When you finally see them...

Many schools across the United States are dropping To Kill a Mockingbird from their curriculum in favor of more "modern" literature. 

Seeing as we're reading this book RIGHT NOW, I think I'm pretty well qualified to respond to this. :)

To Kill a Mockingbird has been one of my favorite books that I have ever read as a school assignment. I think this book shows a lot of different lessons about human nature that we all could benefit from.

Something I especially love about this book is the childish themes that are shown throughout, mostly because the narrator herself is a child. It makes me so happy whenever she tells about tree houses, acting out plays with only two or three people, letting their imaginations absolutely free, etc. 

It reminds me of MY childhood summers filled with being superheroes on the tramp until dark, running around in the backyard dressed like... hooligans, acting out all three Spider-man movies (multiple times), and many more hooligations.

We can learn a TON about humankind in general by getting to understand children.

I am thoroughly convinced that not only is there "a child in all of us", but I think we are all just larger, and a little more controlled versions of our former pink faced, smiling, 4-foot tall selves.

One of the more accepted themes of the book is racial prejudices. 

I think many people today are still racist towards many different kinds of people, not just toward Blacks. This lesson I don’t think will ever be learned by everyone in the world, at the same time. It will always be a problem, and will always need books like this to show how badly we really do treat those who don’t look or act like us.

This book is really good in showing how even children think about things more than adults sometimes.

In school, Scout’s teacher tells the kids how horrible Hitler is, and how the Jews are the best people and how she doesn’t know why he treats them this way.

Scout wonders the same thing about all the Blacks in her town.

The same kind of thing is used with Boo, or Arthur Radley.

All the people think the Radleys are weird, and make up stories about their son, Boo. They say he eats raw squirrels and cats, and shuffles around at night, looking into people’s windows. In the end, they conclude that he has just saved their lives, and it would be “like killing a mockingbird” to prosecute him.

The end of the book wraps this whole thing up really well.

Atticus is tucking Scout in bed, and she is telling him how the story ended.

She says, ”An’ they chased him ‘n’ never could catch him ‘cause they didn’t know what he looked like, an’ Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn’t done any of those things . . . Atticus, he was real nice . . . .”

To which, Atticus replies, “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” This describes the multiple “mockingbirds” in the book. Boo, Tom, the guy that drinks coca cola from a bag, almost all the blacks, etc.

So, everybody just be nice, kay? Kay.

Venting about homework - through a homework assignment

Homework

Homework's Diminishing Returns - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com

I can say, from experience (and like 20 other stories), that this is so true! Obviously homework helps you with tests, and you can’t just expect no homework at all (especially if you want to learn), but when you’re whole life is taken up with almost meaningless homework, there is no room for anything else. School is not the only important things in life, and when the teacher does not know about other circumstances that would stop the students from doing hours of homework every night (like life), it gives a disadvantage to them. The last two paragraphs are really good, (so maybe I’m an “opposer of homework”, sew me), life is not just school for a reason. -Rusty140

Childhood

What Happened to Childhood? - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com

This is a great article! I think childhood is one of the biggest factors of what someone grows up to be. If your childhood is full of stress, you will be uptight, and probably boring. “Too much work and no play makes jack a dull boy”! My childhood is the part of my life that I remember most. I think that is the case with most people with “good” childhoods. Hardly anything that I “know” came from the school system. One part that I really liked about this article is when it talked about why parents and schools do these things. In the first part, it talks about how parents have their kids in pressure cookers, and think that they will amount to nothing if they are not the best. This is not true. Once again, great article! – Rusty140

                                                                                                                               

opinions, opinions, opinions...

Video Games May Be Perverse, but They're Also Pretend - NYTimes.com

I totally agree with all of this! Most people who blame video games for their problems have never even picked up a controller in their life! I really like how the actual raw facts are brought out in this article, because most often, people have nothing to back up what they’re saying, but people still believe them. Parents are warned against violent video games, and are responsible for their children. If they don’t want their children to play them, don’t let them buy them! Violence on the news or in movies definitely seem more real, because 1) it is real (in the case of the news), and 2) it happens between REAL people, and not just pixels or graphics. If violent video games are good for developing minds, imagine non-violent video games! I’m a strong believer that video games can have a very positive effect on everyone! - Rusty140

We Are What We Quote - NYTimes.com

“The pen is mightier than the sword”, speaking of quotes! ;) words have such power that nothing else can! I love the imagery of this article! It’s so whimsical! One thing that I don’t agree with, is that if Libraries and cultures died, the quotes in our minds would probably be gone too, or not far behind them. Our minds grow feeble and forgetful long before a book becomes unreadable! One of my favorite parts, is when you say, “All literary culture in a way is nothing but such a string”. That is so true! There is virtually nothing anyone has ever said that hasn’t been said before. That alone shows that most of what we say has been heard from others. Ideas are usually just recycled from past sparks of similar (or exactly the same) ideas. - Rusty140

----------------------------------

-----------------------

-----------

---

-

Self Portrait Poem

Benjamin

Friendly, Hopelessly romantic, Over exaggerating, Whimsy

Dane, Lindsay, Tanner, Hannah, Sam, Joseph

Loves Music, Art, and words

Who feels Despair, Love, and Contentment

Who needs Facebook time, Art class, and Video games

Who gives way too many cakes, paintings, and high fives

Who fears rejection, letting others down, and long car rides

Who would like to see Lindsay, France, and a million dollars in his hands

Who lives in a bubble... in little old highland... in a red brick house.

