Vocab List #10

1. aficionado--an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast
--The man is an avid Star Trek aficionado and owned just about all the memorabilia you could buy.  
2. browbeat
--to intimidate by using overbearing looks or words; bully
--Johnny's brother often tries to browbeat him into doing his chores.
3. commensurate
--having the same measure; of equal extent or duration/proportionate, adequate
--The criminal's sentence should be commensurate with the gravity of his or her crime.
4. diaphanous
--very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent
--The angel appeared in a white gown topped with a diaphanous robe.
5. emolument
--profit or fees from office or employment
--Emoluments for politicians had risen by almost 25% that year; this enraged the suffering citizens.
6. foray
--a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder/a quick, sudden attack/an initial venture
--In order to maintain their status as dominant clan, the Offdensons would carry out near-regular forays.
7. genre
--a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, content or the like
--While my friend prefers to read books belonging to the magical realism genre, I prefer mystery novels.
8. homily
--a sermon, usually of a biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature/an inspirational saying or cliche
--Whenever Suzy went to her grandmother's house, she was usually met with a biblical homily; this started to bother her when she developed her own ideas about life and religion.
9. immure
--to enclose within walls/to shut in, seclude or confine/to imprison
--The child felt as though her overprotective parents were just trying to immure her in her own home.
10. insouciant
--free from concern, worry or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant
--I had assumed that my senior year would be the year that I relaxed and became insouciant; it turns out that I'm just as busy as ever.
11.matrix
--something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops/a formative part
--Cells exist within and gather nutrients from the extracellular matrix around them.
12. obsequies
--funeral rites or ceremony
--They performed the obsequies at the local church several days after his passing.
13. panache
--a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair
--When Jessica visited Brazil, she happened to be there during Carnaval, all of its panache and excitement displayed in a colorful parade.
14. persona
--the narrator of a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author/a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity
--The public seemed to love their governor; that is, they loved his governor persona--away from the public eye, he was a deeply flawed man.
15. philippic
--any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation
--When asked for justification in her proposal to impeach the corrupt leader, the woman presented the board with a scathing philippic about the man.
16. prurient
--having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desire, etc./having a restless desire or longing
--Avid readers have a prurient interest in books.
17. sacrosanct
--extremely sacred or inviolable/not to be entered or trespassed upon/above or beyond criticism, change, or interference
--Those scriptures are considered sacrosanct to those of that faith.
18. systemic
--of or pertaining to a system/pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole
--The patient has a choice between local, topical treatment and systemic treatment in the form of pills.
19. tendentious
--having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose
--She was obviously highly tendentious when it came to choices like this.
20. vicissitude
--a change or variation in the course of something/interchange or alternation, as in the course of things
--When starting a business, the founder must know how to endure the vicissitudes of the market.

Who Was Shakespeare?

For this search I just used good ol' Google, searching "who+was+shakespeare" and "shakespeare's life." The following information was gathered from only three websites:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/merchant/shakespeare.html

http://www.bardweb.net/man.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare%27s_life

The main mysteries are the exact dates of significant events in The Bard's life, but many mysteries and even conspiracies remain. Mysteries include Shakespeare's "Lost Years," between  1585 and 1592, what he did during that period, and whether or not Bill Shakespeare was the true author of his genius works.

