I'm Presenting in Six Days...Yikes

Six days until I present and I've got to say, I am actually in a MUCH better position than I was before the start of break. I wrote some pages of the script, and, surprisingly enough, they are actually funny. Whenever I am about to write, I get nervous and develop momentary writer's block, but yesterday, I woke up and busted out a few solid pages. Needless to say, I was pretty happy. Also, a great idea popped into my head this weekend regarding my presentation. I think I am going to host a debate between whether or not marijuana is portrayed too positively in movies and if glorifying it sends the message to children that it is acceptable to do. I will also show the class a trailer for my movie starring my friends. At this point, I am very hopeful and even excited to be working on this project, considering how easily it is coming now.

UPDATE: Helen Keller, aka Erica Heller, has just given me an idea about an alternative presentation. I could show a clip from a movie portraying use of drugs as silly, not sinister, and see what the class thinks about it by making them respond to questions. As for now, it's been a fun year. Keep it real.

Final Project...or Should I Say POTject?

As school is coming to a close, I feel more and more pressured and rushed to complete this project. With the addition of the oral presentation, I feel like I will really have to work to get it all done. For my oral presentation, I am going to briefly touch upon the research I used. I will also pass around The Cannabis Companion, seeing as how it interests almost anyone and everyone whose eye it catches. I will show and describe to the class my screenplay (ie: the plot, characters, etc). Lastly, which will probably be the most enjoyable for the class to view, I will make a coming attraction for LIT, starring myself and my friends, and show it. I am sincerely hoping that everything looks professional, and that the preview is at least somewhat enjoyable for the class. My main concern is time management. Since I have not even started my oral presentation and do not have much of my script completed, I hope I can manage my time well enough to have both completed by the time I present. My goal by week's end is to have much more of my script written, so I have some idea as to what scenes to include in the preview. There is an art to the stoner film coming attraction, so I am going to watch the Half Baked Preview, The Super High Me Preview, and the Pineapple Express Preview...again.

I've Gots To Be Finishing This Research Paper

Alright, it's time to kick it into high gear. The paper is due in four days, I've got a lot of work to get done. My one huge regret is that I didn't do more of this work earlier. If only I had at least a page completed, I would feel so much more comfortable. Instead, I feel rushed and nervous about having to write this whole essay. Oh well, everyone makes mistakes. This week, my main goal is to just finish this paper. I may even finish early so I can send it to the writing cener, seeing as this is one of the biggest projects we've done all year. My sources are all very helpful and credible, so I am basically all set to knock this paper out. I think that I will have two pages completed by tomorrow night, and three by Wednesday. If I don't wrap it up in three pages, Thursday will be the night in which I complete my paper. I have REALLY been slacking on my project though. I have not written anything in so long, even though I really want to. I think I'm scared it won't be funny, and if that's the case, I will be very dejected. I've just got to really set some goals and accomplish them. I think I'll be fine.
Click here for the most helpful website I have found.

Week 3? Who Knows

Ideas have been racing around inside my head. Now that I have completed my movie outline (which I am very happy about), I know what direction I am going in, which allows me to start developing ideas and jokes. My goals for this week are to really get going on my research paper, which I have already started, and to get a good idea for the upcoming scenes in LIT. I have overcome last week's problem of finding useful websites, because I have a plethera of them now. Combined with my priceless Entertainment Weekly article, I am pretty much set for my paper. My newest problem is just pure laziness. I have to look past the fact that it's Spring, (even though it is, and I've got to be outside, playing stickball) and get my work done. I need to actually apply myself and prove that I am still capable of doing work, or else I will be doomed in college. I have begun doing research on classic stoner movies such as the Cheech and Chong films, Dazed and Confused, Half Baked, How High, Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Grandma's Boy, Sean Penn's character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Reefer Madness AND Reefer Madness: The Musical. I have of course seen all of these, but am going to rewatch them in order to gain better insight on the crazy, pot-addled minds of "stoners." Also, even though it hasn't come out yet, I am going to watch, and rewatch, and rewatch the trailer for Pineapple Express, which will undoubtedly be the greatest stoner movie of ever created.

