared in my half sleep/ half crying state that lasted a work week, I showered and drove in pajamas to my mothers and just collapsed in her arms, she made me birds in a nest like when i was seven, and we talked and cried, talked and cried, watched Maury in the day time, yelling at those shitty men, and then watching Seinfeld by night, a favorite of ours.
"NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!" (she laughs)
remember that bit? That's my favorite episode.
But you dad, you turned her sour and I know it! she has an old album in a shoe box under boxes of board games and old rags and a hat on the top shelf of her closet, and in it are pictures of you! She was so beautiful and so happy! I had never seen her look that way.
She never did marry, or have a serious man in her life. Only a few here and there who would spend the night. Many times here old boss came over and I could tell that he wanted something my mother apparently wasn't willing to give any other man but you, a relationship.
And now I understand why she never forgot you and how it was so much harder, because I look just like you! same long legs and skinny body like birch tree trunks, i have the same vacant looking big eyes and wide mouth. But as we both know my big nose is all moms, the boldest heirloom passed down to he women in her family on her mothers side.
I should probably get to the point as to why I'm here, only because I've been talking your ear off.
But the reason I came is, because well, it was almost a punishment its almost a reminder or a lesson to myself, and to my kids who's father will be around! I will make sure of it, anyway,
the last few years I had made a point to get in touch, to look you up and to email you in London, but i never did, as many times as I opened up a new email in my yahoo account, I had know Idea how to start it out, I was so self conscious of my real first impression to you, that it was a big battle in my mind as what should I say? or how should I say it? will he understand if I use some texting lingo? I don't know, but I better not use it just in case, but if I use all these big words and things will he think I'm some anal dork? Is every one's grammar really good in England? I have no idea why it mattered so much to me,you did hurt me a lot who cares how i act? but now your here not really listening and of course I'm not watching my language or how to behave around you.
I learned that, people must really try, try to know there parents. I regret it so much dad! cause some day they might drop dead like you, and I'll never know anything about my roots or medical history or even where i get this thick and warm voice. Or why I'm the only one in my family who finds beevis and butthead funny! There's so much I want to ask, dad.
I tried to bring Mom you know, but she said "I want to remember him the way I always have, handsome and goofy and smiling"
I should have called her when I got here to tell her that its a closed casket,I mean being hit by a car is not the most becoming thing.
She wouldn't have to see you. Though I really know she more or less didn't come because of the possibility of your wife Brenda. Brenda looks welcoming and like a nice mother, she asked who I was, I hesitated and said I worked with you, but i could see her searching my face and finding you there, but she only hugged me and moved on to the next relative or friend.
I feel kind of dumb you know? sitting here talking to your body. Like you are actually listening, or understanding. I wonder, If you weren't my father, and i met you on the subway or something that I would like you. if we liked the same music or read the same things or were horrible at math in school. There's so much I wish I could have asked you. And of course the best time for me and you is when your dead and there's nothing for you to say. Well guess what Dad? I'm coming to visit you every weekend at you and your wife's plot in the suburbs, until I tell you everything. We do have twenty two years to make up for and I think the best person to tell it to is you.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

March from Selma to Montgomery- year 45


How far have we come from this important event in the civil rights movement?

Though Legally white and black people have equal rights today, and we do have a black president(in which it seems to be progressive) but black people are still prejudiced. They may not be hired by companies because of the color of their skin, and the media is degrading races as always.
I feel as though we have made physical changes, that many people still have the same mind set as was there in 1965 during the march.
It seems that there are not many things to do, we have tried and tried for change for over one hundred years, i think the only way for us to get out of this rut is by everyone to consider this state and think a long time about it because change can only come from within. only you can set yourself free.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

My weekend: "Treason in America: 9/11, the wars & our Broken Constitution"


Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: On friday March fifth at three thirty p.m., I left Rochester to go with my Dad, to this convention on the truth about 9/11.
I remember september eleventh two thousand and one. I Don't recall the day exactly, I was only five years old. But that day I was in school, a very small private school in the city, We all left early that day, it was a beautiful day and in those carefree years of my life it seemed a day like this could never be ruined. But something was wrong, not many kids could tell, but i noticed. I saw it in the faces of the teachers, and soon we were all picked up early. We all ran outside happy to leave. My parents picked me up together, which I found weird. My mom was worried, she was scared but she stayed quiet about it. My father was upset but I stressed that by not showing it. He took us out to ice cream, we talked about school and the nice day, we talked about what we might eat for dinner, we talked about all those things other than what had happened that morning at ten after nine.
I think that my parents didn't want me to worry. Unfortunately I do not remember how I found out what happened that day. I just know that I know now.
ask yourself, what happened on september eleventh two thousand and one?
people believe that, nine eleven was the day that two planes crashed into the twin towers in new york city, killing thousands. That terrorists had taken control.
Americans believe 9/11 was what the president told us it was. That, what the media told us, was what happened. But it has been proved to me that they are wrong, our government is severely corrupt and that most americans are blinded from a nation controlled by the media, most americans have no idea that three buildings were destroyed.
My next few posts will be on the truth of 9/11. What really happened.
that nine eleven was an inside job. Because its your job and my job to let everyone know what is hidden from us.
http://www.treasoninamericaconference.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJcOWQ1rym8

Friday, March 5, 2010

School of the arts- "or mission is student success... Academic, Artistic, and Humanistic."


