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Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Reaction to High Fidelity: TMPMITW (page 141)
In class, I think I have already mentioned, we've been watching and reading High Fidelity. I've got to say that although the book is always better, the film does a really great job of capturing the humor, self-deprication, and emotional turmoil of the book. I do however think the book pulls off the sarcasm a little better, but I don't want to go into why right now. I know, I know...defend your point, but I prefer to keep the reading coming back for more.
As I've been rereading this book, I've run into some parts that I find really introspective and (of course) hilarious.
In chapter 11, Rob goes to his folks' house, I guess to get some TLC. His mom always puts him on a guilt trip (In chapter two he explains that he and his mother swapped roles when he was nine years old.), but he holds a certain amount of affection for her anyway. So he goes to his parents' house, probably dreading seeing them a bit, and it turns out that they're not home. I can kind of feel the emptiness of the house. Anyway, they end up seeing him (They had only been across the stree.) and insist that he come with them to a movie. In the theater he sees another thirty-something, obviously in the same state, and loathes him. He refers to him as "The Most Pathetic Man In The World" -- TMPMITW.
In class we discussed this TMPMITW as a personification of all of Rob's self-criticism and fear.
As I've been rereading this book, I've run into some parts that I find really introspective and (of course) hilarious.
In chapter 11, Rob goes to his folks' house, I guess to get some TLC. His mom always puts him on a guilt trip (In chapter two he explains that he and his mother swapped roles when he was nine years old.), but he holds a certain amount of affection for her anyway. So he goes to his parents' house, probably dreading seeing them a bit, and it turns out that they're not home. I can kind of feel the emptiness of the house. Anyway, they end up seeing him (They had only been across the stree.) and insist that he come with them to a movie. In the theater he sees another thirty-something, obviously in the same state, and loathes him. He refers to him as "The Most Pathetic Man In The World" -- TMPMITW.
In class we discussed this TMPMITW as a personification of all of Rob's self-criticism and fear.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sixty Personal Questions
These are sixty personal questions that I asked my class. I used this instead of the typical getting to know you stuff. It is more entertaining and actually tells me a lot about their personalities and language skills. (Additionally it's inspiration for essay topics.)
I figured that, since I asked the students to answer these questions, I should as well.
Would you rather be rich and have no free time or struggle with money but have loads of free time?
-- I'd rather struggle with money and have tons of free time. I like to spend time playing music and hanging out with my wife. If I had all the money in the world, but no free time, the only thing I would want to do is what I mentioned above anyway.
If you were a boss, would your rather be liked or feared?
--I would rather be liked than feared. I don't think fear is a healthy motivator.
Do you prefer to dress nicely or comfortably?
--comfortably. But I'm not a slob.
Would you ever get a tattoo? Do you have one?
-- I have two. Dragons on my back and Texas on my arm. I plan to get more.
Who is the most influential person in your life?
--It depends on which part of my life you're talking about. Probably my wife.
Do you prefer the excitement of a new relationship or the comfort of a long relationship?
--excitement is nice, but it doesn't last forever. I prefer the comfort of a long relationship.
Your walking down the street with your love, where are you going?
--We're walking to Cafe Cubana and she's trying to convince me not to order too much food. I tell her won't, but I know that I will.
What is your pet peeve?
--I don't like it when people call me over to them using their pointer finger. You know, like a dog?
What do you get excited about?
--I get excited about playing music, going to movies (I hardly ever go), and if I know I have a package in the mail.
What's the last thing you laughed really hard over?
--I laugh every day. Usually at myself. Just tonight I tried to take a glass over water, a bowl of salad, and a plate of chicken to the table in one trip. I'm notorious for breaking dishes. So my wife looked at me and I knew if I laughed, I'd drop everything. I laughed and laughed. But I didn't drop anything.
Could you live without your cell phone for one week? One month?
-- I only need a cell phone to meet up with people and for emergencies. I hate phone conversations.
What woke you up this morning?
--Restlessness.
Do you myspace or facebook?
--both. I didn't want to join facebook, but it's very useful.
If you could take one friend on vacation with you, who would it be?
--Besides my wife, either my friend Shane or Jeremy.
Are you scared of spiders, cockroaches, or snakes?
--I am terrified of cockroaches. I'd be scared of a poisonous snake. But I'd probably be more scared of a roach.
Could you go a month without cursing?
--I wish.
Does cursing make you uncomfortable or are you indifferent?
--It depends on who is cursing and what they're cursing about.
Do you prefer a wild night on the town or a quiet evening at home?
--I prefer a wild night on the town.
If you could move somewhere else, would you?
--I would move to Germany.
