Don't get me wrong, I like it, but not that much....

I really wished that I had not written my essay about What I Like About You that first day of class, who would have thought that I would be writing it over four more times? I was just sitting there, a little stumped by the prompt, I had no clue what kind of pop culture I wanted to write about. I guess all that I could think about was the fact that I had an hour to write a paper and it was the first one that we had to write, and there would be so many more to come, so it did not matter if it were stupid. All I could really think about was how I had always used to think that the television show was stupid, but now I had been watching it on ABC Family quite often. Don’t get me wrong, I mean I like to watch the show, but I HATE that I actually picked to write about that show for my essay. There was no way that I could really write a four or five page paper, with research in it, I am still trying to figure out how to improve it and incorporate research in it. I have never ever been a strong writer, and probably never will be. As soon as I found out that we had to write the paper over and over again, I wanted to shoot myself. How was I supposed to improve a paper that I wished I had never really written in the first place? I kind of figured it out, I was going to have make some stuff up, for why I liked it, I really do like it, but I don’t really know why I like it. I wish that I would have picked a topic that I REALLY love, like a band such as Brand New, or Cobra Starship, or maybe even something that someone else could relate to, like a popular movie, but I guess that everyone is different with different taste. I felt like my topic was so middle school. I just wish I would have known that we would be writing about it four more times, then I would have thought more critically about what I would have written about.

A Wild, Crazy, Zany Aspect to the Characters...

owen_edwards from WGC, Herts, England left this comment on imdb.com about the television show What I Like About You:

"The premise and scripting of WILABT are both reasonable, and compared to many comedies out there, they're excellent. However, by the standards of Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier, this is a distinctly average show.What makes me watch it every time it's on are Amanda Bynes and Wesley Jonathon. Jonathon is a great character actor, and livens up what could be a dull character (the "Best Friend"). The part of Henry is excellently written, which surprised me, as the Val and Jeff characters are both weak. But as I said above, Amanda Bynes makes this a good show. Easily the most talented teen on television, and in the top 10, whatever age, of current times, she's a great asset to the show. Rubber faced, with what could be described as a "beauty in repose", she takes a part that's been poorly-written, with physical humour that could easily look horrible, and makes it funny.What America may have found here is a true star - not a mildly talented actress like Lindsay Lohan..."

I agree with some of these statements made by owen_edwards and I also disagree with some of the other statements. I think that Amanda Bynes does make for a good actress, and so does Wesley Johnathon, but I do not think that the character Val, played by Jennie Garth is a weak character. I think that her and her best friend Lauren, played by Leslie Grossman are uniquely funny. I also disagree with the statement that the part played by Amanda Bynes is poorly written, and she is the reason that the part it is good. I think that the part is well written and she attributes to making the part funny, with her humor and natural ability to be comical, but even if she had not been picked to play the part, then someone else could have made her role as Holly Tyler funny and well played. I agree with what owen_edwards says about the role of the best friend, although, I think that both Wesley Johnathon and Leslie Grossman bring something that livens up the character of 'the best friends'. I think both bring a wild, crazy, and zany aspect to these characters.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0321018/usercomments

I had the hardest time finding a review on Law & Order. I mean, I spent a couple hours searching last night… only to give up and decide to try again this morning. So, after another hour of searching, I’ve finally found one by “riseley” on epinions.com that I like. He begins by raging about how much he hates television and the annoying advertisements that you can’t avoid whenever you choose to turn a TV on. He goes as far as to say, “I think that television is a satan worse than a president who would lie to congress so that he could persuade his country to follow him into a futile and unwinnable military conflict.” to prove his hatred for television. The fact that he feels so strongly about not liking television, is what makes his great review for my favorite show – Law & Order even better. Luckily for him, he got the entire season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent on DVD… which allowed him to watch it through without any interruptions by his oh-so-hated advertisements. He talks about how great a couple of the detectives are in the series, highlighting some of their quirks that seem to get people talking. “Riseley” talks about how the detectives always have the same issues within any given Law & Order episode. They’ll find a body, get some clues, identify a suspect and then go to the DA and she’ll tell them to go find some cold hard evidence. This sends them back to the streets, and they always hit “road block after road block,” in “riseley’s” words. But, somehow, it always comes together in the end, which is absolutely one of my favorite parts of the show, period. In the case of the episodes with Detective Goren, he uses mind play to find mental weaknesses in the suspect and make him confess before the hour is up. In the end, “riseley” says, “I like the world in which Detective Goren can always solve the crime in 42 minutes. It's very satisfying.” And, I couldn’t agree more! Like the title of my essay the only type of crime I like is on TV – when it all gets solved in the end. If you’d like to read his entire review, you can find it here: http://www1.epinions.com/content_326059331204.

here & now

Right now nothing comes to mind except the excruciating pain I’m in. I am really not much of a complainer but these past two days have been brutal. I started training at gym 365 with a trainer- and oh my goodness. I cannot move at all. My legs and arms and back, are well – dead.

