Jerry

For our Writing class we have to write a post every week on a topic, ask a question of our own, and then answer somebody else's question.  This week the topic was on our favorite books.  Remember, this is for our English class...

One of the people posted this post:

At a very early age, I discovered the world of books. I quickly exhausted my elementary school's small library and quickly moved on to the county library system. You ever read Matilda by Roald Dahl? Well, that was me. I read more than I talked, and that habit has followed me through my life. I've had to give up some of my reading for the sake of having a life, but I am still a very avid reader.

As a result, I can't actually tell you what my "favorite" book is. I have favorites in different genres and for different purposes, and I almost always "appreciate" books, especially the classics. So here is a few of my "favorites."

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (I have to say, he is probably my favorite author, with the exception of The Pearl, which I like to disregard as a small blemish on his superb writing style.)
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (one of the greatest mystery/detective stories of all time - Sam Spade is the best!)
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (a truly compelling novel)
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (one of my comfort books - I read it when I'm upset)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (I read it when I want to be mad at the world ;) It has the most amazing metaphors!)
Macbeth by Shakespeare (as well as The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo and Juliet)
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (beautiful imagery and characterizations, omgosh)

And I just realized that's a lot, and I haven't even gotten to my contemporary favorites yet... I'll refrain for now for your sake, as my reader. :)

Question: Are there any traits in a person's character that really, really drive you crazy?

Jerry, upon reading it, decided to (almost) write a response to her question:

Yeah!  When they suck up to the teacher!

Jerry and I have a great time

For English we have to write a post on a topic and then ask a question and then respond to somebody else's question. This is the question that I asked:

Here's a question! Do you have any theories you came up with on your own? Maybe a theory that nobody else believes?

This is Jerry's response (a combined effort between him and I):

I came up with a theory just reading this question, and you can't say that it's not true. "The universe revolves around Jerry Robertson." -Jerry Robertson-

Since the universe revolves around myself, and the fact that I defy the laws of the universe, you should all submit to my bidding.

Minesweeper in English!!!!!!!

What's an "idear"?

As in, "I had a great idear the other day!"  With the accent and everything...

Well, here is my idea(r) about what an "idear" is:

It's a camouflage suit made by Apple (for hunters, of course).

And here is Jerry's:

An Apple girlfriend.

Synonyms

You know...sometimes bored and hungry are synonyms.

Disciple-Scholar Writing Response

A disciple-scholar is not the same as a scholar-disciple.  Notice the order.  Thus our main focus must be on discipleship, and not on scholarship, which brings up the question: what does a disciple-scholar do that is different from a regular scholar?

 Disciple-y stuff.

 Which is what, exactly?

 A disciple is a follower.  A disciple of Christ is a follower of Christ.  How do we follow Christ and be scholarly at the same time?  Easily. The trick is recognizing that Christ is the Creator.  He is the Ultimate Scholar, the Ultimate Biologist, the Ultimate Chemist, the Ultimate Musician.  He created the earth, the seas, and all that in them is.  Can we not follow his perfect example and seek to obtain as much knowledge about the world we live in?  Then, taking knowledge one step farther, can we use the information to further God's work?  Can we consecrate the knowledge we gained through His help to His will?

 Submittance to a higher power than our own brings blessings of humility, meekness, and further opportunities to gain the knowledge that is paramount to our eternal progression.  Meekness is, after all, the best quality of a disciple-scholar.  Meekness is a quality of character.  One of the AIMS of a BYU education is to develop character.  The one thing that every BYU student should leave with is a character of meekness, ready to continue a lifelong pursuit of learning and service.

A Let Down!

The black, forbidding, thunderous night seemed to permeate every cubic inch of cold air in the room.  Wood and brick walls meant nothing to the feeling that ever encroached from the dark, tumultuous exterior of the building.  The dim light in the room flickered as the television, unwatched, showed the same scene from the horror show The Ghost and Mr. Chicken over and over again.

"Yes, you can!" the exasperated Sean said again.  "I've done it!"

"Look Sean, you have to prove it.  It has never happened to any of us before."

"If I'm right, ten dollars?"

"Only if I get ten if I'm right."

"Deal."

