The Last Blog

This class has opened my mind to a number of new thoughts and outlooks on life. I have truly benefitted from and enjoyed taking this class, which I honestly did not expect to happen. I just want to say thank you to Professor Sexton and all of my classmates for the good times we have had in class. I hope everyone enjoys their summer and good luck to all of you with your future endeavors.

Tragic Sense of Life

I never really knew how to go about responding to this. Then I read Heather's blog. I had to stop and reflect upon my own life. Before reading this life changing blog I could have made a list of events in my life that I considered a great tragedy. Now I don't think I can even list a single event that I would consider more tragic than what Heather has gone through. I found myself sitting here thinking about all of the dumb shit that I complain and worry about in life. I can't really explain in words what I am thinking at the moment but this blog has really opened my eyes and I won't forget it. I can't imagine the strength and courage it took for you to share this with myself and the rest of the class but I thank you.

Plagiarism

When the topic was brought up in class of whether or not plagiarism can be avoided I was intrigued because I had never thought of it in this way. This is a topic that has always been wierd becasue it is so frowned upon. After learning that there are no original stories, it seems logical that everything is in some way a retelling. I do agree that stealing someone elses writing is unethical. However, if you are simply using the others' knowledge or ideas and not just copying everything they said and taking credit for it then I don't think it is plagiarism. Most people use others as a reference for their work but ultimatly it is still that person's ideas and thoughts. Once again I still think this is a touchy topic buy I can see how the arguement could be made that plagiarism could be avoided in many situations.

Bad Day

After hearing the different stories in class about other students' bad days I don't think that I can remember a bad day in my lifetime that even compares. But just to put in my little tidbit, one of my bad days that I can remember was when I was in the 7th grade. I lived in a neighborhood with lots of other kids around my age. Our favorite thing to do was to play football. Our football games were pretty intense becasue we were all so competetive. So we were playing a 5 on 5 game and my team was on defense. It was a close game and it was almost dark out so we were all going balls to the wall. I was covering my friend Devin, who is very athletic and was also taller than me at the time. I was playing off a little bit cause I didn't want to get burned in the endzone. Devin went out for a short pass route and when I saw the pass I instantly bolted toward Devin. Unfortunately, the pass was a low bullet and Devin had to crouch a little bit to catch it. As I was lunging to tackle him, he lifted his head backwards right into my chin. Ever since I was a kid I have always had a habit of sticking out my tongue when I'm really focused. When Devin's head collided with my chin I instantly felt a sharp pain in my mouth. I figured I had just bit my tongue a little bit because it happened on a regular basis. This time was different however. One of my front top teeth had pierced my tongue and almost went all the way through. I began spitting up blood but couldn't see the damage. Then when I stuck out my tongue to show everyone else they almost lost their dinner. My mother was not impressed to see me walk in the front door with a rag completely soaked in blood and a huge gash almost all the way throught my tongue. After enduring what seemed to be a horse needle in the gums and tongue multiple times, I was stitched up and headed back home. The next week was extremely miserable as I couldn't eat much and couldn't even talk. I still have a scar on my tongue to this day, but atleast I still have one, and I never plan on piercing my tongue again.

Individual Presentations

I think that all of the presentations on Monday went well. I was the first one to present my paper and I don't think that I did as good as I could have. I was a little nervous not knowing how anyone else's presentation went. I just decided to do as Professor Sexton said and try to keep it within the time limit. My paper definitely does a much better justice of explaining why I chose my topic. Each of the other presenters had unique and creative topics and I think everyone presented quite well. I think it is quite a hard task to attempt to sum up an entire presentation in a two minute talk.

Missing Out on the Action

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend class on Friday due to a prior obligation with the Earth Day events going on in Bozeman during the week and weekend. I missed the individual presentations for the day but I am sure that there were some good ones. Although I missed class I still had a good weekend with the Glass Recycling Collection. It was very impressive to see over 30 tons of glass recycled in just that single event and I think it shows that Bozeman residents due care about the environment and are willing to do their part to help reduce, reuse, and recycle. I am curious to see the individual presentations on Monday but I am a little nervous about my own presentation.

Best Overall Presentation

I'm not too sure that I can pick just one presentation as being the best. Each and every presentation had strong points and everyone worked hard to put everything together. I think that everyone was able to have fun with their presentations and make them interesting. After watching all of the group presentations I am very interested to see the individual presentations. However, with the time limit being about 2.5 minutes, I have a feeling that some presentations might be going over the time limit. It should be interesting and eventful, as most of this class has been.

