Voc. Words

1) Caprice-a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather; noun

2) Aberration-the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course;noun

3) Zealously-ardently active, devoted, or diligent; full of, characterized by;adj.

4) Fecund-producing or capable of producing offspring, fruit, vegetation, etc., in abundance; prolific; fruitful;adj.

5) Callous-made hard or harden;adj.

6) Compulsory-required; mandatory; obligatory;adj.

7) Manifest-readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident; obvious; apparent; plain;adj.

8) Bequeath-to dispose of (personal property, especially money) by last will;verb

9) Skirted-the part of a gown, dress, slip, or coat that extends downward from the waist;noun

10) Ambivalence-uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things;noun

11) Ebbing-a flowing backward or away; decline or decay; noun

12) Ineffable-incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible;adj.

Blog Comparing "The Lottery" w/ "The Possibility of Evil" by theme

"The Lottery" and "The Possibility of Evil" by Shirley Jackson, share the same theme of evil. In "The Possibility of Evil" Miss. Strangeworth has this idea that she should keep evil out of her town, so she writes letters, without signing her name on them, to the members of her town; warning them about different things or saying harsh phrases that turn people pale. She believes it's the right thing to do and that it's her town, since there wouldn't be a town without her grandfather, and she also believes it's her duty to alert the members of the town about the "evil" things happening around them and affecting their lives. In "The Lottery" has a sense of evil, but in a different way, the lottery is suppose to fun and you end up winning something amazing, like money; but instead this lottery if you win it you get stoned to death. The villagers think that this ritual or tradition is something they should be proud of and can't get rid of it, unlike the other villages that did. In fact, they say getting rid of the ritual is bad and that they will end up living in caves or be even more poor.
       Mrs. Huncthson ends up getting the lottery ticket after saying it wasn't fair when her husband drew the ticket first. She keeps screaming it wasn't fair even when getting stoned to death not other by her friends and other villagers, but by her family as well. In both these stories the possibility of evil is lingering around these characters. First, you have an old lady writing harsh letters to people and then you have a village doing this ritual of stoning a person to death. Both these stories hold evil in them, even though they are shown in different ways, and the stories both end up with an unhappy ending.

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The Possibility of Evil

"Has anyone seen Miss. Strangeworth lately?" asked Mr.Lewis as he was checking out Mrs. Harper at the counter. "Who cares? She's the one who's been sending us all these letters and ruining our lives! I only hope her life is ruined too." Mr.Lewis gave Mrs.Harper her things and looked down at the counter, "Well, of course she did, but to as far as that, maybe she had a reason, or maybe she is just sick; I mean she is a old lady and only stays in this one town, maybe she needs to get out more or see a doctor." "Why are you defending her?" asked Mrs.Harper, "Because I knew her a long time, there's no way she wouldn't do something like that without any reason or motive." Mrs.Harper snorted as she walked off mumbling that her motive was to ruin their lives and break up families. No one has seen Miss. Strangeworth since the day, they got rid of her roses, which was 3 weeks ago, and people where still talking about yesterday's news. Linda and Harris were treated as the town's heros for finding out the evil deeds Miss. Strangeworth was doing at the post office every night. Don Crane was now the head of the town, taking Miss.Strangeworth's title.
Linda and the Harris boy were walking down pass Miss.Strangeworth's house for a evening stroll; they stopped right in front of the house staring at it. The windows were fogged up, the curtains' color faded, the garden was in no point of return, and the house was molded and cracked. "You don't really think she locked herself up in her house do you?" Linda asked looking up at Harris, "No, I think she goes out to get what she needs when everyone is gone or asleep; beside even if she did lock herself up in that house, she's probably out of food by now there's no way she'll survive." "Maybe we should check on her." Harris pondered that thought for a moment and figured even though she was being rude to the town and it's people the least they can do is make sure she's okay, after all she is the only Strangeworth left in this world, and all her families have lived her; as much as he hated to admit it, she was still the town's living breathing historic mark. "First thing tomorrow, everyone will check on Miss.Strangeworth." "Everyone? How are you going to get everyone to do that?" Linda had asked eyebrows raising in a question. "Well, I'm pretty sure there are people who are worried as much as us" Linda and Harris strolled back to their homes, kissed each other goodnight, and waited for morning to come.
Harris manged to get: Linda, Mr.Lewis, and Don and Helene Crane to come see if she was alright. They all sorta felt bad for what they did, yet what she did was always not right as well,; they planned on rebuilding her garden and making her promise not to do those things anymore. Mr.Lewis knocked on her door. "Miss.Strangeworth?" Mr.Lewis repeated himself two more times, before he realized that the door was unlocked and walked inside with the rest following him. "Ack!" Linda covered her nose. "What's this smell, it's horrible!" Helene started looking pale and Don told her to wait outside. "Miss.Strangeworth!" Harris shouted, the house looked he same as it always did, expect for the fact that everything was collecting dust. "Maybe she's in her bedroom." Don metioned as he walked upstaris. He knocked on her door and with no answer he walked in and came to a halt. "What is it?" Linda pushed by in the crowd. There were several colored notes saying "The world is evil" and withered rose petals scattered around the room and around the body of Miss.Strangeworth in the process of decaying. "Oh my god.." Linda rushed outside to join Helene and Harris, Don, and Mr.Lewis were frozen in place until Don broke the silence. "Someone call 911." He motioned one of them to do as he knelt down to the body. "It seems she just died of stravation." "Or she could have commited suicide." Mr.Lewis suggested. "So she died cause the world was evil or because we were 'evil'?" Harris asked after coming in from calling the police. "Who knows...who knows." Don answered and they all waited for the police to arrive to collect the body of Miss.Strangeworth.

