Music Review

Ah, the assignment I've been waiting four months for. It was hard to pick just one album, but I have to give the runners up some credit. They are just as good as the album I chose, but I didn't really want to write about them. But you should still listen to them because they are really good. In no particular order: Coconut Records' "Nighttiming," Born Ruffians' "Say It," Belle and Sebastian's "Write About Love," Matt & Kim's "Sidewalks," and Girl Talk's "All Day." Right there, you have indie acoustic-ish, indie alt and kind of random, soft indie rock, overly catchy synth and lyrics, and a sweet mashup. But I digress. **If you don't want to read my full song commentary, read the following paragraph and the last paragraph. I won't take offense.**

When you first hear of the band Los Campesinos! they sound like a cool Mexican mariachi group (a campesino in English is a peasant). Alas, they are not. They're something even better. They are a wonderful indie pop group from the UK. The band formed in 2006 at Cardiff University in Wales, but none of the seven members are Welsh. Los Campesinos! is made up of Ellen, Gareth, Harriet, Neil, Tom, Ollie, Rob and Aleksandra. They are all known to perform with their real first names and then "Campesinos!" as their last names (like the Ramones, kind of). Sound good so far? It gets better. The name of their EP I'll be reviewing is called "Sticking Fingers Into Sockets." Everything is written by Gareth or Tom. Without further ado, the songs.

It opens with an extremely catchy yet kind of dark song (We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives), with a nice synth-y riff that walks down the scale and has some supporting drums, and even a glockenspiel played by Gareth. Gareth's lead vocals are really substantial, very British with a little harmony and chorus help from Aleksandra. The lyrics provide the subtle darkness with lines like "there's red stains all over the place/but they're not blood they're cherryade." This is my favorite song on the EP. "It Started With A Mixx" comes next and this one has the best lyrics: "trying to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop" and "it started with a mix/I think it always will." It has some really nice violin plucking, guitar and bass guitar. "Don't Tell Me to do The Math(s)" has some cool glockenspiel work and another catchy guitar riff, with bits of fitting violin sprinkled in between. "Frontwards" is alright, by this time on the EP, everything was beginning to feel a little repetitive. Aleksandra and Gareth have really good vocal chemistry. The fifth song "You! Me! Dancing!" is considered to be the band's hit, but it wasn't my favorite by a long shot. It starts off with slow guitar, then builds to muffled guitar and finally full guitar, glockenspiel and drums. Gareth's voice was alright in this, but true to the name, the song makes you want to dance. The last song "Clunk-Rewind-Clunk-Play-Clunk" is just to play the EP out, it sounds like a nice jam to be played at the end of the credits of a happy movie.

Well, if you've stuck with me this far, thanks. Los Campesinos! is a nice blend of indie pop, random instruments (like glockenspiel), delicate female vocals and solid male vocals. All in all, I give Sticking Fingers Into Sockets 7 out of 10. It was good albeit a tad repetitive-seeming. As I was listening (especially to "Frontwards" and "You! Me! Dancing!") I was reminded of another indie pop UK band with a slightly more grunge sound, Johnny Foreigner (Gareth actually did a song with them called Criminals- click here to listen to that). If you wanted to see them in the US, too bad. They were just here at the Metro, with Johnny Foreigner coincidentally. I'm bummed too. I hope this wasn't too long (actually it probably was). But I had a lot of fun writing it. Have an awesome break guys, and don't forget to listen to Los Campesinos!

*edited* Winter Poem

Holding Arctic Air

The sky is thick and gray, a heavy wool blanket

Draping the world in chills and shivers, instead of warmth

Muffling cautious boots on the sidewalk

And almost all is white and quiet

These flurries that we say are unique and beautiful

Spin down from the clouds, exotic dances around our faces

Landing gently on eyelashes, jackets, ponytails and gloves

Little pieces of kaleidoscope wonder melting on pink tongues

Snowflakes are not beautiful, they are awkward

Clumped together randomly like they are huddling for warmth and waiting for the Lincoln bus

