Phonar14 Video

•  Phonar is about habits
•  Phonar: a photography narrative
• Something fixed in time has value
• Photography has a big impact on the world
• To change the world describe it differently
•  Most photographers keep their photos on the internet
•  Enforce habits you already have and develop new ones
• The mode of info is photography
• "We travel looking in a rearview mirror"

Canterbury Tales (I)

The prologue for Canterbury Tales was interesting in the way that many characters were involved. From the knights to the pardoner, the level of many social standings were shown. Chaucer inserted ironies, some subtle, some not so subtle, into each of the character's descriptions. By naming the characters by their profession, Chaucer satirized popular stereotypes. Sometimes the characters physical appearance would contradict their names and other times their character would contradict one expected of their name.

Vocabulary #4

obsequious-obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
Be a leader- not an obsequious follower!
beatitude-supreme blessedness
His luck was part of his beatitude.
bete noire-a person or thing that one particularly dislikes
You know snakes are my bete nior!
bode-be an omen of a particular outcome
Your future will not bode well if you keep up with this apathetic attitude.
dank-disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
The are was unpleasantly dank.
ecumenical-representing a number of different Christian churches
My religous beliefs are ecumenical.
fervid-intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree
She loved him fervidly, but he could not match her enthusiasm.
fetid-smelling extremely unpleasant
The rotting lunch was fetid.
gargantuan-enormous
Your problems are not as gargantuan  as you think.
heyday-the period of a person's or thing's greatest success, popularity, or vigor
Make everyday your heyday!
incubus-a male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women
The women was visited by an  seductive incubus.
infrastructure-the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
The society crumbled due to its weak infrastructure.
inveigle-persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
She could always inveigle information out of me.
kudos-praise and honor received for an achievement
If you can complete this you will have my kudos.
lagniappe-something given as a bonus or extra gift
Extra credit is a lagniappe.
prolix-(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
I prefer pithy speeches to prolix ones.
protege-a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person
My protege has much to learn.
prototype-a first, typical or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied.
This is just the prototype, not the finished product.
sycophant-a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage
He earned his grade by being a sycophant  towards his teacher.
tautology-the saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style
His repetitive essay included numerous tautologies.
truckle-to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely
When dealing with a bellicose person, sometimes it is best to just swallow your pride and truckle.

Vocabulary #3

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
My student athlete award was an accolade of my hard work on and off the field.
acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
He showed complete acerbity by his explicit language in his writing.
attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
The attrition of the cars tires sliding on the street created a rubber smell.
bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
The statement "I am entitled to my own opinion" is bromide.
chauvinist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
The movie American History X is very chauvinist.
chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
The chronic earthquakes in some areas limit the types of structures that can be safely built.
expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
We expound in class when we do Socratic seminars.
factionalism- existence of factions: the existence of or conflict between groups within a larger group
Frequent internal splits have produced great factionalism.
immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
I try to be immaculate with my room and my school work.
imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
The boy muttered imprecations about a man that killed his brother.
ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
The car crash was ineluctable.
mercurial - adj. relating to or containing or caused by mercury; relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
Everyone stayed away from him because his temper was mercurial.
palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
The advil helped my headache palliate.
protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
The military uses protocol.
resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
The flower was resplendent.
stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
People seen as traitors are universally despised and stigmatized.
sub - noun a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes; different names are used in different sections of the United States; verb be a substitute
The sub was very nice.
rosa - noun large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
vainglory - noun outspoken conceit
Don't com off sounding to boastful or vainglorious.
vestige - noun an indication that something has been present
The trace, or vestige, of the dinosaur proved its existence.
volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
He didn't need anyone to tell him what to do because of his volition.

Beowulf Essay

Think back to childhood when superheroes were the greatest people alive. They would be called to action and then go save the day. Often heroes like this or from the past are perceived much differently than those of modern contemporary heroes, but both still have the superhuman qualities. In Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, exemplifies heroic qualities by defeating demons in the story. An individual that is considered to be a hero of modern day is Martin Luther King Jr. In the face of adversity he demonstrated courage and many more qualities that qualified him as a true hero in his cause. Many times heroes of modern times are ordinary people fighting for or doing extraordinary things. One thing that can alter how a story of a hero is told can be if it is told through a feminist view or not. Heroes of the past and modern day heroes are different through their actions, but are similar in the qualities that they hold.