The ferocity of the storm grew as his futile effort augmented.  Past trying now, he took to the internet to see what others had to say.  The search returned many results, all with the same heading.  He clicked on the first result.  Just then the intensity of the storm rose to a feverous pitch.  The lightning crackled just outside, and with the BOOM! that followed immediately after, the power went out.  The computer screen flickered off, but not before the fateful words had entrenched themselves forever in his mind:

You cannot click on a bomb on the first click in Minesweeper (in Windows XP)!

Past Writing Experience Writing Response

Negative writing experiences can be found littered throughout my past.  I wouldn't call the frequency high, but conversely I cannot say that the frequency has been extremely low.  I find that instead of a specific teacher or paper my worst writing experiences have been those where my general condition does not meet the qualifications below.  I remember a particular experience writing a college entrance essay.  My time was short; it was due in a day or two.  I was at a critical period in high school and my workload was higher than our dorm's trash pile.  Pressure was increasing with that slow squeeze that constricts macrocosmic views until one can get lost in the details.  In my finished product it was evident that I was not prepared.

On the other hand, occasionally a gem will emerge from the raw carbon.  As I have done most writing in some sort of formalized class it is no surprise that good experiences have come out of AP English Literature.  Frame of mind is very important for me, but my frame of mind is predicated almost exclusively on the environment.  As my roommate can attest, I cannot work in a crowded, half-lit room on a small desk.  Things need to be clean and have space around them.  I recall one time in English class we wrote a forty minute essay in class based on a prompt our teacher put up on the whiteboard.  I was in a good mood that day, well-fed and smiling (smiling often goes with being well-fed).  The surrounding desks were clean, the pure white page smiled up at me like a window through the desk upon which it sat to a whole new world.  When I wrote my hand did not tire as fast.  As I turned it in satisfactorily at the completion of the excercise, I realized that I had just had a positive writing experience.

What makes the difference?  What is it about an individual situation that makes writing so easy or so difficult?  I can think of several factors.  Although these are ordered here, I believe the order is unique to each individual.

1. Environment, including surroundings, time constraints, noise level, amount of personal space, stress or pressure from other activities, and light levels.  The environment should especially be conducive to the Spirit.

2. Preparation.  This could be anything from eating the requisite amount of Cheerios for stimulating neurological impulses to hours and hours of research on the topic.

3. Frame of mind.  The writing frame of mind comes, to me at least, only at certain times.  Perhaps a frame of mind can come as a result of preparation.  Free writing and zero drafts may help to accomplish this goal.  Frame of mind can also be a direct result of the environment.

4. Mastery of Vocabulary/Grammar.  These fundamentals of the English language are the instrument with which ideas can be expressed.  A single idea can be expressed so differently between two writers, and it is their own unique expression of vocabulary and phrasing within the grammatical context of English that facilitates each writer's unique take.

I Am Writing Response

I am the hours and days.  I am the time spent reading.

I am the intense apprehension, disappointment, and elation.  I am the soccer game.

I am the aching muscles and wild thrill as the gusty wind hurdles about.  I am the summit of the mountain.

I am the white and black.  I am a Latter-day Saint.

I am the black and white.  I am the sharps and flats on a piano.

I am the sum and conglomeration.  I am the experiences.

I am the vanilla extract.

I am the peach Pace bar.

I am the small, soft breeze.

I am the rustling of deciduous leaves on trees in the small, soft breeze.

I am the deep, dark, navy blue of a favorite shirt.

I am the sum and conglomeration.  I am the senses.

I am the C.S. Lewis, wait, no, the Apple.  Ah, what I really meant is the long iTunes playlist.  Actually, now that I think about it, I would have to say the cleats and shin guards.  Shin guards?  Who wants to be that soaked with sweat?  Rather I am the abandon of a first grader finished with homework, laying amidst the sweet-smelling grass on a trampoline, the cool breeze offset by the slow warmth stealing up from the black tarp.

I am sometimes indecisive.

English House Exercise

I have decided to start posting up some of the little blurbs we write in our writing course.  Here's one we did today to get the creative juices flowing.  It didn't really work, but this is it in its rough, unaltered form.

I am making a house where the slap of feet echoes off the high ceiling onto the deceptively soft tile.  I am making a house where the spicy burn-your-nose scent of pine gives way to the fresh, cool, moist air, sounding of crickets chirruping.  I am building a house where the magic refrigerator drones like a bee.  Industry...in whiffs of chocolate and red sugar.