Happy Record Store Day!!!

Incubus, Make Yourself

Yep, got into these guys late--"Drive," that is--but love their earlier stuff.

This may be their best "album," & it provides the transition from much, much funkier, less-poppy stuff to the top-40 sounds of much of their later work.

Highlights: "Drive," of course, the title track, "Stellar," & the instrumental "Battlestar Scralatchtica."

Also, I simply love the concept of the title, & as the dude who told you that all literature to some (usually "large") extent is about the search for identity, I enjoy the idea of self-creation.

KETCHUP ON THE MUSIC ALERT
Beneath the class write-ups, you will find a rundown of the past several albums; I decided to put it lower for those who use this blog for academic reminders moreso that musical ideas.

Some great albums down there, so check it out.

Juniors:
Wow, those of you who spent time w/ the novella really got some good ideas out of it.

We discussed identity, psychology, truth & fiction, & about 100 other ideas this week.

We alluded to the usual suspects (Family Guy, Star Wars, DFW et al).

We alluded to some new suspects, including but not limited to The Box, Apocalypse Now, the novels of Chuck Palahniuk, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Clarke Rubel & many other great minds of the past & present.

We talked about the truth & the moral obligation to tell it.

Or not.

We thought about what it means to be "enthralled" w/ another person.

We looked at the characters & narrators & the styles throughout.

It was good.

Next week: looking back, more closely.

The following week: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce.


Sophomores:
Piggy got hit by that rock, & in the book it is simply a terrible consequence of lives gone awry.

Roger no longer "throws to miss," & society, morality, & even a piece of the soul seems to have gone away.

Now, in the film it's simply a poorly-shot scene that creates unintentional comedy.

We had some good discussion of what it all means in terms of the novel, what the title is all about, how Golding explores us, not just those kids on that island.

This weekend you will finish the 14 questions from "Notes on Lord of the Flies," which we started (1st 5 questions answered) in class Friday.

get those points! get them all!

be cool & check the music below (quick-rundown style)





Jonas Hellborg, Buckethead, & Michael Shrieve, Octave of the Holy Innocents

Many of you know of my (& my wife's) love of all (well, "most") things Buckethead, & if you're in the mood for some slow-jazzy-type maniacal instrumentation, grab this 1.

All 3 musicians here are simply virtuosos, & this is well worth your time.





Van Halen II

Not their best, but exceedingly good "teeth rock" or "smile rock," as it was called back then.

(I prefer Dave's term "big rock," but whatever.)

Highlights: "Beautiful Girls," "Dance the Night Away," & "Somebody Get Me a Doctor!"

(& all the rest, as every song they ever recorded w/ Dave rocks.)




Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic

You all know "Walk This Way," but the title track her is a much better song.

Also, the best ballad they ever recorded, "You See Me Crying," closes this album, & it almost always makes me listen to the whole thing again, which could lead to a vicious never-ending cycle.

Wow, both Van Halen & Aerosmith played such a role in my formative years . . . that I try not to think about where they are now . . .





The Mars Volta, De-Loused in the Comatorium

Their 1st, & to me, their best.

It's all good, & having seen them live a few years ago, I became even more impressed that such complex musci translates live.

Also, their singer is named "Cedric," so extra points there.




Once Soundtrack.

The movie is rated "R"--& as far as I can tell, it's only for some Irish-brogued "bad" words, as the other usual R-stuff is nowhere to be seen--so I won't recommend it, but I will say that at some point you should check it out.

The soundtrack is fantastic, especially "Falling Slowly."

Oh, & the scene in which the 2 main characters play that song in the music store is what movies should be about.



Matisyahi, Live at Stubb's

"King Without a Crown" & "Chop 'em Down."

Hasidic-Jewish reggae-rap-folk-rock.

'Nuff said.




Cheap Trick, Live at Budokan

Might be my 5th favorite live album (as of today, 1st 4 are Maiden's Live After Death, Kiss Alive!, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Live at Luther College, & Frampton Comes Alive!)

(Live at Stubb's? Probably top 10.)

"I Want You to Want Me," "Surrender," & "Ain't That a Shame."



Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde

I am not the biggest Dylan fan--like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Hendrix, & many others, I "respect" more than I "like"--but I'll take this 1 any day of the week.

& yes, twice on Sunday.

I have that poster of Dylan in my classroom because it so embodies the rock ethic that I love, but also because he come the closest to being a "poet" in popular music.

Oh, "Visions of Johanna."

That is all.

be cool

cuz they thought maybe we are all just the "ants" on some alien's "farm"

Alien Ant Farm, ANThology

See what they did w/ that title?

Pretty creative . . . also have an album called truANT.

Besides their super-cool cover of "Smooth Criminal," highlights here include "Movies" & "Attitude."

Underrated band, not just a 1-hit wonder.

Check 'em out.

Juniors 
Identity.

