Fear of the Frog and the Toad

Slimy, or rough, smooth, or lumpy, they all give me large goose bumps, like having mosquito bites covering my body as soon as they are present. Whether it is one amphibian or another, it doesn't matter, they all fill my stomach with fluttering, anxious butterflies; the kind that one should feel when singing a solo in front of 1,000 people, not while glancing at some silly grimy frog or toad. The myth has always been that these nasty creatures penetrate warts hiding beneath the body's epidermis layer, but I would never get close enough to one of them to be able to supply an answer to that myth. Between the ugly illustrations in the children's book The Frog and Toad and the heaping amounts of the small, adolescent amphibians that lunge themselves towards my feet while mowing the thick sod in my backyard, it's hard to tell which one triggered my fear. While this phobia, Ranidaphobia, has rapidly grown as the years have gone on, these mysterious, googly-eyed, ugly creatures seem to be multiplying even faster. They don't just rest on top of their lily pads now, but they lurk under warm, soft hot tub covers and cling to the window of my car, as I try to drive with my eyes closed (not really but I wish). The frog, and toad, may seem like neat, interesting amphibians, but I am confident that they are creepy, ferocious predators.

Book Connection Blog: The Last Song

I don’t read much, usually just before I go to bed. I have a vivid imagination, and not many books catch my attention early enough for me to keep on reading.  However, every young girl has perceived what her future husband would be like. In the book The Last Song my dream came true. It all started with the connection of Ronnie’s relationship with her dad being exactly how my relationship with my dad works at home-either best friends or even better enemies. My dad and I are very alike, as well as Ronnie and her dad, so we bump heads more often than not. Already having a solid connection kept my mind intrigued. Reading farther in the book it became evident that Ronnie had a passion for music, as do I. Music is my peace of mind…Ronnie’s was at one time too. Music brings people together; it creates connections, whether it is with family, other classmates, or even within you. Music has kept me out of trouble. When I get bored I play music, listen to music, or sing to the music. My final connection came when a handsome, tall, country boy walked into Ronnie’s life. Growing up in the outdoors and having certain tastes, it is important for me to find a significant other with the same interests… like Will in this great novel. He fulfilled my perception of that “perfect” husband: family orientated, good looks, athletic, smart…etc. These personal connections kept me reading, and in the end it became one of my favorite books. The dreams I had when I was a little girl came true when Will entered this story line. It is clear that this book reminded me a lot about myself, but that is what kept my attention focused. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great love story, and it is a quick read too!

A Stolen Life...

Jaycee Dugard was only 11 years old when walking to her school bus, right before being abducted. It started out already as an odd day because her mother forgot to say goodbye before leaving for work; as she was reaching her stop, an odd van arrived behind her. It was then that Jaycee would live her life being hypnotized by a cruel, perverted man, who said with the "help" of Jaycee she would save all the other children, which he would leave alone.

This book was a tough read because of the vivid, disturbing details. Pictures that I would never imagine, ones's that no normal person should ever imagine, were forced into my mind. It was like a dream while reading her powerful story. She had such a hard life, but to her, her life with Philip Garrido was never going to be the end. Her end was going to be when she was reunited with her mother, when her two daughters were grown and married, and when she finally would be freed from the evil man who got to call himself "daddy" to G and A (her daughters).

This memoir was more captivating that any other memoir, or even non-fiction book, I have ever read because it was so recent in time. I think about all the McFarland children who walk to the school bus every morning, and I would do anything to make sure this situation never happens here. Children deserve to play at the park, learn at school, and cuddle with their parents at night-not the life of being a sex slave.

One of the best ideas Jaycee points out throughout her book is that pets are therapy. I have a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, and let me tell you, he knows when something is wrong with me. Whether I am sick, sad, or even mad, Bentley (my dog) knows how to be the best friend possible. I think this holds true with any animal. Jaycee spent her life in captivity with multiple animals in and out. Although the majority of them didn't last long residing insider her small, outdoor tent, she did have a few cats, a parakeet, hermit crabs, and two of her neighbor's dogs that were with her until the end. I, personally, believe that Jaycee would not have held up as strong as she was through her journey without all of her animals. Spending 12 hours alone in the dark is one thing...having someone, an animal, to interact with during those 12 hours is another. I believe they kept her sane.