Enough about that.

Let’s talk about the important thing—like how substandard conditions are at Davie high. For instance, I had a scholarship due last week, but the counselors weren’t available because they were completing freshman schedules, a process that has been going on for two months.

How many high schools have to navigate an administration with three different principals? Not many. True, every school has problems, but very few of them slap down 26 different trailers instead of building a new school.

Bottom line: I am for tax increase for a new school. We need it. Desperately.

Voters in Davie County need to come to our school for one day to see how crowded it is. Witnessing our squalor would change their votes—at least I hope it would.

Why are the county commissioners putting so much trust in common people who know nothing about education? True, it is their right to vote. But is it also their right to hamper our education?

Unfortunately, it all boils down to politics as a witless popularity contest.

Forgive my boldness. I am sorry if you have a commissioner in your family, or as a friend. But, for the sake of the students, the next time you see an elected official tell them if they had a conscience, they would do what is right for the school system and override the ignorant vote and build a new high school.

Sadly, the commissioners are more concerned with re-election than they are about what is right for the future of education in this county. Otherwise, they might have taken a stand and built a new high school regardless the consequence to the tax payers of Davie County. How bad would a small tax increase be if it ensured the future of the county?

But, in the end, it is Davie County. I don’t expect much from the leaders here anyway. What have they done to benefit me? Nothing. To benefit my parents? Nothing. And who sanctioned the clearing of land for the new hospital that was voted down by the state?! Why did we waste our money on something that wasn’t even promised? Whoever wasted money like that should be should have to go back to high school (and start all over again). Make them sleep in the bed they’ve made.

No matter what the circumstances are. Our county needs a turnaround, and fast.

Abandon All Hope.

What comes naturally to me? Nothing comes to mind. Sometimes it worries me that I have no goal other than “live life.” I do have an ultimate plan: an ultimate destiny. Will I ever reach this final destination? I don’t know, but the path is set in front of me. Maybe the obstacles on the path will be too difficult to overcome. In reality, I don’t believe that. I believe all goals can be reached with the correct amount of heart and dedication put to that task. I’m going to grow up, get through school, get a job, and die. That’s my realization. I now see why people take their religions so seriously, it gives their life a purpose. Often people tell me that “you should contribute something to society.” I have too much manners to speak my mind when this is said, but how I feel is “why should I give something back to a society that’s only given me judgment and bad movies?” I love life, often more so than I think I should. My motto as a kid was “Love life, f*&^ the world.” The harsh realities and bitter truths of the world are what corrupt great things, like life. It blows my mind that I can go to school and have the same conversations with two completely different people. It blows my mind how one friend can be struggling just to find a place to sleep at night, while another is overly studying for a test that they know they will not make below a ninety-seven on. Why?

I’m so thankful that I wasn’t born in Friend A’s shoes. I’m also thankful that I can live day to day without the obnoxious pressure put on me by society and my peers to do something I truly don’t want to do. I sometimes wish I could truly be in the mind of both. I wish I could hear how their clock ticks differently from mine. All I can do is ask to hear their story, try to relate, and pray that they give me enough information to understand. I often wonder who can breathe easier at night. I often wonder why things have to be the way they are. Then, I kill these thoughts, because focusing on them for too long will only make me depressed.

I value my mind more than anything. I asked the wisest person I’ve ever met if he believed if we were truly alone. He replied “of course, people are often blinded by the superficial truth. In the end, all you have is your mind and yourself for comfort.” I believe this to be one hundred percent true. Why wouldn’t it be?
*Cough cough* will anyone really read this? I hope not LoL.

Flow through movies.

Movies are a big thing for me. I watch them all the time. I like to talk about them, which is why I thought it would be a good subject for this blog.

What I like in a movie is creativity, vision, style. Some movies I enjoy watching purely because of how they look. One of my favorite movies is A Scanner Darkly. I originally wanted to see it simply because of how it looked. The movie was filmed and then animators traced over the original footage. Turns out it's a really good movie regardless, but that creativity drew me in.