I go to the school of the arts in Rochester New York, It is an arts school which involves an audition process, this blog in which I am writing on right now, is apart of my creative writing (my major at the school) class. Our assignment today for our blog is to evaluate our mission (in the above title) it says on our home page (i will provide a link at the bottom of the page) our mission: "OUR MISSION IS STUDENT SUCCESS... ACADEMIC, ARTISTIC, AND HUMANISTIC."

I believe this to be true, to an extent. I don't feel as though SOTA is wrong in this at all. At our school, though an arts school, we focus on our academics above all. I believe this experience, being in an arts school, is a privilege, and It's great if you are the most creative writer in our class, the singer with the broadest vocal range, the artist who makes there drawings closest to the apple they are trying to put on paper, the tech major who had the best craftsmanship in a set, The dance major who can provide the strongest feelings through a dance routine, an actor who can really make an audience believe your character, or a musician who can enchant you with original songs, but in reality it doesn't matter, it can get you far, but in many ways you will get no where without your academics.
Humanity is also one of our important values, our community service hours take us far, and the staff at SOTA is accepting and friendly, like the students. We have our cliques but we don't discriminate, and it depends more, not on they way we dress or how we look, but on the content of our character.
Though SOTA has all of these wonderful values, I think it would be great if we expand our horizons. We have our arts, and I assume most funding goes to this at our school, but I think it would be great if we could have more after school activities, and more extra experiences that range beyond the arts. I think that we should have more sports variety, this would interest more kids and promote exercise. We should split from sharing with east, and make our school bigger, get fields and a pool, and another gym.
But I don't think sports is the only new extracurricular activities we need.
I have a lot of friends who attend Brighton High school, I remember looking in there year book, I turned to the end of it to see the clubs and extracurricular activities, pictures, I was shocked by how many they had. I pointed to as little as seven that I would join if I went to the school. They such a big variety that there were many I would join. I believe if we include more of these, that we can encourage kids to be more well-rounded and educated, find interests of theres for their futures. With these changes we can guarantee a totally more likely chance of a bright future that many kids who are from the inner city would not be able to have without school. We deserve this.
Personally, in addition to these changes I think it would make many students very happy to see more incentives,dances, trips, and pep rallies to promote school spirit.
I love my school and i want it to be the best it can for not only me but for our future generations, if SOTA's mission is student success, I do not see any road blocks into a path of success and for all of my suggestions to come true, if Success is our mission we won't fail.
http://www.sotarochester.org/index.htm

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ten guilty pleasures


1. Love (this is something that you might not believe to be a guilty pleasure, but think about it, we fall in love and only once in awhile do we feel it can be forever with that person, we always get hurt in the end, and its a dangerous path with little chance for success. Yet we keep fighting because the chance of love is our greatest pleasure)

2.my cell phone, (its there when i really want to talk, and still there when I dont want to be bothered, not to mention all my crazy cell phone lingo that sometimes i use in an essay for school without realising it until i check it later)

3.American Idol ( addicting, addicting, addicting and cheesy, cheesy, cheesy)

4.gum (delicious, refreshing, and convienent but it get stuck in my braces like crazy)

5. GTA (sooooo fun, but very wrong)

6. Mean Girls (hilarious, fluffy, and easy on the eyes and totally sterotypical)

7.High heels ( feel sexy in them, but trip in them and make yourself taller then the guys)

8. Rachel Ray ( damn i want to punch her in the face, but the things that come out of her oven are delicious)

9. Jersey shore ( Funny, addicting, suggestive and entirely immoral)

10. Star bucks (delicious designer label coffee that can make you bankrupt within a week)

A community I love


When I was Thirteen, maybe fourteen, I went to Ithaca to go camping one summer. I immediately fell in love with the beautiful scenery, the young friendly people, cornell, the liberal voice of the town, and the many wonderful places to find delicious food. Ithaca I had decided, was somewhere I would like to live in the future.

http://www.visitithaca.com/

How I use facebook :)

facebook is my favorite website, no offence blogspot, but this site is so addicting. Right now I have over six hundred friends, and i make more everyday. Facebook is a social networking site, where you can find all of your old friends, I probably don't need to tell you this though, because if you don't already know, you must live under a rock! Facebook is very important to me, and I don't know how i manged my social life before without it.
I use facebook to talk to friends, play a variety of games, and take quiz es that probably have no truth whatsoever in the result.
Facebook changes often, i was not very happy when it changed on my the first time, but this time when it changed i really liked it, it became quite easy.
I recommend facebook to everyone and anyone. It is so abstract and has many uses, you should definitely find out! If you have a facebook which you probably do, add me! I'm Adeline Kate on it.. so yeah :)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Top ten moral dilemmas - 10

source- http://listverse.com/2007/10/21/top-10-moral-dilemmas/


You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don’t he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don’t have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?

