The Creation of The Monster

It was a dreary night in November when the efforts of my work produced fruit. The rain was pattering on the window panes, and thunder rumbled in the distance. I washed my hands for the last time, and sheepishly dried them on an old rag. I then proceeded to attach several wires to where my creations main nervous system and organs were. The neck, the temples, the joints, and the heart were my main areas of focus. I walked on the cold stone floor, over to the nearly extinguished candle. I considered making a fire in the fireplace for a moment, but something that trivial would only distract me from the task on hand. The task that I slaved months over. Once the task was done, would I feel joy? Proud? Godlike?  What if I failed? 

My shaking hands grasped the lever to the complex electrical system I had built. Hundreds of meters of wire was coiled around the room.  With my heart pounding, I pulled the lever which erected a tall lightning rod into the air. Within seconds the largest bolt of lightning I've ever witnessed ignited the sky and the room all at once. My manic screams could not be heard over the defining cracks of the thunder. Surely lightning that is large and powerful enough to destroy a tree would I have killed me! Once the danger had passed, I moved over to my beautiful creation to see if it was a success. The room was silent except for the quiet breathing escaping his lips. But to my terror, his eyes were soul less, and his animated limbs did nothing to comfort his harsh appearance. Its stature was eight feet in height, which for the first time it scared me. Its breath smelled like the rotting flesh I worked with, but I couldn't breath it in it was that foul. He was not alive, but a demon possessing a pile of flesh! It looked at me with its murky yellow eyes, and it groaned a deep, ghastly note.  I ran out the room and retreated to my chamber for the time being. If only it was just a dream.

Great Thinkers: Dimitri Mendeleev

Dimitri  Mendeleev, often known as the father of the periodic table was born in 1834, in Russia. Mendeleev was the youngest of more than ten children. His father was a teacher of fine arts, philosophy, and politics. However his father became blind, and lost his job leaving his mother to provide for the family. Tragically the factory his mother worked in burned down, and the mother's last hope was to get Mendeleev into a good school.  After a far travel, the university of St. Petersburg accepted the ten year old Mendeleev, and his mother passed away shortly after that.

Later in his life, Mendeleev proposed the Periodic Law stating that the elements can be arranged periodically base on their atomic mass. At the time there were about six other scientists publishing articles about the armament of the elements, but most of the credit goes to Mendeleev, because his methods was the most accurate. Surprisingly, only about 56 out of the 96 natural occurring elements were discovered at the time. Mendeleev was literally obsessed with the idea that the elements could be arranged in a perfect table that makes sense. He even said he saw the complete periodic table in dreams. He would then have sheets of paper with elements characteristics written on them, and he would arrange them for hours on end in frustration. He would notice that elements with similar properties had similar differences in weight, but beyond that his work wasn't getting him anywhere since the only numerical property he could work with was the atomic mass (protons and electron were not yet discovered, and Mendeleev himself didn't believe in atoms). Finally he realized that it there were simply elements missing, and with that he started leaving gaps in his table.

However, this feat in itself was not what makes his work amazing. Once he knew where elements were missing, he started predicting the properties of the missing elements. No one knew the details of the elements as well as Mendeleev. His obsession drove him crazy, and when a French scientist named Paul Boisbaudran claimed to have found an element, and published it's properties. Mendeleev was outraged, and claimed that he found the element before him. He than proceeded to claim that the element's atomic mass was something else, and when Boisbaudran recalculated the mass it turned out that Mendeleev did know more about the element than the discoverer did himself. In total Mendeleev correctly predicted five different elements. Two of the elements he predicted were not discovered until 50 years later! This is probably the most badass thing to ever happen in the chemistry world.

Today the periodic table is used by scientists all over the world. The periodic table helps us understand the properties of the elements, and it helps us predict reactions that occur. Mendeleev's contribution to the scientific world supported many other scientists in their studies. He also studied petroleum production, coal mining, and and agricultural practices. He also  acted as a government consultant for issues such as gunpowder production, and terifs. Over the past century, our understanding of elements, and the atomic world, has evolved dramatically considering that in our current model of an atom was only established in 1932. Dimitri Mendeleev is most certainly a thinker that used some aspects of rationality to study pur world, and give us a better understanding of it.

Macbeth Soliloquies

Soliloquy Number One: "Two Truths Are Told"

What Macbeth says in summary:
He brings himself aside, and thinks out loud that two of the witches' predictions came true. He became Thane of Cawdor, and now he contemplates how the witches' third prediction will come true. He exclaims that the thought of him becoming king is getting him excited. Murdering the king, and obtaining the throne had once seemed like a a foolish fantasy, but if the witches speak the truth than it may be possible for him to pull off.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy sets in stone the idea that the witches are real, and it foreshadows that the play is going to become very dark. Macbeth lets out his true feelings about how he wants to be king, and let's the audience understand Macbeth's thinking when all these crazy things are happening.  This soliloquy is also a fork in the roadway for the play, as Macbeth is questioning his own intentions. He wants to be a good person, but he feels that he isn't cut for it, because his desires are two strong.