Which arrived in a squeal of wet wheels and dirty slush

A leftover present from your faithful neighborhood snowplow man, free of charge

Oh, and when we walk our streets at night

Naked trees wearing nothing but thin frosty coats

Glaring yellow bulbs stand guard on the hard wet curb

We slip and fall on that invisible ice, shrouded beneath dirty footprints

Frigid air bites and freezes the end of our noses

Raw pink, and we inhale a rush of brisk exhilaration

There's something giddy and magical about winter nights

Holding arctic air in our numb hands, palms up, fingers outstretched and we feel so alive

Looking through fogged up windows transforms the streetlights angelic

Clean white halos against the dark night canvas

Pure beacons of warmth in a cold Windy City

Glowing through the night

Jay and Nick

Ah, Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, the best of friends. Or are they really? Let's take an in-depth look at their relationship [ick I sound like a trashy magazine].

Nick Carraway: an honest bondsman. He's kind of cynical, he comes from relative money but not huge amounts of money, went to Yale and is pretty sure of himself. He does not seem to fit in with all the East Eggers: they are all super rich and pedigreed, while he's from somewhere in the Midwest, Minnesota I believe. But he is cousins with Daisy and friends with Tom, so that will make him a key player in the chapters to come.

Jay Gatsby is an entirely different story. No one really knows where he comes from, so instead they make it all up. He's apparently a distant relative of Kaiser Wilhelm, or his parents died and left him a lot of money, but Jay tells Nick himself of his background. He was born in the Midwest, orphaned and left money and educated at Oxford. Or so he tells Nick, which doesn't necessarily make it true. But even though Gatsby is fabulously wealthy and has a huge house in which he throws parties in every other day, yet he lives in West Egg, the Egg with the less prestigious reputation of rich people. So everything is not what it seems with Mr. Gatsby.

Their relationship starts when Nick moves in next to Gatsby, but it is a while before Nick is invited to one of his parties. They meet in an odd way and strike up a conversation. Everything is all right, and Gatsby seems like a cool guy, kind of ordinary, served in the war, the usual [except of course, for his mysterious past]. All is well. Gatsby invites Nick to go fly in his airplane with him, male bonding, yippee. And then Nick learns why Gatsby is really interested in him: Gatsby is in love with Daisy Buchanan. They themselves have some history, and Gatsby has never stopped loving her. He knows Nick and Daisy are cousins, and Nick learns from Jordan Baker than Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy and him over, but is too cautious to ask because he might come off as rude. Nick does not mind and does it, and that's about where we have gotten to in the book.

Our initial impression of Gatsby is not what we thought it was. However just because he did one manipulative thing does not make him a bad person, really. I think we as the readers don't really know what to make of him at this point in the story. As for Nick and Jay? They are still forming a nice relationship, albeit with some mystery and tension. How will the story end? Well fellow classmates, we'll just have to keep reading.

The Trick of Writing [not a winter poem]

Edline says we are writing a winter poem but the sheet says we are writing about the trick of writing. So I'll compromise: I'll paint a nice wintry scene for you all, and then I'll write about writing. It sounds fair to me.

Picture this- you, sitting inside your warm house, a mug of hot chocolate by your side, an orange fire crackling in the fireplace. Snow is falling from the thick white sky, as if the whole world is under a wool blanket and the flurries are just part of the material. Outside, the wind blows and you see people walk by with red noses and flying scarves, but you are safe and warm. Winter. I can't much explain my love for it other than it's really comforting, and the wreaths and lights are beautiful downtown late at night, and going ice skating by the Bean is fun. Winter is that time where, I think, you feel you can do whatever you want, because with the snow and the cold air comes a giddy feeling of freedom and excitement unlike any other season. So without any further ado, the trick of writing.

Writers are modern day magicians. Save for the fact they can't make food out of thin air [although I guess, neither can the magicians, food is the first of the five principal exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration- huge Harry Potter fan, anyone?], writers cast spells over the readers, draw them into a world of new and wondrous proportions and keep them trapped there until the final events have unfolded. Writing is a type of magic. Okay, call me corny, but I like to write. A lot. The whole idea of this imaginary world where the author had complete control over, it fascinated me. But enough about me, onto the tricks.