'Nuff said.

Sophomores
Open-book quiz.

(focus on the "open-book" part: page numbers provided in class)

'Nuff said.

be cool

mayhaps a little scurrilous & somewhat esoteric

Protest the Hero, Scurrilous

There's a SAT-type word for you, huh?

I will repeat: these guys annoy me because they are so young & so talented.

Yep, envious much.

(a touch of sarcasm, by the way)

New lyrical direction--less esoteric (speaking of SAT words), more personal--same musical direction, though a little less time-changy this time around. Still prog-metal, though.

& still tremendous.


Juniors:
You vote for the next course of study--nonfiction, short stories, novella, or novel--& the verdict will be in shortly.

I'm currently trying to decide if how I count the votes for "fiction" & "picture books."

Also, deciding if the misspelled votes should count . . . the English teacher in me says, if you can't spell "novella" (mostly misspelled w/ 1 "l"), then your vote doesn't count.

You got the whole rundown on the AP Fact sheet of your life (some details in yesterday' post).

Due Friday--at the BEGINNING of the period, & if you're late or absent, it doesn't count.

Sophomores:
You also got the BONUS!! rundown, & then . . .

. . . we looked back at chapters 3 & 4 of the novel (Lord of the Flies, that is).

You are to read chapter 6 tonight--you will be quizzed tomorrow--& we will review both 5 & 6.

Looking ahead, 7 & 8 over the weekend, 9-12 completed by the following Monday.

be cool

Re-launch--now w/ BONUS!!

Animals as Leaders, Animals as Leaders

Tosin Abasi is a beast.

(Is that a pun, given the band name? Maybe.)

Dude plays 8 strings on his guitar.

That's "8," not the usual "6" or the less-usual "7."

8.

Lots of strings, & he plays them all.

Music is instrumental, progressive, fantastic.

"WHERE I BEEN" ALERT
I have been being "Daddy," (well, usually "Dad," now) my favorite of all my roles.

As Aodhan hit double-digits last year, I have tried to focus as much as I can on that, remembering how often folks I know older than I regret or pine for those lost years of their children's childhoods.

So, I'm taking A to baseball practice, playing Legos w/ Finn, teaching Ced to tie his shoes, enjoying every moment.

(Well, most of 'em--let's be honest here.)

Super-fun redundancy alert: But as my beautiful, gorgeous, fantastic-looking, smart, intelligent, witty, humorous, funny, & just Cool" wife works until 6 or later, much of the time I get to be Mr. Mom.

& though I whine now & then, I love it.

But some things have suffered, & this blog is 1 of those things.

For those few of you who have been true "followers," I apologize, & I point out that look out, you may just get what you ask for.

That is, daily updates.

"WHERE ELSE I BEEN" ALERT
On the other hand, I have been far from neglecting y duties as "educational-enhancement facilitator," as those of you who have done the big-ol' research project know.

Those things take a lot of time.

["A lot," that is, unclear, imprecise language & all.]

& also, as many of you know, this is the last hurrah for McB's Junior Honors English.

But, McB has a new animal, namely "AP Language & Composition." I am as pumped for this class as I have been in a while.

Not that I do not love the literature I teach & the assignments we do, but in examining the course, I see that I can get back to a bunch of stuff I used to teach back at good ol' Youngstown State University.

Things like argument, rhetoric, style, "how" as much as "what."

Non-fiction in terms of biographers, diarists, critics, columnists, thinkers, philosophers, sportswriters & other journalists.

I am truly excited about the class, the new challenges to come.

"1 OTHER PLACE I BEEN" ALERT
Reading.

Reading, like everywhere & everything.

Literary fiction (Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Franzen, DFW)

Graphic novels (Buffy Omnibus, Scott Pilgrim),

young adult books (Artemis Fowl series),

kids books w/ my sons (The Kid Who Ran for President),

philosophers (Wittgenstein, Taylor, Calvin, Hobbes, Wallace),

journalists (Halberstam, Gladwell, Wallace),

critics (Smith, Wallace, Bakhtin, Spivak),

just reading & more reading.


Juniors:
You are done, except for the re-write.

At this point, you all know if you put in the effort or not.

You will probably be rewarded accordingly, mayhaps a little "unfairly" in your favor, as I try to add in "effort points" for completion as well as the final product itself. & yes, once again, I said to anybody who asked, you may fix any final errors tonight.

& you are done . . . except for the re-write, which will be coming end of April/beginning of May.

Sophomores:
It's sad that you are given more than an entire week--remember, the reading schedule was on the board ahead of time, & you could have been done w/ chapter 5 before you left for break--& so many of you simply did not bother.

That said, several of you did the reading, & the quiz I offered up today gave you plenty of opportunity to provide"educated guesses" or commentary-type answers rather than simple identification questions.

Now, you must choose: are you going to continue to read, or are you going to sabotage your grade.