Soliloquy Number Two: "The Raven Himself Is Hoarse"

What Lady Macbeth says in summary:
She asks the spirits to make her more of a man than a woman, and to make her feel no remorse so she can go though with the plan.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy reveals that Lady Macbeth is a very dark person. In a way it's a plot twist, because the audience would stereotype the beautiful Lady Macbeth, and think that she is a nice woman. However, when Lady Macbeth violently denounces her womanhood, the audience is left with a whole new impression of her, and it is clear that she is on par with the witches.

Soliloquy Number Three: "If It Were Done, When 'Tis Done"

What Macbeth says in summary:
He says that if he is going to murder the king,than he should do it before he chickens out. He contemplates about what would happen if he carries out the deed. Bad things could happen in effect if the king dies. Macbeth also feels a bit bad, because the king trusts him.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy extends the drama of Macbeth's decision making. Macbeth is constantly backing out of the plan, and this gives the audience hope that maybe Macbeth won't go though with the plan. The added reasons why Macbeth shouldn't kill the king will make his crime much more unthinkable in the long run.

Soliloquy Number Four: "The Dagger"

What Macbeth says in summary:
Macbeth tries to reach for a dagger in front of him, but can't grasp it, because it he is hallucinating. He says he sees it because he is about to murder the king. He than concludes that he should get the jog done before he backs out again.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy spoken by Macbeth is the turning point in the play. Macbeth starts hallucinating about a dagger, and he reaches out for it. This shows his obsession, and desire for killing the king to obtain power. If we were to compare the play the "Hero's Journey" than this would be the point were he enters the abnormal realm. Macbeth has made his choice which path on the road to take, and won't back out his time.

Soliloquy Number Five: "To Be Thus Is Nothing"

What Macbeth says in summary:
There is no point of him becoming king if he is going to be knocked off the thrown so easily. He is afraid of Banquo, because Banquo is smart, and righteous. He also fears Banquo, because the witches said Banquo's sons were to be kings.

What this does for the play:
If we were to compare this to the "Hero's Journey" this is one of the series of quests Macbeth has to do in the other realm. In order for Macbeth to remain king, he has to eliminate any other threats to the throne.  It also let's the audience know that there are worse crimes to come, and that the play won't stop with one murder.  On top of all this, it adds drama, and makes the play much darker. Macbeth is now plotting the murder of his best friend, and he doesn't even stutter at the thought. This shows that he is completely immersed in his obsession for power, and will stop at nothing to secure his place on the throne.

Poetry Project: Poem based on reflection of "Have A Nice Day"

Nothing, nothing nothing
Dark and empty is my self
And when something, something
Good seems to happen with my health
It's a half assed lie
A spur of the moment
A burst of optimism based on my
False thoughts waiting for comments.

When the highs are mountains waiting to be conquered
And the lows are deep seas, unexplored
The urge to be consumed by the dark liquid is overwhelming
And the mountains are a fairy tales made by birds

When everyone says it's in my head
When the smell, and taste, and feel
Of every earthly thing is so dreadfully
Overpowering that it takes my insides and peels
My outsides. I feel numb.

Poetry Project: "Have A Nice Day" by Spike Milligan

Poem link

The Title- What it means in relation to the poem

One might think the title would imply that the topic is pleasant. However, "Have a nice day" is a phrase often said by a cashier to a customer, and this sets another layer; another atmosphere to the poem. Cashiers have little choice but to be nice to the customer. Good service means a good reputation, a good reputation brings customers, and customers bring profit: a paycheck. Even if a customer is being rude "The customer is always right, even when they are wrong." is a rule imbedded unconditionally in a workers job. The title "Have a Nice Day" highlights how one person matters more than another, just like a customer and cashiers relationship. 

How The Poem Sounds- Structure, flow, etc.

The poem is a conversation between two men. This may be a reflection on how the author feels on the topic on a personal level. He might have encountered similar conversations, or situations, many times. The poem has an ABAB rhyme scheme which gives it a childish feel, like a Doctor Suisse poem. This gives it a childish comedic sound despite the heavy topic. There are no patterns in the stressed and unstressed syllables, probably with the intention of leaving a natural conversation sound.