Actions are what separate heroes from the past and heroes of modern times. Its not realistic for a person like Martin Luther King Jr. to fight demons like Beowulf did in his story. It goes the same the other way. Its unlikely to see a character like Beowulf fighting as a leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement. But the thing that links the two together is that in their time both of their actions were vital to their societies needs. A hero is defined as “a character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice”. Both examples of Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. display these qualities. Beowulf had to show tremendous courage in adversity when fighting the demons and in doing so he sacrificed himself to bring them down. On the other hand Martin Luther King Jr. was facing adversity with a nation that was segregated. He brought his courage to the table and sacrificed himself to bring both blacks and whites together.

Many different elements can change the perspective a story. One thing that can change dramatically is whether it is told from a feminist view. Although many stories with heroes as characters have been written from both men and women it isn’t thought about whether the story would change from the opposite view. In Beowulf, a number of things would change if it was told from a feminist perspective. For example, the action of the story probably wouldn’t be as dramatic. To convey Beowulf as the “hero” he  is, the writer would focus on the qualities and personality of Beowulf rather than the actions and things he accomplished. The male writer would focus on how powerful and the strength that Beowulf displays. In opposition the female writer would write with a more caring and compassionate view of Beowulf. Either way Beowulf would still be seen the same as a true hero for what he did.

           Heroes are everywhere in literature and in real life. They might not be of the same stature or do the same things as Beowulf or Martin Luther King Jr., but nonetheless they are heroes. Often heroes are just ordinary people that happen to do great things. Courage is the common factor that recurs in heroes. Although these two heroes are perceived to have the same qualities they both are extremely different. A reason for this is because time changed and societies change as well just as in the future there will be different heroes as there are right now. The thing that doesn’t change is that people look up to these heroes with the same admiration.

Big Question

Basketball brings so many people together. Its not just the fact that it connects people but that it connects people of two different lifestyles; sometimes people that wouldn't connect any other way. What made me think of this was that i watched the USA national basketball team visit the Westpoint Academy and it got me thinking. Also, in different countries a lot of times when people out of country visit they can connect easily with the people through a sport like basketball.
This brings me to my question of what is the thing that allows basketball, or any sport for that matter, so connectable? Why and how does basketball have the power to bring so many people together?

Vocabulary #2

accoutrements-An accessory item of equipment or dress
His outfit was complimented by a hat, lanyard, and other accoutrements.
apogee-the highest point in the development of something; the climax or culmination
He reached the apogee of his career; from there it was downhill.
apropos-with reference to; concerning
How do you feel apropos of the new gun-control laws?
bicker-argue about petty and trivial matters
Siblings will always bicker.
coalesce-come together and form one mass or whole
The team coalesced into the huddle.
contretemps-an unexpected and unfortunate occurrence
Her ex-husbands arrival was a contretemps.
convolution-a form or shape that is folded in curved or tortuous winding
The river was a convolution of water.
cull-select from a large quantity; obtain from a variety of sources
Our class was culled from the seniors at Righetti.
disparate-essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison
Apples and oranges are said to be disparate but I disagree-they're both round fruit.
dogmatic-inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true
His dogmatic manner put him in to a lot of arguments.
licentious-promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters
Her licentious dress had parents shield their children's eyes.
mete-dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment
The king meted out the day's execution like it was nothing important.
noxious-harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant
His presence was noxious and for that reason he was kicked off the team.
polemic-a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something
His campaigns consisted on solely polemics on the opposition.
populous-having a large population; densely populated
The city was populous.
probity-the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency
Her probity made her the apotheosis of a good child.
repartee-conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies
Our repartee was sharp enough to be televised.
supervene-occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such a way as to change the situation
The retaliation supervened the attack and has changed my opinion.
truncate-To shorten by or as if by cutting off
His recital of the Laughing Heart was truncated by the bell.
unimpeachable-not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized; entirely trustworthy
You can't argue with these unimpeachable facts.