This novel will take up a big chunk of the final quarter in terms of points, & now is the time to get on it.

I have assigned no reading tonight, so catch up if necessary. Check out CliifsNotes or SparkNotes to remind yourself of what's been read. get to work, do the reading, earn the grades.

LAST POSSIBLE BONUS ALERT!!!
Yes, the assignment was "previewed" in terms of being added to the grade book, which shows up on the SchoolLoop calendar, & yes, many of you went a little nuts--let's hope not to the detriment of the real work.

As now posted over on the Loop, you must go to my TeacherWeb site & download an AP Fact sheet to do this assignment (you'll find it under the category of "Handouts, Notes, Fun Stuff in Text Form").

This will be the AP Fact sheet of your life--you will fill in a title for your life thus far:

your parent(s) is/are the author(s);

your friends, family, & other acquaintances are your characters;

the sports-related numbers you wear, the cross around your neck, your haircut or whatever are the symbols for which you will explain the "meanings";

your ancestors provide your historical context;

that which you believe or the words by which you live will provide your themes;

you will provide 5 notes about your "style';

& on the back, you will begin to write--at least 500 words--your autobiography.

More details tomorrow.

Come w/ questions, I'll give you answers.

Bonus available to all students, sophomores as well as juniors.

be cool

the royal we

High school is all about where we have been.

College is about where we're going.

I kind of like that 1, & I haven't been here in a while, so I thought I'd put up some words.

Also, I played w/ the pronouns ("you"? "we"? a mixture?).

I like the royal we.

So, we are moving forward w/ research & all kinds of stuff.

Check back here for more in the future.

Recent music:


Mr Big, Back to Budokan

Love these guys (note Paul Gilbert--the guy w/ the red pants from my classroom wall--in the upper right).

Gonna see 'em live at the HofB Sunset before they head to Japan, & I love living near LA.

Highlights:  "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy," "Addicted to That Rush," Green-Tinted Sixties Mind," "Take Cover," & of course the bass &  guitar solos, as well as the & guitar & bass duo.

Finally, "To Be With You," the 1 hit. You gotta hear Finbar & Cedric sing that 1.

be cool

a super post, a veritable cornucopia, a lollapalooza . . .

Wow, it's been a while, as life & School Loop have taken over.

By the way, if you haven't seen it on my board, you will all be onboard School Loop February 22 or 23.

It is a really (REALLY) cool communication device, 1 that will allow you & your parents to be in that proverbial "loop" in terms of assignments & grades.

(In other words, the stuff that you see here, on the TeacherWeb site, on the white boards in room 57, & such . . .)

I am pretty excited.

(& I don't get too excited . . . )

Anyway, to the music!!

Lots o' catching-up to do, so feel free to skip down past the album covers to the school work . . .


Linus of Hollywood, Triangle

Saw him play bass w/ Paul Gilbert several years ago, & the dude rocks.

This album is quite mellow, poppy, top-40 stuff (anybody know what top 40 is anymore?!?)

Really good melodic rock, & a really cool album cover, no?

Also . . .


Hum, You'd Prefer an Astronaut.

(Seems like they'd prefer a zebra, yes?)

Excellent post-grunge rock from a truly underappreciated band

& then . . .


Collective Soul, hints allegations & things left unsaid

An English teacher's nightmare in terms of grammar--at least the punctuation.

I really like these guys, & this, their debut, might be their best effort.

(Side note: I seem to like bands w/ "soul" in their name, like Collective Soul, Soul Coughing, Soul Asylum . . & each may have a better name than band, but they are all cool.)

Acoustic-based pop rock, "Shine" being the lead single back in '93.

So, how about 1 you all know:


No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom

"Just a Girl" was the 1 I heard 1st, but my love affair w/ Gweng began w/ "Don't Speak."

I'm a sucker for those catchy ballads.

1 for Jamie:



Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

1 of the all-time great voices as well as a durn good songwriter (yes, w/ Bernie, I know).

This has to be his best studio record, right?

I mean, come ON:

"Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)," "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie & the Jets," " the title track, "This Song Has No Title" . . .& that's just side 1 . . .

& finally . . .

The B-52s, Cosmic Thing

Let's just say that VHS footage exists of my karaoke performance of "Love Shack" (w/ the help of 1 Elissa Stewart)--on the quad at good ol' ALHS, as I won (or "lost") the "Alta Loma Idol" contest.

& we'll leave it at that

Juniors:

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, by Jonathan Culler.

Chapter 2: "What is Literature, & Does It Matter?"

This book is so amazingly cool that I put it up there w/ my man Thomas C. Foster's How to Read . . . pair of books as the near-perfect intros to reading & thinking.

& yeah, I love to think even more than I love to read.

I'm glad some os you do, too.

Anyway, get these points for filling in the skeleton outline, so you can support yourself if something goes wrong on that big ol' project.

