"Sounding to my own ears like Darlene in full throttle, I said: 'Don't play dumb. You invited me over here knowing she was going to pop in. To Kate, that means you're letting other people know you're a real couple...'"(Wolcott 268).
This quote, and others like it throughout the end of the book, shows the great impact that Darlene had on Johnny. Although he does not like her at this point in the story, he has gained a new point of view on the behavioral patterns of women. I think that Wolcott wants the reader to question whether gaining this new perspective was worth losing Amanda. The simple answer would be no, that a relationship is more valuable than a new acquired skill, however in the long run, Johnny may be happier and have less issues with his girlfriends because he is now able to better relate to them thanks to Darlene.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
75 words, #2
What is your opinion of your book so far?
I think that my book is interesting and very relatable. Although I have never caught my significant other cheating on me, the writing is very descriptive and allows the reader to understand the main character's thoughts. I like books which have thoughtful characters because I find reading about their thoughts or "getting inside their head" to be interesting. For example, the reader is able to learn more about the character through explanations like "I applauded hard at the end, though, to show that I wasn't some new York snob" (25). Sentences like these allow the reader to understand Johnny's thought process.
page 26/314
Thursday, March 22, 2012
more than 75 words
What is the most interesting thing you've read about so far? Why?
The most interesting thing part of The Catsitters thus far is the setting. The book is set in Manhattan and I have always loved books which were set there. I am a big fan of the "Gossip Girls" book series, as well as other books set in Manhattan, like One Fifth Avenue. However, the Manhattan which is described in The Catsitters is much different from the previously mentioned books because it is not a "chick book" like the others. Also, the author of The Catsitters is writer for Vanity Fair, which is a magazine which I find to have a "New York City identity. James Wolcott's Manhattan background adds to the authenticity of the descriptions of the city.
On page 15 of 314
The most interesting thing part of The Catsitters thus far is the setting. The book is set in Manhattan and I have always loved books which were set there. I am a big fan of the "Gossip Girls" book series, as well as other books set in Manhattan, like One Fifth Avenue. However, the Manhattan which is described in The Catsitters is much different from the previously mentioned books because it is not a "chick book" like the others. Also, the author of The Catsitters is writer for Vanity Fair, which is a magazine which I find to have a "New York City identity. James Wolcott's Manhattan background adds to the authenticity of the descriptions of the city.
On page 15 of 314
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Trip To Barnes & Noble
I would immediately go to the Fiction section and browse covers (bad method but it’s what I do). I would look for covers that look like “Chic Books”, like the Gossip Girl series and Sex in the City. I would pick out a few books and then I would try to find a chair to spend the remainder of my time reading and skimming through the books to find the ones that I would buy with your very generous $25.
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Newsweek Lesson
All businesses have been feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, but the pinch at Newsweek may be more than just the economy. Advertising revenue continues to drop while other publications like Time and The Economist are seeing their advertising dollars increase or at least remain steady. Many disgruntled employees believe that they know the reason for Newsweek’s struggles and her name is Tina Brown.
Tina Brown is one of the senior editors, but some believe that she acts like the only editor. Employees know to submit their stories near the end of the week to avoid too much interference from Brown. The other senior editors feel like she is overstepping her bounds at well, as they quit within hours of each other. The cause of this sudden upheaval seems to be a change in Brown’s luck. The editor has also been known to be very impulsive and exacting; however these traits no longer seem to be bringing the favorable results to Newsweek that they once brought.
However, it isn’t all uphill for Newsweek. Brown remains optimistic and some of the employees who had quit are now returning to Newsweek. Some employees find working at Newsweek dreadful while others enjoy it and praise Brown. This is reminiscent of a family who feverishly cleans their house before having guests over to create the appearance of cleanliness which they only see when preparing for company. Some workers at Newsweek may be creating a façade with happy faces and cheerful statements regarding their boss, while others may be more truthful. Although it is impossible to tell, some level of this is almost sure to be taking place.