Jim Jarmusch has a distinct style for his movies. He's one of my favorite directors. His movies capture the beauty that can be found in seemingly mundane, everyday experiences. His films are very slow paced with a very light plot, or no plot at all. In his words, "Life has no plot, why must films or fiction?"

Michael Gondry is another director I like. The Science of Sleep is an amazing movie. It's just such an experience, full of fantasy. It's a very creative film.

This seems to be turning into sort of a list of movies, so I've got to talk about Gerry, a film directed by Gus Van Sant. The average length of the shots in this film is sixty seconds, which is very long. This film is very slow paced, but very visionary and interesting to watch.

Alejandro Jodorowsky has written and directed some really amazing films. He creates surreal films full of symbolism and spirituality. Sometimes disturbing, and oftentimes hard to decipher, watching films like El Topo or The Holy Mountain is definitely an unforgettable experience.

Harmony Korine uses out-of-date and unconventional techniques to film his movies, which gives them a distinct look. He creates rather simple movies, in terms of plot, that investigate human actions and relations.

Well, after I started to write this I realized I don’t really have much else to say except, “I like movie title”. It’s hard for me to express feelings about movies in words so, just watch these movies, and a bunch of other movies. Or don’t.

Pomacanchi

For some reason, summer seems to be just around the corner right now. I guess it shouldn’t really feel like that because I still have around three months of senior year, but my long-term way of thinking never fails, and it seems like right now is when I need to finalize my summer. Thinking of summer has definitely brought Pomacanchi to mind. I was really hoping to go there for about two weeks or so over the summer, but I’m not really sure about that at all anymore. I guess that’s okay, but I’m going to have to get used to the idea of not going on a mission trip anywhere this summer. I’ve been extremely blessed with the opportunities I’ve had to go to Peru, and so I guess I can live one summer without going overseas. Pomacanchi is a remote village in southern Peru, right in the middle of the Andes Mountains, thirteen thousand feet above sea level. I first went to Pomacanchi in April of last year, which was the firs trip there that anyone from my church had ever organized. I ended up loving everything about it. The mountains are incredible, and no matter how long I stay there, they always make me want to stop and stare. The people, of course, are far more precious than the mountains. They have no hope of anything beyond just surviving. Most families consist of mothers who work in fields in order to maintain subsistence farming, children who have to grow up way too fast and have to take care of their younger siblings, and fathers who are nowhere to be seen, completely uninvolved with their families.

So since there is so much work to be done there and so much need for the gospel that brings hope of eternal life and rest, the youth group I’m a part of has “adopted” the village. As long as God leads us, somebody will keep going back to Pomacanchi and doing the work that He’s had in store for us. I think I can confidently say that my first trip to Pomacanchi was the best week of my life so far. It was a trip where I was fully convinced that God is everywhere, that He loves all people, and that all people need Him. And it was the trip where God let me in on a little bit of His plan for my life. And of course, it was simply a trip to a beautiful place where I got to watch God work alongside some of my very best friends.
While I would love to go back to Pomacanchi, I guess I can know that if it doesn’t work out, then God has another plan for me this summer.

"In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two seperate, yet equally important groups..."

If I am watching TV (which I don’t really do that often) the TV is sure to be tuned to one of the many channels that play Law and Order. Luckily for me, there’s rarely a time that my beloved show isn’t on. I know that most people watch television to wind down and not really use their brain for anything. But, I can not stand watching mindless television shows. This is one of the biggest reasons as to why I adore Law and Order. Rachel Hyland wrote in a review on my favorite show, “Even as most crime shows deplore the evil that men do, they at times also celebrate it.” I don’t want to watch some stupid “reality” TV show glorifying crime or other trivial parts of somebody’s life. I love Law and Order because it addresses real life issues, it doesn’t sugar coat anything. Rachel Hyland hit the nail on the head later in her review when she pointed out that “Law and Order does not make this mistake. Though it frequently, and most chillingly, tells tales of true crime … it also treats them with the dread, indeed, the disgust they deserve.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! Also, because it is so much like real life, it is absolutely attention-grabbing. I have never once got bored in the middle of an episode of Law and Order. Unlike most shows on MTV, which I can’t even sit through, my favorite show is sure to keep me on the edge of my seat. I love how you learn a little bit more about the detectives with each show, and you’re always along with them on the ride to solving the case. If you have never seen an episode of this wonderful television series, I urge you to go watch it! Just because you’re grandpa used to watch it does not mean it sucks. It just means it’s been great enough to stay on air all those years!

