Character Study 2&3

Of course due to my stupidity, I get off the boat to try to go home to get my journal. Realizing that getting the journal was pointless, I try to board the ship once again. Not surpisingly, I was not able to board the boat because it already departed. Knowing my luck, the sun disappeared and clouds brought upon a gloomy day. As I go home to travel by car to my next destination for this all important business meeting, it begins to rain. I am able to reach San Francisco before my bad luck catches up to me and my car breaks down. I call a tow truck company and they tow my car away, and to my disarray, it is repossessed as well due to minor parking tickets adding up. It begins to rain, as walk to my unkown future I get a call from my employer saying that if I am not at this business meeting in an hour, I will be fired. Knowing I was not going to make it, I informed my boss that he needs to hire someone else because I will not be able to meet my obligations. As I continue my walk this rain picks up and I am drenched, but luckily it lasts a mere ten minutes. As I lose myself in my thoughts, my clumsy self walks into the middle of the road, and before I am able to react I am hit by this car.

CANTERBURY TALES (I)

I applaud Chaucer for using the amount of satire that he used in The Canterbury Tails. It was a questionable choice in his day because no one really felt the need to use satire to point out the flaws in society. The amount of rhyme was very elaborate because it must have been very difficult to find so many rhymes, not just for some parts, but the entire thing. I feel as if the Monk will be the antagonist to the other characters because from first impressions of the Prologue, it seems as if it will continue with the typical moral compass to be the unlikely antagonist.

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

As I wake up, I go over the things that I have to take care of before I leave for my journey.  I go to the bathroom and make myself look more presentable. I think to myself, "I should really shave and get a haircut" but I would not have enough time to do this. I pack all my essentials, eat breakfast and I'm on my way. As I walk out, I step on a ditch and hurt my ankle, but that is just typical me. I writhe in pain as I approach the boat I find that I have forgotten a very important item.

vocabulary #6

obsequious adj.- obedient or attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
          Johnny Manziel is not known for being obsequious, neither to the media nor the NCAA.

 beatitude n.- supreme blessedness or happiness
          After beating #1 ranked Alabama and winning the Heisman trophy, Johnny Manziel achieved beatitude.
    
bête noire - Something especially hated or dreaded; a bugbear
       His actions cause Johnny Manziel to be bête noire.

bode v.- Archaic To predict; foretell.
       I bode that Johnny Manziel will stay at Texas A&M for one more year.

dank adj.- Disagreeably damp or humid
       Johnny Manziel plays at Texas A&M, which is known for its dank weather.

ecumenical adj.- Of worldwide scope or applicability; universal.
       Johnny Manziel's Heisman trophy run was ecumenical.

fervid adj.- Marked by great passion or zeal
        Even though his off the field antics are left to be desirable, Johnny Manziel is fervid when it comes to football.

fetid adj.- Having an offensive odor.
         Johnny Manziel's fetid smell after games is fixed with a quick shower.

gargantuan adj.- Of immense size, volume, or capacity; gigantic
          Compared to his national exposure from last year, Johnny Manziel's attention this year is gargantuan.

heyday n.- The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime.
           In twenty years from now, Johnny Manziel will talk about how good he was in his heyday.

incubus n.-  A nightmare.
           Johnny Manziel had an incubus that he had his Heisman trophy revoked.

infrastructure n.- An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system
           As of right now, Johnny Manziel is the infrastructure of the Texas A&M offense.

inveigle tr. v.-  To win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk
           Johnny Manziel seems inveigle of the NCAA for not getting much discipline for his actions before the season started.

kudos n.- Acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement
          Weather you like him or not, Johnny Manziel should receive kudos for winning the Heisman as a freshman.

lagniappe n.- A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer's purchase.
           Being an NCAA athlete, Johnny Manziel can not receive lagniappes of any kind.

 prolix adj.- Tediously prolonged; wordy
           Johnny Manziel's Heisman acceptance speech was not prolix at all.

 protégé n.- a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare.
           Some would say that Johnny Manziel is Ryan Tennehill's protégé.

prototype n.- An original type, form, or instance serving as a basis or standard for later stages
           Johnny Manziel is criticized for his lack of prototypical height for a quarterback.

sycophant n.- A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.
            Johnny Manziel's actions off the field show that he is not a sycophant.
tautology n.- Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.
           Johnny Manziel knows the importance of tautology when it comes to football.

truckle n.- To be servile or submissive
        Johnny Manziel is not known for truckling against the NCAA.
accolade n.- An award or honor
       Adrian Peterson won the highest individual award in the NFL last year, the NFL MVP Award.