Being aware of this situation can be beneficial when handling similarly difficult situations in life. People commonly change their answers to the same question to evoke a desired reaction out of the listener. This fact is particularly important when trying to collect information from your subordinates, for they are likely to try to please or impress you with their answers. This can cause them to be misleading and even tell outright lies. This effect often took place to some extent in the Newsweek office, for it is likely responsible for the vast differences in worker opinions of Brown.
Article:
Related:
Photo: Ziegler, Jonathon. Tina Brown. Photograph. Women's Wear Daily. 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. <http://www.wwd.com/media-news/print/tina-browns-rocky-days-5378680?full=true>.
The Span of Invisibility
As Esquire writer David Sedaris travels through Europe, he casually inquires about the differing Christmas traditions of the European nations. He finds that some countries open their presents on Christmas Eve, and others on Christmas morning. But the most unique Christmas tradition can be found in Holland.
The Dutch Santa makes his rounds on December 5th in celebration of Holland's St. Nicholas Day rather than on Christmas Day. The Dutch tradition further conflicts with American tradition, for Santa Claus is much different in Holland. The man we know as jolly and plump in America is painfully thin and dresses not unlike the Pope in Holland. This is because the Dutch Santa is believed to have previously been a Turkish bishop before he took up his current occupation of being Santa Claus. He lives in Spain and arrives in Holland by boat, an event which is televised each year. Furthermore, the Dutch Santa visits the houses of children with “six to eight black men” (the people Sedaris met on his travels were not sure on the exact number). These men were previously Santa’s slaves but now they are his good friends. If the Dutch child was good, candy is left in their shoes, while if he or she was bad they are kicked by Santa and his friends or put in a sack and brought back to Spain.
While it is easy to laugh and poke fun at foreign traditions, it is more useful to make comparisons and discover relationships between these odd beliefs and something with which we are more familiar. One such relationship can be found when comparing the Dutch Christmas traditions to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. The (largely Caucasian) Dutch population is unable to give the exact number of black men who help Santa despite the fact that the tradition is centuries old. One might offer the conclusion that Santa’s black helpers are invisible to the white population of Holland.
The Narrator of Invisible Man also felt invisible to white people, albeit they were American rather than Dutch. In this way one can see that the invisibility of black people is universal and is therefore an important matter. By increasing people’s awareness of this issue, the invisibility is sure to decrease. For this reason, I am affected by this topic of invisibility because I must be aware of making others feel invisible, in addition to making sure that I do not become invisible to others as well.
Article:
Related:
Photo: 2011. Photograph. MW3 Forum. 10 Oct. 2011. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. <http://www.mw3forum.com/showthread.php?t=48490&page=3>.
Lenn Hann Runs a Mile in the Narrator's Shoes
Lenn Hann is an inventor from Wheaton, Illinois who has discovered the importance of having an agent, the hard way. He has had moderate success without one, for he has successfully invented and sold many small products, including an electronic cat toy. However, distance running has always been Hann’s passion and he ached to invent a cutting edge running shoe.
Photo: Shea, Daniel. 2011. Photograph. Wheaton. Bloomsburg Businessweek. 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-greatest-running-shoe-never-sold-01122012.html>.
Inspiration struck on an August night in 1997. Under the cover of darkness, the inventor ran 13.1 miles barefoot on the walkways of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. He ran faster and felt better after the run than ever before. Convinced that the walkways were the cause, Hann would begin to attempt to design a shoe which would provide a similar sensation.
He modeled the shoe’s design after that of the walkway. In 2004 Hann patented a novel running shoe which used carbon fiber instead of foam to act as cushioning. Things seemed to be going well as Hann found an investor to finance the making of prototypes of the shoe and have it analyzed in a lab. Through testing, it was found that runners wearing Hann’s design used an average of 2.2% less oxygen than those wearing control running shoes.