How many true friends do you have?
--I've heard that if you have one true friend, you're blessed. If you have two true friends that you're rich. And if you've got three true friends, you're a fool. I think that statement is untrue. Or maybe I'm a fool.
What is something you really want right now?
--I really want to finish writing a new song.
Are you a forgiving person?
--Very. But it's hard for me to forgive people who aren't sorry.
Have you ever thought you were going to marry someone?
--I did marry someone. Lucky me.
Last person to make you smile?
--Lauren
Do you miss anyone?
--I miss my sister Whitney, my sister Courtney, my friends Shane, Matt B., Matt M., and Jeremy B.
Are you sarcastic?
--Yes.
Is it more important to be honest or kind?
-- This is cheating, but a perfect combination. You should be both. I don't trust people who say they are honest but act unkindly. I think those people are narrow-minded and selfish.
Are you a bad or a good influence?
--I can be both. I'd like to think I'm a good influence.
Is there anyone you want to visit you?
--The people I miss.
What time did you wake up this morning?
-- 9:30
What is something your friends make fun of you for?
--They make fun of me for my jokes when they don't work.
In one word describe yourself.
--Happy
Is there anyone you wish could “see you now?”
-- I sometimes wish my old friends from the Philippines could see me now.
What is your dream job?
--English teacher in Germany and rockstar on the side.
Do you listen to music? How often?
--If I'm not listening to music, it's playing in my head. Everyday!
What is your favorite movie?
--The Big Lebowski, Dogtown and Z-boys, and Band of Brothers
You is your favorite celebrity?
--
Brittany Spears: yes or no?
--Over my dead body.
Michael Jackson: yes or no?
--meh
Tom Cruise: yes or no?
--I don't CARE!!!
Madonna: yes or no?
--Sometimes.
What is your favorite song?
--Depends. Maybe ... Sylvia Said by John Cale
Are you easily offended?
--Not really. Just about a few things.
What is your favorite book?
--The Lord of the Rings
Does the idea of going to college intimidate you?
--Actually, sometimes I get intimidated about going back to school.
Do you like change?
--I like the idea of change, but it's really hard to do.
Are you a control freak?
--Not about most things. But in the classroom, I probably am.
What is the scariest experience you’ve ever had?
--I look back on things I did and can't believe I survived.
What is the happiest moment you’ve had in the last year?
--My band playing three shows in Texas.
Do you consider yourself a hard worker, or are you lazy?
--Hard worker, but I procrastinate.
What is your favorite leisure time activity?
--Playing music.
Do you like reading? Why or why not?
--Yes. Sometimes I try to read things that are too hard.
When you read, what makes it interesting for you?
--The way the author uses words.
What makes you feel like a successful student?
--Getting an A in a really hard class. Feeling prepared. When the teacher tells me I did a good job.
What are your plans for next year?
--Next year, I'm planning to move to Germany and then to the west coast.
I figured that, since I asked the students to answer these questions, I should as well.
Would you rather be rich and have no free time or struggle with money but have loads of free time?
-- I'd rather struggle with money and have tons of free time. I like to spend time playing music and hanging out with my wife. If I had all the money in the world, but no free time, the only thing I would want to do is what I mentioned above anyway.
If you were a boss, would your rather be liked or feared?
--I would rather be liked than feared. I don't think fear is a healthy motivator.
Do you prefer to dress nicely or comfortably?
--comfortably. But I'm not a slob.
Would you ever get a tattoo? Do you have one?
-- I have two. Dragons on my back and Texas on my arm. I plan to get more.
Who is the most influential person in your life?
--It depends on which part of my life you're talking about. Probably my wife.
Do you prefer the excitement of a new relationship or the comfort of a long relationship?
--excitement is nice, but it doesn't last forever. I prefer the comfort of a long relationship.
Your walking down the street with your love, where are you going?
--We're walking to Cafe Cubana and she's trying to convince me not to order too much food. I tell her won't, but I know that I will.
What is your pet peeve?
--I don't like it when people call me over to them using their pointer finger. You know, like a dog?
What do you get excited about?
--I get excited about playing music, going to movies (I hardly ever go), and if I know I have a package in the mail.
What's the last thing you laughed really hard over?
--I laugh every day. Usually at myself. Just tonight I tried to take a glass over water, a bowl of salad, and a plate of chicken to the table in one trip. I'm notorious for breaking dishes. So my wife looked at me and I knew if I laughed, I'd drop everything. I laughed and laughed. But I didn't drop anything.
Could you live without your cell phone for one week? One month?
-- I only need a cell phone to meet up with people and for emergencies. I hate phone conversations.
What woke you up this morning?