what a couple of weeks

I would have to say that I really enjoyed this class. It was a very entertaining and fun eight week, Ahh, I mean six week class. But of course it was not all, as of the last week when everybody was trying to get their work in on time. Seriously though it was not all fun, we actually learned something from it. The class, in its own way, it tore down all the walls, rules, and boundaries that were given to me about writing essays and other big papers from practically all of my previous writing teachers. Before when I wrote an essay or any other major paper I always followed the same routine and the same structure. That way of writing had me writing five paragraphed papers that did not have any of my own personal thoughts and or opinions. But for the first time, in a long time I am sure, when writing my paper the teacher actually wanted us, the students, to write about what we think. That really opened up my mind to the possibilities of good writings and brought me one step closer to being able to write a good essay or paper.

I would say that I had never ever written a Blog before this class no matter how popular it may be. They are alright but I still prefer writing in journals instead. Even if I have to do a free write and a prompted journal, I still like journals better than blogs. Although blogs are or can be shorter than other papers and essays. I might even start some writing again and getting better at especially sense I want to get into the film business and eventually write or co-write my own script that will be made into a popular movie one day.

Which reminds me, anyone interested?

My version of "Asphalt Jesus"

Over the summer I was on a street acting team I Brazil. I went around the second biggest city in the country and performed a mime. The mime was called "The Redeemer" and I really liked it because I could perform and change the way people think without even speaking their language. The whole idea of traveling around with a group of five or six people that you have never met before was fun too. I got to meet some very cool people but learning the skit at first was very awkward. If you have ever acted, you know that you have to be outgoing. After traveling for twenty some hours, you do not feel like being outgoing or learning a skit with people who you have never met. Anyway after six fun, long hours of practice and an awesome Brazilian pizza we learned the skit and performed for the next nine days almost non-stop.Like practicing for any improve drama, funny things always occur. For example, when performing on the side walk in Brazil, my friend was pretending to be dead in the street. She almost was not pretending when a car stopped two inches from her head. Another funny thing that happened was we were performing on the street and it was absolutely quiet. Someone said "that as soon as we got to the crucifixion scene everything would be really loud and busy." Of course, at the climax of the skit there was a lot of bustle, one of the actors almost got ran over by a horse. While the horse was passing, we were all thinking the same thing: "I hope that horse does not crap." Now that I am back in the states, I have decided to teach a group of my friends the skit. I had to make all the props and find the training video and after that find people who would be willing to learn the mime. My group and I will be performing this Saturday for an audience of 130 people. This is exciting, well it was exciting until I learned that one of the actors got hurt in a wrestling match and will not be able to fill the part of God. So now in less than a week I have to find a replacement of God, the big man himself; not exactly easy. After searching and not being able to recruit anybody, my dad finally volunteered to help me. It was really sweet because that is not my dad's cup of tea and it will be really awkward for him because he does not know any of my friends and he is much older than everyone in the mime (at least thirty some years older). But none the less my dad was very loving and volunteered to save my butt. Fortunately someone just volunteered today to help me and will be more fitting for the part and is a frequent actor.

Political Triumph?

Something that has shrouded my free writings from the very beginning is the political turmoil of a world that we live in. I am so into this presidential election, and the conflicts that the U.S. is currently involved in. It is history that we are witnessing this year, with a woman and a black man running for the presidency. First of all….I really see a great turn of events for the world when a man running for the seat of the presidency does not feel obligated to say, or put his hand over his heart when the pledge of allegiance is being said. I don’t know what you feel like on this issue, but it kind of scared me. I would enjoy feedback or any kind of comment that you have about this if you have heard or seen this for yourself. In church we recently had a man come into our class and prove to us that Obama is a Muslim. Obama is a member of a church in the north and this man called that church to see if the possibility of becoming a member of a Christian oriented church without renouncing there Muslim background could be achieved. He called and told them his full name and requested info on becoming a member of that church. The lady over the phone replied that the only thing necessary to join was to come and attend one Sunday, and that they would send him membership info in the mail. And when he had made his final decision, he would walk down the aisle and they would accept him as a new member. Then this man asked the lady, if it was necessary to renounce his Muslim religion to join the church. She replied and said that he absolutely did not have to renounce his ways of a Muslim; they would never ask anyone to do that. Then he said, “So is this how Senator Barrack Obama became a member of your church?” The lady was silent, and then she answered. “Ummm Sir I am not allowed to answer these questions”. Yea kind of scary, at least for me it was.
Yea well you might say, well that doesn’t bother me I am not religious. Okay well I do not have enough room to discuss that topic with you. I am sure you have a standpoint on the war we are fighting. Do you believe in the war we are fighting is for a just cause? Or do you just join the crowed at school, and believe what the majority believes. I am sure you are more mature than that. So what do you believe that this war’s main purpose was? I do believe in the statement of the Constitution that states we are the guardians of freedom, not just for us, but for all suppressed peoples of the world. So I want this last blog to be a real feedback for me. I want to hear what you American people feel about his war and why. The only reason I mentioned the Presidential Election was to give you a glance at how these situations could change with a president who is basically Muslim, or our first woman President who will probably have(no offence ladies) a motherly look at things. Or we could elect another conservative southerner, Mike Huckabee? John McCain? Alright you have to have an opinion, so let me hear it.