 acerbity n.- Vitriolic or embittered speech, temper, etc.
       Adrian Peterson has not been known for his acerbity thus far in his NFL career.
          
 attrition n.- the act of wearing away or the state of being worn away, as by friction
        Even though he suffered a severe knee injury, Adrian Peterson's knee has not shown signs of attrition.
          
bromide n.- A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude
           The way Adrian Peterson has come back from his knee injury has become a bromide in which many analysts compare other athletes to.

 chauvinist n.- Militant devotion to and glorification of one's country; fanatical patriotism
            Adrian Peterson has shown how chauvinist he was with the Vikings when they go through tough times.

 chronic adj.-  Of long duration; continuing
             Adrian Peterson has been relied upon to have chronic 100 yard rushing games.

 expound v.-   To give a detailed statement of; set forth
             Adrian Peterson always offers expounds of how he thinks the Vikings organization should handle the off-season.

 factionalism n.- The state or quality of being partisan or self-interested group
              Adrian Peterson has never been known to cause factionalism amongst his teammates.

 immaculate adj.- Impeccably clean; spotless
               Adrian Peterson had an immaculate 2012-2013 NFL season.

 imprecation n.- The act of imprecating; a malediction; curse
                Adrian Peterson has been known to break the imprecation of trying to come back form an ACL tear.

 ineluctable adj.- Not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
              Going to the Hall-of-Fame is an ineluctable feat for Adrian Peterson. 

 mercurial adj.- Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile.
                Adrian Peterson has never seemed to be mercurial.

 palliate tr. v.- To make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate
                Adrian Peterson always makes his trucks and jukes palliate.

 protocol n.-  A code of correct conduct
                Adrian Peterson always follows the protocols of the NFL.

 resplendent adj.- Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant.
                  Always resplendent, Adrian Peterson never disappoints when it comes to his performances.

 stigmatize tr. v.- To characterize or brand as disgraceful or ignominious
                  Never being stigmatized by his fan base is something Adrian Peterson should be proud of.

 sub rosa adv.- in secret
                  Like a good magician, Adrian Peterson always keeps his tricks in sub rosa.

 vainglory n.- Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities
                   Not being vainglory is something Adrian Peterson is known for.

 vestige n.- A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more
                   Adrian Peterson is known for keeping the vestige of a franchise tailback.

 volition n.- The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision
                  Adrian Peterson has made a volition of trying to have his career in Minnesota.
                    

WHAT A CHARACTER

A fictional character that made an impression on me was Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. She made an impression on me because at first I felt that she was a regular person, but then was able to emerge a source for inspiration for other people. What made her so memorable to me was the fact that she was willing to give up her life to save her sister from being apart of the Hunger Games. Her natural survival instincts and hidden charisma were also very appealing to me because it showed that she was not as one-dimensional as most people would make her out to be. The use of first person gave an extra added quality that made Katniss more appealing because she explained what she saw throughout the Hunger Games and we lived her experiences as well. The setting of The Hunger Games also helped to know why children were fighting each other to the death and why the emergence of Katniss Everdeen was needed.

DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

My big question implies that if we were able to change past mistakes we face the problem of changing our future and the person that we have become. I would like to utilize this course by expanding my knowledge of the mass variety of technology and to not just think in one perspective, but instead in multiple perspectives of topic past, present, and future.

vocabulary #5

obsequious adj.- obedient or attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
     Kobe Bryant is very obsequious to his training regiment.

beatitude n.- supreme blessedness or happiness
     When he won the NBA championship Kobe Bryant felt great beatitude.

bete noire - Something especially hated or dreaded; a bugbear
      Due to his greatness, Kobe Bryant is bête noire.

bode v.- Archaic  To predict; foretell.
     It is boded that Kobe Bryant will be a first ballot Hall-of-Famer.

dank adj.- Disagreeably damp or humid
      Kobe Bryant felt the air to be dank so he decided to play indoor basketball instead.

ecumenical adj.- Of worldwide scope or applicability; universal.
     Kobe Bryant's career is looked at ecumenically.

fervid adj.- Marked by great passion or zeal
     Kobe Bryant is fervid when talking about winning a sixth NBA championship

fetid adj.- Having an offensive odor.
     Due to his fetid after games, Kobe Bryant signed a sponsorship with old spice.

gargantuan adj.- Of immense size, volume, or capacity; gigantic
     Kobe Bryant's popularity is gargantuan.

