For my entertainment suggestion, I recommend Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Originally by Fox, but now picked up by NBC, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a comedy about the ninety-ninth police precinct in Brooklyn, New York. Going off of this description alone, it wouldn't be difficult to assume that it's just shallow, cheap humor with no real message. But that is just not the case.
This show depicts much needed diversity, including latinx and black actors who are also LGBT+. These two are rarely depicted now-a-days on regular television, let alone together. Brooklyn Nine-Nine also somehow manages to not have a forced diversity to it; the characters' races and sexual identifications are touched on every now and again in meaningful and real ways, but they aren't played up for entertainment. For example, while the police chief is gay, he's happily married, and the subject does not often come up. They do, however, address the backlash he has faced in his workplace from his personal life.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Review of the Books We've Read
SPOILERS
Death Of A Salesman: Death of a Salesman, a play by Arthur Miller. It's about a salesman named Willy Lomen, who suffers from depression and has tried to kill himself. It also centers around his wife and his two sons, Biff and Happy. While it ends with Willy's death, the play is centered around themes such as the American Dream, family relationships, grief, and denial. I think the author's depiction of how things don't always work out in life is an interesting take on the common happy ending found in media.
The Stranger: Written by Albert Camus, The Stranger is a short yet vivid novel centered around the ideology of existentialism. The book's main character is Meursault, a man who has an existentialist's outlook on life. He is impartial to most emotional matters, including love. He only cares about physical matters, such as things needed for survival. He also experiences lust-- but, like previously stated, he doesn't actually care about the woman he is in a relationship. He is only with her because she takes care of him.
Follow The River: Based off of a true story, Follow The River is a historical fiction book written by James Alexander Thom. Living in Virginia in the mid 1700's, Mary Draper was pregnant and had two young sons. But her village was destroyed when Shawnee Native Americans came and destroyed any trace of her life. She, her sons and her sister in law were taken on a long journey. But on the way to their destination, Mary took note of landmarks. One day, while in Northern Kentucky, she took a chance and escaped her captives. She left her now three children behind, knowing that they wouldn't survive; but she brought another captive, an older lady, with her. This thrilling novel tells her story.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Written by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird tells the story of two children growing up in Alabama in the early 1930s. Jem and Scout, brother and sister, live with their father, Atticus, and their cook, Calpurnia. After their father takes a case in which he is defending a black man, Jem and Scout suddenly have to face the realities of Southern life, including racism. This book gives an innocent child's perspective on matters that are still argued today, and really make the reader think.
Romeo and Juliet: A classic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare. It centers on two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, who are from feuding households in Italy. Throughout the show, Shakespeare shows us not only the rich families perspectives, but those of people who would be considered a lower class. While it ends in both of the teenagers dying, this play shows that not everything is black and white.
The Great Divorce: Written by C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce is a novel about Heaven and Hell. The Narrator is in Hell, but takes a bus ride up to Heaven along with other sinners. While there, he hears of other's stories that tell of why they didn't end up in Heaven. He travels around this new world, learning and listening. A mostly silent observer, The Narrator ends the novel with waking up and learning that it was all a dream. An interesting take on what the afterlife may be like, The Great Divorce is unique and thought-provoking.
Out of all of these, I recommend Romeo and Juliet. It is a great introduction to Shakespeare, and includes a cast of colorful and interesting characters.
Death Of A Salesman: Death of a Salesman, a play by Arthur Miller. It's about a salesman named Willy Lomen, who suffers from depression and has tried to kill himself. It also centers around his wife and his two sons, Biff and Happy. While it ends with Willy's death, the play is centered around themes such as the American Dream, family relationships, grief, and denial. I think the author's depiction of how things don't always work out in life is an interesting take on the common happy ending found in media.
The Stranger: Written by Albert Camus, The Stranger is a short yet vivid novel centered around the ideology of existentialism. The book's main character is Meursault, a man who has an existentialist's outlook on life. He is impartial to most emotional matters, including love. He only cares about physical matters, such as things needed for survival. He also experiences lust-- but, like previously stated, he doesn't actually care about the woman he is in a relationship. He is only with her because she takes care of him.
Follow The River: Based off of a true story, Follow The River is a historical fiction book written by James Alexander Thom. Living in Virginia in the mid 1700's, Mary Draper was pregnant and had two young sons. But her village was destroyed when Shawnee Native Americans came and destroyed any trace of her life. She, her sons and her sister in law were taken on a long journey. But on the way to their destination, Mary took note of landmarks. One day, while in Northern Kentucky, she took a chance and escaped her captives. She left her now three children behind, knowing that they wouldn't survive; but she brought another captive, an older lady, with her. This thrilling novel tells her story.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Written by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird tells the story of two children growing up in Alabama in the early 1930s. Jem and Scout, brother and sister, live with their father, Atticus, and their cook, Calpurnia. After their father takes a case in which he is defending a black man, Jem and Scout suddenly have to face the realities of Southern life, including racism. This book gives an innocent child's perspective on matters that are still argued today, and really make the reader think.
Romeo and Juliet: A classic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare. It centers on two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, who are from feuding households in Italy. Throughout the show, Shakespeare shows us not only the rich families perspectives, but those of people who would be considered a lower class. While it ends in both of the teenagers dying, this play shows that not everything is black and white.
The Great Divorce: Written by C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce is a novel about Heaven and Hell. The Narrator is in Hell, but takes a bus ride up to Heaven along with other sinners. While there, he hears of other's stories that tell of why they didn't end up in Heaven. He travels around this new world, learning and listening. A mostly silent observer, The Narrator ends the novel with waking up and learning that it was all a dream. An interesting take on what the afterlife may be like, The Great Divorce is unique and thought-provoking.