--Restlessness.
Do you myspace or facebook?
--both. I didn't want to join facebook, but it's very useful.
If you could take one friend on vacation with you, who would it be?
--Besides my wife, either my friend Shane or Jeremy.
Are you scared of spiders, cockroaches, or snakes?
--I am terrified of cockroaches. I'd be scared of a poisonous snake. But I'd probably be more scared of a roach.
Could you go a month without cursing?
--I wish.
Does cursing make you uncomfortable or are you indifferent?
--It depends on who is cursing and what they're cursing about.
Do you prefer a wild night on the town or a quiet evening at home?
--I prefer a wild night on the town.
If you could move somewhere else, would you?
--I would move to Germany.
How many true friends do you have?
--I've heard that if you have one true friend, you're blessed. If you have two true friends that you're rich. And if you've got three true friends, you're a fool. I think that statement is untrue. Or maybe I'm a fool.
What is something you really want right now?
--I really want to finish writing a new song.
Are you a forgiving person?
--Very. But it's hard for me to forgive people who aren't sorry.
Have you ever thought you were going to marry someone?
--I did marry someone. Lucky me.
Last person to make you smile?
--Lauren
Do you miss anyone?
--I miss my sister Whitney, my sister Courtney, my friends Shane, Matt B., Matt M., and Jeremy B.
Are you sarcastic?
--Yes.
Is it more important to be honest or kind?
-- This is cheating, but a perfect combination. You should be both. I don't trust people who say they are honest but act unkindly. I think those people are narrow-minded and selfish.
Are you a bad or a good influence?
--I can be both. I'd like to think I'm a good influence.
Is there anyone you want to visit you?
--The people I miss.
What time did you wake up this morning?
-- 9:30
What is something your friends make fun of you for?
--They make fun of me for my jokes when they don't work.
In one word describe yourself.
--Happy
Is there anyone you wish could “see you now?”
-- I sometimes wish my old friends from the Philippines could see me now.
What is your dream job?
--English teacher in Germany and rockstar on the side.
Do you listen to music? How often?
--If I'm not listening to music, it's playing in my head. Everyday!
What is your favorite movie?
--The Big Lebowski, Dogtown and Z-boys, and Band of Brothers
You is your favorite celebrity?
--
Brittany Spears: yes or no?
--Over my dead body.
Michael Jackson: yes or no?
--meh
Tom Cruise: yes or no?
--I don't CARE!!!
Madonna: yes or no?
--Sometimes.
What is your favorite song?
--Depends. Maybe ... Sylvia Said by John Cale
Are you easily offended?
--Not really. Just about a few things.
What is your favorite book?
--The Lord of the Rings
Does the idea of going to college intimidate you?
--Actually, sometimes I get intimidated about going back to school.
Do you like change?
--I like the idea of change, but it's really hard to do.
Are you a control freak?
--Not about most things. But in the classroom, I probably am.
What is the scariest experience you’ve ever had?
--I look back on things I did and can't believe I survived.
What is the happiest moment you’ve had in the last year?
--My band playing three shows in Texas.
Do you consider yourself a hard worker, or are you lazy?
--Hard worker, but I procrastinate.
What is your favorite leisure time activity?
--Playing music.
Do you like reading? Why or why not?
--Yes. Sometimes I try to read things that are too hard.
When you read, what makes it interesting for you?
--The way the author uses words.
What makes you feel like a successful student?
--Getting an A in a really hard class. Feeling prepared. When the teacher tells me I did a good job.
What are your plans for next year?
--Next year, I'm planning to move to Germany and then to the west coast.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Top Five Songs
In our class we have been reading the book High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. In the book, the characters make lists of their top fives. For example, the book has lists of top five songs, albums, movies, American movies, and personal breakups.
This is a list of my top five favorite songs in chronological order.
1. These Arms of Mine -- Otis Redding.
2. Hickory Wind -- Graham Parsons
3. Sylvia Said -- John Cale
4. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine -- Modest Mouse
5. Two-Headed Boy part 2 -- Neutral Milk Hotel
I reserve the right to edit this list at any time.
I'm having my students write their list of top 5's including the following information:
name of song
artist
year
genre
memorable lyrics
memory association
blurb
1. These Arms of Mine -- Otis Redding.
artist -- Otis Redding
year -- not available
genre -- soul
memorable lyrics -- Just be my little woman. Just be my lover. I need somebody to treat me right. I need your warm, loving arms to hold me tight.
memory association -- I associate this song with my junior year of college. I used to play this song really loudly from my truck because it was ironic in a powerful way. My college was small and students really liked terrible rock and roll songs. I found their tastes bland. So I would blast Otis Redding from my truck in defiance of the terrible music I was surrounded by. Looking back, it wasn't the attitude that made me cool. No, the attitude was decidedly uncool and preposterous. If there is any saving grace to my actions, it was just that I was listening to Otis Redding.
blurb -- The music and lyrics of this song reach into me and move me; this is bolstered, not betrayed, by Otis' raspy, pleading voice.