Jaycee Dugard may have the writing skills of a middle school child; however, she adapted to being a mom at age fourteen with a dangerous, evil stranger, and I think that beats learning how to write gramatically correct any day. Her writing throughout the book wasn't half bad, but then again given the opportunity she may have become a beautiful, strong writer...that path just wasn't the one she had been provided with, but the future may hold something different.

I think if I were in Jaycee's shoes I would not want Phillip put to death, nor would I want people to force their hatred upon him. I would want him to have to pay for the terrible crimes he commited: kidnapping, rape, drug use...etc., but I would want him to have to pay for my life that was stolen right before my eyes. I would want all of his money to go towards "our" two daughters, so they could have a better life than what I ever had. Phillip Garrido did take care of Jaycee, Nancy, his mother, Pat, and the two girls, but with all of the wrong intentions. He is a confused man who has always lived a troubled life by not ever receiving the help he has pleaded for. Along with Phillip being blamed for this tragedy, I blame the parole officers, therapists, Nancy Garrido, who went along with the whole thing, even while against it, and the local community for never noticing anything strange, when all along Jaycee was right in front of their eyes.

For some reason, I believe that Phillip had finally had enough the third time he was going to be put into prison..."third strike and you're out". I think he knew that it'd be best for his daughters if they were some place else while he was in prison-not realizing he would never be allowed to see them again. Phillip's mind was warped, and I don't think he will ever be considered "normal". Prison is a good home for him and his angels (the voices he hears in his head).

Jaycee Dugard has showed me brighter than daylight that being grateful for even the smallest things can go a long way. At one point she longed just for toilet paper. Each of us go to the bathroom expecting it will be there; it's just part of our normal, daily routine. I look at things now through a magnify glass. I cherish the moments spent with my mother. I look at my future positively because I know I have one. Jaycee didn't know where her life would end up, but she always made the best of things, even if a few tears dropped here and there. This memoir was not only an eye-opening read, but the definition of reality; being taken could happen to any of us, so we might as live our lives to the fullest while we hold the opportunity to.

Standing On Your Own... As a Woman!

By far, Sarah Hepola may be the most inspiring, independent female author out there. I thought by the title, "Every Woman Should Travel Alone", that she'd portray herself as some depressed woman repelling any man that entered her life because of an awfully hurtful past; however, that was not the case for this woman.

The message of this essay was not to be a "loner" and live in the dark...it was to reassure oneself by learning to stand on your own in the world. Sarah didn't ride along the Pacific Coast Highway, drive to Alaska, and across Montana into Quebec because of boredom; she did it to conquer all of her fears in the world that could have existed even while sitting on her couch watching reality television.

This essay correlates well with the popular talk about women's rights, which has consistently shown up in recent political discussions. Sarah demonstrates clearly after acting very stupid, solely through the intoxication of alcohol, that not only men but women do stupid things. Why should women be more careful than men? It is just a matter of a gender difference. Stupid actions don't fit different genders more or less...stupid is stupid, period.

Fifty years ago the act of one's daughter leaving to travel the world on her own would be frowned upon because women were more incapable then...they were suppose to be housewives and give birth to multiple children, but now days it's not about the incapability it's about the danger of a woman being alone. The world is wicked, but it is equally as wicked of a place for men as for women. Without facing your fears now, alone or not alone, one may fail to become the person they have always wanted to be...as Sarah quickly found out.

I don't know how people can judge a woman traveling alone but not a man? It seems unbelievably sexist, and I feel like it is the year 2012, and people need to get over it. Sarah acquired an addiction, traveling. She had a desire to run all over the world. I believe that this attitude is becoming more of a trend rather than boyfriends, girlfriends, and babies. Big romances don't happen as often as they did fifty years ago, so why not obtain crazy, fun addictions?

I very much agree with Sarah's message in this essay. There is no way that in five years I will be letting myself live in the dark...especially just because I am a girl. My dream is to learn new languages and visit less privileged countries to help teach children or even medically assist them. Being young and stupid may seem irresponsible to a lot of adults, but let's be real, they all did it too, that's why they know the ridiculous outcomes.

The ending line is my favorite throughout this entire essay : "That the greatest trip of my life came because I did not get the things I wanted." I think that if everyone found a way to gain something new after not getting what they wanted originally, it would broaden the happiness in people's lives. Everybody gets set on one thing and that's all they can see through their tiny tunnel, but just as Sarah showed there is really an entire world out there waiting to be explored by each and every one of us...man or woman!

