College Lit is Something to Look Forward To

My classes this quarter are so unbelievably shallow and pedantic that I find myself looking forward to College Lit. By far, College Lit is my favorite class on the schedule. I never knew you could have so much fun during a class. It is very enjoyable, even though Mr. Kunkle never ceases to yell at me, Rob, Jonny, Komplin, and Cam. He describes us as a nuisance to the class but I think the complete opposite. Without us, the other students would be completely bored. We bring the fun to this class.

Admittedly, we do sometimes talk when we're not supposed to, but who can blame us? We are just so freakin' cool that it's if we talk to much. Mr. Kunkle pretends to be get mad but I know deep down he wishes he was involved in our conversations and not teaching about books. He puts on a good act but I can see through him. I'm special like that.

Anyway, College Lit is a pretty good class that teaches extremely valuable life skills that evcry single one of us will use later in our lives. For real though, this is my favorite class this quarter.

Persepolis

I think that the author of this book exaggerates way to much. It's like she's writing this book so we feel sorry for her because all this bad stuff is happening to her. Don't get me wrong, I like the book fine, I just don't believe what Satrapi is telling me. I sincerely doubt that her first ever boyfriend turned out to be a homosexual and then the next boyfriend after that was cheating on her. Maybe she hates men and wants that to be portayed in her book.

Like Holden in Catcher in the Rye, I find Satrapi to be an unreliable narrator. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all this stuff actually did happen to her. But I am sticking by my opinion. She's a liar!

We are all Racist

Mr. Kunkle obviously wanted to know how racist we are, so he made us take a test on the computer to see if we discriminated against Muslims. That test was a complete waste of time, and it gave me a super headache. It was so redundant. The test wasn't even accurate. The computer ended up telling certain people in my class that they weren't at all racist, when in fact, they are extremely racist. It would've been kind of neat if the test was actually accurate, but it wasn't.

We are all racist. Every single one of us. You can sit there and tell me that you aren't, but you would be a liar. If you were placed in a room full of people of a different race, you would feel uneasy. That uneasiness is racist. Like it or not, that's how it is. Sure, you can have friends that are of a different race but that does not mean your not racist. I have quite a few friends who are a different race then me. However, I hate to admit that I am still racist. I would feel uneasy if I was the only white person in a room that was filled with other races.

I don't need some random computer test to tell me what I am. I know what I am. In school, we take all these computer tests to help us figure out what we want to do with our lives after high school, but they don't help. Computers don't know us. Neither do the people who wrote the program for the computer.

That's all I have to say for now.

Rebel without a Cause

Rebel without a Cause was probably the worst movie I have ever watched. There was no point to it at all. You know what part I loved? I loved that when Buzz was killed his girlfriend didn't even give a damn. That cracked me up. This movie was just incredbily messed up. I mean, like two seconds after Plato was gunned down by trigger happy cops, James Dean introduces his new girl to his parents. He introduces her to them over Platos dead body. Everybody in my class started laughing.

I'm still confused on why we watched this movie. Was James Dean supposed to be like Holden Caulfield? Because if he was, I failed to see that comparison just like I failed Algrebra during my freshman year. Maybe I'm the only who didn't see it, I don't know.

Anyway I'm writing this as I'm watching the Houston Texans play, so this post alone has taken me 45 minutes to write because it keeps getting interrupted because the Texans are so incapable of playing the whole four quarters that I find myself yelling at the television.

My Thoughts on Catcher in the Rye and Field Trips

Holden Caulfield reminds me of myself. He's a sarcastic asshole throughout the entire book and I guess sometimes I can be a sarcastic ass as well. I think the things he says are just hilarious.

The book is pretty slow going though. There hasn't been much action. It's just Holden trying to make his way home like a lost and frightened deer seperated from his herd. I still think the book is a pretty good read.

You know what else I think? I think that we should be going on field trips in this class. We should go to the McFarland Public Library to have our class discussions. I think people would be so much more pumped to talk about books in a library!!! I would definetely be estatic.

For Those Who Don't Know Me

I'm Justin Schultz but my friends call me J Schu. I took College Lit because it had the word college in it and so I figured that this class would prepare me for college. I think that's a pretty good reason to take a class.

