Matt's Musings

[kingmateus-blog]

Matthew! You can come get a photo this summer at the RB: "This is my Lit Prof, who also makes a great Mojito!" Srsly, though - I've heard that Tim O'Brien regularly makes appearances through the Speaker's Series at UNF - so go see him and report back!

Oh that's so cool!! Hey also I was wondering if Oasis is down It won't pull the page up also I'm trying to see if my gpa dropped because I have a professor that input my grade wrong and she said she won't change it and I really don't want to lose cum laude :(

[kingmateus-blog]

Last Post :(

Well I believe this is the end. I had fun guys. The reading was good and I especially liked Elic and the Goon Squad. The class was fun and very entertaining even though some never really got outta their comfort zones lol. I don't really know what to write other than I kinda think I kicked that exams arse but I will wait and see if Professor Clark can read my writing :). Well I probably won't see ya'll unless you are graduating with me or going to UNF. If ya want shoot me a friend request on FB @ [email protected] and we can swap stories and stuff as we progress on this collegiate journey!!

[republicanvampires-blog]

I don’t know how to feel about the PowerPoint included in Goon Squad. On one hand I don’t understand why it needs to be in there. It seems like just an easy way to wrap the whole story up. You know instead of writing a detailed account of events and developing the characters you can just put it...

[kingmateus-blog]

On the subject of pauses I understood it to represent a transition into loss or a beginning to an end. There are two examples I can think of one is fireworks and the minute or so before the grand finale its almost its like a psychological game prepping the observer for an end so when it finally comes there is not as much loss of joy it also conveys suspense.  The other is when i was four I thought my fish died and I cried for hours it turns out it hadn't died yet and by the time it did I had already expressed the extent of the grieving period and was ok with it. I may be way off base but at least this was my interpretation. And as far as autism I don't mean to sound cynical but its all marketing its becoming a lot more prevalent in society and people think they can relate to it even if they just donated money to get a puzzle ribbon. In this book I think it just shows the effect of Sasha waiting so long to have kids as autism  shows up more often in the offspring of older women. But anyways I agree that it is becoming too ubiquitous it's one thing to raise awareness but sometimes people love to milk a concept for all that its worth. Also side note speaking from experience in these matters I think the majority of childhood diagnoses are  highly inaccurate and misdiagnosed I know it pisses people off but I don't believe in the Western concept of "fixing" children one pill at a time. Well I'm gonna step off the soap box for now lol good luck on your finals.

[areallysimpleone-blog]

I wrote this about the Marauder that came upon him in the woods after the truck stopped. If you enjoyedThe Roadtell me your thoughts.

Its been seven days or has it been nine? A tingle that eats at your body the whole damned grey day. It greets you in the morning with a kick, pesters you in the...

[kingmateus-blog]

Great Job Eric!! I did a Mishna on the suicide tour from Jule's perspective. It was pretty interesting I think although I left out his love of footnotes. I liked the idea because it felt like you were ghost writing like my words weren't my own and I was merely delving a little deeper into something the author originally didn't elaborate on. It was good to give voice to someone else and I think it would be a great opportunity to explore a whole novel based on a different perspective.

[kingmateus-blog]

Last week!!

Hmm I really don't know what to even post about.

The Semester is over and these last couple of weeks have been hectic I feel like a juggler , but luckily it will all be over soon. I'm excited to get my essay back I have read over it 14 times today and think I could've done worse. I find it hard to write creatively these days, especially for school.

[pineda-joanna-blog]

SO far I’ve been nothing but depressed throughout The Road. But the saddest part of the entire book, so far, is that the boy was born into this apocalypse. He’s been running since even before he was born. I guess its kind of redundant to say that we’re all born into some kind of crisis, but the...

[kingmateus-blog]

Wow that post seems a little cynical. I agree the world is full of bad thing but I believe more so that this book signifies drive for survival and will power and our. It shows that even in the darkest of times their is always hope it may not in the most convenient forms but nonetheless it is there. To me the book shows human nature in its rawest form and how far different people are in this situation and it begs the question whether or not they really are different or did they always harbor this side of themselves. It cuts away the layers and shows the world for what it really is.

[kingmateus-blog]

So I know you all missed me but Monday I was sick and Wednesday something important came up right before class. This book is slow and depressing I bought the ebook to help with referencing but I find myself getting distracted and taking too many breaks. This class has a real odd plot line we start with what I felt was the high note with ELIC we went into war with Things They Carried rocked with The Goon Squad and now we end up in this dreary post apocalyptic world. I hope this book gets better. Crossing my fingers** On a side note since the trip I have noticed Tennessee Williams named drop in pop culture a lot kinda cool I'm probably just noticing it more.

[vansoff-thewall-blog]

I haven’t finished this reading yet, but i really am enjoying it. It’s been throwing me through hoops and i really look forward to finishing it and seeing (hopefully) all of these somewhat loose ends tied together. I just want everyone around the campfire loving each other and having a kumbaya...