Speaking of which, you got your official due dates & handout for The Proposal & The Annotated Bibliography, so you are thinking, reading, working, researching.

We hit the library this Tuesday & Wednesday, so be sure to be present & ready, as you can print & make your copies.

Let's do this!!!1!1!


Sophomores:

Grammar--parts of sentence & of speech.

Vocabulary--unit 7 done, unit 8 nearly done, quiz this week.

No Logo got us thinking about product placement, surrogate relationships, the political machinations in effect behind the companies whose products we consume.

& speaking of that, Consuming Kids--& yes, that 1st word can be a verb or an adj.--will make us look more deeply at the issues in the culture we have helped to create.

Obviously, this is all preparation for the Consumer Research Paper, for which you will have 2 choices, as covered in class . . .

(1) the actual comparison-of-products paper, in which you will examine 3 possibilities for a major purchase--e.g. "college education," OR "desktop/laptop/notebook/netbook," OR automobile, OR musical instrument, OR "phone/provider/plan," OR anything else that you can fit into that category of "major purchase."

(2) ad analysis, in which you choose a campaign (check tonight's game for examples, if nothing else), & you analyze the demographic, the theme of the ad, the suitability thereof, & you make your statement on the relative ad campaign's success

yeah!!

let's get in the loop!!

be cool

ya know, what the heck: I'll even risk embarrassment for all my family by providing this . .

me: Pitt 30 GB 28

Aodhan: Pitt 27 GB 21

Finbar: Pitt 41 GB 21

Cedric: Pitt 40 GB 14

& the lone female as well as GB-chooser . . .

Linda: Pitt 17 GB 31, w/ a call for a Roethlisberger injury

note: this may be deleted if we ain't close

so,

be cool

just be

Common, Be

What a super-fantastic amazing album (but note that parental advisory at the bottom left).

My favorite of his, though Electric Circus & Like Water for Chocolate are also very nice.

Allegedly he's now engaged to Serena Williams, too.

Not a bad life.

Key tracks: "The Corner," "Chi-City," & probably my favorite, the album-closer "It's Your World." I love the little kids saying what they want to be.


Juniors:
Some symbols, from literature, fiction, & life,  mentioned Tuesday:
flag
sorcerer's stone
red apple
colors
Grim Reaper
creepers from LofF
maggots & worms (yeah, "ewww")
Greg House's cane
rabid dog (TKaM)
heart
cross
green leaf
pink ribbons ("YGB")
family crest
Superman logo
wedding ring
totems (Inception)
names
blood (Macbeth)
shoes (House on Mango Street)
beard (yeah!!)

Questionnaire, time to work, think, prepare.

Read, write think.

Think.


Sophomores:
Grammar--parts of speech & parts of sentences.

Unit 8 definitions.

No Logo.

(yeah, ironic given the symbol theme here)

be cool

perspective

Jason Becker, Collection

We don't call people "heroes" & such.

We whine a little too much when things don't go our way.

Here's a guy who might make you think, put it all into perspective.

Jason Becker was an up-&-coming guitar god back in the late '80s (& we all thought he'd be the man in the early '90s)--check out his work w/ Cacophony, which also included Marty Friedman.

He got the coveted post-Steve Vai gig w/ David Lee Roth.

While recording the album A Little Ain't Enough, he started feeling strange, stumbling around a little, getting weak feelings in his hands . . . & eventually was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or mayhaps more commonly as "Lou Gehrig's Disease."

He was 20.

He was given 3 years to live.

He lost the ability to speak in the mid-90s, & he was soon completely paralyzed, before age 30 lacking pretty much all movement except for his eyes.

About the disease he says, "It has crippled my body & speech, but not my mind."

Go here for more info on this amazing human being:

http://jasonbeckerguitar.com/

[Also, check out youtube for some pure shred guitar.]

"Hero"? Maybe, maybe not.

"Dude who has done more than I ever will"? Probably.

"Inspiration"? Yeah, that's it.

& as for the music, some key cuts on Collection are "River of Longing," "Opus Pocus," & "Electric Prayer for Peace."

Also, he has another album w/ a great title I wish we all would consider.
'
It's called Perspective.


Juniors:
"Psychological Approach to 'Young Goodman Brown'" quiz today.

Also . . .

Dexter
House
Nina (Black Swan)
Forrest Gump
Sheldon (The Big Bang Theory)
Tyler Durden
Tara (True Blood)
Lisbeth Salander
Amir (The Kite Runner)
Rorschach
Humbert
Boo Radley
Yossarian
Holden Caulfield
Ichiro (No-No Boy)
"one I have yet to come across"

Some of our most interesting characters.

Round, not flat.

Dynamic, not static.


Sophomores:
Unit 7 vocabulary quiz today.

Grammar--parts of speech & parts of sentence--quiz tomorrow.