William Shakespeare was supposedly born on April 23, 1564 (date is disputed) to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, and was baptized on April 26.  John was a glover and leather merchant, and Mary was an heiress local to the area. Though it is not certain, it is widely believed that young Shakespeare attended grammar school at the King's New School in Stratford; this might be where Shakespeare began his life as a literary genius, as the school's teachers were Oxford-educated scholars. At 18 years old, Shakespeare married 26-year-old and possibly pregnant Anne Hathaway; the date is likely to be November 28, 1582. Anne Hathaway was a farmer's daughter from the neighboring village of Shottery. In 1583, their first child, Susanna, was born. Two years later, the couple had twins: Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet would later die at the young age of eleven in 1596. (There are, of course, theories trying to connect Hamnet to Hamlet.) From the time the twins were born in 1585 and the time Shakespeare moved his family to London, he seemed to disappear from the records. This period in his life is known as the Lost Years; it is theorized that he might have taken a job as a humble schoolteacher or Shakespeare was on the lam after a poaching problem with Sir Thomas Cody. It is known that Shakespeare had a love for the hunt, and there are thoughts that he was caught poaching Cody's rabbits and/or deer and had to flee from Stratford. In London, once he reappeared, Shakespeare gained a reputation as a great actor, poet, and playwright. In 1594, Shakespeare became a charter member of the theatrical company, Lord Chamberlain's Men, and worked in several famous theaters owned by James Burbage (including the well known Globe Theatre). With his company, Shakespeare performed for royalty such as Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. James became the troupe's sponsor in 1603; the name was changed to the King's Men. In 1608, he moved back to Stratford. Here, during his last years of life, his creative output decreased until his death (on April 23,) [in] 1616, at the age of 52. He was buried in the chancel of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon, with his famous epitaph on his tombstone: "Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear,/To dig the dust enclosed here./Blest be the man that spares these stones,/And cursed be he that moves my bones." The very name "Shakespeare" usually elicits cringes from most students (and former students). This is most likely because reading Shakespeare is a daunting task in general; his writing is of a different era and is also made of the words of a genius. I'm experiencing a little deja vu right now; I remember answering a question just like this before we started Hamlet, but it never made it onto the blog thanks to some wild tech error that came out of nowhere. What I know about Shakespeare now is that not only can the audience of his works interpret certain lines in more than one way, but the characters themselves within the play can also interpret words/lines in different ways.  Before high school, and when I was just beginning to read Shakespeare's works in class, I had no idea that his characters were so complex and true to life.

To Facebook, Or Not to Facebook?

A few years ago, let's say about three, I felt like a rare breed; I was part of an endangered species comprised of high school students (truly, comprised of humans in general) that did not have his/her own Facebook page. I had absolutely no use for it, and frankly, I thought it was stupid. Then my cousin helped me sign up just for fun...Almost three years later, I check up on Facebook at least once just about everyday, but strangely, my opinion about the social networking site has barely changed. It is completely unnecessary to human life, even in the western world, and it seems rather silly to me (just because of the way people behave on it and how seriously people  seem to take it). However, I won't harp on the site too much--I can't stand hypocrites and refuse to become one. I have a Facebook page. I check it often (I'm also a procrastinator, so I check it a little too often sometimes).
There are obvious benefits to Facebook. Mostly small ones, but still, benefits. The advantages that Facebook provides include reconnecting to old friends (but, really, once you "friend" an old acquaintance on the internet, do you really rekindle the same exact relationship you had before?), collaboration and help on schoolwork, funny pictures of cats and memes, so on and so forth. Of course, as we've discussed so many times before, there are always risks. There are obvious risks, such as the predators out to get your children and also those out to get your financial identity. Weak individuals tend to allow themselves to fall victim to even weaker individuals we usually call "bullies." Lastly, there is that quasi-omniscient presence of market researchers that are watching you like a digital hawk named "Big Brother." Though market research (probably) will never hurt you physically or emotionally, who really wants big corporations to know you?
Bazelon's article "Why Facebook is After Your Kids" made me think about children on the internet. If it isn't already apparent, that just isn't a topic that I think about often. I also knew very, very little about laws regarding market research and children on the internet. Because of this article, I now know that issues regarding children and the internet that go beyond child exploitation and pornography do, in fact, exist within the government.