This is a very hard decision to make, and I hope to never be in a situation similar.
I know that I would be heart broken in either way i choose, but i would have to pull out the chair underneath him. Although I am not making this decision in reality, i do find it hard to write, because its so sad and painful. Either way I would choose, my son would die. But i would have to choose to allow an innocent inmate live, I would not know the inmate, but I would know there are people who love he or she, perhaps as much as i love my own son. He is innocent and though my son is as well, an unlikely chance is not worth taking, its not worth it to put another's life in jeopardy.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Reinstating literacy for voters

Tom Tancredo this weekend was the keynote speaker at the Tea Party convention. He suggested that we should reinstate literacy for voters, especially for voters who "cannot spell the word vote or say it in English" and who elected "Barack Hussein Obama." Do you believe that Tancredo seriously wanted to return to the voter literacy
tests that many states in the South used to discriminate against black voters and prevent them from voting. Should there be literacy tests for the right to vote in America? Or does democracy mean "one person, one vote"?


Lets look at all sides of this. If we did go with Tancredo's plan, and reinstated a literacy test, it could be a good thing, because people who vote should know what they're voting for, right? But, if you look at the literacy tests through out history, you will see how difficult they are, as if they were made for people who are insanely superior. So in a way, if we had it his way, it would seem like the test would just be a way for people like Tancredo have more control over us. America will not be a true democracy, if we do not pursue the democratic choice, which would be to not reinstate it. To let the people decide their futures. (although it doesn't work that way very much now either) It sounds to me, that Tancredo is a racist ass hole who really just has an obsessive need for control.
Please comment on my post! I would love to know how you feel. What you think is important to me. Thanks!

Monday, February 8, 2010

"Our desire to conform is greater than our respect for objective facts."

In 2001 The American Scholar published an excerpt from a talk given by English author Margaret Drabble. In the talk, Drabble claimed that "Our desire to conform is greater than our respect for objective facts." Using evidence from your reading, history, observation, personal experience, politics, etc., respond to this claim in your blog.


I agree with Drabble's claim. It is fact that, "our desire to conform is greater than our respect for objective facts."
When people believe in something, something they have been brought up to believe their whole life, they are loyal to it, they have an attachment to it. Take Christan believers for example. Their is no absolute proof that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, or that the whole bible in fact, is anything more than a story. We have proof in other creation stories, yet Christan's are indifferent to them. This does not make them wrong, it makes them faithful, and it does not make them weak, it makes them active in something they believe. It is Love.
People also use conforming as ways to identify themselves, to find an image, And in teen years people find it vital. I think that in order to find who you are, you must define it, people define it by conforming.
It is also one of my own theories, that people are naturally afraid. Afraid of loneliness or being alone. When they find something that fits their taste, They want to be apart of it, and they like the feeling of being apart of something.
When they find conformity, it is usually with something they love, and regardless of all the objective facts, these people, ignorant or not, will fight tooth and nail for the thing they love, the thing that is apart of them.
Please comment or respond to my post! I really want to know what you think. So I can learn from you. or Just make your own blog post. Thanks!!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Using the "R" word

a popular subject in the news, has been the situation of Democrat Rahm Emanuel using the phrase "Fucking Retarded" referring to a plan made by fellow democrats. Sarah Palin considered it very offensive, as others might, and took it personally because of her own child's mental health. Palin is stressing the reason for him to resign. Some people think that it was out of hand for him to use the words, but others might think that perhaps she is taking it to far.

As a high school student, I fortunately or unfortunately do not see the big deal in the words.I have gotten used to it. It does not come as much of a shock. I hear one, if not both numerous times a day in the halls, or when friends describe other things, for example "dude that test was fucking retarded." They use the word Retarded in a negative way to describe things they do not agree with. This also reminds me of the saying "that's so gay." That is another one I hear. But I bet if instead of saying "Fucking retarded." Rahm Emanuel had said "fucking gay." I have to say, I don't think Sarah Palin would have as much a problem. In my own opinion she is taking it to far, an apology would be what I would think more appropriate. Sure it was disrespectful, but I seriously think she is exaggerating it because she misses the spot light she got during the campaign. So what do you think about it? comment on this. Especially if you disagree with how I feel, I want a broader view. your opinion matters!