The Possibility of Evil Motivations

Miss. Strangeworth gives her town's people letters telling them that they need to "open their eyes" to the evil around them. She finds joy in doing this, even though, when the people recivce these letters; their life kinda starts to fall apart and fights begin, along with misunderstandings. She believes she is helping them and that "it was Miss.Strangeworth's duty to keep her town alert to it" (210). Miss. Strangeworth feel's that she own the town, since without her grandfather, there wouldn't have been a town here at all. Not only did she feel that the town's people needed to watch over, but the whole world as well; "but people everywhere were lustful and evil and degraded, and needed to be watched; the world was so large, and there was only one Strangeworth left in it" (211). Miss. Strangeworth wanted to get rid of all the evil in her town; make sure it's swept clean of the evilness "There was so much evil in people. Even in a charming little town like this one, there was still so much evil in people" (213).
In the end, despite her motivations of writing these letters, her roses were gone when she woke up the next morning.

Voc. of the Day

Voluble- characterized by a ready and continous flow of words; adj.

The teacher's voluble words about math, bored almost every single student, n his class.

Wizened- withered, shirvled; adj.

The wizened flower fell to the ground, to never blossom again.

Voc. of the Day

Rudimentary- of the nature of a rudiment, undeveloped or vestigial; adj.

Her rudimentary sowing skills were no help to us at all.

Savoring- the quality in a substance that affects the sense of smell and taste; noun

When I first bit into the steak, I savored the taste in my mouth; so I can recall the taste another day.

Voc. of the Day

Commiserate- to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; verb

I didn't know I was commiserating towards her, until after she yelled at me

Indomitable- that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; adj.

Ms.Dehoff's willpower is indomitable! 

Inside the Home of the Future

1. The three capabilities of the future house is knowing when to refrigerator food after it has been untouched for more than two hours, so that way food doesn't spoil, and also helps people with memory loss from eating spoil food. Another way is, your to-do list the house knows its out of a certain things and orders it for you and the food you've been out of is at your door step when you return home from work or school etc. The last thing is that the home watches your movements adjusting to your everyday life or routine turning certain things on or off at different times.

2. People with memory loss or people who can forget things easily, for example, can benefit fro living in these kind of homes. If they forget to go to the store to buy food, the house would of already ordered the food and is now waiting at your door step when you return. Also, if you leave food out for two hours the house would put it back in the refrigerator so it doesn't spoil. The house also adjusts to your every day routine, so if you usually clean up after yourself and all of a sudden you have to rush to work and leave a pile of clothes in your room, the house can sense that wasn't part of your routine and clean it up for you; hanging up all the clothes back where they were or throwing them in the landuary.

3. In Bradbury's fictional story of a home of the future is similar to actual homes being developed by researchers, by the sense that the house will do partically almost everything for you. It gives you free time to do other things, espcially if you have work that lasts from 8am to 9pm, for example, or if you're just to busy to clean up your house or anything related to that. It's also similar by stating the fact that the house would be more helpful in society and help people get on with their days. The negavtive effect it can have is that people would get so use to it that sooner or later they would forget how to even wash a toilet or throw away the trash. Bradbury's home and the homes now being built, is the harmful and helpful way of techlogly.

