To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

Honestly my first impressions of Facebook were full of excitement.  My mom had previously renounced any thought of my personal information being open to the world wide web.  However after much pressure, I was able to convince her that my maturity exceeded most online and that I could and should have a Facebook.  When my mom could think of no other rebuttal's, she finally allowed me to join the world of Facebook,  I was ecstatic to say the least.  Now I could find and communicate with friends in a safe environment, or could I?  After reading "Why Facebook is After Your Kids", I am starting to find Facebook as less appealing than I first thought.  According to this article, Facebook is able to basically steal my private information and sell it off to companies yearning for a needy teenager.  This is taking place all without my knowledge.
Yes, Facebook does allow human beings to share information with the rest of the word, but for what price?  There must be a line drawn that separates our viral being from those who wish to use it to their advantage.

Autopsy of Vocab Midterm

• I felt I did better than I expected.  In fact, my qualms and worries about my score were shunned after I received my test back.  
• I can attribute the outcome to the time I put in studying.  I believe if I would have studied at least fifteen to twenty minutes longer each night and started earlier I would have improved my score.  I also did not reach out to my mom for help like I had planned, but instead used the resources Michelle Arriaga posted on her blog.  
• Again like I said above in order to improve my score i must start studying at an earlier date.  If I am to do this however a schedule must be included so that I will be able to track how much time I am giving each night to studying.  Next time I will also take advantage of an adult's assistance so that my verbal studying will be just as profound as my cerebral studying.

Fresh Prince of Denmark: Remix of Hamlet

Now this is the story all about how
My life got flipped, turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there
I'll tell you how I started to seize revenge on my evil uncle Claudius

In west Denmark born and raised
In the castles lower bailey where I spent most of my days
Chilling out, fencing, relaxing all cool 
When my evil Uncle Claudius, was up to no good
Decided to kill my father Hamlet because he thought he'd be hood                                                                I got a little crazy and my mom got scared  
And said to her new husband that I must be cared

I called on some players I knew would help me and when they came near                                                      I told them how to mock the death of my father and it became clear                                                                                                       
When Claudius ran out of the play after poison was dropped into one of the actors ear
He was the true murderer and my revenge was sincere

I was called by my mom about seven or eight
And I yelled at her and she screamed for help
For someone was spying on us so my sword I whelped
and stabbed that darn Polonius right in the heart

P.S. I know this is very corny, hopefully you found it humorous though!

Vocabulary: Fall List #8/Vocab Paragraph on Hamlet

abeyance (noun) A state of temporary disuse or suspension

ambivalent (adjective) Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

beleaguer (verb) Beset with difficulties

carte blanche (noun) Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best

cataclysm (noun) A large-scale and violent event in the natural world

debauch (verb) Destroy or debase the moral purity of; corrupt.

eclat (noun) An enthusiastic approval

fastidious (adjective) Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

gambol (verb) Run or jump about playfully

imbue (verb) Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality

inchoate (adjective) Just begun and so not fully formed or developed

lampoon (verb) Publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule or sarcasm

malleable (adjective) Easily influenced; pliable

nemesis (noun) The inescapable or implacable agent of someone's or something's downfall

opt (verb) Make a choice from a range of possibilities

philistine (noun) A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them

picaresque (adjective) Of or relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the 

adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero

queasy (adjective) Nauseated; feeling sick

refractory (adjective) Stubborn or unmanageable

savoir-faire (noun) The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations

Hamlet is a very ambivalent character to say the least.  The cataclysm that beleaguers his life is the sudden death of his father.  Hamlet's actions become refractory when told his father's death was merely an accident, in fact he is quite queasy at the idea that his mother is so malleable to believe this terrible event was nothing more than an accident.  Hamlet decides to opt out from the celebration arranged for the new king Claudius.  Even when he does however, Claudius indirectly lampoons Hamlet with such savoir-faire that the audience is not even given a chance to recognize the insult.  Hamlet is finally given an eclat at revenge when the ghost of his father visits him and speaks of his own murder.

Advice Column-Style Letter Helping Ophelia

Dear Ophelia,

Your situation is completely ecumenical.  I hope you understand that love is very complex especially when the one you have feelings for has recently experienced a traumatic event.  The death of his father has been a great bane for Hamlet.  I believe you should therefore empathize with his feelings.  For this reason I suggest giving Hamlet time to overcome the sadness that has engulfed his life.  Sometimes the best way to help someone is by giving them space.

When it comes to your father and brother I understand that their thoughts are quite dogmatic, however I believe you are old enough to make your own decisions.  Although they are merely trying to look out for your best interests and can seem very cantankerous at times, I believe they are being overly protective which is why you must not be malcontent with them.  Also, do not let your father and brother be harbinger's for a sad and desperate future.  Ultimately seek beatitude and pursue Hamlet, but let him recover before you give him all your love. 

Lastly, I give you kudos for reaching out to someone besides your own kin.  I hope this response was not too prolix but gave you an understanding of how to build your infrastructure of love with the prince of Denmark.

Best of luck,
Ryland Towne

Weekly Music Video: 10-1-12

Rizzle Kicks: Down With the Trumpets

Midterm Review/Study Strategy

My study strategy I must say will be very complex...not!  All I am planning to do is simply review all the vocabulary lists and have my mom test me on them.