Unit 8 definitions due Wednesday.

OR 2.2 due Friday.

be cool

circa 1990, that was

King's X, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska

Saw these guys open for Blue Murder & Billy Squier many, many years ago.

Bought this album the next day.

Was not disappointed.

Will begin all "sentences" w/ verbs.

Must like an album titled  Gretchen Goes to Nebraska.

Love these songs:"Over My Head," "Summerland," & "Fall On Me."

Juniors:
Discussed "always" & "never."

Listed other words to avoid, such as many, some, could/would/should, various adverbs . . .

Mentioned time (yep, again), space, music, literature, life, insanity, grammar, CD & CM, & life again.


Sophomores:
Identified all the words in that famous opener from Pride & Prejudice.

(Missed the zombies.)

Collected U7 "completing the sentences"

Reviewed OR 2.0.

Prepared for OR 2.1

Enjoyed.

be cool

stylin'

Echobrain, Echobrain.

The album that got Jason Newsted kicked out of Metallica. Couple of young dudes met him at a Super Bowl party, they got together to record, James from Metallica didn't like it, Newsted left.

Really cool album, & absolutely nothing like Metallica.

Juniors:
Formalism.

(Long story short: concerns about the text, & mayhaps focus on "style")

After "The Death of the Author," we look at that which is left behind.

Mr. King says, "narration," "description," & "dialogue."

& he just may be right . . .

Other cool things: time as illusion & a 4th dimension,

setting in The Hunger Games as well as Lord of the Flies,

character & the revelation thereof,

& a whole lot of other art-&-literature-based inquiry.

Tomorrow: we start the "psychological" approach.


Sophomores:
Grammar for the Do Now, then

Vocabulary return (including the return to the 5 o you who actually did the assignment, which we began in class . . . come, on now, let's do this ).

Back to grammar, specifically parts of the sentence.

Hint: there are but 2.

be cool

Uli Jon & Cee-Lo & Roland Barthes & Judas Coyne

Last Friday, it was this:

You can read it.

& that guitar--the "Sky Guitar," he calls it--is simply awesome.

He played w/ The Scorpions in the '70s & then unleashed his Jimi/neo-classical stylings threafter.

Yep, he did.

Great guitarist.

Key tracks: "War of the Winds," Transfiguration," "The Heart of Chopin," & "Sky Overture."

Today it was this:


You can read that 1, too.

We won't get into the difference between "Forget You" & the other version, except to sat I am interested in the controversy around the Grammy nomination. Last I remember was The Black-Eyed Peas song "Let's Get It Started," which also came to be w/ a different title.

I am no fan of censorship--part & parcel to being an "English teacher"--but I can understand this one completely. Really, really catchy song.

Juniors:
Does the author matter?

Well, it probably all hinges on the way in which you choose to think about that question.

Barthes says "no," but I say "sometimes."

& I think many of you agree w/ me.

& in our discussions, which included Christopher Nolan & Rob Zombie from the movies; Snooki, Hillary Duff, Joe Hill, John Edgar Wideman, Tim O'Brien, & many others from literature (well, at least "fiction"); & even Salvador Dali in at least 1 class, we all saw the differences between our preconceptions of "author" & mayhaps the reality therein.

In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster states that

Long story short, Barthes wants us all to think about the work, not just the author.

I love the final line: "the birth of the reader must come at the cost of the death of the author."

See, that empowers you to do what you want to do w/ this reading, this writing, this project.

I know some of you are a tad "scared" now, wanting me to tell you what to do.

Think of this as your 1st college paper: you are choosing the topic; I am giving you the advice & the tools--& the 1 serious prepositional phrase "w/ a literary slant," but you will read, write, think, & learn in about as close to  guided independent study as we can get.

Those of you who have spoken, w/ me--great stuff thus far.

Those of you who haven't--well, you're probably not reading this anyway, but, I implore you to take control of your education (at least as much control as we can offer).

Sophomores:
We discussed the character in the book I just read, Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill, in order to provide an example of character analysis. Many of you chose to do the OR assignment--1/2 of which we did in class last Friday, & the other 1/2 which you could have finished in class today.

Note: his name is "Judas Coyne." Think about it.

Note 2: he re-named himself. Think about it.

Note 3: he re-names his girlfriends by their birth states. Think about that.

What we get: he wants to distance himself from his past (hence the name-change); he wants to shock people (hence the "Judas" & to another extent the "Coyne); he wants to keep distance form his "girlfriends" (hence the lack of using their names).

A pretty good paragraph can be written about this guy just from the info above, & a really good 1 w/ more info added in, oh, let's sya the 50 pages you should be reading each week.

It's time to choose to succeed.

More grammar tomorrow, vocab Thursday, OR Friday, good times all around.

be cool

finally

UFO MIT SAT ACT PST TMZ OMG

UFO, The Best of UFO (1974-1983)



Classic rock, they call it.

