Dec 24, 2007
Hey, it's almost Christmas!
(I have no idea why I'm still up at one in the morning.)
And even though I am a lapsed Catholic, it does not mean I have given up on what the rest of my family does around this time of the year.
In fact, for the past week, I've been baking. Baking pundcake and cookies! I've also been glued to the internet all day along, more or less.
And today, I went to the grocery store with my mother and was motivated to take this picture:
Yes, that is a cooked and cut octopus. I wonder if anyone has bought an octopus from a Savemart, or if it's the only one they have and it never gets sold.
A person may never know.
And it's a slightly gruesome sight if you ask me.
And even though I am a lapsed Catholic, it does not mean I have given up on what the rest of my family does around this time of the year.
In fact, for the past week, I've been baking. Baking pundcake and cookies! I've also been glued to the internet all day along, more or less.
And today, I went to the grocery store with my mother and was motivated to take this picture:
Yes, that is a cooked and cut octopus. I wonder if anyone has bought an octopus from a Savemart, or if it's the only one they have and it never gets sold.
A person may never know.
And it's a slightly gruesome sight if you ask me.
Dec 21, 2007
My boyfriend via email said....
"I still have the Collector's Edition [Batman the Animated Series] Rogue's Gallery with every villian from the series in mint condition."
My reply to this:
"WANT. WANT. WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT.
MARRY ME, I WANT TO GET TO YOUR COLLECTIBLES."
Seriously.
But if he doesn't have his Harley and Ivy figures next to each other, then there will be hell to pay.
They're lesbian for each other! Duh!
My reply to this:
"WANT. WANT. WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT.
MARRY ME, I WANT TO GET TO YOUR COLLECTIBLES."
Seriously.
But if he doesn't have his Harley and Ivy figures next to each other, then there will be hell to pay.They're lesbian for each other! Duh!
Dec 18, 2007
Ok, book report over
I don't need this to get a grade anymore! Whoop whoop! Now, this will be my little soapbox. Huzzah, huzzah!
But first, a picture for fun.
Art by Karl Kerschl
Copyright (c) 2007 DC Comics
But first, a picture for fun.
Art by Karl Kerschl
Copyright (c) 2007 DC Comics
Dec 13, 2007
The Fall of the House of Usher
Summary: The narrator, who will be dubbed Dave for simplicity's sake again, was summoned to his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, after years of not seeing each other. Roderick, as well as the rest of his family, had a long history of mental troubles. His sister and himself are the only sole survivors of the formerly prestigious house. Roderick tells Dave that he has very acute senses, meaning that he basically has super-senses. Dave is there to try and keep Roderick cheery and to not have him fall into a state of depression to the point of death.
Roderick then tells Dave days later that his sister had died, and that she needs to be put in a tomb in the basement of the house before she's buried for good. After this, Roderick's demeanor changes greatly, he becomes withdrawn into himself and he becomes extremely aggrivated. One night, a horrible storm starts and Dave cannot get himself to sleep. Roderick comes into Dave's room and throws open the window. Dave attempts to get Roderick sane and manageable by reading him The Mad Trist. As Dave reads the story, he could hear faint noises that correspong with what's happening in the story. He comes close to Roderick because he's murmuring something. Roderick says "Not hear it? -- yes, I hear it, and have heard it...I dared not speak! We have put her living in the tomb!...-- say, rather, the rending of her coffin, and the grating pf the iron hinges of her prison, and her struggles in the copper archway of the vault!...Is she not going to upbraid me for my haste? Have I not heard her footstep on the stair?...Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door!"
Roderick knew that Madeline was not dead at the time, but he never bothered to tell Dave because Dave is rational and wouldn't allow her being entombed. The door to Dave's room opens and there stands Madeline, on the border of death, and blood on her clothing from her struggle to get back to her brother. Madeline comes forward and throws herself onto Roderick, both of them dying that moment. Dave runs for it, and once he is away from the house, the house breaks into pieces and falls into the ground.
Personal reaction: I love how this story ended. With the unexpected return of Madeline, her bloody clothing, the mental image of her with bloody hands, disheveled hair, and angry with a bloodlust in her eyes. Dave not knowing what the heck is going on, the correspondence with the story he read. Roderick and his family and their mental problems, these elements create such an interest into a story only a few pages long.
