Music Review - Teen Dream

Teen Dream by Beach House was one of the most interesting albums I listened to all year. It took me a few listens to get into it, but it is an album that is very different from anything I've ever heard. The lead singer has a very strong, folky voice on top of clever rhythms and mixes of sound. The band even experiments in a song "Norway" with off-tune background music.

Other songs in the album such as "Zebra" and "10 Mile Stereo" exemplify their interesting guitar riffs. The layers of different guitar parts give the songs a unique feel.

This album is their most recent and is their third. It is by far their best of the three and exemplifies their creativity. It is definitely a good album for anyone who is looking for new music. However, it is an album that you really need to listen in order to get into it.

This band is truly idiosyncratic in their sound and while they may sound dull at first, they are very talented and should go far. 8/10 for both their brilliant mash ups of sound and their creativity.

(Go to the bottom of the page for a song from this album.)

Jay and Nick (The Great Gatsby)

Gatsby and Nick do not have a traditional friendship. They first met at Gatsby's party, which Nick was invited to by him. Gatsby seemed to be the man who always had parties and since Nick lived next door he invited him to one. During the party, they talked and they arranged to hang out the next day. Right off the bat, Gatsby started to talk about himself and his life. Gatsby also asked Nick what he thought about him. This awkward question that was posed by Gatsby put Nick in an awkward situation. However, Nick handles it well.

It seems that the two are strangely alike. Both are outsiders of the group they are usually with: the upper class. However, they are outsiders for different reasons. Gatsby is an outsider because not many actually know him, but he holds many parties so almost everyone knows of him. Nick, however, is someone who does not have as much money as the other people he hangs out with so he can not pull off such impressive luxuries. Not only in these ways, but both don't share all of the same interests as other people and listen more than they talk. This is maybe why they bonded together in the first place.

Their relationship is somewhat more complicated. In the beginning, it seems that Gatsby likes Nick and that is the only reason that he is being so kind and generous to him. After Jordan tells Nick that Gatsby wants Nick to invite over Daisy for him, however, this view is changed. It seems that Gatsby is using Nick to get back to Daisy. To make it look worse, Gatsby offers Nick a job at one of his companies. It seems like some kind of bribe. However, we can't really tell exactly if this is what Gatsby is intending. We don't know enough about his actual character to know if he is using Nick or not.

This uneasiness of their relationship at this point cannot tell us exactly their relationship. Now it's time for you to decide. Nick and Gatsby, friends or not?

Winter Poem

A winter poem, easily described by the name. 

It snowed last night,

  and my world was turned completely white.

The moon shone down on the blanket of snow,

  and told the oceans which direction to go.

The cold winds smashed against my windowsill,

  looking for a way into my room to give me a chill.

But now the day begins and the sun shines bright,

  on every living thing covered in white.

The sun’s warmth begins to magically warm

  all the creatures battered by the storm.

The snow surrounds my house,

   and makes the sounds muted and quiet as a mouse.

Icicles hang like ornaments on a tree,

   and drip slowly, longing to be free.

Slowly, color returns to my yard

  as the melting snowman stands down from his guard.

The Trick of Writing

Writing is something we use everyday. It is something we read almost everywhere we look and a tool that we use ourselves. While it is very useful, it can be used to deceive us. The complication of language is the meaning. English is one language that definitely has a lot of words to say one idea. This complication of communication gives people a tool. They can say whatever they want without outwardly saying it. Implying certain thoughts here and there, but never outwardly saying it. Many people use this when they are trying to get around problems.

This sort of thought process that goes into writing requires the reader to always analyze what someone is saying. Not something simple such as "I like cat", but some vague writings that have been made like Romeo & Juliet. These kinds of writings make it necessary for whoever the reader is to really try to understand the meaning. That is the only way you can really get the right ideas out of it. However, it isn't easy to do this and you need to have a lot of experience. This can sometimes take a lot of effort, but it will help you in the long run. Throughout a persons life they will be faced with intense writings like these all the time. It is their job to decipher them. What they get out of the reading may affect their views on everything. Make sure you know what you are reading, it's important.

A Student I am Thankful for

The student I am most thankful for in the class is Alaina. I have known her since I was three and she has always been the nicest person. She basically likes everyone and is good at so many things. She has a beautiful voice, which she is very modest about.

She also helps my four person group with all the questions with the book, she has a good sense of humor, and she is really down to earth. She definitely knows who she is and is not afraid to show who she is. That's something most teenagers (or people in general) cannot do.

For example, she was one of those people who never went through the obnoxious teenager phase. Around 7th and 8th grade, it seems that everyone is trying to act older. All the kids think they're really cool and that they are a lot older now. Which is fine, but at the time it can be annoying. It happened with me, but Alaina, however, did not have that issue. She was exactly the same. Changing grades did not change her at all.