heyday n.- The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime.
    In his heyday, Kobe Bryant was widely regarded as the greatest player in the league.

incubus n.-  A nightmare.
    Losing a third NBA final is incubus for Kobe Bryant.

 infrastructure n.- An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system
     When Shaquille O'Neal was traded the LA Lakers made, it led to Kobe Bryant being the infrastructure of that organization.

inveigle tr. v.-  To win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk
     On the court, Kobe Bryant is not known for his inveigle attitude.

kudos n.- Acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement
     Everyone gives kudos to Kobe Bryant for winning five NBA championships.

lagniappe n.- A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase.
     With his enormous salary, Kobe Bryant does not need lagniappe when he goes to stores.

prolix adj.- Tediously prolonged; wordy
     I expect Kobe Bryant's Hall-of-Fame speech to be prolix.

protégé n.- a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare.
     Kobe Bryant has not found a protégé to take over for him for when he retires from the Lakers.

prototype n.- An original type, form, or instance serving as a basis or standard for later stages
     Many view Kobe Bryant a prototypical NBA player.

sycophant n.- A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.
     Kobe Bryant has never been known as a sycophant to achieve his greatness in basketball.

tautology n.- Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.
     Kobe Bryant is in tautology when he emphasizes his "Mamba Mentality"

truckle n.- A small wheel or roller; a caster
     Kobe Bryant was not known for his swiftness, unlike Allen Iverson who moved like he was on a truckle.

vocabulary #4

accolade n.- An award or honor
          Winning the Super Bowl is the highest accolade an NFL team can get.

 acerbity n.- Vitriolic or embittered speech, temper, etc
           After seeing the terrible performance of my team I gave them an acerbity.

 attrition n.- rubbing away or wearing down by friction.
           the attrition of the sturdy wall was astonishing.

 bromide n.- A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude
           The bromide of the NFL is "any given Sunday".

 chauvinist n.- Militant devotion to and glorification of one's country; fanatical patriotism
            The family's chauvinist made me feel less patriotic.

 chronic adj.-  Of long duration; continuing
             I suffer from chronic headaches.

 expound v.-   To give a detailed statement of; set forth
             I wanted an expound of my credit score.

 factionalism n.- The state or quality of being partisan or self-interested group
              The factionalism of the Republicans caused them to pass a law more favorable to Democrats.

 immaculate adj.- Impeccably clean; spotless
               The immaculate reception was one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

 imprecation n.- The act of imprecating
                The imprecation of Tony led us to kick him out of the room.

 ineluctable adj.- Not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
                Her death was ineluctable after she found out about her cancer.

 mercurial adj.- Having the characteristics of eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, and thievishness attributed to the god Mercury.
                Terrelle Pryor was mercurial in his performance against the Indianapolis Colts.

 palliate tr. v.- To make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate
                The criminal made his murder case palliate when faced with the jury.

 protocol n.-  A code of correct conduct
                 When the President dies there are certain protocols to follow.

 resplendent adj.- Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant.
                  The family portrait was very resplendent.

 stigmatize tr. v.- To characterize or brand as disgraceful or ignominious
                  When Tony Romo throws an interception in the fourth quarter he is stigmatized.

 sub rosa adv.- in secret
                   The couple kept their wedding in sub rosa.

 vainglory n.- Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities
                    He was vainglory after he caused a fumble in a crushing defeat.

 vestige n.- A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more
                    There are always vestiges of dinosaurs.

 volition n.- The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision
                    His volition of causing extra harm to his enemy was unacceptable.