Another underrated band, mayhaps lost in the shuffle of Sabbath, Zeppelin, Purple, AC/DC et al.

Key tracks: "Doctor Doctor," "Rock Bottom," & "Lights Out."

Oh, & Eddie Trunk from That Metal Show absolutely loves these guys.

Juniors:
DO NOW:
“What the words will mean to other people will depend on where they are in their lives, and what their interests are, though meaning may also be conveyed directly to their unconscious whether they consciously understand the words or not.”  --John Frusciante



Another quotation from a guitarist, not an "author" or "critic."


Another day of good expression of ideas & opinions, based on my favorite recent concept, interpretation, & the feeling-vs-meaning debate.


Also, the added benefit of a visit from a current MIT student, Zach Ybarra, who gave you some really good scoop on college.


& I'm sure many of you attended AP Night for more info on your future.


Please remember that "table":


(in no particular order)


1. academics--GPA
2. test scores (SAT, ACT, AP)
3. extracurriculars
4. interview/application letters


Sophomores:
You did 1 of these:
A1: describe a time in which you changed your mind about a song/film/TV show/book/whatever
A2: describe a time in which youo & a friend vehemently disagreed about a song/film/TV show/book/whatever
OR
B: explain the idea of liking w/out truly "consciously" understanding.


Then, we went the verb route.


"That's what's happening."


Yes, there is  major difference between the grammatically correct sentences


"I do well."


&


"I do good."


So. let's all do well on the OR tomorrow, & let's do good over the long weekend.


be cool

today . . .

. . . we listened to The Clash.

The Story of the Clash, Vol. 1.

& this has become "greatest-hits week."

There won't be any new Vol. 2 here, as the band broke up many years ago, & singer/guitarist Joe Strummer died in 2002.

The Clash were among the punk pioneers, & their mixture of pop, punk, reggae, & rock stylings w/ politically-charged--& sometimes absurd--lyrics brought us much joy & thought back in the '70s & 80s.

Key tracks: "Rock the Casbah," "Should I Stay or Should I Go," "Train in Vain," "Lost in the Supermarket,"Janie Jones," "London Calling," & many, many more.

Really, just go check 'em out.

Juniors:
THINK NOW:
Shirley Brice Heath, quoted in Franzen's "Perchance to Dream": 
“‘This is precisely what readers are saying: that reading good fiction is like reading a particularly rich section of a religious text. What religion and good fiction have in common is that the answers aren’t there, there isn’t closure. The language of literary works gives forth something different with each reading. . . . But unpredictability doesn’t mean total relativism. Instead it highlights the persistence with which writers keep coming back to fundamental problems. Your family versus your country, your wife versus your girlfriend.’” (49)



We defined "relativism" & discussed situational ethics.

(pause for fist-pump)

Good discussions, covering Toy Story, Spider-Man, TV & film, life in general.

You guys rock.

For tomorrow: pages 32-38 in the Handbook, "Approaches in Practice."

Enjoy.

Sophomores:
Pronouns, adjectives, verbs.

That's what's happening.

NOTE: I forgot to remind you--though it was clearly written on the board & posted on my TeacherWeb site--to bring your unit 7 definitions today, & about 7 of you did the work.

So . . . we reminded ourselves of formats, you started them in class, & I said I would accept them tomorrow for full credit.

Those of you who turned 'em in today get an extra 2 points.

be cool

yesterday . . .

. . . there was no post: I was working the basketball game.

Yesterday's music:



Rainbow, Catch the Rainbow: The Anthology.

Ritchie Blackmore is 1 of the most underrated rack musicians of the past 40 years.

His work w/ Deep Purple is legendary, & his influence on rock guitar cannot be overstated.

Yeah, Yngwie is his fault, but that's OK.

Anyway, w/ Ronnie James Dio, then Graham Bonnet, & eventually joe Lynn Turner singing, Rainbow rocked.

Key tracks:

Dio: "Man on the Silver Mountain," "Stargazer," & "Long Live Rock N Roll."

Bonnet: "Since You Been Gone," "All Night Long," & "Eyes of the World."

Turner: "Can;t Happen Here," "Stone Cold," & "Street of Dreams."

Now, Ritchie Blackmore plays medieval music w/ his wife, Candice Night, in the seemingly aptly--though mayhaps sexist & possessive in a way--Blackmore's Night.

Yep, medieval music.

Juniors:
DO NOW:
In  How to Read Novels Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster explains this relationship:
Much of the continuing appeal of the novel lies in its collaborative nature; readers invest themselves in the characters’ stories, becoming actively involved in the creation of meaning. At the same time, they are rewarded by pleasures that are more intimate than the essentially vicarious genres of drama and film. (xiii)


We defined "vicarious" & discussed further takes on interpretation, readers, & writers.