4.  The most innovation in this article is just the house itself. We've been moving along in techlogly so much, that now we are making houses into robots and replacing delievery people with androids that make your shipping faster. We are relying so much on techlogly that one day it's going to hurt use and maybe even take the human popluation over. Maybe someday they would also find a way to make everyone immortal, as well, by turning them into robots. My opionin on this future house is that it would be helpful, but only to people who really need it. People who always clean after themselves and keep their house clean, they don't need this house; the ones that do are people who are too busy, have some illness, or just don't know how to take care of themselves.

There Will Be Soft Rain

There Will Be Soft Rain

In the living room the voice clock sang. Tick-tock, seven o'clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o'clock! Mr. Featherstone and Mrs. McClellan woke up from their warm, cozy bed to the sound of their house announing the time. "Honey, can you go make sure the kids woke up?" asked Mrs. McClellan. "I'm sure they got up, if they don't the house will keep repeating itself till they do, and I'm sure they find that annoying to sleep with, dear." Mr. Featherstone kissed his wife on the cheek and took a quick shower and got dressed for work. Mrs.McClellan did the same thing shortly after him. The children, Jake and Anna, were already downstairs, waiting for their morning feast, which was something they looked forward to every morning. Seven-nine, breakfast time, seven-nine! In the kitchen, Jake and Anna, watched the stove heat up and ejected from its warm interior eight pieces of perfectly browned toast, eight eggs sunnyside up, sixteen slices of bacon, two coffees, and two cool glasses of milk.

        Mr. Featherstone and Mrs. McClellan enjoyed seeing their children up early for breakfast, of course, they always were up this early, everyone was. "Today is August 3, 2026," said a second voice from the kitchen ceiling, "in the city of Allendale, California." As the house repeated itself two more times Mr.Featherstone saw the glare he was receiving from his wife. "You do remember what's close right?" she had asked him, "Of course, dear, beside if i ever forgotten, which will not happen, the house will tell me." He kissed her on the check, before getting up for another glass of coffee. "Mommy, are we still going shopping for my dress after school today?" Anna had asked, she had been waiting to have some time with her mother for a while now. "Of course dear, even if you have to do your homework in the car." Eight-one, tick-tock, eight-one o'clock, off to school, off to work, run, run, eight-one! Everyone hurried their breakfast, took to go cups with them; doors slamming, heels hitting the carpets and outside the garage chimed and lifted its door to reveal the waiting car. "Okay, kids get in, get in! We'll all be late!" Mr.Featherstone hurried the kids in the car as Mrs.McClellan came rushing out of the house purse in hand and got in the front seat, starting on her make-up. Nine-fifteen, sang the clock, time to clean. Out of warrens in the wall, tiny robot mice darted. The rooms were acrawl with the small cleaning animals, all rubber and metal. They thudded against chairs, whirling their mustached runners, kneading the rug nap sucking gently at hidden dust. Then, like mysterious invaders, they popped into their burrows. Their pink electric eyes faded. The house was clean.

        Ten o'clock. The town was flooded in sunshine, birds chripping, and flowers dancing in the wind, from the morning dew. The sound of shoes hitting the cement filled the air, runners out for their morning jog, neighbhors from across the street, or over yonder, wish each other a good morning, and the sounds of a bike's brake as the newspaper boy throws newspapers at each house. Ten-fifteen. The garden sprinklers whirled up in golden founts, filling the soft morning air with the scatterings of brightness. The whole house sparkled as if it came out of a fairy tale book, and the little droplets of water look like fairies as the light shone upon them. 

       Twelve noon. A dog came rushing up the steps of the house and barked happily at the door. The front door recognized the dog voice and opened. The dog raced all over the house hoping that at least someone was there to play with him, but no, everyone was off with their busy day. The dog ate the leftovers from breakfast, that Mrs.McClellan put in his bowl ever so kindly. The dog took a small nap and soon after was out and bout again enjoying the company of other dogs. Two-fifteen. The sound of a motor came near the house and the garage door opened for the car, parked, and out came two hyper children and two exhausted parents. "Mommy! What are you doing? We have to go shopping today!" "Give mommy some time to rest, go play with your brother in the yard." Anna nodded at her mother's request and soon after that Mr.Featherstone decided to mow the yard once again. Mrs. McClellan took a look at her wonderful garden and bent down to pick some flowers for her flower vases. Mr.Featherstone started the mower and was careful not to run over Mrs. McClellan's garden. "You ready sis?!" Jake yelled across the yard as he threw the ball in the air. "Ready!"
          