BEOWULF ESSAY

           As time goes by, our depictions changes alongside time. But no matter how much time passes we are still able to find comparisons between past and current heroes. An example of this would be the character Beowulf and Spider-Man. This can be supported by the fact that they can be viewed as arrogant or cocky by others, yet do whatever it takes to defend their people. They were also similar in the fact that they both wanted to prove their worth to the people they defended.
          The confidence shown by Beowulf was taken as arrogance, therefore many people other than the Geats were not fond of him and wanted to see him fail. An example from the text is when Beowulf fought Grendl, he took his armor to show he was fearless. His people, the Geats, knew it was and act of confidence, but other nations viewed it as Beowulf believing that his opponent was far beneath him. This is strikingly similar to Spider-Man because Spider-Man went through the same thing when he taunted his enemies. Those who do not know him would believe that it was arrogance that was the reason for his taunting, but it was just his personality. Being confident can sometimes lead to a false impression of a person.
          Spider-Man always was willing to save the people he cared most for when they were put in danger. He knew that if he involved people in his endeavors, then they too would be at risk from his enemies. Yet even when his loved ones were put into dangerous situations, Spider-Man was able to save them because he knew for them to be safe he would have to do whatever it takes, even if it means that he gives his life for them. This is exactly how Beowulf was when he went into battle for the Geats, willing to give his life for them. This was eventually proven right in Beowulf final battle against the dragon. At a very old age, he knew his days were numbered and knew what he had to do. He took his men into battle and all but one left and with his one soldier, Wiglaf, he spent his final moments fighting the dragon. These types of situations are what separates memorable heroes from one-hit wonders.
          Wanting to prove ones worth is also a immense similarity that Beowulf and Spider-Man both share. Before he became king of the Geats, Beowulf wanted to prove that he was worthy of leading them. So he decided to fight big threat Grendl and after defeating Grendl, Beowulf then went to battle the mother. This was a much tougher battle because it was in water and Grendl's mother had the advantage of knowing her habitat. He won the battle thus proving his worth to his people and making the proud. Spider-Man faced this same problem when he saw his Uncle Ben die. He felt that it was his fault that Ben died and kept Ben's final words with him "With great power comes great responsibility". Since that day Spider-Man knew that he can never forget those words and needs to prove to himself that he can follow his uncle's last words.
           To finalize, heroes change through time yes, but there are still similar qualities that we find in past and current heroes. The comparison between Beowulf and Spider-Man is one of many. And although not a very well written comparison, it is still able to show that there can be similarities between very different characters. Heroes will change through time, but we will still hold some of the same qualities for those future heroes to the ones current ones have.
          
          
         

WILL STUDY FOR FOOD

I went on scholarships.com and was browsing around and found one where they will give you a full year of tuition from that scholarship (up to $20,000). Students are grouped into one of ten categories; the best profile within each respective category will be named the category winner and receives a $500 Chegg Textbook Scholarship. Zinch then judges the top ten profiles of each category to select one grand prize winner, who will be awarded a full year of tuition. (Click on prize winner to get started)

Vocabulary #3

apostate n.-

One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause

     Feeling left out of the loop the highly respected priest has become a apostate.
 

effusive adj.-  Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy
     He was very effusive after he had earned his promotion at his work.


impasse n.- A road or passage having no exit; a cul-de-sac
     She was telling us about the amazing stories that she experience in her impasse.


euphoria n.- A feeling of great happiness or well-being.
     Once we graduate from high school the sense of euphoria will start to kick in.


lugubrious adj.- Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
     The man was very lugubrious after he heard the death of a distant associate.


bravado n.- Defiant or swaggering behavior
   Johnny Manziel is known for his bravado attitude.


consensus n.- An opinion or position reached by a group as a whole
     Although not a consensus choice, Terrelle Pryor won the starting job at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders.

dichotomy n.- division into two parts or kinds; subdivision into halves or pairs.
     Republicans and Democrats have a dichotomy in their views.


constrict v.- To make smaller or narrower by binding or squeezing
     I was very constricted in this shirt.


gothic adj.- Of or relating to the Middle Ages; medieval
     Her family always enjoyed reading gothic text.


punctilio n.-  A fine point of etiquette.
     It was very nice of her to compliment our punctilio.


metamorphosis n.- A transformation, as by magic or sorcery.
     His metamorphosis from middle school to high school was astounding.


raconteur n.- One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit
     My grandfather was known for his raconteur way of entertainment.


sine qua non n.- (Law) an essential condition or requirement
     For anyone to join the club they have to follow a sine qua non to be accepted.



quixotic adj.- Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality
     Leonardo DiCaprio was very much quixotic in Titanic.


vendetta n.-   A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge; a blood feud
     The Montagues and Capulets had a vendetta against each other for many years.


non sequitur n.- An inference or conclusion that does not follow from the premises or evidence.
     Many people believed the lawyers evidence was non sequitur.

mystique n.- An aura of heightened value, interest, or meaning surrounding something, arising from attitudes and beliefs that impute special power or mystery to it
     His presentation had a certain mystique to it.


quagmire n.-A difficult or precarious situation; a predicament
     After lying to my parents about why I was late, certain events succeeded that and I found myself in quite a quagmire.


parlous adj.- Obsolete  Dangerously cunning.
     The battle with the dragon was very difficult because the dragon was parlous.

WHY THIS BOOK?

The Book I chose to read was The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford.

I chose this book because I enjoy stories based on the World Wars and also after reading a preview of the book I was really intrigued by the storyline.