For me, the word "tricks" implies some deceitful means of achieving the result you want. Or it could also mean tools of the trade, tips you need to know to be a successful writer. I prefer the latter definition. The trick of writing, you see, is just that: to draw the reader in. Once you've gotten your reader hooked, keep them on their toes. Make the story interesting. Make the reader want to keep reading. That, I think, is the most important trick of writing. Make them want to stay in your world.

But how do you get this enticing beginning, this worm of an opening paragraph to reel the reader in like a hooked fish? Many ways, at least that I know. A question, the end of the story, a random plot, dialogue between the characters- the options are virtually endless. Forgive me for not listing more, it's almost nine and I haven't started geometry.

Sorry this was really long, but I hope I fulfilled the requirement adequately. So good night to all, and happy second night of Hanukkah! :D

Thankful for a Classmate

Oh c'mon, this is ridiculous. I can't pick just one person in our class of like 30 people to be thankful. Because really, I am thankful for everyone. Be it a big or a small contribution, each person's little insights make the class the way it is. But of course, I don't get to talk to everyone in the class every day, even thought I'm really thankful for everyone. I'll just say a few people who I talk to the most.

First is Paulina. She's always really happy, even though it's second period and the rest of us can barely stay awake. She helps me with the House of Seven Gables questions, and provides thoughtful responses to the questions. We're also in the same division and Chem class, which is nice. Paulina is just a genuinely nice person, and I've never heard her say a mean thing about anyone.

Next is Loren. We talk about Bike Club or the weather or whatever song we heard over the weekend, and when I tell terrible jokes, she laughs anyway. She always has some funny comment to say about the morning. She also helps me with House of the Seven Gables, and provides a new outlook on questions.

Those are just the people in my near vicinity. Remy helps to lead the discussions on the questions we work on as a group, Billy always has some cynical and hilarious comment, Monica and Alaina are always talking about something funny, Simon has his rather vocal but thought provoking contributions to class discussions and Faith has her witty remarks.

And again , everyone in the class helps to make it what it is, but that would be too long a post :)

I Am A Plow [or Am I...]

A metaphor for a plow? I assume it's a metaphor because as you can see, I am not a piece of farming equipment. After much consideration, I realized a plow clears the way for other things, helps to get things done and overall, is a driving force. Ah, there we go! That's ripe for metaphorical deciphering. So without much further ado, here I go.

I don't really think I am a plow. I think the term "driving force" can really only be applied to one thing, as not that many people are driving forces for multiple things. At this point in my life, there are many things I care about, so I cannot really pick one to be a driving force for, if that makes any sense. Do I clear the way for other things, or help to get things done? Hm, how can this be metaphorically interpreted? Do I... lead, maybe, or help others to accomplish things? Yes, that sounds alright. I am a pretty bad teacher, I think, but I like to lead, or start, group discussions in class. Oh here, this sounds pretty good: I like to start things but not finish them. Plows start things, but do not finish them. For example, starting is plowing the field but finishing is planting the crops. Yay for farming metaphors! So in that respect, I guess I'm fairly plow-like.

So what have we determined? I am kind of like a plow, in the sense that I like starting and not finishing things, and that's about it. This was actually a really interesting prompt, in all seriousness. And it really made me think. Don't you love metaphors?

Well, Am I An American?

On paper and by law, yes, I am an American. Born and raised in the USA, I am a certified citizen. And even though I may not agree with every decision the leaders of our country make, I am still an American. But do I take pride in that fact? America is a big melting pot, the very symbol of freedom for those who wish to come here, or at least, that's what the United States started out as. But unfortunately, the lawmakers have changed, and the immigrants coming here have changed. Society has changed. Whether I like it or not, I'm American. N0 hiding it either with that trademark accent.