The Pedestrian Story

             Mr. Mead watched outside the window of the police car, watching the trees wave him goodbye in the wind and the houses watching with their dim light eyes, and watching everything disappear before him. Mr.Mead thought of all those years he never met anyone on those sidewalks, on those midnight chilly frost nights, and now, only now did he get stopped by someone. Well, it wasn't a someone more like a something. A police car stopped Mr.Mead's peaceful life and was now taking him to a pyhstiaric ward. Mr. Mead started pondering the idea of what it would be like in the ward. He knew he didn't had to get in the car and could of easily just walked away, but going to a ward sounded a little peaceful to him as well. Will the rooms have a window? a warm bed? boardgames? and most of all would it have a television? That thought started to give Mr.Mead's heart a little skip, would he be brainwashed as well? Or would he be tested on and asked a series of questions?

      The ride to the ward was silent, the only sound was the sound of the wheels on the road going round and round and the wind getting pushed by the car. The police car came to stop in front of another tomb-like building, only this time the eyes of the house were brightly light, blindfully light. "Please enter the ward Mr.Mead." Mr. Mead did as the car told him to do and opened his door. He stood only for a breif moment as he pondered the thought of just leaving right now and just go back to how things were, walking every night, and and enjoying peaceful nights for more years to come. Mr.Mead turned to the ward and walked towards it with heavy beating hearts in each step with only one thought in mind "It couldn't any worse than this." and Mr.Mead was engulf in the bright light of the ward.

Voc. Words

Doctrine- a particular principle, position, or policy taught; noun

Hertiage- something that comes or belongs to by reason of birth; noun

Commiserate- to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; verb

Indomitable- that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; adj.

Rudimentary- of the nature of a rudiment, undeveloped or vestigial; adj.
Savoring- the quality in a substance that affects the sense of smell and taste; noun

Voluble- characterized by a ready and continous flow of words; adj.

Wizened- withered, shirvled; adj.

Fusillade- a simultaneous or continous discharge of firearms; noun

Maladroit- lacking in adrotiness,unskillful;adj.

The Pedestrian

Descriptions/Imagery
1. "...frosty air before him like the smoke of a cigar."
2. "...westerly direction toward the hidden sea."
3. "...good crystal forest in the air; it cut the nose and made the lungs blaze like a Christmas tree inside."
4. "...all the branches filled with invisible snow."
5. "...picking up a leaf as he passed, examining its skeletal pattern..."

Examples of Figurative Language
1. "...tomb-like building was still open..."
2. "...ceaseless jockeying for position as the scarab-beetles a fain incense puttering from their exhausts..."
3. "...these highways, too, were like streams in a dry season, all stone and bed and moon radiance."
4. " The light held him fixed, like a museum specimen, needle thrust through chest."
5. "...people sat like the dead, the grey or multicolored lights touching their faces..."

Words of the Day

Paranoia-suspsions of motive; noun

She was paraiod of her cousin, after that incident at the park.

Silhouette-the outline or general shape of something; noun

The silhouette of the square was four inches in width and length.

Sublime- complete, utter, ablsoute; adj.

It was sublime horror that the dead cat fell from the ceiling in Mr.Wortman's classroom.

Tremulous- trembling from fear, nervousness, or weakness; adj.

The cat was tremulous from the seeing the dog in the bedroom.

Words of the Day

Manipulate- to mange or influence skillfully; verb

I tried to tell her the truth, but she was easily manipulated by the rumors. 

Oblivious- unmindful, unaware; adj.

She was oblivious to the fact that she was wearing her shirt inside out.

Words of the Day

Vigilance- watchfulness; state or quilaty of being villigant; noun

Tory became very villigant after he got grounded for shaving the cat.

Wince- to draw back or tense the body; from pain or a blow; wincing or shrinking movement; verb

Lacey winced when she heard the sound of a car door shut in the quiet night of the parking lot.