Baseball is More Hazardous Than Football! (Mr.Kunkle you'll like this one!)

To start off, this caught my eye because I know Mr.Kunkle and I share an interest of baseball. Baseball is a huge recreational activity in my family, and my cousin, my role model, actually just finished his first summer playing for the Madison Mallards, and I hope he can go even farther in time. But even with my great love for this sport, it seems that it is more dangerous than football is...my second favorite sport. Sunday night football seems to be doing less damage after the players retire than when baseball players do.

It all started when Grantland's Bill Barnwell established an informal survey about morality rates among professional football and baseball players. The results did very much surprise me, as well as for Mr.Barnwell. About 3,000 ex-football players who played a least five seasons between the years of 1959 and 1988 obtained a death rate of 12.8 percent; however, with a lessened number of about 1,500 baseball players, their death rate was at about 15.9 percent during the same era. I feel like when you watch a football game you are always going "ooh" and "ah" to all of the tough hits thrust upon one another, but with baseball it seems much more relaxed and rarely do you see a dramatic injury; it's the "gentleman's game". Football has always had the scare of concussions, so I don't understand how baseball has a much higher percentage?

The best part of this entire essay is the part where it states, "The health risks associated with playing football were being more than outweighed by the benefits of being a pro athlete-excellent training and nutrition, a good salary, top-quality medical care, and so on." People now days care more about the money and the fame, but what they don't realize, yet, is that they cannot have all of that when their dead. In my opinion, I think it is pointless to risk dying at such a young age for five years of "the good life". But quite frankly it is the "good life" that is getting them farther than being a professional baseball player their entire life.

The results of this survey may seem to be looking at cumulative "wear-and-tear" rather than acute injuries that are acquired throughout football season. A football star's career is much shorter too...a baseball star's career lasts almost 60 percent longer.

The argument that I agree with the most is that the use of chewing tobacco or snuff is lessening these baseball player's life. It was shown in a 2009 study that only .2 percent of NFL athletes use tobacco; clearly, that is way low compared to the 36 percent of Major League Baseball players. I think common sense should get someone the answers they need to know about the consequences of using tobacco.

This article really opened my eyes to see how even the smallest stereotypes can be reversed. Nobody saw it coming that baseball would kill more than football does, but now that we know the true facts it will just create more studies to find the exact reason why it does. So my advice...get out their and play ball while you still can!

Mary's 19 Article....(which I deleted once already)...

While endeavouring to complete this long article, it became much more difficult while summer was still going on, and the sun was still shining through my blinds. Procrastination hit me hard; however, I became interested in Mary Wollstonecraft's article when I knew it had something to do with me, a women growing up in a tough society...where men seem to still be of the greater sex-where they are almost made a "God" to our society. It caught my attention from the very beginning when she said: "Women are told from their infancy, and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain for them the protection of man; and should they be beautiful, every thing else is needless, for, at least, twenty years of their lives."

I felt like she almost detested this statement but at the same time supported it? Throughout this article I felt as if Wollstonecraft was there to protect women and their rights, but she did it in a very awkward way.

I did, however, agree with her argument to have men and women educated by the opinions/manners of the society that both of us live in. Why alter it due to who you are or where you've come from? Her opinion of "the most perfect education" coming for the exercise of one's own reason is completely correct in my opinion as well.

She calls herself arrogant, but I think she shows courage by writing such strong beliefs in such intelligent sentences. She has a unique way of writing where she uses big words to go off on tangents, where at times, I think she makes no sense at all. She pushes her point across with her statement of, "faithful expression of my feelings; of the clear result, which experience and reflection have led me to draw."

In my opinion, I feel as if Wollstonecraft focuses on how much women have been degraded rather than how to fix the inequality between the two genders. When she says, "...they do to-day what they did yesterday, merely because they did it yesterday..." seems like an understatement to me. Women have the right to gain total equality, and I feel like many women have enough education to stand up for what is right.

Without a doubt, there is an education in our society that is dedicated to creating a gentleman figure; however, I feel like there is an education not far behind that one, which teaches how to be a lady too. She believes acquiring manners before morals is a negative thing... but I for one think that obtaining either in your personality is a great thing- for either gender too!