Group 6

I was one of the members in group 6 and I personally think we did a pretty good job. I liked the idea we used to create a much more updated retelling of Antigone. Although we had trouble finding time when we could all meet and practice we still each participated in creating our parts. I played the part of the blind man which I really enjoyed. I would like to say thanks to all of the members of group 6 for coming together to plan and organize this skit and I hope the rest of the class and Professor Sexton also enjoyed it.

Group 5

This presentation was more informative than others. I thought that the idea was clever with the cookies and using the ingredients as different archetypes. They did a good job of giving examples and clearly explaining each archetype and how they all went together as a whole. The entire group also had matching outfits which helped the overall look. The main thing about this presentation that I am still curious about is how they made them cookies right under that table with no oven. Crazy Magic haha.

Group 4

Once again the entire class is engulfed with laughter during this presentation. Another example of a new and creative retelling. I also thought the role reversal was very amusing with Garrett acting as the unfortunate sister and Heather representing quite the enerjetic PRINCE. And yes that is the one and only PRINCE. Heck she even managed to pull off a few impressive moves. Ahh yes, and then there was the KISS. Which was even more amusing when we found out that it wasn't even planned but happened to work out. Good job group 4.

Group 3

Haha haha haha haha haha. I think group 3 did a very good job summing up lots of stories into a large retelling. Their presentation was very entertaining and it had everyone in the classroom laughing. Or as Professor Sexton would say it knocked our socks off. The entire group participated and created a masterpiece of a skit. It was also nice to see everyone having fun with this presentation instead of just nervous and akward. I think that's one of the best things about this class. Professor Sexton does a good job of allowing people to be creative and have fun with our projects.

Group 2

I think group 2 did good with their presentation. I enjoied the video clip of the Avatar movie with Pocahontas lines. I think watching that video helped to show how extremely similar the two stories are. I also liked the other connections and retellings they pointed out. I think if given more time they could have come up with more and more retellings. Everyone in the group looked to be participating equally and the presentation gave a nice recap and wrap up to all of the retelling stories that we have been discussing all semester.

Group 1

I think group 1 did a good job of stirring up some debate in the classroom. Their trial style debate became quite heated at times but I was actually quite amused at how intense everyone got. Hell I even got a little riled up and put in my two cents too. I'm not sure if we ever did reach a conclusion of who won the debate but overall there were really good arguements from each side. I think that if given the time, that debate could have lasted for hours and hours.

