Harry Potter!!

I am currently sitting in Buntrock Commons. I am waiting to buy my Harry Potter movie ticket. I didn’t think that many people would have shown up for this, but I was wrong. I’m super glad I got here obnoxiously early.

Paul Revere vs. Pocahontas

The main difference between the John Singleton Copley’s portrait of Paul Revere and Simon van de Passe’s 1616 engraving is that Copley’s portrait displays the subject as a real being. In Paul Revere’s portrait, you get the sense that he was a real person with thoughts and feelings. He makes the viewer wonder what Paul Revere was thinking about. In Pocahontas’s portrait, you get no sense of who she was. However, you do get the sense of who the British wanted her to be. She is removed from her native environment and culture. She became an image that the British settlers could use to their own advantage when interacting with Native Americans in the future.

TEA!

Drinking tea from a psychological perspective can affect the way one views themselves and how one is viewed in society. It can also be applied to how common misconceptions can dramatically increase the usage of tea.

Tea drinking became an indicator of one’s social status in colonial times. It is arguable that many people developed the belief that if they were seen drinking tea, they were of a worthy status. It is also arguable that the perception of the wealthy drinking tea fosters a larger gap between social classes. With more and more people drinking tea and holding the belief that they are of a higher status than the people who don’t drink tea, they are creating the possibility for more social prejudices.

“…the wonderful Chinese plant that seemed to cure so many different diseases,” (pg. 66)

The belief that tea could cure so many diseases was a placebo. The fact that the colonist believed the tea was making them better was all in their head. Tea is not a magical medicine. It was not responsible for curing their many diseases.

If only Ben were alive today

“There seems to me at present to be great occasion for raising a United Party for Virtue, by forming the virtuous and good men of all the nations into a regular body, to be govern’d by suitable good and wise rules, which good and wise men may probably be more unanimous in their obedience to, than common people are to common laws.”

How far have we diverged from this idea? Is our current government something Benjamin Franklin would approve of? How disappointed would he be with the modern world? How badly would he want to take over and fix every problem in the world?

The politicians of today obviously have a different mindset from the political thinkers of the 18^th century. However while reading about Franklin, I began to wonder who has the interest of the general public in the forefront versus self-achievement and personal status. Then I shifted to thinking about who actually knew what they were doing and who thought out their ideas to the fullest extent. It’s not that I think all politicians of today are complete nincompoops, but there is just so much extra stuff they get caught up in - for example, becoming reelected and constantly publicizing themselves via television and Twitter. I feel like back in the 18^th century, the political thinkers thought out their plans more fully because there was less for them to get caught up in. Also there was more for them to lose because the still newly settled colonies could not afford ideas that were not well developed.

This weather is horrid

I would much prefer snow to this wind and rain. Today was gross, I did not enjoy going outside at all. I had to turn on the heater for the first time because there is a terrible draft coming in from the windows.

Snow makes the world prettier.

The Real American Dream

The American Dream has shifted from being an actual idea to the desire to gain as many material items as possible. People no longer think of the American Dream as working hard and having a vision for where they want to take their life. I think most Americans don’t even think about the American Dream anymore, unless it is in the manner of evaluating all of their material gains and how these items apply to their satisfaction level throughout their life. I don’t understand how a person can achieve the American Dream by having a lot of stuff. Stuff doesn’t last and it is replaceable. Then there is the stereotype of the American Dream, which Cullen illustrates as, “Economically self-sufficiency, a secure and esteemed profession (e.g., the ministry), the leisure to pursue a career in politics: these among others were the yardsticks by which upward mobility was measured,” (pg. 61). Personally, I do not agree with this view on the American Dream because all of these characteristics are centered on gaining money and power. I believe the American Dream has to do with finding personal happiness and being able to realize that having a dream gives oneself a purpose in life. Money and material items cannot help one come to this realization. Therefore the American Dream resonates within the individual.

Dorm Inventory List

AmCon Inventory List –

2 lofted beds

2 desks

2 dressers

1 window seat

1 telephone

1 rug

1 mini fridge

2 trash cans

1 recycle bin

1 printer

1 bag of Halloween candy

1 loaf of bread

1 bottle of milk

Now specifically my side:

1 desk lamp

1 standing lamp

2 plastic cubbies

1 kettle

1 steeping pot

1 jar of tea

1 jar of honey

1 box of Goldfish

2 boxes of cereal

many granola bars

1 box of oatmeal

1 dry erase white board

2 water bottles

3 mugs

2 plastic cups

3 blankets

2 pillows

2 sets of sheets – purple and green

15 books

many pictures

1 pre-wrap tape – purple

1 cell phone

1 laptop

1 iPod

1 camera

many highlighters, pencils, and pens

many note cards, notebooks, folders, and page markers

1 headlamp

1 stapler

1 roll of tape

1 bottle of hand sanitizer

1 Burt’s Bees chapstick

1 hanging shelf

1 backpack

1 lanyard

assorted cords for the phone, computer, and camera

many clothes

2 jackets

1 shoe holder

3 pairs of flats

2 pair of boots

2 pairs of flip-flops

1 shower caddy

1 laundry basket

1 bottle of Tide

2 purses

1 umbrella

3 metal book containers

3 towels

1 box of Kleenex

1 toothbrush

1 hairbrush

1 hair dryer

1 hair straightener

1 curling iron

5 plastic storage containers

1 paper towel roll

1 bottle of Clorox wipes

1 dishtowel

1 bottle of dish soap

1 sponge

1 mirror

1 bottle of apple juice

1 jar of applesauce