The precritical response, & now the "traditional" approaches.




Sophomores:
Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, oh my.

Remember demonstrative & interrogative.

Personal, indefinite.

Concrete, abstract.

All that fun stuff.

Ahead, there be verbs. . .

Grammar rocks!!!

be cool

"championship"

Michael Hedges, Beyond Boundaries

Also, notice those 2 words at the bottom of the pic above--Guitar Solos. I love those 2 words together.

Listen to Hedges--he was a true innovator.

Got to go--the "BCS Championship Game" is on, & I'm not gonna go on a tangent about how corrupt the whole NCAA system in general & BCS specifically is, I'm just gonna go watch Oregon's sweet new unis in action.

For the record, I think Auburn wins, & I'm superstitious enough to type that because I'm rooting for Oregon.

Juniors:
Literary geography--you must think about "place" in your reading & in your life.

Remember that.

We'll go over the Prologue tomorrow.

Sophomores:
Library for SSR books, & a few of you used the time well. I appreciate that.

Back to the classroom & the nouns & pronouns.

be cool

end Vai week

Mike Keneally, Steve Vai Piano Reductions Vol 1

Previewed this earlier in the week, & decided to make it the Friday music.

Oh, & I meant to sit down & write this friday evening, & yeah, here it is Sunday . . .

Wow, that there time, she sure flies.

Anyway, I LOVE the fact that this album is called Vol. 1, because that means there will be a Vol. 2.

Keneally takes the huge orchestrations of a typical Vai song & minimizes them to 1-guy, 1-instrument performances. Really, really cool; makes me realize just how great the melodies are.

Highly recommended; also, I'll have more Keneally for you in the future--another fantastic all-around musician, he is.

Juniors:
Back to Foster, that dude who has all the good quotations about literature.

We had some great discussions about politics in literature, & that kind of stuff reminds me why I love this job.

You are in the process of choosing a book or 2 or 3, as you had heard before & were officially "assigned" Monday.

Remember: you are embarking upon cultural-studies research w// a literary slant. You MUST read a new work of literature this quarter, but you may attack that work from a psychological, sociological, historical, biographical, philosophical, structural (or 1 of many other words that end in -al) perspective.

This is gonna get good.

Also, reading quiz MOnday on the poem "To His Coy Mistress" & the short story "Young Goodman Brown."

Sophomores;
All OR, all period--we'll get back to the nouns, pronouns, & such Monday.

For those of you who were having trouble w/ the new OR format, remember that we will do 1 together in class, as it says on the paper, FRIDAY.

So, you have several more days to get a book & get reading.

be cool

lotus feet

Steve Vai, Real Illusions: Reflections

I'll let him do the talking about this one:

http://www.vai.com/realillusions/index.html

Excerpt, in the man's own words:

Real Illusions: Reflections is the first part of a multilayered menagerie of vignettes based on the amplified mental exaggerations of a truth-seeking madman who sees the world... Oh, never mind.

Of course, track 7 is the centerpiece, & I didn't know what the title meant either, so go here:

http://www.vai.com/realillusions/07lotusfeet_sublime.html
'
OK, excerpt, the words of Laurel Fishman:

The true meaning of the phrase "lotus feet" is transcendental, not readily grasped by intellect alone.

A student or follower in a tradition of higher truth, a disciple of a spiritual teacher, master, saint or guru, or the devotee of a particular deity or lord can express humility, surrender, devotion, deference, dedication and love by worshiping, contemplating or meditating upon the lotus feet of his chosen spiritual teacher, etc. In these ways, communion with the divine is established.

Yeah, that.

Steve Vai is a true artist--mayhaps a genius--& I am just a little happier & more thoughtful every day that I take the time to listen to his music.

Juniors:
Red Jacket was not simply talking about religion there, by the way.

We had a really cool theoretical day, applying thought to reading &, well, to thinking, also.

Quotation courtesy of Meshuggah's guitarist . . . you don't get that stuff anywhere else.

Anyway, think about your preconceptions whilst or after reading, listening, & viewing.

Sophomores:
NOUNS!!

Common & proper.

Concrete & abstract.

Collective.

People, places, & things.

Ideas.

(by the way, up there, "lotus" is the adj. & "feet" the n.)

FORWARD!!!

be cool

Vai, burgers, Beaker, octopodes

Steve Vai, Fire Garden

Another fantastic record, though a few more vocals than I really like. (Exception: "All About Eve," a tremendous song w/ great vocal performance.)

Album sectioned in 2 "phases" (kind of like the "sides" we used to have on these "vinyl record" things--ask your parents), & I like the 1st phase better (yep, fewer vocals).

Highlights: track 7, "Hand on Heart," & another masterpiece, "Fire Garden Suite." Pretty much, is a song has "suite" in the title, it will be great or terrible; this is the former.