2. Hickory Wind --
artist -- Graham Parsons
year -- 196?
genre -- country
memorable lyrics -- Now when I'm lonesome, I can always pretend that I'm getting the feel of hickory wind.
memory association -- I associate this song with sitting at a friends dining room table in North Carolina. I used to play music in a coffee shop there.
blurb -- Hickory Wind is a song that has always existed; the artist just pulled it out of the air. It is best sung as simply as possible. Overproduction takes away from its floating quality.
3. Sylvia Said
artist -- John Cale
year -- 197?
genre -- pop
memorable lyrics -- So I'll cope with you. Don't cope at all. Let's leave it all to the chef. And please send my regrets in case I forget to a PO Box nobody owns.
memory association -- I remember listening to this song at my friend's house in Dallas. The house was very dark and we were drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. (Yes. I used to smoke. Don't do it. It's very bad for you.) His room was lit by a very dim light so every looked orange as if it were lit by candles. My mother called me at his house and told me about a friend of mine who died in Iraq. I know it sounds cliche, but I felt like his soul floated away with the music. Ironically, the music sounds very stilted and unimpressive to some listeners.
blurb -- The perfect song if you want to remember the ghost of hope when loss stops by for the night.
4. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine
artist --Modest Mouse
year -- 1997
genre -- independent (indie)
memorable lyrics -- you can be ashamed
or be so proud of what you've done
but not no one, not now, not ever or anyone
take 'em all for the sense of happiness
that comes from hurting deep down inside
Or you can walk th line and give a shit
I'm on the corner of this and this and this and this
and its all all wrong, and its all all gone
memory association -- The first time I heard this group, I didn't like them. Then one day I put on the album, went out to the parking lot of my apartment complex, sat in a lawn chair, and listened to it. It was in Arizona in the spring of 1999. I knew from that day and forever, that I would love this band. I have never lost that feeling. I have never stopped listening to this album.
blurb -- The song moves from hard to slow to fast to stopped to raging. It's like a normal day.
5. Two-Headed Boy part 2
artist --Neutral Milk Hotel
year -- 1998
genre -- indie
memorable lyrics -- Brother see we are one in the same. God is place where some holy spectacle lies. God is a place we will wait for the rest of our lives.
memory association -- Every time I hear this song, I think back to driving from Dallas to Little Rock Arkansas to visit my sister and bury my grandfather. I felt like the trees along the highway could remember me. I wondered how long the had been there. I wondered what it would be like to be an animal who lived near the tree. I wondered if they knew the kind of furious lives that passed them by in cars. I wondered if I knew the kind of furious lives that I passed in my car every day. Everyone has a soul, aching to be realized. Everyone has to bury someone.
blurb -- Will we ever realize if forever really exists?
This is a list of my top five favorite songs in chronological order.
1. These Arms of Mine -- Otis Redding.
2. Hickory Wind -- Graham Parsons
3. Sylvia Said -- John Cale
4. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine -- Modest Mouse
5. Two-Headed Boy part 2 -- Neutral Milk Hotel
I reserve the right to edit this list at any time.
I'm having my students write their list of top 5's including the following information:
name of song
artist
year
genre
memorable lyrics
memory association
blurb
1. These Arms of Mine -- Otis Redding.
artist -- Otis Redding
year -- not available
genre -- soul
memorable lyrics -- Just be my little woman. Just be my lover. I need somebody to treat me right. I need your warm, loving arms to hold me tight.
memory association -- I associate this song with my junior year of college. I used to play this song really loudly from my truck because it was ironic in a powerful way. My college was small and students really liked terrible rock and roll songs. I found their tastes bland. So I would blast Otis Redding from my truck in defiance of the terrible music I was surrounded by. Looking back, it wasn't the attitude that made me cool. No, the attitude was decidedly uncool and preposterous. If there is any saving grace to my actions, it was just that I was listening to Otis Redding.
blurb -- The music and lyrics of this song reach into me and move me; this is bolstered, not betrayed, by Otis' raspy, pleading voice.