Vocab List #9

 Pictures are always helpful when trying to understand and memorize words and concepts. I tried to illustrate this week's vocabulary list, and I apologize for the atrocities that are these cartoons. Certainly, not everything can be a masterpiece, especially when you remember all of that homework you have halfway through drawing. If I ever have the mindset to attempt another illustrated vocab list, I'll try to make it neater than this one. Promise!...I should probably put the definitions on here too, so as to clarify for anyone looking at these, but I'll try to do that later.

Misterm Autopsy

I must say that I did better than I expected.I scored perfectly, and of course I was very happy with that. I figured I would slip up on some, but it turned out to be a much easier test than I thought it would be. I suppose I can attribute the outcome to, first, the little bit of reviewing I managed to fit into my week, and also the fact that vocabulary is just easy for me. We all have our strong suits, and mine seems to be words. At least in English classes. However, when we approach the final, I think I'll make more time for studying/reviewing than I did for the midterm. Other than that I'll just stay confident in my vocabulary and I should be fine (on that section!).

"2 B, or not 2 B"

With my computer currently out of commission, I've felt like my blog has been ignored...So here's something slightly amusing.

Fall Vocab List #8

1. abeyance: temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension
2. ambivalent: having mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action
3. beleaguer: to surround with military forces; to surround or beset, as with troubles
4. carte blanche: unconditional authority, full discretionary power
5. cataclysm: any violent upheaval, especially one of a social or political nature
6. debauch: to corrupt by sensuality, intemperance, etc.; seduce/to corrupt or pervert; sully
7. eclat: brilliance of success, reputation, etc./showy or elaborate display/acclamation, acclaim
8. fastidious: excessively critical, particular, demanding; hard to please/requiring or characterized by excessive care or delicacy; painstaking
9. gambol: to skip about, as in dancing or playing; to frolic
10. imbue: to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.
11. inchoate: not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary/just begun, incipient/not organized, lacking order
12. lampoon: a sharp, often virulent satire directed against an individual or institution/a work of literature, art, or the like, ridiculing severely the character or behavior of a person, society, etc.
13. malleable: capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers/adaptable or tractable
14. nemesis: something a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc./an opponent or rival a person cannot best or overcome
15. opt: to make a choice; choose
16. philistine: a person who is lacking in or is hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc., or is contentedly complacent in ideas or taste (n.)//lacking in or hostile to culture (adj.)
17. picaresque: pertaining to, characteristic of, or characterized by a form of prose fiction, originally developed in Spain, in which the adventures of an engagingly roguish hero are described in a series of usually humorous or satiric episodes that often depict, in realistic detail, the everyday life of the common people
18. queasy: inclined to or feeling nausea, as the stomach, a person, etc.; tending to cause nausea, nauseating; uneasy or uncomfortable, as feelings, the conscience, etc.
19. refractory: hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient/resisting ordinary methods of treatment
20. savoir-faire: knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact

**Sentences/paragraphs coming at a point when I have more time...

Advice for Ophelia

--I had written this down "the old-fashioned" way yesterday on a paper; I figured I'd type it up--

Dear Ophelia,

It seems that you have reached an impasse with your family. First of all, my advice is to not stay angry at your father and brother--just because they are malcontent with your choice in boys doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't empathetic to your feelings. In fact, it sounds to me that they are really looking to spare your feelings and don't want to see you hurt. Try not to be cantankerous, and at least listen to what they have to say. However! You don't have to listen to and obey your family's every wish. Yes, this may be just as cliche and worn-out as "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," but my advice is to follow your own heart. If you look inside and see that you really do want to obey your family and make them happy, do so. On the other hand, if you find yourself irresistibly charmed to the core by the mystique of your fair prince, do not allow your true feelings to be constricted. If his presence brings about a feeling of euphoria, do not do anything rash or quixotic. It will most likely prove to be parlous to you, your man, and your family. It would be nice if you could come to a calm consensus with your family on this issue, but whatever you do, make sure it is absolutely what your heart says is right.

PS--My last piece of advice is to stay away from boys looking to carry out personal vendettas. They're bad news.