Happy Thanksgiving, spend it well.

The Metaphorical Plow

It is a lot easier for people to follow. To do what others tell you or to follow a trend and have them plow the way for you. That way you are never the odd man out. No one would ever look at you differently and wonder what you were doing. However, the best people in the world are the plows. The ones who make their own paths and even if they don't make absurd amounts of money they are still happy. They have always worked the hardest and they will feel happier about themselves.

You have to be the plow. The person who does everything differently and enjoys themselves and not what other people necessarily tell them too. That is a big issue these days; especially in the teenage world. People  are all grouped into cliques and stay there. There isn't very much room to change. There are, of course, the followers who do whatever they are told is "cool." Anything from thinking someone is attractive, to liking certain shows. The people that actually have genuine interests are the ones, however, that people like more. There is something to actually talk to them about. They lead the way; they do things first. This does not mean be the first to do everything, but try to make your own path. It will always help you more in the end. Happiness should  not be what other people tell you to do. If you like something, then you should do it. If you don't, then don't do it. There is no reason to try and impress someone.

It is hard, however, to break away and do your own thing. It is much easier to fall into what others are doing. This explains a lot of our faults in our society. While a lot of people try to do their own thing, they do some of the things that others do and thats when it becomes a problem. One example of this was when the house market crashed. This was because banks were giving out money to people who couldn't pay it back. The only reason the house market crashed was because there was not enough "plows" who continued to do their own thing. They started to follow the trend and that was when it became a problem. We are still now trying to fix it two years later.

In conclusion, don't be that person. Be the plow.

A Direction the Class Needs

This class is one of my most entertaining and useful classes that I have. Not only is it fun and interesting, but it is very productive in class. We learn a lot and don't try to rush through topics that we don't understand. It is very common for teachers to stick to a schedule rather than the students understanding it. That way of approaching a class will not benefit the students. 

This class is also really good because it keeps interest in the first period of the day. It says a lot about a class if teenagers are learning a lot earlier in the morning. I also like that we discuss a lot and that the class enables people to give their own opinions and fight for them. 

If I had to change this class, I wouldn't change anything. What is going on is what the class needs, and it should stay the same. 

Modern Day Slavery

While slavery is technically illegal, it still exists today. However, it is in a different form then what people consider actual "slavery." Many people feel that they work their whole lives and then they die. That they really get no reward, but they constantly work in order so they can retire. Some people are finding out that they are not making enough money to do that and are instead working for people that make more money than them and that it will never end. Similar to slavery in America.

These people and slavery, however, are very different. It means:

–noun

1.

the condition of a slave; bondage.

2.

the keeping of slaves as a practice or institution.

3.

a state of subjection like that of a slave: He was kept inslavery by drugs.

4.

severe toil; drudgery.

These people are not kept in confinement. They have freedoms and are allowed to do/say what they want. So while some may consider what they do "slavery", it is not the same as what it used to be. These people are not forced to work at all. It is all their choice. People also expect more out of life now. People now expect things instead of wanting them. 

People have choices now. Thats the difference. 

The House of Seven Gables

The House of Seven Gables is a colonial house that was built in 1668 in Salem, Massachusetts. It was originally built by Captain John Turner and it remained in his family for three generations. This house is the longest surviving house in North America and it also has undergone many remodeling. This house exhibits how America and its people have changed a lot over time and it goes to show how the original people who came here, religious refugees, influenced our world today.

Nathaniel Hawthorne saw this house because his relatives owned it and he often went there. While the house was remodeled when he saw it, but his cousin Susannah Ingersoll showed him that at one point this house did have seven gables. However, Caroline Emmerton bought the house and decided to restore it to its original look in 1908.

This house has outlived all of America's changes. It lived throughout all the wars, the government changes, and everything else. It truly shows where are roots are from. Salem, Massachusetts was home to the Salem Witch Trials a place where many people were convicted of being witches. It was a house that survived all of this and it is still up. The House of Seven Gables is now a museum that anyone can visit so if you are ever in town, you should stop by. You might just learn something.

The Moment I Knew I Was an American

The moment I knew I was an American was when I went to Mexico when I was three. I went to a culture that i found to be completely different from my own. That is when I thought that I had really realized who I was. I thought at the time how different my home was from the country I was visiting. The people were different, the atmosphere was different, and even the food was different. It made me really appreciate what I had come from and to take it into my own.

When I say I am an American, I feel connected to a combination of many different cultures. A place where not only one type of culture is accepted. Where people of many different cultures come here and express them in whatever way they want. This has given me a different perspective on me being part of America because I do not only celebrate its culture.