Spring Break's Over...Time To Get Some Work Done

I set up some goals for myself before my trip to Mexico, but in all fairness and honesty, my mind was already south of the border. Damn you senioritis. Now, after returning, I am focused and ready to accomplish my goals. Since the research paper is due soon, I am going to mainly concentrate on that for the time being. My research topic is society's reaction to stoner movies, and I have found one especially helpful article in an issue of Entertainment Weekly. I hope to find more, but so far no such luck. My research has chiefly been done in school, thus making it difficult when almost ALL of the websites I try to look at are blocked due to "Drugs". I am hopeful that I will find some other websites when I look on my home computer. At this point, that would be my main problem. My goals for this week are to find more websites or articles, start my research paper (at least the opening paragraph), and DEFINITELY develop some sort of outline for my script. I have so many ideas racing around in my head but I need to organize them. Without an outline, I'm lost. I am very excited to start this project, but scared at the same time. If LIT doesn't turn out to be what I expected, I will be very disappointed in myself. I remain optimistic though, and am very eager to begin.
This website will help me develop my outline.

4th Marking Period BEGINS

Alright, the exciting fourth marking period is off to a great start. I have a couple ideas that I'm spitballing. I am either going to write a series of children's books about a superhero named Forkman, or I am going to write a raunchy stoner movie called Lit. At this point, I am leaning more towards Lit. I have already started it, and I am eight pages in. When I get the How To Write a Screenplay books that Jake and I are going to share, I know I will have the tools to finish this screenplay. Some concerns I have is that I will be 50 pages in and say, "This is garbage." I would hate to expend so much effort and then end up with a subpar product. On the otherhand, if I did the children's books, they would be shorter and easier to edit.
This week, I want to add to my screenplay. I want to create an outline of what will happen in the movie and not just write what comes to mind with no structure whatsoever. My goal by week's end is that i will have at least 15 pages written and a good idea of where I am headed with this movie.
I will clearly have help along the way. I mean, I'm pretty great and all, but I can't take on this task alone. I will consult websites along the way and will also read a number of books on screenwriting. Also, in order to learn more about the plant Cannabis Sativa, I will be reading "The Cannabis Companion" by Steven Wishnia.
I couldn't be more excited about this marking period. I have always wanted to finish a screenplay, and this finally gives me reason to do just that.

Last Post (Sigh)

Ah third marking period. A joyously independent semester, but a fulfilling one nevertheless. I've learned many things during the past couple of months; some about myself and others about the subjects I have studied. First, I have learned that my senioritis is in FULL effect. It has taken over my entire way of thinking, and I am thankful there are only a few months of school left. I have decided that blogging is a rather fun experience and I may continue to update my blog as I age. It is a great way to share my thoughts on the novels I have been reading and just my general thoughts on life. One problem with my blogs is that I haven't been analytical enough. If I only delved deeper into the underlying meanings of The Sunflower and Herland, this blog would've been the best in the land. Sadly, I didn't...and it wasn't. My only regret about these blogs is that I never had the chance to write one regarding Ceremony, the wonderful novel about a Native American who returns from being a prisoner of war during World War II. I have yet to start it, but I was truly looking forward to dissecting it and seeing what is actually about. I also wish I could have posted more interesting links...such as this. If you're on any type of hallucinogenic drug, watch that and you'll be GUARANTEED to trip. Overall, I deeply cherished and thoroughly enjoyed the third marking period. I am thankful I got to try something new (blogging) and won't soon forget the great times I had throughout.