So I started a blog for my AP Comp class and my blogs were pretty damn fascinating. I invented a word (gloombile, ask me for the definition). I started snack day in our class, and that was pretty successful even though Mr. Kunkle wasn't too thrilled about my overwhelming popularity after that. However, my idea for Beach Day got shot down by my fellow classmates like a plane in World War II.

I am a man of many ideas. Some of you more serious people will think my blogs are just nonsense. If you think that, it's your loss. My blogs are very insightful.

Whose Blogs Do I Read

I read and comment on blogs that have a title that actually explains what the blog is about. If you have a title that doesn't explain itself, I will pass over it like an antelope over grass.

If your blog is too long, I will not read it. I only have a certain amount of time to read blogs, and if yours is insanely long, you can forget about me leaving a fantastic comment.

If your blog has zero comments on it, I will not read it. Chances are if no one has bothered to comment on it, it is not very interesting, so why waste my time?

I will update this list as time goes on.

More Ideas For AP Comp (BEACH DAY)

As I sit here brainstorming more unique ideas for AP Comp, a brilliant idea comes to mind. Since the weather is getting colder outside and most of you are wearing parkas, I am starting to miss the sun and the warmth it generates. So, I am proposing that every Tuesday we have BEACH DAY!!! During beach day, you will be required to wear beach attire. For example, Kevin Frisch could walk into class with a big inflatable beach ball in his swim trunks. That would definetely get beach day started with BOOM BOOM BANG!

I have a feeling that this idea won't be as popular as my other brilliant ones. Still, I will start beach day!

The Things We Carry

The Things We Carry is one of the most wonderful and in depth book I have ever come across. I gotta thank Mr. Kunkle for actually allowing us to read a good book during school. In the past, we have to read god-awful boring books like Whirligig. I mean seriously, that was such a terrible book I vomitted everytime I looked at the cover. But this book, however, is a fantastic well-written novel.

In fact, on Friday night I am going to go straight home and read it!!!!

Class Discussions on the Floor

Alright, I don't know about you guys, but I honestly cannot sit in a cold metal chair for 90 minutes talking about essays. That is why I think we should have our discussions on the floor. Just think about the possibilities that await us! We could sit in a circle, a square, or even a triangle!!! Laying on the floor would make me much more modest and comfortable. (I just used five words that start with M in a row!)

If we laid on the floor, my mind would no longer be focused on getting comfortable. It would be focused on the discussion! It's basically a win-win for everyone. Oh, and while sitting on the floor, eat PUPPY CHOW!

The Essays We Read In This Class

The essays we read in this class are too old. Over 3/4 of the essays we read in this class are from like 1750. Seriously, I already have a history class where I have to read this stuff. Why can't we read about current stuff that actually effect us. I mean seriously, this class would be so much more interesting if we read about significant stuff.

Words

Words. Words. Words. This blog is about words. There are so many out there. Can you count them all? No you can't because there are just so many out there. Who invented words? Why can't I invent a word. You know what I'm going to. Gloombile. The definition of Gloombile is the process of being gloomy while being in an automobile. Don't worry ladies and gentleman, this word will catch on. So the next time your acting all gloomy while in an automobile, use the word gloombile.

When were words invented and by who? I want the responsibility of inventing words. So, from now on, I own the title of "Justin Schultz: Word Maker." I will not be responding to the name Justin anymore. It's Word Maker.

I HATE BUGS

Bugs freak me out so much I can't even stand talking about them. They are even more scarier than a rabid reindeer on Christmas eve. If you guys see a bug, kill it. Don't put it back outside. Stomp it dead. If you put it back outside, it will just crawl and wiggle it's wayback in. It's a non-ending cycle unless you stomp it dead. If I see a spider crawling in my house, I scream like a six-year old girl watching the season finale of Barney and Friends. I can't stand those damn things.

A couple of weeks ago there was lightning bug in my room and I was home alone for the night. I slept downstairs on my couch because I could stand being in the same room with that god-awful insect. I had my dad kill it the next day. My worst fear is to have bugs take over our world.

Imagine them just crawling the streets so there's no where for you to walk...