New Balance showed an interest in producing the shoes and called Hann in to talk price. He asked for an extraordinary amount and New Balance closed negotiations as a result. Luckily, Under Armor seemed to be next in line, as they were hoping to produce Hann’s shoes in their first shoe line. Negotiations began and after much grumbling a preliminary contract was signed. Then tensions over money grew and Hann became increasingly nervous. He flew to Oregon to meet with Adidas representatives, only to return to find an email from Under Armor expressing their regrets as they too were closing negotiations.
In short, Lenn Hann was never able to learn his lesson. He made a mistake when he demanded too much money from New Balance, and repeated this mistake when he met with Under Armor, only to come to the same result of closed negotiations. The Narrator of Invisible Man has the same problem as Lenn Hann. Neither one can learn from their mistakes, and as a result, they continue to make the same mistake and suffer from its consequences. Parallels can be drawn between the college and New Balance, and between the Brotherhood and Under Armor because the men made the mistake the first time at the college or with New Balance, and then repeated this mistake for a harsher consequence at the Brotherhood or with Under Armor. The two men then went into hibernations, as the Narrator goes underground and Hann’s shoes, which represent years of work, collect dust in his closet.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Longevity: A Curse or a Blessing?
Morality and immorality have fascinated humans for centuries. Many look to religion to answer questions relating to these topics, but Jesse Green looks to some ancient Jews instead. In his article “What Do a Bunch of Old Jews Know About Living Forever?”, Green follows Dr. Nir Barzilai as he conducts his research in longevity. Barzilai chooses to base his research on elderly Ashkenazim Jews for multiple reasons, the most important of which may be simply because they can be found in abundance in New York City. The Kahn siblings, who were believed to be the oldest sibling quartet in the country, if not the world, took part in Barzilia’s research and captured the spotlight of Green’s article.
“…if you lose your eyesight, you are 99 percent dead” explained Peter, who was blinded by glaucoma and macular degeneration in 2007. Even in relatively good health, especially for his age, Peter is depressed. Living with parents who are nearing sixty, I can see the downside of being old, whether old is fifty or 100 years old. Of course this is not a reason to stop living when your first grey hair sprouts, but I would take this into consideration before attempting to increase my lifespan with gene therapy. However, the counterargument is nearly all medical treatments aim to increase lifespan in some fashion and the treatments which may be developed as a result of Dr. Barzilia’s research are no different. I can see both sides and I would need more specifics before making a decision.
Article: http://nymag.com/news/features/ashkenazi-jews-2011-11/
Related: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/science/22longevity.html
http://www.einstein.yu.edu/aging/longevity-genes-project.aspx?utm_source=ein-cpr&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=agingproj
Photo: Lane, Christopher. 2011. Photograph. New York Magazine. 6 Nov. 2011. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. <http://nymag.com/news/features/ashkenazi-jews-2011-11/>.
Irving Kahn has just celebrated his 106th birthday. He still works at his brokerage and money-management firm with his son and refuses to take vacations. His sister Helen, better known as Happy, has just died only weeks shy of her 110th birthday. Leonore Kahn died relatively young at 99 and Peter continues to live, although blind, after 101 years. With cooperation from the Kahn siblings and other “SuperAgers”, people over 95 who have yet to have cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or serious cognitive decline, Barzilia has found genes which are likely to play a large role in longevity. Multiple drug companies are now experimenting with ways of allowing those who are genetically less fortunate to reap the benefits of great DNA, but some question whether the additional years are worth living.
“…if you lose your eyesight, you are 99 percent dead” explained Peter, who was blinded by glaucoma and macular degeneration in 2007. Even in relatively good health, especially for his age, Peter is depressed. Living with parents who are nearing sixty, I can see the downside of being old, whether old is fifty or 100 years old. Of course this is not a reason to stop living when your first grey hair sprouts, but I would take this into consideration before attempting to increase my lifespan with gene therapy. However, the counterargument is nearly all medical treatments aim to increase lifespan in some fashion and the treatments which may be developed as a result of Dr. Barzilia’s research are no different. I can see both sides and I would need more specifics before making a decision.
Article: http://nymag.com/news/features/ashkenazi-jews-2011-11/
Related: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/science/22longevity.html
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