Out of all of these, I recommend Romeo and Juliet. It is a great introduction to Shakespeare, and includes a cast of colorful and interesting characters.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Compare "Beyond Narnia" and The Great Divorce
In Beyond Narnia, a documentary about the author C.S. Lewis, there were many connections to his novel The Great Divorce. One of the most prominent links was the death of his wife, Joy. While the book was published in 1945, and she died in 1960, it's still eerily similar.
One character was distraught that God had taken her son, Michael, away from her on Earth. She was so heartbroken that she decided she didn't believe in that God-- she believed in a "God of love." She got stuck in the first stage of grief, and never moved past the tragedy that had struck her.
Lewis himself started doubting his religion when his wife died. He wondered what kind of God would take away his Joy. But, instead of staying in the first stage of grief like the character, he moved past it and reconnected with the church and his ideas of religion.
Since the book was written before his wife died, you could also compare the character to his father. After his mother died when Lewis was little, his father got stuck. He could not escape his grief and care for his two sons, so he sent them off to boarding school. This, along with the grief that he, too, was facing, shaped who he was.
Another comparison was the one character who, throughout his life, didn't necessarily believe in God-- but, towards the end, he turned to religion. This character could be compared to Lewis himself, who was Atheist during his younger life, but turned to religion as he aged.
One character was distraught that God had taken her son, Michael, away from her on Earth. She was so heartbroken that she decided she didn't believe in that God-- she believed in a "God of love." She got stuck in the first stage of grief, and never moved past the tragedy that had struck her.
Lewis himself started doubting his religion when his wife died. He wondered what kind of God would take away his Joy. But, instead of staying in the first stage of grief like the character, he moved past it and reconnected with the church and his ideas of religion.
Since the book was written before his wife died, you could also compare the character to his father. After his mother died when Lewis was little, his father got stuck. He could not escape his grief and care for his two sons, so he sent them off to boarding school. This, along with the grief that he, too, was facing, shaped who he was.
Another comparison was the one character who, throughout his life, didn't necessarily believe in God-- but, towards the end, he turned to religion. This character could be compared to Lewis himself, who was Atheist during his younger life, but turned to religion as he aged.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Business Proposal
Dear Jeff Bezos,
I'm writing you to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime: the rights to my app, BroadwayBuzz. While it may not seem like a big market, the numbers don't lie. According to BroadwayWorld, this week alone (5/15/18) there have been $38,621,286 worth of tickets sold-- Not to mention the large number of people around the world who don't have access to Broadway, whether it be because the tickets are too much or they live too far.
To fix this issue, I would like to propose BroadwayBuzz: the ultimate app for all things Broadway. There would be many facets to it, including, but not limited to, chat rooms, real-time ticket sales and stats, weekly discounts, and a section that has professionally recorded musicals. The user of the app could either pay a set amount each month or year for an all-access membership to all of the recordings, or pay per show.
It would also be connected to the many websites that sell tickets, such as Ticketmaster or StubHub, and one could sign up for notifications when tickets are released, or when prices drop.
There would also be a feature similar to karaoke, but with Broadway favorites. Users could post their covers, and there would be weekly contests and prizes.
I assure you, you don't want to miss out on BroadwayBuzz.
Cordially,
Ruby S
I'm writing you to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime: the rights to my app, BroadwayBuzz. While it may not seem like a big market, the numbers don't lie. According to BroadwayWorld, this week alone (5/15/18) there have been $38,621,286 worth of tickets sold-- Not to mention the large number of people around the world who don't have access to Broadway, whether it be because the tickets are too much or they live too far.
To fix this issue, I would like to propose BroadwayBuzz: the ultimate app for all things Broadway. There would be many facets to it, including, but not limited to, chat rooms, real-time ticket sales and stats, weekly discounts, and a section that has professionally recorded musicals. The user of the app could either pay a set amount each month or year for an all-access membership to all of the recordings, or pay per show.
It would also be connected to the many websites that sell tickets, such as Ticketmaster or StubHub, and one could sign up for notifications when tickets are released, or when prices drop.
There would also be a feature similar to karaoke, but with Broadway favorites. Users could post their covers, and there would be weekly contests and prizes.
I assure you, you don't want to miss out on BroadwayBuzz.
Cordially,
Ruby S
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Two Views on What Happens To The Soul After Death
One of the two views on the afterlife that I researched was the Hinduism belief of reincarnation. In Hinduism, they believe that the soul is reborn into a new body over and over again, until it is considered pure and perfect. It is then returned to its source: God. "The Hindu theory of creation suggests that creation begins when the individual souls become separated from the undifferentiated One. It continues as the evolution of life and consciousness in matter progresses upon earth in phases," (HinduWebsite 1).
Christians, however, believe that once you die, there is an afterlife. "Although the body dies and is buried or cremated, they believe that their unique soul lives on and is raised to new life by God" (BBC 1). Most also believe in the ideology of Heaven and Hell: that, depending on what kind of a person you were in your life, you will either go to paradise or be tortured. Depending on what the person was taught, some also believe that if you were not religious (particularly their own religion), that you will end up in Hell no matter how good of a person you were.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/reincarnation.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/death/chbeliefrev2.shtml
Christians, however, believe that once you die, there is an afterlife. "Although the body dies and is buried or cremated, they believe that their unique soul lives on and is raised to new life by God" (BBC 1). Most also believe in the ideology of Heaven and Hell: that, depending on what kind of a person you were in your life, you will either go to paradise or be tortured. Depending on what the person was taught, some also believe that if you were not religious (particularly their own religion), that you will end up in Hell no matter how good of a person you were.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/reincarnation.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/death/chbeliefrev2.shtml
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