But the moment I knew I was an American? My family is not extremely patriotic nor are we anti-America. Perhaps the moment I knew I was an American was on one Independence Day, the Fourth of July. I must have been around nine or ten and my dad and I went down to Lake Michigan to see the fireworks go off. We had a nice-sized American flag and so I brought that. Seeing the crowds upon crowds of people decked out in their red, white and blue finery by the lake was a new sight for me, having never been allowed to go out this late on Fourth of July before. I felt a sense of true belonging with these people: even though we were so different, we were all able to bond over the anniversary of our country's freedom. There was an almost palpable feeling of unity and pride and the atmosphere was just so positive. And maybe some people at the lake was just drunk or looking for an excuse to party and that's why they were so happy, but little Nina didn't understand that yet, and ignorance is bliss sometimes. But I'm pretty sure the other half of the people who came to the lake that night were proud to be Americans too.

Us vs. Them- To Conform or Not To?

Ah, the age-old situation of the individual and the community. We've all had to deal with this before, whether it be a cool band or a political opinion. Do we follow the crowd and conform to fit in? Or do we stand out to be our own person and live our own life? Of course, people are going to stay stand out, but really, honestly, would you make a decision for yourself if it ruined a friendship but kept you from being the person you were?

It's a tough question, for sure. I'll give an example. You are not very religious, but you are a feminist and believe strongly that women should have the right to choose. Say you go to a Catholic school where even the choice of abortion is pretty much banned. If asked, would you state your truthful views? Would you not answer? Would you pretend to believe in something else because your friends might act differently toward you? If we were being totally honest here, I wouldn't answer it. My religious views should not get in the way of a perfectly fine friendship. If two people have different opinions, they should be able to state them or not state them and get along just fine.

So is it possible for two friends with different opinions to get along after both views are out in the open, and both feel passionately? I guess it depends on the person, if no one conforms [not to say I'm encouraging conforming]. But thankfully, we live in a free country, where we can believe and say whatever we want. Don't take freedom of speech for granted, and be yourself and state your beliefs, because if you aren't you, then who else is?

Before I leave, I would like to offer you all a few words of advice. Don't be that one guy who loves the same bands, dresses the same and does the same things as everybody else. Dare to be different.

John Proctor, Hero or Stooge? [better late than never...]

Before I start, yes, I do realize this is Sunday, and yes, I realize the blog was due Friday. I'm not going to waste time with my excuses because they are irreleveant. However, even though I may have already gotten a zero on this assignment, I'm still going to do it (of course!) even though I am two days late. So without much further ado, I present to you, ladies and gentlemen, the ever controversial John Proctor.
The place is Salem, the time 1692. You are an upright Christian man living with a pious wife and three children, and farming for a living. All is well in your small town: everyone gets along most of the time, everyone is a righteous, God-fearing Christian and nothing really eventful ever really happens. Not too bad, right? Until your life is turned upside down when three girls accuse your wife and you of being a witch (including the underage girl you had an affair with) and after a long trial and several more accusations, you are finally put to death. What a life.
So did John Proctor die a hero or a stooge? Both sides can make valid arguments, however, I believe he was a hero. It cannot be denied that he had an affair with seventeen year old Abigail Williams, who is in my opinion, a terrible flirt with some newfound power. When Abigail basically asks him to leave his wife and marry her, Proctor defends himself and says that, "...I will cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again." He realizes that he made a huge mistake in this one-time affair and now knows that he must be loyal to his wife and his family. But then Abigail softens and asks, "Do you tell me you've never looked up at my window?" And at the crucial moment, John says, "I may have looked up." So he does realize his weakness in that maybe he is not completely over Abigail, but after all, he is only human. He is vailiantly trying however, to resist this temptation and stay loyal to his family.
When Abigail claims to be possessed by the Devil and accuses John Proctor's wife Elizabeth of witchcraft, he doesn't react with shame or embarassment, instead he stands by her in time of need and does everything in his power to protect her. When he made the decision not to go back to Abigail and stay with his wife instead, he made the right and just one. But then Abigail, immature and hell bent on getting her revenge, accused his wife and it all went downhill from there. John Proctor was the bigger person in the end, and even though this one unfortunate bad decision cost him and his wife their lives, he remained a loyal husband and father until the day he died. For this reason, John Proctor is most definitely a hero.

Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God

Jonathan Edward's sermon of the same name struck me as a very one-sided way to view the world. Actually, Puritanism itself seemed like a very one-sided religion. It basically stated that anything different was bad, anything remotely material was bad and if you didn't fear God, that was bad. If you did any of those things you were considered a sinner and, for sure, going to Hell because you broke the Puritan I-get-a-free-pass-to-heaven "arrangement." They disliked progress and anything that was not somehow related to their faith and the Bible. But I am not one to judge how they thought. Still, these people gave the words "God-fearing people" a new meaning.

Why do we have to fear God in the first place? I'm not sure which religion, if any, I believe in right now but I do believe that God created the Earth and life. Yes, those are the key words: God gave us life. Why would the one being that created us in the first place, created this wonderful and unique and intelligent thing called a human, why would God want us to fear him (her?)? If anything, I think God would want us to praise him for bringing us into this world. The religion I am born into, Judaism, does not teach us to fear God. But however, one thing that is brought up over and over again in the Bible and the Torah, is this: "I am Adonai, your one true God." The Jewish God only wants us to believe he is there, and that he is the only one. Moses was given the Ten Commandments and this god chose us as a people to... be the god of. So he picked us, and so we are grateful and sacrifice things, or at least we did back in Biblical times.

Like I said earlier, I'm not sure if I actually believe in this religion, but I do believe that people shouldn't fear God, that God is the being that created life, he is loving and caring for the most part. Puritanism is all about fear. If you are scared, you will get into heaven because you will fear God and are afraid of going to Hell, so you will obey all these Puritan rules. Just because you are scared. Call me crazy, but I don't think fear is the healthiest way to get someone to participate in your religion. All God should want is for you to be happy in life. In the end, I hope there was at least some joy in it for the Puritans.

There Goes The Neighborhood.

Perhaps one of the most famous instances of two cultures coming together is the Spanish conquistador Cortez encountering the Aztec people in Mexico, some 500 years ago. Obviously this was a relationship that did not end well for a few reasons. Cortez came to the New World not knowing what he would find, but looking for land to claim and conquer for his country and to spread Catholicism. He met the Aztecs and when he attempted to convert them, they refused. Cortez fought them with more advanced weapons and killed or enslaved them. Also, unbeknownst to the Aztecs, Cortez and his crew brought European diseases (mainly smallpox) over from the other side of the pond and wiped out a huge amount of the Aztec population. The conflict eventually ended some years later with a large decrease in Aztec numbers and Cortez conquering the land for Spain.

But of course, not every time that cultures collide do conflict and tragedy occur. For instance, the early Paleolithic peoples (nomads) were able to trade peacefully with each other for thousands of years, often relying on staples the other cultures had and therefore could trade for the necessary supplies. Granted, different Paleolithic cultures were a lot more similar than Cortez and the Aztecs, but still, the lesson is still there.

You'll have to forgive me about all this random history, I just finished studying for AP World and I guess I'm still thinking about it. The point is, when cultures come together, they definitely don't always get along. Sure it worked out for the Paleolithic tribes, but more recently with Cortez and the Aztecs, they fought and they fought until one side eventually won. It's very interesting to see how different peoples and different cultures react to each other. And no matter how it turns out, at least I'll be able to put in my two cents about it here :)

Introductions

I'm Nina Posner, a sophomore at Whitney Young and I'm 15 years young. Writing is one of the things I like to do in my spare time, both poetry and prose, about any topic that comes to my mind really. I'm also on the cross country team. Although I'm not particularly good, I like to run because it's truly a mental sport and shows you that positive thinking and a good outlook can really make a difference. I read in my spare time and some of my favorite authors are JK Rowling, John Grisham, Dan Brown, Anthony Horowitz and more. I'm open to any book recommendations. However, my favorite thing to do is listen to music. I'm open to hear to anything and I listen to my iPod almost all the time. Some of my favorite bands are Vampire Weekend, Coconut Records, Miike Snow, Pavement, Jackson Browne, U2 and The Police. I'm an optimist by nature, I think, however I've learned that life is short so you should live it to the fullest. I'm very loud once you get to know me and am always smiling. I look forward to reading, writing, learning and discussing in class this year.