Back of The Book Criticism from The Sunflower

Last week I slightly brushed on the topic of the criticism and responses in the back of The Sunflower. I'll be honest though; I hadn't really read them. Now, after a week of mulling many of them over, I have to say that I am impressed. I am about to completely contradict myself, for last week I said that the Dalai Lama's response was wrong and in poor taste. Boy, was I wrong. The Dalai Lama's answer to the thought-provoking question of, "Would you forgive a dying Nazi?" is that one should forgive, but must NEVER forget. Throughout the entire time I was reading the novel, I never once thought of this as an answer. The responses in the back truly do offer good insight on the question. After reading the Dalai Lama's, I figured there HAD to be more solutions to this query. Thus, I went about thinking of answers, but none were very realistic. Simon could have put him out of his misery if he was truly vindictive. He could have struck a deal with him that if he forgave the dying man, the Nazi would put in an order to let him go. These resolutions though, are ludicrous. The Dalai Lama, a guide to many, has truly thought of the perfect answer. It combines being forgiving to someone who wants absolution before he dies with always paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the worst genocide in the history of the world. This is why, though, the Dalai Lama is refered to as "His Holiness" and I am simply known as Doug E Fresh. Maybe one day I will be able to come up with perfect solutions to challenging questions like the Dalai Lama can, but for now I can merely rap Will Smith.
I'm stuck on the Sunflower for now because I have decided to do TWO projects on it, but I am very excited to begin my third and final book, Ceremony. It is about a Native American who faced horrors in World War 2 and had to return to deal with life on the home front. I find that this is a perfect book to compare to the Sunflower, for one is about a soldier who becomes a prisoner, and one is about a Jew who also becomes a prisoner, but under different circumstances.

Sunflower Completed

I have now completed The Sunflower, and, for as moving a subject as it is, I was a little disappointed. First of all, the book is very deceiving. It is not as long as one makes it out to be, for there is a ton of criticism after the 98 page novel. The criticism and insights are helpful and thought-provoking, but it does not and cannot salvage the book. I was hoping for a dramatic novel about the horrors of concentration camps and a unique experience between a dying SS soldier and a Jew. Instead, I got a few pages of dialogue between the two of them, and the rest is complaints or worries from the Jewish man. The SS man literally dies after one meeting with Simon. They didn't even have enough time for a meaningful conversation. It's as if Mr. Wiesenthal took a brilliant idea and spent maybe three pages concentrating on it. I was deeply let down. The criticism and insights in the back of the book differ in the question of "What would you do?" The Dali Lama's, for example, is much different than my own. I would never forgive a Nazi if I was in a concentration camp. Hell, I wouldn't forgive one now and I was never even in one. Yet the Dali Lama says we all must forgive, which I find to be in poor taste. If someone has made a decision as extremely horrific as that in their life, they must live with that. They must not and should not be forgiven. Overall, I sincerely wish The Sunflower had been better. You let me down Simon Wiesenthal...you let me down.

Simon Wiesenthal Has a Lust...For Hunting Nazis!

Simon Wiesenthal is a hero. His endurance and ability to survive the horrors of a concentration camp in Nazi Germany are well documented in his book, The Sunflower. One thing about the novel confuses me though. After doing some research on Mr. Wiesenthal, I discovered that this 91 year old man has spent half his life searching for ex-Nazi soldiers in order to bring them to justice. Now, I haven't finished the book yet, but what I can gather from the back description is that Simon neither forgave nor refused to forgive the dying Nazi who asked him for absolution. If he spent nearly 45 years of his life "hunting for Nazis", why then, would he not have refused to forgive the Nazi who expressed sincere regret for his actions. It's clear that he still harbors an extreme grudge against all Nazis, and that is perfectly understandable, but if he had the chance to say "no" to this dying Nazi, to deny him his absolution once and for all, to tell him how he truly feels about the Holocaust and Hitler, why wouldn't he? If I had been in his shoes, I would have put that dispicable Nazi in his place. Maybe I will gain insight into Wiesenthal's psyche as the book progresses, but right now I am very disappointed in Simon.