2. Hickory Wind --
artist -- Graham Parsons
year -- 196?
genre -- country
memorable lyrics -- Now when I'm lonesome, I can always pretend that I'm getting the feel of hickory wind.
memory association -- I associate this song with sitting at a friends dining room table in North Carolina. I used to play music in a coffee shop there.
blurb -- Hickory Wind is a song that has always existed; the artist just pulled it out of the air. It is best sung as simply as possible. Overproduction takes away from its floating quality.
3. Sylvia Said
artist -- John Cale
year -- 197?
genre -- pop
memorable lyrics -- So I'll cope with you. Don't cope at all. Let's leave it all to the chef. And please send my regrets in case I forget to a PO Box nobody owns.
memory association -- I remember listening to this song at my friend's house in Dallas. The house was very dark and we were drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. (Yes. I used to smoke. Don't do it. It's very bad for you.) His room was lit by a very dim light so every looked orange as if it were lit by candles. My mother called me at his house and told me about a friend of mine who died in Iraq. I know it sounds cliche, but I felt like his soul floated away with the music. Ironically, the music sounds very stilted and unimpressive to some listeners.
blurb -- The perfect song if you want to remember the ghost of hope when loss stops by for the night.
4. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine
artist --Modest Mouse
year -- 1997
genre -- independent (indie)
memorable lyrics -- you can be ashamed
or be so proud of what you've done
but not no one, not now, not ever or anyone
take 'em all for the sense of happiness
that comes from hurting deep down inside
Or you can walk th line and give a shit
I'm on the corner of this and this and this and this
and its all all wrong, and its all all gone
memory association -- The first time I heard this group, I didn't like them. Then one day I put on the album, went out to the parking lot of my apartment complex, sat in a lawn chair, and listened to it. It was in Arizona in the spring of 1999. I knew from that day and forever, that I would love this band. I have never lost that feeling. I have never stopped listening to this album.
blurb -- The song moves from hard to slow to fast to stopped to raging. It's like a normal day.
5. Two-Headed Boy part 2
artist --Neutral Milk Hotel
year -- 1998
genre -- indie
memorable lyrics -- Brother see we are one in the same. God is place where some holy spectacle lies. God is a place we will wait for the rest of our lives.
memory association -- Every time I hear this song, I think back to driving from Dallas to Little Rock Arkansas to visit my sister and bury my grandfather. I felt like the trees along the highway could remember me. I wondered how long the had been there. I wondered what it would be like to be an animal who lived near the tree. I wondered if they knew the kind of furious lives that passed them by in cars. I wondered if I knew the kind of furious lives that I passed in my car every day. Everyone has a soul, aching to be realized. Everyone has to bury someone.
blurb -- Will we ever realize if forever really exists?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Censorship of the Arst
This week our essay will be focusing on the censorship of the arts. I find myself metaphorically sitting on my hands a lot trying not to give an opion, nor trying to poo-poo my students' opinions. This I think is one of my greatest teaching challenges.
C.S. Lewis writes in his Reflection on the Psalms, that people (generations) tend to assume that they stand on the apex of all wisdom and knowledge. It's a difficult practice to steer clear of that thinking -- a kind of constant drawing up of subconcious assumptions.
So in my attempts to get students to open their minds to new ideas, I'm trying to ask a lot of questions about why their opinions are true.
Students' minds have formed the way they have for innumerable reasons. I think it would be a mistake to assume that agreeing with me is progress (though I stand by my views regardign censorship). The goal should be developing students who can think about, express, and support arguments.
More to come regarding this.
C.S. Lewis writes in his Reflection on the Psalms, that people (generations) tend to assume that they stand on the apex of all wisdom and knowledge. It's a difficult practice to steer clear of that thinking -- a kind of constant drawing up of subconcious assumptions.
So in my attempts to get students to open their minds to new ideas, I'm trying to ask a lot of questions about why their opinions are true.
Students' minds have formed the way they have for innumerable reasons. I think it would be a mistake to assume that agreeing with me is progress (though I stand by my views regardign censorship). The goal should be developing students who can think about, express, and support arguments.
More to come regarding this.
First Week of Class
Look, let me be honest with you. I'm writing this blog for two reasons: #1) to experiment with online tools for ESL teaching and #2) to give my students a chance to look at some of my ideas.
The first week of class has been interesting. I've found out a few things about myself:
1) I don't like using other people's grammar diagnostics.
2) I get more information regarding grammar from student writing rather than the diagnostic tests.
3) I must give daily reading quizzes to monitor student reading and understanding.
That's all.
The first week of class has been interesting. I've found out a few things about myself:
1) I don't like using other people's grammar diagnostics.
2) I get more information regarding grammar from student writing rather than the diagnostic tests.
3) I must give daily reading quizzes to monitor student reading and understanding.
That's all.
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