For me, growing up in America has been beneficial. I have learned so much about the world and its cultures and my own in comparison. Throughout my life being an American has helped me, has it helped you?

Us vs. Them... Us and Them

People are often influenced by other groups of people. They always want you to do what they want to do. Its a pressure that follows you your whole life wherever you are. An example of this is gangs. They try to persuade you into joining. It is up to you to either stand up to them or give in and accept. This is an important quality in any person because you have to be able to make your own decisions. Not just give in so easily.

However, this is not an easy task. It's hard to not want to give in to what people tell you and it is also hard to not influence other people too. You may accidentally try to push people into doing something without even knowing it. The push and pull of society is hard to resist, can you?

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

John Proctor to me is a hero. While he does do some questionable things throughout the story, he had good intentions. It is not apparent in the very beginning, but as it goes on it shows that he is against the rest of the town's beliefs that a lot of the women were "witches". He is one of the two people that don't jump to the conclusion that Betty and Ruth were corrupted by Satan. The only two that thought that maybe they were just sick and it would blow over.

While he does cheat on his wife with Abigail, he is completely on Elizabeth's side when she is brought to trial. Abigail, beforehand, even tries to tempt him again and he tells her no. John Proctor has made some mistakes, but he tries to fix them and defend what is important to him: his beliefs and his family.

He is also very brave with how he approaches the town. He knows that going against the towns religion and his could harm him and his family, but he goes for it anyway. He is not afraid. He is one of the few that thinks out of logic instead of religion. It is something admirable in this town and John Proctor should get some recognition. John Proctor stood up to what he believed in, could you?

Sinners in the Hands of Angry Gods

This blog will be the first where I am expressing a real opinion. It is about a Puritan priest who talked about how angry God is at people if they sin at all. This forced the Puritans to not commit any sort of sin. Many of the English did not get accept this and that is why they went to England's new colonies.

This passage from one of Edwards' sermons is very odd from others views. It says that God is angry and has the power to kill you at any second. If you're not respecting God and committing sins, then God will kill you in an instant. That this God is an angry God that kills people if they do something that this priest says is "wrong."

While the Puritans deserved to be free of whatever religion they chose, but I can see how the English thought they were odd. They weren't allowed to enjoy the same fun as the English and they did not believe that God was helping them one way or another. It was also a completely different lifestyle they were living that was almost old fashioned for their time.

To me this seems ridiculous. He is ruling people by fear and religion is supposed to bring together not for fear, but for a sense of community. This man is saying that life should be restricted and more emphasis on your afterlife then when you are living. I would like to live my life having fun, rather then live it waiting to die. That is something worth thinking about though. Some cultures live, so that their afterlife will be good.

Live your life the best way you can and live to your standards.

There Goes the Neighborhood

A great example of two cultures clashing is with the Native Americans and the Europeans. All of the countries that came from Europe into North America were surprised by what they found. A culture that had lived for thousands of years much different from the Europeans. They did not live with the same religion and were much less materialistic. They were all separated into tribes and each lived their own lives. The Native Americans were also not materialistic. What they had materials wise was not on their mind unless it was necessary for survival. 

The Europeans did not get this lifestyle. They lived along side them for a while, but it did not last very long. They couldn't get over how different the Native Americans were from them. They did trade with them for a while, but eventually more and more people were coming from Europe. It was a classic example of a situation where if you can't get along with someone then kick them out. So they fought them and since they had more advanced technology, they usually won. 

We can now see that Europe won since Native Americans live on reservations now that the U.S. government gave them. There untouched mostly peaceful society was torn apart and forced out of their homes because of a difference in opinion. 

These culture clashes are still going on today. They are not as violent, but people still have issues with people in their neighborhoods and sometimes they can't deal with it. The best way to approach someone of a different culture is to accept them for who they are and not judge just because their beliefs are different from yours. Treat people the way you want to be treated. 

Self Introduction

It seems that summer is finally over. The usual dull schedule is back into motion. Those long summer nights with friends enjoying those hot nights are over. However, a new chapter is beginning and soon we will have more adventures this year as well.

I am Billy Brooks. I am currently a sophmore at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and I've lived in Chicago my whole life. I'm a bit random, but stuff usually works out for me.

Hobbies wise, I ride horses, play the clarinet, and play the piano. All of which take up time, but I enjoy them... Most of the time. I compete competitively with horses and it takes up a lot of my time. While i do enjoy it, it can sometimes get in the way of being with kids in Chicago since my barn is in Gurnee, IL. Clarinet; well I've been doing that a long time so i decided I should stick with it. Piano, on the other hand, I started because I did an independent study on it in 8th grade. I quit this summer because i didn't have time, but I would like to start it again soon.

That's it for this blog, but I'll be writing a post again soon.