My Love for Power Rangers!

If you have seen my new display name, that may tell you something about me. I like, no, I love Power Rangers! I have been a fan of Power Rangers since the premiere back in 1993. I have seen nearly every episode of the series. I plan on watching the show until it the last episode airs (whether it be live-action or animated, if the rumor proves true). Common themes in all sixteen seasons are teamwork, friendship, loyalty, courage, and the forces of good being victorious against the forces of evil. Power Rangers is adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai. The series has spawned two theatrical films, only one of which takes place in the same universe as the TV show. The majority of the viewers are adults who have been watching since Mighty Morphin. Over the years, Power Rangers has lost some of its fanbase due to the switch from Saban Entertainment to Disney, less character development, and too much focus on the red ranger. Every season has a red, blue, and yellow ranger. Starting with Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, a new group of teenagers or young adults have become rangers each season. Previously, the show had the same group of teens gaining different powers and Zords, with some members leaving to move on with their lives. The show’s fandom loves to pair the rangers up romantically based on certain scenes in episodes. My favorite ranger couples are and always will be Tommy and Kimberly from Mighty Morphin and Wes and Jen from Time Force. Both were canon (actually in-show) couples. My three absolute favorite Saban seasons in chronological order are: Mighty Morphin (all three), Lost Galaxy, and Time Force. My favorite Disney-era seasons are Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder. Power Rangers Dino Thunder (2004) saw the return of Tommy Oliver. My least favorite seasons are Zeo, Turbo, and Wild Force (except for the team-up episodes). Over the years, I have accumulated a few pieces of merchandise. I still have a Kimberly (first pink Mighty Morphin ranger) doll, trading cards, a Mighty Morphin comic book, and a yellow Lightspeed Rescue figure.

a child's dream

When I was younger I wanted to be in some kind of band or at least just play an instrument. So when sixth grade came around our teacher said the only time we could join band is in the sixth grade. I was definitely joining band but, which instrument would I play? I don’t want to the piano because to me it was a little too usual. I wanted to learn how to play the guitar but, it was not an option. So just like every other sixth grade student, I wanted to ply the drums. Then our band teacher tells us, the class, that playing the drums is a privilege not a right. So basically the band students with an A/B average can tryout to play the drums. So let’s just say that was out of the question for me; but not of course for the teacher’s son. I mean when were they going to tell us, when it was too late. For me, if I would have known I would have actually worked harder in school. Moving on, so I picked the saxophone. It was fun for a while but, I would have definitely picked the drums if I could have. The funny part to me was all of my other teachers would tell us that we need to join band and play the drums whenever my classmates and I would beat on our desk, and all we could say is we don’t have the right. Anyway, I would have to ply the drums, which I would have been good at. I must say though I don’t think my parent’s would like me paying the drums. If the school had guitars that we could learn to play, I would have been the first to sign-up. Still to this day I wish I could learn how to play the guitar. When I tell my family they think I want to be some rocker chick playing an electric guitar. When in fact that is not the case I just want to learn how to play an acoustic guitar. Besides my little sister likes to write songs and sing and I think it would be cool if I could play her music for her.