An Interesting Question

A good novel will make you think. I myself have been known to put down a book after reading an especially thought-provoking paragraph in order to reflect on what I have just read. The Sunflower, written by Simon Wiesenthal, presents the reader with an interesting choice. Pretend you are a prisoner in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. A dying SS member calls you to his bedside and wants to obtain absolution from you. What would you do? As soon as I saw this question, I immediately started weighing the pros and cons. On one hand this man is expressing deep regret and remorse for the horrific atrocities he has committed. He is seeking salvation, and knows that the orders he has followed through on are wrong. Are not all men entitled to redemption? On the other hand, he's a Nazi. Flat out, he is part of the most disgusting, dispicable groups ever to walk this Earth. He has probably killed hundreds of innocent people by himself and had fun while doing it too. He has caused you, your family, and millions of others pain and sorrow. I did a survey to see others' opinions. Every member of my family including my father (a Catholic), my mother (a Jew), my sister, my grandpa (who fought against the Nazis in World War Two), and his wife/my grandma all said that forgiving him would be unthinkable. Along with those five testimonies, I also received two no's from Darren Bleckner and Steven Cohan. My initial reaction is obviously no, but I am going to wait until I have finished the book to make my decision final.

Blog in The Voice of Terry, a Character in Herland

Dear lord, I feel like it's been an eternity on this island. I came here with high hopes of finding women just waiting, in fact ACHING to be taken. On the contrary, dear friend, these women are only interested in our culture, and seem to lack any libido whatsoever. I use the word "women" VERY loosely though, for a less feminine lot I have never seen. In fact, they shall henceforth be known by me as woMEN. These females, for how motherly they are, show no attractive traits whatsoever. There is also barely anything to do, for they do not know of the one thing that keeps our great nation going: competition. There's something funny about all of them too. I once read an article about the strange occurrences that happen when women live together. It's quite odd. Van and Jeff seem to miraculously love it here. Ridiculous. Jeff's a dirty traitor, and I can see his alliances shifting by the minute. He's starting to criticize mankind and society as we know it. Dispicable. Van too seems to enjoy his captivity. I would be fine if they would just let us see the girls! I know there are girls here! I've seen them! But for some reason, these old hags don't trust us with them. Damnations! Our escape attempt failed miserably, and now I can't envision any other way of leaving this wretched island, save for committing suicide. I can't and won't give up hope though. Soon enough, we'll set sail for America and I'll be back to all the girls I can get ahold of.

-Terry

A Pleasant Surprise

"Herland", a novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is the first book I am reading in the third marking period. Through four chapters, I am actually, surprisingly enough, enjoying it. Gilman's writing style is not what one would expect from a woman from the early 1900's. It is very easy to understand, and I often find myself longing to find out what will happen next. So far, three men, Terry O. Nicholson, Jeff Margrave, and Vandyck Jennings, have been on an island inhabited entirely by women. The women are very interested in the culture of the outside world, but teach the men about their own history as well. The men are so amazed at the women's society that they feel that their MUST be men there. In this, Gilman is making a wonderful social commentary on male-female roles. I am very excited to see how this novel progresses, and what other social commentary Gilman has in store for her readers.

For more on the unique writing style of Gilman, visit these sites:
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/marty.htm
http://www.lsus.edu/la/journals/ideology/contents/utopianfeministpedagogy.htm

Herland is Our Land

I have yet to start "Herland", a novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, but I will keep you updated on how it is coming along once I begin.

Jenkem

There is a dangerous new drug emerging in highschools throughout the nation. This drug is known as Jenkem. It has many slang names, such as Winnie, Leroy Jenkems, Fruit From the Crack Pipe, and Butthash. The phenomenon of Jenkem has spread from Africa, where kids take jars full of sewage (human waste) from the open sewers. They then place a balloon around the top of the jar, and place it in the sun for a few days. After the heat gets to it, and the sewage inside ferments, fumes will rise and be caught in the balloon. Kids then take this balloon, and strangely enough, inhale it. That's right, they inhale sewage fumes. After the initial blackout, the subject awakes to what is described as a "euphoric high with visions of lost loved ones." Unfortunately, children have said they dislike the taste of raw sewage in their mouths for days after taking the drug. I feel it is my duty to inform as many people as I can about this disgustingly dangerous drug, and prevent it from ever coming to Hills.