It seemed to me that she put more focus on what she thought women could be rather than what they are. Even with the scrambled thoughts that I attained throughout this article, Wollstonecraft definitely had a slick, beautiful way with her words. She writes with such dignity and strength behind her beliefs; it's incredible! For some odd reason, the sentence explaining, "...obedience is the grand lesson which ought to be impressed with unrelenting rigour," caught my attention greatly-maybe because I thought it was as ridiculous as she did. She also speaks wise words throughout her article and creates unique comparisons, such as, soldiers vs. women, oblique sunbeams vs. a man's charm, or even stripped virtues vs. clothing humanity.

Even with the long stretch of what seemed to be a never ending article, it was solely to enforce her beliefs. Wollstonecraft had very mind-twisting thoughts. She not only seemed to contradict herself at times, but she also was spot on with my opinion at times too. "-But, whether she be loved or neglected, her first wish should be to make herself respectable...", what a fabulous sentence, which every girl/women/daughter/mother should follow. Clearly, she (Mary Wollstonecraft) may have some interesting ways of expressing herself, but nonetheless she is a very talented writer who wants to change our society now and forever to make it equal for the female sex.

Stupid Google or Stupid Us?

Nicholas Carr hits the spot in this essay when he states, "The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle." Not only do I see this happening with people around me, but I notice it occurring within myself. I use to be able to read an entire Harry Potter book without any distractions, but now that is not the option of choice for my lazy days. It's difficult at times to concentrate just on the book in front of me instead of the many other distractions that surround me.

Another point he makes that I completely agree with is, "The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer." I love writing, it is my stress reliever; however, whenever I need to know a fact I do not go deep into the topic with researching it; I just look up the small part of information that I need right from Google. I do reckon that the Web is beginning to take over not our ways of reading but our ways of thinking. The study within the British library concluded with a spectacular idea that..."It almost seems that they (people) go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense."

Even with all these sharp points Carr has started to make, I have also, again, widened my vocabulary. There were about a dozen words in which I was unsure about, which I am now able to add to my vocab. cards. His different variety of words, specific examples from studies all over, and strong opinion lead to a great article, intriguing his readers during every part. I did not get bored or fidgety while reading this because it has to do with me and my future.

On a personal note, I firmly believe that the laziness of our country has not only affected our health but our intelligence... just how Carr has stated. When a large text assignment is assigned during a class, there is no doubt that over half of the kids "read" or skim the words to just get by. Why waste your time skimming though, when you can add a few extra minutes and complete it thoroughly and benefit yourself? It almost seems that most kids do not want to accept the free education they are granted; instead, they enjoy their parents spending money each month, so they have access to Google, YouTube, Wikipedia...etc.

Clearly, just how the article explained, we may be reading more with the production of all our new technology, but it is a different type of reading, which leads to a very different type of thinking. Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University makes it evident that the connections we make while traditionally reading are disappearing as we introduce the new ways.

So the answer to the title of this blog, in my opinion, would be stupid us. There's no mistake in saying that Google is a very smart tool. In fact all of the technology leading up to it...typewriter, steam engine, Internet...are extremely intelligent tools for us to use, but how far do we go until we stop? Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google, want it to go as far as possible. They are hooked on the belief that having all the information in our brains already, or providing it with the use of Google, will make us better off. Google's motive is to "solve problems that have never been solved before". So besides the rest of society lessening its intelligence, Brin and Page are trying to become geniuses in cracking the hardest problem ever, artificial intelligence. I agree with Carr with the conclusion that, "It is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence." Google clearly isn't benefiting any one's future except for these two founder's; it'll just take time for more people to realize that.

A Whirlwind of an Eclipse...

Have you ever been in the middle of a story when an even greater thought jumps into your head? I feel like this is how Annie Dillard told her story in the article Total Eclipse. She jumped from her personal experiences on her vacation at the inland of Washington to a deep, detailed image of a clown painting she once saw in her hotel room. Annie never stuck to one point, and if she did, she rambled on and on. Besides her gaudy, vivid sentences, she created magical pictures while writing her article. Even if the readers had no idea of what the definition of an eclipse was, it was made clear by the end of her descriptions. She amplified one moment-one memory-and carried it on...for what seemed a century.

It really caught me by surprise when such beautiful words and descriptions were turned into the comparison of corpses covering the grassy hill. The story's mood changed from unique and exciting to a dusky, depressing feeling. What I thought to be a cute love story between the author and her lover, Gary, slowly shifted into the "world's dead people rotating and orbiting around and around, embedded in the planet's crust...". At times I was confused during her story only because I couldn't really grasp the point she was trying to make.