Snack Day UPDATE

Alright folks, Mr. Kunkle shot down my snack ideas like Americans shot down Japanese planes in World War II. So we need to band together like a family and get him to agree with us. I mean we are the future of this world and what we say goes. So I need idea for snack day. I want Puppy Chow and Coke. Yeah, Chelsea I don't care if soda is bad for our teeth. It is still delicous and makes my skin tingle. Not many things in the world have the power to do that. If Mr. Kunkle still rejects our snack day plans, we have no choice but to revolt and take over the class. I, of course, would be the new teacher. After we overthrow Mr. Kunkle, snack day will be everyday and I will be crowned king of AP Composition.

The only rules I have about snack day is that there will be NO milk or beans. I don't like milk and Cody does not like beans. Now, if Mr. Kunkle accepts our fanstastic snack day plans, he will remain as teacher. I think we can all agree with that.

Snack is the future of AP Composition. Those who oppose will be put down.

Snack Day In AP Comp

We should have snack day in our AP Composition class or better snack week! Every snack day people would bring in snacks like puppy chow and fruit punch. I would get first choice of the foods because I am coordinating this of course.

Coke has to be a part of snack day. Coke is America's soda and since we are in America we should drink it like there's no tomorrow. Chips and salsa would also be a wonderful thing to have.

I don't know about you, but I would be so pysched to go to AP Comp if there was food. AND COKE.

How I Write

When I write, I tend to go on a rant, usually about stuff that people disagree with. I do that because I love arguing in words. It's so much fun, you should try it sometime. When I write, I have to have a loud environment to focus. If it's quiet I tend to day dream about stuff. When I write, I don't prepare at all. I just open up Microsoft Word and start pecking away like a woodpecker. Unlike a woodpecker, I am quiet when I type. This is probably the first time I have ever typed the word woodpecker.

When I write I don't use describing words because it usually makes the reader really bored. Adjectives are good at times but when a writer over uses them it becomes annoying. My topics are also something I feel strongly about. Like the war in Iraq or how people use the word "chill" to describe something.

When I write, it's mostly through texts, which means I don't spell anything right at all. It's not like anyone's going to judge me on how my texts appear.

That's how I write.

My Book

I read the Yankee Years this summer by Tom Verducci and Joe Torre. It was about Joe Torre's years managing the Yankees, hence the name. This book was probably one of the most interesting book I have ever read, probably because it was about baseball.

This book went over many different things. Joe Torre talked about how the Yankees had to deal with Alex Rodruguez admitting to using steroids to the four world series rings they won. It went into how the game of baseball is managed and how George Steinbrenner kicked him out after missing the playoffs in a couple of years ago.

It also talks about star shortstop Derek Jeter and how he had to deal with A-Rod's stardom and how he became the captain silently.

I recommned this book to anyone who knows something about baseball. If you don't, there's no point of reading it.

Is Google Making us Stupid?

This essay basically attacks the internet and Google, giving reasons why it is making us stupid. Nicholas Carr is trying to push his readers away from the internet throughout this essay. He gives examples of friends who have stopped reading books altogether because reading is much more accesbile on the internet.

Carr says that although the average citizen is reading more than we did in the 70's and 80's but it's not the same type of reading. You know what I say to that? Who cares? Reading is reading and no matter what you reading it will make you smarter. It doesn't matter where you are reading the material. Reading it on the internet does not make it less knowledgeable.

This essay, at some points, were extremely confusing to me. The paragraph where he talked about the Chinese and ideograms, I was just totally lost. I honestly only understood like three words in that entire paragraph on the third page. If someone could explain it to me, I would appreciate it.

What I don't understand is why Carr is so against media and the internet? I do understand that technology is almost controlling everyday lives but we choose to do it that way. Computers and the internet are probably the greatest inventions ever invented. Like Carr explained, instead of going to a library and shuffling through thousands of loose papers, one can just go on the internet to research. It saves a lot of hassle and is so much more proficient.

Google is not making us stupid. Neither is the internet. If anything, it is making us smarter because there is so much information available to us.

Skunk Dreams

I thought this essay was unique but also extremely weird. First of all why would Erdrich choose to be a skunk of all possible animals she could have chosen? But the fact that she chose to focus this essay around a skunk is unique.

Throughout the essay Erdrich learns many lessons about certain aspects of life. But instead of experiencing them through a humans eyes, she chooses to view them in the eyes of a skunk. It seemed to me that Erdrich was fascinated by skunks, which I found was very odd. She wondered how they would feel in certain situations and wondered if they dared to dream.

