"Dirty Politics?"

Here's an interesting article from the Wash Post for those who are curious about the money spent on campaigning, the tactics used and their effectiveness, some of the job opportunities for those interested in working a campaign, or just because you like to read about this stuff.

As Election Nears, Duelling With Dollars

Curious to read some of your reactions to the content.

Mr. Thompson

BNW Trends?

So, if "Harrison Bergeron" was Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. concerned about equality run amok, leading to mediocrity and shunned excellence, what's going on with Brave New World?

Brave New World Existentialism

Hi again! If anything from Brave New World struck you as existential, offer your example here with text support for credit. There will be three more of these in the next 10 days about BNW - comment once for full credit, twice for extra-credit, three times for the fun of it, (and yes, four times to be an over-achiever).

Tempest Pre-reading Blog

Erin starts us off with:

I found the beginning, the contrast of nature versus art to be quite relevant to today. Montaigne says the things that have been "altered by our artificial devices and diverted from their common order we should rather term savage". This applies to the diminishing supply of oil that our country relies on so heavily, as people have brought up in the previous post. While I don't think everything we've done to alter nature has been harmful, it would certainly be a challenge to find an area of the world remaining that hasn't been tampered by humans, civilized or not.

6:39 PM

More Polls Results Concerning Upcoming Election

Here are some links to websites to access some recent poll results for:
Senate
House
Gubernatorial

These types of sites might be good to bookmark between now and the election.
Just another couple of places you can go to get similar info to that which Mr. Decker gave us in class today.

Mr. Thompson

also, here's a site to start getting excited about!

What Democrats Would Do

First of all, I hope you all have a great MEA break.

Secondly, now that you all know your political persuasion, I hope you know how the 2 main parties align. We will be spending considerable more time talking politics and the influences as we get closer to midterm elections.

Check out this recent article in the Wash. Post entitled What Democrats Would Do in which it is spelled out what some of the Democrats policies might be should they take control of the House/Senate/Both.

For you Democrats and Republicans in the crowd this should illicit some sort of response. Feel free to blog it or simply put your head out the window and scream.

Later, Mr. Thompson

And, some other interesting recent events, as I am a bit of a political junkie. . .

Today had another Washington Post article tearing up the blogosphere which indicated MN 01 (Gutknecht v. Walz) is the DCCC's #1 priority -- in fact, the only race mentioned! It's at the end of the third paragraph. Notice a pattern of both your teachers independently reading the Post. . . hmmm. . . maybe you should add it to your list.

And, a new website that exploded into the millions of hits in the 2004 election, and is now the second place most polinauts go. Who knows the first place?

Later, Mr. Decker

existential endnotes

Here's my existential moment: In twenty years, mid-Octoberish, will I be writing an entry encouraging students to blog their Grendel responses? Or, even darker, will I not and it won't matter? Or will I and it still won't matter? Is there a bigger picture or do I keep doing the same corner of the same painting? Or might I mock such existential nihilism like Gardner does?

Well. After you slog through another day of school, followed by another night of work and homework, have at it here.

Grendel Humor

Pg 7 -- "'No offense,' I say, with a terrible, sycophantish smile, and tip an imaginary hat."

Pg 168 -- "For pure, made prank, I snatch a cloth from the nearest table and tie it around my neck to make a napkin."

Your turn:)

APLG Strands help

Strands help, anyone?
Check out these!! Who wants to update them? Let me know if there are any other websites so I can forward the favor to the next APLG generation! Most of these authors are willing to share/give up ownership. .
.http://apsgstrands.blogspot.com/
http://apsgstrands2.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_apsgstrands2_archive.html and http://www.dellanave.com/apsg/strands.php (this used to work, allowing anyone to update/add, but he pulled his most extensive files - maybe he can be convinced to put it back online. . . )

Beowulf Links Take Two

a few really nice supplementary material links. Sure you can just use CliffNotes or SparkNotes to get the story summary, theme, -yawn- and character guides, but why not explore a bit more and find some peachy-keen information?

Link One (why recreate what is already great?)

More background info

Extra-credit for the first thirty-six responses posing either A) a significant tidbit of Beowulf trivia - but it must be as interesting as the fact that Anne Hathaway was 8 years older than Shakespeare when they married (and probably preggy!) or B) theme driven astounding revelation, ie: Grendel represents man's sinfulness.

Enjoy!

back to essays

Scandal in the House

Paul brought up Tom Foley in class today and if you aren't sure of the details...look it up. Anyways here is an interesting article about "how things are" and "how things used to be" according to a man that was directly involved in how things used to be. Enjoy!

See if you can pick up any use of your rhetorical devices in Mr. Califano's article.

When the House Could Clean Itself

Mr. Thompson

An article for Becky

Becky asked for an article, so here goes. This would fit later when learning about the Executive Branch and the president's advisors but it was in the news today and very interesting. Plus it is a good example for several areas that we will be studying later in the year.

Should He Stay?

Feel free to respond with comments or questions. Try not to let your feelings about the war in Iraq or Donald Rumsfeld influence what you blog. There will be a time and place for those comments to come forth.

DT