Clearly, she used a wide variety of comparisons  to make clear the difference of a partial eclipse to a total eclipse. Anybody could gain the understanding of how different they were due to her eccentric collations between a kissing man to a married man, all the way to the temperature you feel while the eclipse is occurring above.

Even with great comparisons, minute detail, lively word choice, and a strong emotional sensation, Annie proceeded with her story eventually to make the point of waking up. She states: "We teach our children one thing only, as we were taught: to wake up." I agree completely with this utterance. She clarifies very well that the ones who do not wake up are living a "valueless" life. There is no doubt in my mind that Annie Dillard is a very intelligent author, and it is immensely portrayed in this article. I have never read such a mind twisting, beautiful article. She incorporated every memory/idea that came to her mind, but did it in a smart, formal way. Her story captures the audience in a storm of her thoughts vs. their thoughts; it is a competition to see which ones make the most sense...like Annie said, "The mind wants to live forever", so might as well try to make everything make sense while it is still working correctly.

Updike & Sontag

After reading John Updike's essay, I was left in a heartbroken mood. I had already lived through this awful tragedy, heard the horrific stories, and saw the unbearable photos, when I was just in second grade, but I had never heard someone describe it with such incredible word choice and vivid details like Updike did. He made me see war in a different way because he focused on this issue with a personal view-his family's story. Not only were the people in the towers and their family members hurt, but even the bystanders were scarred for life because of what they had to watch right above them. I never realized how affected people still are because of the events that occurred on September 9th, 2011. The connection between American Freedom and the nightmare America faced really opened my eyes. The sentence that really got my attention and ended the essay beautifully was, "The fresh sun shone on the eastward facades, a few boats tentatively moved in the river, the ruins were still sending out smoke, but New York look glorious." He describes the aftermath of a terrible, life changing event with a impeccable, beautiful picture. He was able to look over the faults New York now had and still see the pride in all the freedom we still have.

Then, I read Susan Sontag's essay, and I gained a more angry mood rather than a gloomy one. I wasn't too thrilled with her pessimistic attitude, which I felt she provided while reading her essay. She clarified in her essay that our leaders, our citizens, and our country is not perfect, but I didn't feel like she had much hope for us either. Another aspect of her essay that made me feel uncomfortable was the fact that she said the perpetrators of 9/11 were not cowards. I believe that whenever you cannot sit down and calmly talk out a conflict you are as cowardly as you can be. Bombing a country you do not get along with, only shows that you have no courage to face them as humane human beings. Kind, brave heroes fight as civil people, and they complete their actions to better their country; they don't act as uncontrollable animals and act solely to harm others. I think Sontag gave up on our country after this event, when really I believe that it only made us stronger. Clearly, any country, even the United States, has room for improvement, but one downfall doesn't mean that our country is no longer the confident, strong country it was before this terrible event happened...it shows America is strong, and we can get through any grief or hardship that passes by along the way.

All About Me

Growing up on a lake has definitely made me enjoy the outdoors more than most young, teenage girls. I rarely have time to do what I enjoy the most-horseback riding, fishing, boating-because of the dedication I put into my school work. I am a social butterfly and love going to school; however, it'd be nice if I had a little more free time here and there. Another aspect of my life that takes up my free time is my job. I currently waitress at a local restaurant in Stoughton, Wisconsin, Springer's. I have learned a lot about growing up while working there, and I believe that it has shown me the good and the bad sides of the real world.

During those rare moments of free time, besides being outdoors, I enjoy cooking or baking, playing basketball or golf, playing the saxophone or guitar, and relaxing with my family. Although, while experiencing my rare moments of free time,during my study hours, or even before I go to bed, I always have music on-country music! I love country and how all of the words relate to some story you know or a moment you have experienced throughout your life.

This year I will be taking part in the biotechnology youth apprenticeship; however, I am currently enrolled in the MATC summer CNA program, and I have learned that I enjoy working with people rather than working by myself. I plan to still take on the challenge of the biotechnology course, but if I get the chance to work in a hospital, hopefully St.Mary's, I will switch my apprenticeship to working as a CNA. After my senior year, I plan to attend a four-year college, which is currently undecided. My dream school is Northwestern, but it is a very difficult school to get into! I have my mind set on something in the medical field, but I am again, currently undecided on what I want to do.

Hopefully you all have learned a little bit about my life and who I am, and I look forward to seeing you all during AP compositon this fall!