Final Paper

EVERYDAY ISSUE
Since the first day of Literature 110 with Professor Sexton, I have opened my mind to many different thoughts. Although I often find myself confused at some of the conversations in class, there were always underlying lessons to be learned. Mr. Sexton opened up an entire world of questions and thoughts for me. I entered this class expecting to learn more about literature in general, however, I never thought that one small statement would change the way I think every single day.
How do you know what you think until you see what you say? This is one of the questions that Professor Sexton brought up in class one day. Now of course this perplexed me at first but I didn’t worry about it too much. Then, over the next couple months up until now, I have been brought back to that same question time and time again in my daily routine. In my classes, in my business, in my relationships, everything reminds me of this thought, “How do you know what you think until you see what you say?” WE DON’T!!!! It just seems logical that we can’t really know that our thoughts are correct until we see the proof behind them.
The reason I continue to be stuck on this mind boggling question is because it seems to come up in everything I do. I am a Construction Engineering Technology student and I can correlate this to the construction process. Hours and hours of work must be done in advance before a structure is able to be constructed. Without all of this preliminary work, there is no way to ensure that the structure will be safe. So how do we know that the structure will be safe before we see the proof of why it will be safe? WE DON’T! We must see the proof before we can insure that the building will be safe and can be constructed.
I have also started a business while going to college. Gone Green is the name and curbside recycling is the game. I have invested tremendous amounts of time and money (way too much money) into a business that is yet to prove profitable. This is why I stay awake at night asking myself, “How do I know what I think before I see what I say?” How do I know that this business is going to succeed? How do I know that I made a good investment? How do I know that I’m not going to be tens of thousands of dollars in debt with nothing to show for it? I DON’T! I can not answer any of these questions until I provide the proof. Even though I have done extensive research, development, and marketing, I still can not be sure that everything will pan out. I always tell myself that I think my business will be successful and profitable. Unfortunately, these are still merely goals because I have yet to accomplish them or prove them to be correct.
I decided to see what I could find online regarding this topic. I stumbled upon an interesting article titled “What You Know Vs. What You Think You Know”. It addresses this question in a different way, but it made me think even more. It started off with a quote by Orson Scott Card stating, “This is how humans are: we question all our beliefs, except for the ones we really believe, and those we never think to question.” So does this mean that once we believe that it is correct, we no longer attempt to question its logistics? The article then presented two different ways to state your beliefs. This is what I think, or this is what I know.
Stating that, “This is what I think” may come off as a less confident statement. When in actuality, it is often the opposite. The same goes for stating, “This is what I know.” The individual may come off as being more confident in what they know, or are they insecure? I never really considered these two statements in this aspect until I read this article. It explained how people who are confident in their knowledge are more likely to use the, “This is what I think” statement because it is less confrontational and they don’t feel that they need to prove anything to anyone. In reverse, it also explained that, “This is what I know” could signify low confidence. This could also come off defensive as if the individual has something to prove. After understanding this article’s entirety, I understand and agree that these two statements are often a paradox. In a real life perspective, we have all been in a situation when someone was explaining their thoughts and said that they “knew” even thought we knew that they were completely wrong. They might even know that they’re wrong but they’re trying to convince you that they are right and they know what they’re talking about. Where as someone who is confident in their knowledge is likely to calmly state what they “think” because they have nothing to hide or prove.
This article ended with a very powerful statement, “Question everything, until there are no more questions to ask. Then rest assured in your knowing. Then when the questions come up again, you’ll have no need to dodge them.” This immediately caught my attention because it helps to understand how to “know what you think.” The questions become the proof and support of your thoughts. After all of these questions have been resolved then assurance can set in that the knowledge is correct. Therefore you must “see what you say” before you “know what you think”.
Although this may seem like a simple little statement to some, it has truly opened my eyes to entirely new ways of evaluating everything in my life. I constantly find myself questioning my thoughts and beliefs. I like to think that this simple question that keeps me up at night will help me in the long run, but as I have learned, I don’t know this until I have the proof. So the next time you find yourself explaining what you “know” just remember to ask yourself one simple question. How do you know what you think until you see what you say?

Works Cited
Sexton, Professor. "Literature." LIT 110. Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Spring 2010. Lecture.
"What You Know Vs. What You Think You Know." Success From The Nest. N.p., 10/08/2007. Web. 20 Apr 2010. .

Final Paper Possible Topic

So I have been trying to decide what I want to write my final paper on and I think that I might have figured it out. There is one piece of information that I KNOW I will remember and use for the rest of my life. I know this because I already use it in my everyday life and I don't think it's ever going to go away. This vitally important information happens to be the simple question, How do you know what you think before you see what you say? The reason this question has changed my life is becuase I continue to ask myself this question no matter what I'm doing. So for my paper I think that I will write about what exactly it has affected in my life and will also do some research to see what else I can find on this topic. Hope it turns out well.

Huddle Up

We had a group meeting to decide what we were going to do for our final presentation. I think we have all come to a consensus that we will do a modern day retelling skit of one of the stories we have read or are reading. The story we chose could very well be Antigone, but who knows. Either way I think the presentation will go well and we will be able to pull it off. I just hope that everyone else thinks so too because I don't have a clue what any of the other groups are doing for theirs. The reason that I think a retelling skit would be the perfect final presentation is because it is the main topic of the entire class and I think the audience will enjoy a litte comic relief. I know I always do.

To travel, or not to travel.... That is the question.

The question was brought up in class today about whether it was more important to travel to places or to read about places. Now of course my first answer to this question is traveing for sure. To me it just seems like i can absorb more and experience more when I can see the actual image right in front of it. Just like I am more of a hands on learner. And who doesn't love to travel? My entire life goal is to be successful in life so that I can travel as much as I want when I get older. I think traveling is one of the best things I have ever been able to do, unfortunately, I have only traveled like twice in my entire life and I have never really been on a true vacation where I just get to have fun and relax and do whatever I want. WOW I am way off topic. So back to my opinion. I do think traveling is very important and fun, however, I do also believe that reading about the places you travel to can be very beneficial as well. So now I guess that my final answer is that traveling and reading can go hand in hand and both are necessary to absorb the most out of every single trip.

Riding Little Red Hood

Just like Cinderella, I prefer the Grim version of Little Red Riding Hood as well. To me is just seems like I can picture the whole story better as it plays out. Maybe this is because I just enjoy it more so I pay attention to it more. Either way, I'm starting to like this Grim guy. And from what I hear from others in class it seems that lots of people also agree with me. But I guess when it comes down to it, they're both a retelling of each other so maybe they should be equal. Or should they? Hmm... more thoughts to ponder.