I thought this essay was missing quite a few things though. Erdrich didn't give very much information about herself at all. For example, how old was she when all these events occured? Was she still a teenager like she was in the beginning of the essay? Or did she age and is much older? Also, why would anyone want to sleep in a football stadium? I love football but I would only sleep in a football stadium on a bet that would guarantee me money. A fourteen year old girl wanting to sleep there makes it even more odd.

The author, Louise Erdrich, was very descriptive throughout this essay and it was extremely easy to see what she was describing, whether it was her dream or sleeping under the cold stars on a North Dakota Football field.

How could a simple skunk make such an impact on one's life?

The Talk of the Town

This essay digs into current and past gun crime in the United States of America and other foreign nations. It went into past gun shootings and how the government of that country passed harsher gun laws and ever since gun shootings have decreased. Yet, America is unwilling to do that for a reason unknown to myself. Maybe it's because the men in America are obsessed with guns and they make them feel more powerful or more manly.

The shooting at Virginia Tech opened peoples eyes like Columbine did years back. But this time, it wasn't Marilyn Manson causing the shootings. Oh no, it was mental illness and depression. Do people ever wonder that maybe the depression that the shooter at Virginia Tech suffered through was caused my his peers and his teachers? By no one talking to him or no one sitting by him? One does not get depressed for no reason. Then there was the Columbine shooters. But everyones parents said that it was Marilyn Mansons fault because his music was "obscene" and "violent" and it forced the kids to shoot up the school. No, that is not the reason. Manson had absolutely nothing to do with it. The shooters were not right in the head. That's why they decided to kill their classmates and take their own lives as well.

Back to the gun control laws issue. The United States government has the responsibility to its citizens to protect them. Having stricter gun laws will do exactly that. Stricter gun laws will lower gun shootings in America. That's a fact. In Scotland, a gunman killed 16 kids and the government changed their gun laws. Since then, nothing like that has happened since. The same types of events have happened in Canada and Paris and the result has been the same. Shootings have gone down dramatically. When will the United States step up and do something?

The one thing I disagreed with in this essay is what to talk about after a fatal event occurs. The essay says we shouldn't talk about seat belts after a car crash. We shouldn't talk about cigarettes and tobacco after someone dies from lung cancer. We shouldn't talk about gun control after a mass shooting. Why the heck not? That is the PERFECT time to talk about that stuff. We have to talk about those things in order for them not to happen again! If we don't talk about them then, it will never be talked about.

The United States needs stricter gun control laws. But we also need to stop making excuses about why someone killed others. It's not music. It's something wrong with them. Don't blame the media. Blame yourself.

Me

My name is Justin Schultz and I am going to be a senior at McFarland High School. I have played football, basketball, and baseball during my years here but baseball is the only one I am playing now. I actually just hit my first home run in summer ball this year, so that was pretty cool.

I really don't like school. Especially classes where I have to sit for the whole 90 minutes. Like AP US History. Everyday was just a power point. That's it. I probably slept everyday of the second quarter because it just got so old and boring. I like classes where there is great class discussions and no strict schedule of what we're doing. Unfortunately, most classes are not like that.

When I'm not sleeping at school, I have a social life. Yes I have one too. I've been dating my girlfriend, Ashley, for over a year, but she is moving to Minnesota on July 3rd, tomorrow. When I'm not with her, I'm hanging with my group. My group consists of Jordano, Petey, Boush, and Losby. For the uninformed people, they are Jordan, Peter, Evan, and Sean. We usually play basketball and the board game risk. Or we just all beat up on Petey.

My family consists of my mother, Beth, my father, David, and my 22 year old sister, Rebecca. My sister is getting married in 201o and then she'll be gone!!! Hopefully.

I love Hip-Hop/Rap. I flow to that kind of music. It's the only music I listen to. Ask my girlfriend and she'll tell you I'm obsessed and that she HATES my tunes. It's the only music that can express the artist exactly like they want to. Some people say it's not music. But that's false. The way you have to create a beat, write rhyming words, and speak in a flow, is a lot more difficult than singing.

Alright, I am going to go hang out with my girlfriend before she moves tomorrow.