Quote of the Day

"It's nonstandard English! I don't care if the hillbillies are offended!"

- Chloe, on classifying the excerpts in class today

TOP WORDS OF 2010

Hey all you Hepchicks and Hepcats,

Awesome discussion today on whether the changes in language we see (e.x. slang, text) represent a degradation of English or an inevitable evolution. Persuasive points were brought up for both sides of the argument, as well as some keen observations about what our language reveals about a culture. More to come on Monday.

A couple reminders:
- Blogs have been extended to Sunday evening; comments are now due Monday
- Your History of English/Poetry quiz will be on Wednesday. If you've got questions, post in a comment on this blog.

If you are interested, check out the top words of 2010, according to the Global Language Monitor, a think-thank whose mandate it is to track changes in culture by looking at trends in words in phrases. Any thoughts on this? What do you think these words say about us?

1. Spillcam — The BP Spillcam instantly beamed the immensity of the Gulf Spill around the world to the dismay of environmentalists, BP’s PR staff and the President.

2. Vuvuzela — Brightly colored plastic horns that first came to prominence at the South African World Cup.

3. Guido and Guidette — Hey! A fistpump to all things Jersey.

4. The Narrative – Though used at least since The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in 1845, ‘The Narrative’ has recently been gaining traction in the political arena, virtually replacing the need for a party’s platform. (Cf. to ‘truthily’.)

5. Refudiate — Conflation of “refute” and “repudiate” (un)officially coined by Sarah Palin.

Quote of the day:

"What would Shakespeare think? He'd be so insulted!"
- Angela T.


Abyssinia,
Ms Mah

Words to Live By

Reading Douglas' blog this morning brings to mind one of my favourite quotes. This quote really resonates with me and I try to live my life by these words:

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong -- because someday you will have been all of these.

What about you? Do you have a favourite quote?

SUCH A CHARACTER

BLOG POST FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 21, 2011.
Post Due: Friday by 3:00 p.m.
Comments Due: Sunday by 8:00 p.m. (refer to handout for criteria)


Post an entry in which you describe the protagonist of your novel. Features to consider:
- Who are they? What do they look like? What do we know about them?
- What motivates them?
- What conflicts are they embroiled in?
- Do they remind you of characters from other works of literature/movies/television shows?

Also, Comment on whether or not they are a relatable/plausible character and provide reasons.

IT'S ON!

Exciting news, everyone!

Our seats for Machomer have been confirmed. Permission Forms and Payments are due THIS FRIDAY.

Rick Miller performs his internationally acclaimed blend of classical and pop art for four performances only! This one man tour-de-force melds Shakespeare's Macbeth and TV's The Simpsons into a vocal spectacular featuring 50 Simpsons characters. Miller's MacHomer brings out the tragedy of Homer Simpson and the comedy of the ambitious Thane of Glamis.
Retaining 85% of Macbeth while incorporating Simpson-esque asides ("Is this a dagger I see before me? Or a pizza?"), you'll never see Macbeth again in the same light.

Created and Performed by Rick Miller | A WYRD Production.

PS: Did you catch the name of Miller's Production Company?

What do Winnie the Pooh and Beowulf have in common?

Hi Everyone,

Today we spent some time looking at "Beowulf", the oldest existing poem to come not only from English, but from any European language. Did you know that "Beowulf" is actually a kenning? The name literally translates to "bee-wolf," meaning an animal that attacks bees in a wolfish way: a bear.

Pretty neat, eh?

Quote of the day: "Chuck Norris is the most capable human being on the planet!" - Rando

Hi everyone,

Awesome class today...the Enigmatas were very well done (who says Anglo-Saxon poetry can't be fun?) and the discussion we had about "Wulf and Eadwacer" was thought-provoking, just as every good analysis of literature should be. We will pick up where we left off tomorrow.

A little reminder to keep up with your INS reading--next week's blog topic will relate to the novel you've chosen.

Quote of the day: "It's a vegetable." - Jeff

VALENTINE'S DAY

BLOG POST FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 14, 2011.
Post Due: Friday by 3:00 p.m.
Comments Due: Comments are welcome, but not required this week :)

It's St. Valentines Day! Did you know that in the Middle Ages, boys and girls would pick their valentines by drawing names out of a bowl? The name that was picked was then worn on the person's sleeve for a week. This is where we get our modern day saying "to wear your heart on your sleeve." Today, this idiom means that it is easy for other people to know how a person is feeling. In the spirit of the occasion, here is this week's blog post:

If you could send a valentine to any person, living or passed, who would it be and why? Post the valentine message you would send.

I'm looking for: thoughtfulness, humour or creativity (extra props if you write it in the form of a poem!)

BOOKS WE HAVE LOVED...

Alternate Post for February 9, 2011

Hand in the draft copy (with corrections) of your narrative essay into me and post a response to the following question on your blog once you have set it up:

What is one book that you loved as a child and one book that you love now? Explain why these books were so meaningful to you and what you think they show about you, as a person.

Posted your essay but still want to join the conversation? Comment below--I'd love to hear what your favourite books were!