The Legacy of Music and the Modern Musician

I want more for myself than to waste 65 minutes of my time listening to an album that I cannot cherish. I want everything in my life to have a certain timelessness, despite the fact that I probably will not. I would like my music to have its own legacy. In older music, I have found myself tied to a history that I don't necessarily have, the chance to connect to my "roots" and the ability to look at newer music in a refreshing way. When I reflect on older music, one of the most prominent figures in my mind is the late guitar player, Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix had a way of manipulating the guitar to produce a kind of sound that resonates in the ears of multiple generations. His music contains a certain quality that forces the listener to continually hear it, long after the song has finished. I often walk down the streets of downtown Winston- Salem listening to my iPod asking anyone who dares to get close enough, "Are You Experienced?" It is probably fortune on my behalf that they usually don't hear me. I feel that all music has its own historical tie which often goes undetected by the listener. What I hear from nostalgic music is not necessarily the lyrics that were written forty years ago, but instead I hear the emotions that are communicated through these records. Although rap has become a rather distorted genre, it still communicates to the listener the angry energy that stems from years of inequality and racism. Older music sometimes acts as the only association I have with previous generations. It is my connection to their time. Furthermore, many newer artist also use the associations that they find with older artist to supplement their own musical careers. Amy Winehouse, for instance, has collaborated with producer Mark Rohnson to create an album entitled "Back to Black" which features very Motown reminiscent hits. Winehouse has a soul stirring voice which could rival that of Billie Holiday. Artist such as Winehouse and John Legend have facilitated a new genre known as "retrosoul" or "retrojazz." Music has a fluidity that allows it to change into different sounds, communicating different ideas in different times. I feel that many older musicians have been able to achieve timelessness because of the emotion and drive that is reflected in their art.

Wherefore art thou Blog? Deny thy essay father and refuse thy essay name...

There are many differences and similarities between blogs and essays. Blogs are essentially, essays posted on the internet with certain modifications. Blogs often lack the structure that is found in a stereotypical college essay. Many students issue essays in a more formal tone that can often be condescending or confusing to a reader. I think that blogs allow for more of an exploration into the ideas and feelings of the author. Furthermore, I feel that many students, when writing a blog, throw formalities out the window along with simple grammar and spelling. It seems easier to not proofread and rewrite when you know that you are not writing to an academic audience. I think that this is problematic for blog writers because they often do not know to whom they are writing. Essays are often easier to read because you have a targeted academic audience. In a way, you know what they want to hear and how they want to hear it. When a blog is submitted to the Internet, it is capable of reaching almost anyone. Therefore, one may not convey their thoughts in a manner that is pleasing to everyone that reads them. I think that the Internet provides a medium to be judged by your peers instead of your teachers. Of course, unbeknownst to the author, teachers could be reading their blogs too. I think that blogs and essays both have a certain patterns that simply depend on the author’s writing style. I think that blogs tend to be more “stream of consciousness,” while essays are dependent on an established structure. I also believe that blogs allow for a more free flowing form of writing instead of the usual often torturous process. Blogs break up the monotony of how ideas are expressed by the author. I think that in society, essays are more valued because of their structure. I tend to be more captivated by blogs simply because, in my opinion, blogs tend to contain more passion and emotion compared to their essay counterparts.

Give him a chance

Anti-semetic? Sure. Too white? Sure. Too manly? Back then yes. Reasons to hate Hemingway and writing? No.
Hating Jews and being too manly in the 1920 perspective does not give one reason to hate Hemingway. I know plenty of boys who call people “Jews” in a derogatory sense, but that does not mean I hate them. I do not even know where being to white comes into play in this hatred. Michael Schaub, of a thousand books, first heard of Hemingway through his “manic former journalist prone to expansive arm gestures and standing on furniture” professor- A hostile atmosphere to first recognize one of the greatest literary minds in history. To me one should not hate a person because of his personal life, but of what he has contributed to the world. If the U.S. voted for president solely on his personal life, it would be stalemate every time. No one would be able to come to a conclusion. But, because we vote on his policy and achievements, the US is more able to come to a decision. Should personal life come into play somehow? Yes, but very little. Emotion does not rule the country, action does. If the US voted on someone who would do a good job in office, not just someone they liked; we might not be in this downward spiral. The same goes to authors. We should read what we think is good writing, not just who we like as an author. There are plenty of writers who are great people, but write horrendous literature. Schaub never simply states his position on the novel, or Hemingway but comes in contact with people who should have given Hemingway a second look. Between the lesbian he thought he liked and the entirety of his Hemingway notes, I think you will find Schaub’s comments very interesting. You can find him at http://www.bookslut.com/hundred_books/2003_07_000124.php