Research on the author
The author, Spike Milligan, was born in 1918, in India, and spent much of his childhood in India. His father was Irish born, and his mother was English born. He later moved back to england, and lived most of his life in England. Most of his poems are described as being "literal nonsense" with his most famous poem "On The Ning Nang Nong" being a popular children's song in Britain. Later in his life he got depressed, and his poems became darker in content. Many of them were WWII themed.
         However, this poem is not about his thoughts on WWII, but on his struggles with depression itself. When Milligan was alive, people didn't think mental illnesses were illnesses. The poem describes a situation between two men. One with a disease, and one who is drowning. Milligan literally drowning in depression, while society fails to recognize his problem.  Milligan did die with a disease (liver disease for that matter), and on his grave stone he wanted written "I told you I was ill". The church didn't want to put that inscription on the stone, so they wrote it in Irish rather than English. " I told you I was ill" is another is pretty much like saying "I told you I was right". He was right. He was ill; with depression, but no one recognized his problem until he got something, that was to the public's eyes, an issue. The poem "Have A Nice Day" captures the authors feeling towards how mental illnesses are treated.

The five W's
Who's in the poem?: Two men having a conversation.

What's  happening?:  Both men have a problem. One is drowning, and is asking for help, but he is told to wait until the man with a disease has his problems addressed. Both men die as a result.

Where?: Presumably by a large body of water.

When?: In a time period when doctors went to the patient rather than the patient going to the doctor.

Why did thing happen the way they did?: Both men died, because no one prioritized who's need were more important in the situation.

Symbolism and metaphors
The author uses the drowning man as a metaphor for depression. Depression is drowning. It's when someone is submerged in sadness, and vast emptiness. When the man with a disease tells the drowning man to wait, it's literally a person with a problem telling a mentally ill person that their problems are not that bad. The doctor represents society. As the men are waiting for Doctor Browning to solve the diseased man's problems, the drowning man states "I'll try and stay afloat. By resiting the poems of Browning, and other things he wrote." This line is peculiar, because first, browning is referred to as a doctor, and then a writer. The drowning man is mocking society by saying "If it's all in my head, why don't I just read a present story to make it go away?" with as much sarcasm as possible.

Mood, Tone, Atmosphere
The mood created by the poem is dark, and humorous. The author does this by incorporating dramatic irony with light conversation tone. When the man with a disease says "I'm waiting for a  doctor J. Browning. Till then try to stay afloat." the reader responds by thinking "that's silly. Just pull the man out of the water" , but than the drowning man accepts this excuse. The reader thinks "No! Keep screaming for help", but the drowning man stops being concerned with his own issue, and sympathizes with the diseased man. The two men continue their little chit chat until they both die which tops off the irony because one of the two men would have been easily saved if they took the situation seriously.

The purpose of the poem
The purpose of this poem is to show how stupid people can be when solving problems. Rather than just waiting for someone to step in and fix things, they should try and work it out themselves. Rather than the two men waiting for the doctor to come, the diseased person could have got someone to help the drowning man. Evan if the diseased man were to sacrifice himself to save the drowning man, at least both of them wouldn't have died. 

Connections to the Reader
Readers can relate to this poem, because there is constantly horrible things occurring around the world that don't get resolved properly. Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Justice does not exist. Children die in school shootings, war, and in poverty, black people die for being black, and sick people die because they have no money. The drowning man didn't die because because the diseased man would not help, but because no one helped. Other connections to readers can be maid if the reader has experienced similar situations where no one would help them out in a time of need.

Why I don't hand assignments in.

http://tfios-food-cats.tumblr.com/post/114264812930/if-looks-could-kill-id-have-died-a-hundred-times

Innovation that's inspiring

Valspar Color For The Colorblind: https://youtu.be/ea_xOqNvntA

1970s italian singer wrote a song to sound like english when it was in fact just jibberish. It was a hit.

Prisencolinensinainciusol (with lyrics): https://youtu.be/Y5up86JJD5s

Why

God forbid you put jewelry on your baby because their fat little necks and arms are going to swallow it whole, and it doesn't look nice. Also, if you're doing to make your girl "girly and cute" you are a horrible person.

Benny-Little Game

Benny - Little Game (Official Video): http://youtu.be/WNr3x1kVVEc

I got lucky with this one

My bro came across this is a northern harrier hawk dollar in his wallet one day, and he gave it to me. I guess the original owner miss placed it because this is part of a set that you'd probably have to go out of your way to buy. There were only 35000 minted and none were put in circulation. So this is probably the most valuable piece to my collection 😊

A Neat Little Thing

This is a 1941 Reichs pfennig. This coin was minted for four years during the war in Nazi Germany. It's composed of just zinc, so the value isn't very much, and as you can see there are some white patches from oxidation. My mom found it a year or so back when she was cleaning out her dresser. I think she told me that after the war there were a lot of them left over, and a whole wheelbarrow of them couldn't buy you anything. Naturally people got rid of them so you don't come across them very often. Its a neat little piece of history to my collection.

My favourite conspiracy theory

Finland Might not Exist
The best part is, is that this guys parents backed it up better than most people can back up their religion.