Roderick then tells Dave days later that his sister had died, and that she needs to be put in a tomb in the basement of the house before she's buried for good. After this, Roderick's demeanor changes greatly, he becomes withdrawn into himself and he becomes extremely aggrivated. One night, a horrible storm starts and Dave cannot get himself to sleep. Roderick comes into Dave's room and throws open the window. Dave attempts to get Roderick sane and manageable by reading him The Mad Trist. As Dave reads the story, he could hear faint noises that correspong with what's happening in the story. He comes close to Roderick because he's murmuring something. Roderick says "Not hear it? -- yes, I hear it, and have heard it...I dared not speak! We have put her living in the tomb!...-- say, rather, the rending of her coffin, and the grating pf the iron hinges of her prison, and her struggles in the copper archway of the vault!...Is she not going to upbraid me for my haste? Have I not heard her footstep on the stair?...Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door!"
Roderick knew that Madeline was not dead at the time, but he never bothered to tell Dave because Dave is rational and wouldn't allow her being entombed. The door to Dave's room opens and there stands Madeline, on the border of death, and blood on her clothing from her struggle to get back to her brother. Madeline comes forward and throws herself onto Roderick, both of them dying that moment. Dave runs for it, and once he is away from the house, the house breaks into pieces and falls into the ground.
Personal reaction: I love how this story ended. With the unexpected return of Madeline, her bloody clothing, the mental image of her with bloody hands, disheveled hair, and angry with a bloodlust in her eyes. Dave not knowing what the heck is going on, the correspondence with the story he read. Roderick and his family and their mental problems, these elements create such an interest into a story only a few pages long.
Dec 8, 2007
Of the stories so far...
I prefer "The Black Cat" over "The Purloined Letter". I cannot easily expain why, but I suppose the plot of "The Black Cat" had just appealed to me considerably more than "The Purloined Letter". Now I think that the flow of the two stories differs considerably, because I honestly think "The Puroined Letter" took too long just to get to the point. It woud have been much more captivating if the story had moved faster and Dupin hadn't spent a number of pages explaining things about clever children and mathematical equations.
I'm being honest, Dupin simply wasted his fictional breath by giving a long story to a simple question. Also, there was no murder in "The Puroined Letter", but Bill killed his wife in "The Back Cat". I think Bill had more fun. (:P)
I'm being honest, Dupin simply wasted his fictional breath by giving a long story to a simple question. Also, there was no murder in "The Puroined Letter", but Bill killed his wife in "The Back Cat". I think Bill had more fun. (:P)
Dec 7, 2007
The Purloined Letter
Summary: A woman has a letter stolen from her, she is well aware of this event, and has offered a big reward for the letter being returned to her. So the captain of the French police (Note: The story takes place in France.) visits the narrator and his friend Dupin to tell them of this situation. The story goes, the woman had recently gotten this letter, but Minister D. had come to her home and took the letter for its contents. The contents were never precisely revealed, but it is known that they could harm someone with power.
Dupin questioned the police captain about the letter and how it was searched for. G-- (the captain) had said that the police unit had searched every possible hiding place for a letter. Dupin was content with this information and so G-- left. G-- returns to Dupin and his friend sometime later, with the letter still missing. Dupin asks whether the police has had any leads on the letter, G-- tells that they've haven't, and that he was willing to give up 50,000 Francs from the reward to any sort of lead. Dupin says that G-- should write the check because he on his own had found and retrieved it. G-- was shocked and when Dupin had handed over the letter and it was the letter the police had searched hard for.
G-- leaves, and Dupin reveals to his friend/the narrator how exactly he had found it. (It's a rather long winded explination, and I wanted to just skip some pages and get to the point.) He said he had disguised himself and went to Minister D's home and had located where it was there. Dupin went back a second time, had paid a man to cause a major distraction outside so Dupin could get he letter and secure it. His plan had worked and he got 50,000 Francs for his clever deduction.
Point of View: The narration of this story was a first person limited p.o.v. The reader found out details when the narrator himself found out details. He had no prior knowledge to any of the happenings until either G-- or Dupin had told him what had gone on.
Dupin questioned the police captain about the letter and how it was searched for. G-- (the captain) had said that the police unit had searched every possible hiding place for a letter. Dupin was content with this information and so G-- left. G-- returns to Dupin and his friend sometime later, with the letter still missing. Dupin asks whether the police has had any leads on the letter, G-- tells that they've haven't, and that he was willing to give up 50,000 Francs from the reward to any sort of lead. Dupin says that G-- should write the check because he on his own had found and retrieved it. G-- was shocked and when Dupin had handed over the letter and it was the letter the police had searched hard for.