Cinderella

Of the three versions of retellings of Cinderella that we read, I enjoied the Grim story the most. I prefer the graphic details and more intense storyline. So of course cutting off toes and heels is going to be way more interesting than just haveing a foot that is too big or too small. I guess you could say that I like my stories just like my movies..... Intense, breath taking, and adrenaline pumping. Yes action movies are always the best! But comedy is always good from time to time too.

DREAMIN'

I can never seem to remember the best dreams I ever have. And a good dream doesn't just come along on any given night. But here's an OK one. I was hanging out with some friends having a BBQ when all of a sudden four gorgeous females showed up. And of course there always that one girl that always catches your eye whenever you see her and she is even in one of your classes but you still never really get an attempt to talk to her but you admire her beauty every time you come to that class. Yep that one girl just happened to be in this group of four that just showed up. So the BBQ is going well and everyone is drinking and having a good time and to my suprise, this unbelieveably cute girl is checkin me out. I know she is but she doesn't know that I know. So we continue to party and hang out late into the night and when it's time to leave she's had too much to drink. So I offer to give her a ride home and not only does she accept but she's very enthuiastic to get a ride home from me. So we leave and she just asks me if she can spend the night at my place and I can give her a ride to her car in the morning. Now this is where I shoud realize that this is a DREAM but of course I don't. So of course I let her spend the night. We get to my place and I am in the kitchen getting something to eat when I walk past the hall and just happen to catch a glimpse of her wearing nothing but the bare minimum. Every man's dream is happening right in front of me and I still can't realize that it's all a dream. Then I hear her call me into the bedroom and of course I'm thinking that I'm about to get LUCKY and I walk into the room and see the most beautiful image of the most beautiful woman on the earth looking more gorgeous than any other woman I've ever seen in my life and this is the best moment of my life and... BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW! Other guys may have also experienced this same dream and for those of you who are curious...... NO IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RE-ENTER THE MOST AMAZING DREAM I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE (Believe me, I've tried) AND YES IT SUCKS!!!!

Men vs. Women

When this assignment was brought up in class I remembered a conversation I had heard recently. So I was sitting in the Library on a computer minding my own business when this guy walked up to the girl next to me and started talking to her. It was obvious they were together and he was telling her his plans for that weekend to go hunting with a buddy. The conversation seemed completely normal between them and the way they were acting with each other made it seem like they were happily in love. Then he left and everything changed. One of her friends showed up and started talking to her. They were talking about THEIR plans for the weekend. The girlfriend along with her friend were moving all of her stuff out of her boyfriend's house and she was going to leave a note for him when he returned that she no longer wanted to be with him. WOW!!!! And this guy didn't even have a clue! All I could do is picture myself in that same situation and if I ever came home to an empty house and a note saying that a girl was just dumping my ass and moving on with no warning at all I wouldn't even know what to do. I wanted to go find the guy and tell him. That guy probably returned to his house that Sunday afternoon and had the biggest shock of his life.

Sparknotes

Which ending is the correct?

Reading the sparknotes version of The Brothers Karamazov vs. reading the text version of The Brothers Karamazov is like......

1. eating a ham, cheese, and ranch sandwich without cucumber chips.
2. eating popcorn instead of KETTLE KORN.
3. going fishing without beer.
4. having a campfire without smores.
5. throwing away paper, plastic, aluminum/steel cans, cardboard, and glass instead of RECYCLING!

ANSWER:
All of the above. But mostly #5.

Sonnet Draft

GONE GREEN

Today I give a fresh new start to thee
With love and care and visions of good luck
In hopes that life will come more easily
The near future could change my times of suck

Although I must admit that I am scared
This thought of great success I feel is near
I am willing to take this chance if dared
The near future could change my thought of fear

Now to begin this new bold look on life
I must look toward the risk that failure shows
With passion of a new commercial wife
The near future could change if business grows

From this day on I trust in you my wealth
If all goes well we should live years of health

-Matthew Pollock

Found Poem

LAGER ESPECIAL

Mexico Crafted 1897
XX Century Arrival
Smanish Commemorate Two X's
Dos Equis Equis Equis

Crafted Two X's Century
Mexico Commemorate XX
1897 Spanish Arrival
Dos Equis Equis Equis