SIDE (FAMILY) NOTE ALERT:
Got a few gift cards for Christmas, & spent 2 today.  At Rhino Records I picked up a Michael Hedges retrospective, Beyond Boundaries: Guitar Solos" . . .& since I can;t buy myself anything w/out giving some love to the family, I let the kids choose some toys.

The list:
Aodhan--a toy gun that shoots out a "BANG" flag; also, some plastic dog poop
Finbar--toy handcuffs (I have NO idea why, but he's been arresting his brothers all evening)
Cedric--rubber-band shooter

Don't know why they were all guns-&-arresting, but, we have fun.

Also, picked the lovely wife up some "zombie mints":



& a "Beeker" air freshener:


Finally, thanks from my family to the good folks of 1st period--we enjoyed some excellent Chili's burgers tonight.

Juniors:

Library for Ooper (aka Handbook--look at the cover).

You MUST read the poem "To His Coy Mistress" & the short story"Young Goodman Brown" by Monday 10 January.

You'll find 'em on pages 299-315, or full text online.

We will look at the Prologue tomorrow & discuss the "precritical response."

& remember, it's octopuses, though octopi & octopodes are lesser but acceptable.

Sophomores:
Grammar, here in the form of parts of speech, specifically nouns.

Nouns name persons, places, & things (I consider "ideas" to be "things").

More tomorrow.

be cool

more Vai, alive

Steve Vai, Alive in an  Ultra World

Recorded on his band's tour for The Ultra Zone, this album is quite cool because Vai wrote each song "for" a particular country & often incorporated imagery, sounds, & musicality from each.

Yep, 2 days of Vai, & we're going all week.

Dude is that awesome, he deserves it.

Absolute highlight here, as mentioned yesterday, is "Whispering a Prayer" (song for Ireland, by the way--how cool is that).

Having seen Vai live several times w/ various projects, I will maintain the absolute apex of my Vai experience has been sitting at The Greek w/ my lovely wife for the performance of "Whispering a Prayer."

My wife rules.

If you ain't checked this song out yet, well, geeeeez . . . .

From his dvd Live at the Astoria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KUSkGeaUPU

Dude got crazy guitar-face & the fan gets a tad cheesy, but that's as far as I will go in negative criticism, cuz he's the absolute master.

2 more of my favorites: "The Black Forest" (song for Germany) & "Brandos Costumes (Gentle Ways)" (song for Portugal).

Check 'em out.

Juniors:
Jonathan Franzen, the man who fears no Oprah.

By the way, read his books--he's great.

Also, the idea of interpretation, the reader's responsibility.

& yes, you have a great responsibility when reading a text . . . which makes many of you quite happy.

& of, course . . . disturbs some of you.

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, by Jonathan Culler.

Mulholland Dr, Donnie Darko, The Corrections, Family Guy, The Simpsons . . . just a few of today's allusions

ID tomorrow, to pick up copies of A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature.


Sophomores:
Finished the final.

Began a glance at grammar, a diagnostic look at your ability to note parts of speech in action.

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here

Rufus Xavier Sarsparilla can really wear you down

Unpack your adjectives

Conjunction Junction, what;s your function?

Grammar Rock

be cool

for the love of god

Steve Vai, Passion & Warfare

When he got the gig w/ David Lee Roth after DLR left Van Halen, most of us were skeptical.

Then we heard him play.

Unbelievable, & he has, if anything, improved w/ age. Dude can do anything, including orchestration now.

Frank Zappa was his mentor, & the influence is readily heard on all his work.

This one contains 1 of my 5 favorite guitar instrumentals, "For the Love of God."

(Though, I must say that years later he almost trumped that 1 w/ "Whispering a Prayer"; & as a final note, I suggest to you his album called The 7th Song, because Vai traditionally puts his centerpiece song as track 7, & all of them qualify as "fantastic," amazing," &/or "gorgeous."

& as a final final note--especially for those of you who are not as guitar-obsessed as some of us--Mike Kenneally  released a tremendous album titled Steve Vai Piano Reductions Vol. 1 in which he takes these intricate, huge  compositions & reinterprets them as 1 dude w/ 1 piano.

Beautiful.

Juniors:
Theory.

I absolutely love this stuff.

In short: why?

Then some more why?

(Ad infinitum).

(Or, maybe, "ad nauseum")

Religion.

Time.

You were introduced to the idea of the cultural/literary research, & you know that January is your month for choosing, reading, & researching, & February is your month for putting it all together & writing.

This will be tough & fun (well, "English-student" fun, not real fun . . . )

Remember: it's up to you, & I am here to guide, help to focus & then edit & sometimes proofread.

YES!!!


Sophomores:
We got the "Do Now" in, resolution-style.

We went over the 1st 1/2 of the ALHS English sophomore final.

Some of you all are in different periods, & I can barely recognize you.

Let's do this thing properly this semester. OK?

be cool