[kingmateus-blog]

You're right time doesn't stop for anybody and it is the most valuable commodity. its sad to see these characters drift away and forgotten. I think the saddest part isn't that they are getting old but that their freedom is repressed they can no longer defy the bounds of society. They have obligations and rules and this takes from their true selves. It is as if they let themselves age and die by forgetting how to feel. Whether it is from the numbness of wild lives or some exotic psychosis they have lost all sense of self becoming that which they feared and rebelled against the cookie cut models, the privileged. They have traded one obsession for another. I'm not looking forward to some subtle end or some reunion with familiar and unfamiliar faces. I want it all to explode I want this repression to finally reach its zenith and to create true impacts and memories that will live on.

[kingmateus-blog]

The significance of insignificance

I have been reading and thinking of our last class discussion where we talked out the significance of Scotty's insignificance and how we hold on to ideas and associations for their nostalgic value. The book seems illustrate the difference in perspectives. This happens again in the Safari and the fact that although they shared this experience nothing else tied them together.Very much like the safari I have had some life changing experiences that I shared with a few unique individuals. Years later I find myself looking back to the past and may even look some of these old acquaintances up. It always starts with vague unfamiliarity their perception of the event has either changed or it was never that strong of an occurrence for them to dwell upon. It happens to us all the value of things is unique to the individual like the saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes those people that have the most effect on your life may not even know your name.

[kingmateus-blog]

Project :)

We are back which means contrary to popular belief Professor Clark is a safe driver :)

So the concepts for this project are very interesting and give so much room for all of us to express ourselves. I especially like the Mishnah and the soundtrack one and think that I may merge them mostly because I enjoy music so much that to me it doesn't really seem like work and will help elaborate on the Mishnah. I hope everyone is enjoying the book and the project although I haven't finished the book and have yet to start on the project i think it will be a lot of fun. There are so many perspectives to right from and a plethora of great music to choose from :) Have a good day off everyone see you all on Wednesday!!

[eldridgekayla-blog]

Post 10

This book has been such a difficult book for me to get into and I am having a hard time catching up because I dread having to pick it up. I know that I have to get it finished and it is really not all that terrible but it’s not fun having to read a book that you really don’t want to read. I have, however, grown to like how the stories flop between each chapter. Especially now that I have been able to draw the connections between each chapter. I am hoping it gets better!

[kingmateus-blog]

I feel ya there I thought I'd be able to catch up on the ride but its a book you really have to be in the mood to read. I do like how the chapters flip and the perspectives change it makes it a little easier to digest as everything is fresher like a new beginning or a first chapter. I really plan on catching up this week hopefully tomorrow I think that once I get in the mood to finish it I will really absorb it.

[kingmateus-blog]

Yay!!

I was able to work out my scheduling conflicts so I get to go this weekend!!

[kingmateus-blog]

Today I watched a great movie, Hugo, I'm sure some of you have probably seen it. It was very reminiscent of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in my opinion. A boy loses his father and starts an adventure to try to find a message he believes his dad may have left him. I'm not going to ruin it but I found it interesting that it too had the symbolic Key as an integral part of the storyline. Its fascinating how such a mundane thing can evoke such intrigue in people even I have always been interested in old keys and imagine the possibilities as to what they could open. It symbolizes so many things like our curiosity, our sense of security, secrets, truths and so much more. 

[eldridgekayla-blog]

This reminded me of the scene of the Dresden Bombing in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. It make me think of what the planes looked like as the were sending down the fiery bombs to destroy the city of Dresden. I mean, if you could have even seen them in the air at that time. I do not know much of the bombing except what was in the book, but it has made me want to know more about what happened and why it did. 

[kingmateus-blog]

The part about Dresden really seemed like a turning point in how I understood the context and characters of the book. It is one thing to talk about war but it holds so much more weight when you convey it on a personal level. It's different when you talk of the large scale such as a distant war in German but to sum it down to a man and his family and his town being burned alive with only a mere glimpse of hope it makes it that much more emotional. The picture is a great example.

[kingmateus-blog]

Pi

Happy Pi day everybody :)

[lisarios-blog]

Lisa's 8th Blog

I’ve gotten so distracted.  I knew I had to complete a few things, some on Friday, and then of course the blogs by Sunday.  Talk about procrastinating!  I waited until the last minute for everything.  And then, when I’m finally on my way to my computer tonight to blog, stinkin’ Twilight is on!  Bad acting, bad this, bad that, and I love it.  Luckily it only captured me for about 20 minutes.  I can’t wait to get into Goon Squad.  I think it’s going to be fun.  Hope you all enjoy your break!

[kingmateus-blog]

The same with me I am a huge procrastinator I really need someone or something to prod me to get what needs to be done. I have had a billion things on my mind and haven't been able to fully focus, fortunately this class uses more of the illogical part of my brain that kicks in after sleep deprivation. I'm looking forward to the goon squad too I still have to go pick up a copy this week so I have no idea what its about I hope it's a nice contrast to what we have read so far.

[kingmateus-blog]

So I'm not exactly sure what there is to blog about as this break hasn't really started yet I've been at the casa taking care of my sick girlfriend. The midterm was fairly decent if I remember correctly there were a few things I forgot but overall it wasn't too bad. Looking forward to the rest of this semester and hopefully things run a lot smoother in this second half :)