Weyland

6 lists of things you probably don't want to know...

List 1: 10 things I know

1. I will always love video games (Nintendo in specific)
2. I have gone mad
3. how to bake a cake
4. how to find really cool clothes on the internet
5. that you can't really know anything (for the most part)
6. video games are good for you
7. sometimes people never change...
8. you can change
9. Chandler is super crazy
10. I should not have this much homework...

List 2: 10 things I can't live without

1. The Gospel
2. my family
3. my perfect friends
4. video games (sad but true)
5. art
6. creativity
7. perfect movies (like Up, Fantastic mr. fox, etc.)
8. Mrs. Culver (sorry other teachers!)
9. Thrift stores
10. Homemade food

List 3: 10 things I should have learned by now

1. how to cook potstickers
2. patience (see: number 1)
3. how to use fondant
4. how to say "no"
5. how to act normal
6. when to give up
7. how to play some manly sport like football... or something
8. any kind of chemisty concept
9. ugh! this is rough... umm... how to log out of facebook and just do my homework?
10. how to get good grades

List 4: 10 of my greatest fears

1. not living up to others' expectations
2. having a boring life
3. not accomplishing anything important
4. being trapped in a bird cage listening to country music... *shivers*
5. some kind of tragic accident where I... lose my... arm... or something
6. not jetting the jirl... ever.
7. losing freedoms and stuff
8. losing family and friends
9. not being able to just relax
10. (not exactly a fear... but) people seeing me as something I'm not

List 5: The 10 things, places, people, etc, that make me most happy

1. Lindsay, my sister
2. Emily, my cousin (and Parley, her husband)
3. Friends (I don't think I'm supposed to pick favorites)
4. slow peaceful walks under fall trees
5. cute people (seriously though, when I see someone that is just super cute, I just want to shake their hand and thank them for making the world a cuter place... just sayin'...)
6. cool people (like really really cool people)
7. real people (who are just themselves, and don't have to pretend to like or not like things)
8. Art
9. Video games (once againg :) )
10. Good music (none of this country crap...)

List 6: 10 places I will (want to) visit before I die

1. France
2. Russia
3. Neverland
4. Wonderland
5. Japan
6. Switzerland would be fun
7. Iceland is magnificent
8. ... umm... the moon?
9. Hawaii
10. England

Call it what you will...

Have you ever loved someone? Loved as in, really loved. I'm not strictly talking romantic or non-romantic love, but really though...

There are a few people in this enourmous place, whom I love so very dearly. They're not just family, but not just friends. When I think of these people, I can't help but smile. they are simply outstanding in every way. Even if I married them, every single one of them, I would never be able to tell them how much I adore them. When you tell them you love them, they say "I love you too"... but you know they'll never be able to fathom how much you really love them.

Nobody's perfect, which is true about these people as well. some of them are too kind, or too understanding. others are too fantastic, or too frabjouZ.

can you contract love cancer? is there a love hospital? If you could die from being love sick I would have died long ago. These people kill me...

Your heart's guest rooms become permanent rooms, painted their favorite color. They live in your heart, sometimes unknowingly. When the awful occasion comes when they have to leave, it breaks your heart. They take all of their possesions, and leave their room in your heart empty.

one thousand "I love you"s won't be enough. so you give them one thousand and one.

The Tie Knot you've all been waiting for...

Drum roll please, *drum roll*

Presenting,

The Eldredge Knot ~ How-To

My "Magician's trick", if you will

~ The Knot ~

This knot, Like many others*, is tied with the small end of the tie, instead of the big end. This tie has a almost herring-bone style to it. It's not knot that hard, it just takes practice ;).

Materials needed: 

- A long necktie (it can't really be too long, because it is tucked into the loop around the neck in the end)

-A neck

Just in case the pictures are too confusing/small, 

I have illustrations on the side as well. 

Step 1

Start with the tip of the big end of your tie about a half-inch above the top of your belt.

(it doesn't really matter which side the big or little tie is on, 

as long as you follow the pictures, you'll be good.)

For best results, create "the dimple" now,

Step 2

Cross The skinny part of the tie across and under the big part (still "dimpled")

Step 3

bring end up and around

Step 4

pull through, and tighten

Step 5

Wrap around and back up through the neck-loop

Step 6

cross down to a diagonal to create first layer

Step 7

Pull end around, and back into the previous layer

Step 8

Tighten

Step 9

Bring to the other side (underside), and prepare to wrap back around

Step 10

go over the top of the knot, and under to the other side

(almost there!!!)

Step 11

loop back in, and pull into the previous layer 

(just like in step 7)

Step 12

Pull tight

Place excess tie length back into collar (if long enough, tuck into the neck loop(between the tie and the inside of the collar... confusing enough?)

 

Step 13

Enjoy!!! This tie knot is very often noticed**, and "makes you cool".

To "sinch up" this tie, instead pulling the skinny part (usually behind the big part, but now tied in a knot), you pull the big part, and adjust to your preferred tightness.

-------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: The phrase, "Woah, how did you do that?!" may become very familiar to you if you wear this knot. refer them to this blog post :).

* See, the Trinity knot, Atlantic knot, etc.

** This tie knot works best with a solid tie, as shown above. if the tie is very patterned, and/or dark, it just kinda looks like you put your tie on backwards... and that's kinda awkward...

Photographs taken by our very own dear sweet Chandler Bliss Helvey ;)