G-- leaves, and Dupin reveals to his friend/the narrator how exactly he had found it. (It's a rather long winded explination, and I wanted to just skip some pages and get to the point.) He said he had disguised himself and went to Minister D's home and had located where it was there. Dupin went back a second time, had paid a man to cause a major distraction outside so Dupin could get he letter and secure it. His plan had worked and he got 50,000 Francs for his clever deduction.
Point of View: The narration of this story was a first person limited p.o.v. The reader found out details when the narrator himself found out details. He had no prior knowledge to any of the happenings until either G-- or Dupin had told him what had gone on.
Dec 6, 2007
The Black Cat
Summary: An animal lover, whom I shall call Bill for simplicity reasons (he was never given a name), as a black cat named Pluto who he adores. Unfortunately, Bill gets addicted to alcohol, and his beloved Pluto avoids him. One night, Bill gets angry at Pluto and picks him up to pet him, but Pluto bites Bill on the hand. Bill is enraged, he is intoxicated this whole time by the way, and he grabs his pen knife from his jacket AND CARVES PLUTO'S EYE OUT. The next day, Bill is remorseful. After a few days, Bill is so wrought with regret, he decides to put Pluto out of his misery by hanging him. That night, Bill's house burns down, but he, his wife, and a servant or two are able to escape. Bill returns to the ruins of his home, with only one wall standing, with a portrait of the deceased Pluto.
Bill moves into a temporary new house, which I believed to be a cellar, and he starts to miss his beloved Pluto. Bill is still addicted to alcohol, so one night, while at a tavern, he spots a cat very similar to Pluto and takes the cat with him. The only difference between Pluto and this new cat, is that Pluto was a rich, solid black, but the new cat has a big white spot on its chest. He soon realizes that the cat's white spot is in the shape of the gallows. Bill's affection for his new cat soon turns to hatred, and he despises the thing. One day, Bill and his wife are down in the cellar, and the cat trips Bill and nearly kills him. In a rage, Bill gets an axe and attempts to kill the cat, but his wife stops him before he is able to. So instead of killing the cat, Bill swings the axe into his wife's head. The cat has run away, so Bill has the task of hiding is wife's corpse. He pulls apart one of the walls in the cellar and stuffs her dead body in the hole. After a few days, the police come unexpectedly to search the house, and everything looks fine, so they do not charge Bill of any crimes. As the police are leaving Bill says goodbye, and goes to knock on the wall where the corpse is, and an unearthly howl starts and Bill backs off, in terror, to the opposite wall. The police are instantly aware that their search is not finished so they take apart the wall, and there is Bill's wife's corpse and the cat perched on her head howling with it's one eye and mouth wide open. Bill is sentenced to hang on the gallows.
Bill moves into a temporary new house, which I believed to be a cellar, and he starts to miss his beloved Pluto. Bill is still addicted to alcohol, so one night, while at a tavern, he spots a cat very similar to Pluto and takes the cat with him. The only difference between Pluto and this new cat, is that Pluto was a rich, solid black, but the new cat has a big white spot on its chest. He soon realizes that the cat's white spot is in the shape of the gallows. Bill's affection for his new cat soon turns to hatred, and he despises the thing. One day, Bill and his wife are down in the cellar, and the cat trips Bill and nearly kills him. In a rage, Bill gets an axe and attempts to kill the cat, but his wife stops him before he is able to. So instead of killing the cat, Bill swings the axe into his wife's head. The cat has run away, so Bill has the task of hiding is wife's corpse. He pulls apart one of the walls in the cellar and stuffs her dead body in the hole. After a few days, the police come unexpectedly to search the house, and everything looks fine, so they do not charge Bill of any crimes. As the police are leaving Bill says goodbye, and goes to knock on the wall where the corpse is, and an unearthly howl starts and Bill backs off, in terror, to the opposite wall. The police are instantly aware that their search is not finished so they take apart the wall, and there is Bill's wife's corpse and the cat perched on her head howling with it's one eye and mouth wide open. Bill is sentenced to hang on the gallows.
Characterization: Bill was sane in the start of the story, but his alcohol addiction led to him becoming irrational towards his various pets, and Pluto was no exception. The morning after Bill had carved Pluto's eye out, I saw that he was more sane and rational in is thinking. When the new cat is introduced, Bill takes an immediate liking to it. For some unknown reason, the cat instills a hate in Bill that he cannot be in the same room with the cat. I never fully understood why Bill had hated the cat so much, but I suspect that it has to do with it's similarity to Pluto. Also, Bill's irrational hatred for the new cat led him to kill his wife by putting an axe in her head, when all she did was stop him from killing the cat. In the end, I think that Bill had snapped and that he got what was coming to him
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