My Diary 17:

                      Dear Diary, this has been an eventful week for me. The weather is fantastic and it had a great effect on my mood, everything just looks ten times lovelier than it did under the scorching sun. I am done with my final project (thank goodness) and it went great!! Everyone loved it and it just made it worth the effort to see everyone absorbed in our theme. I watched the funniest video in history and I cant get it out of my head. The video is called "Dumb Ways to Die", my favorite was the guy who sold both his kidneys on the internet! Priceless!! I attended a Hamlet play in our collage and it was AWESOME!! I knew the girl who played Hamlet, so it was really cool seeing her perform. I screamed my head off and cheered as loud as I could in hopes of maybe they would kick me out, so I could scream "HAMLET RULES!" like a crazed fan in a rock concert. Apparently, I wasn't loud enough... Now that I'm listing this weeks events, its not so eventful after all... Oh, well. Something is better than nothing * shrugs*.

My Diary 16:

                      Dear Diary, it's Thursday and its time to deal with the aftermath of wearing heels and an uncomfortable dress for too long. It i also the time to gather as a family and have the official after-wedding gossiping session which includes everything from the wedding hall, food, bride and bride's family to the no-bodys who show up for the heck of it. Waking up late is a must, who wouldn't after the stressful and sleep deprived night we had last nigh? Any way, I have work up till here *points to her neck*, but I'm bailing and going to my BFF's house. I only have one life, might as well live it. I'm too lazy to undo my hair, so I'm thinking of going there the way I am. Sarah signing off.

             The Tell-Tale Heart & The Cask of Amontillado

       "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado" are two of the best short horror stories I have read. They are both written by Edgar Allen Poe and are written from the murderer's perspective. The unique style of Poe adds a quirkiness that pulls the reader's interest. Although the two stories share a lot of characteristic  the characters, atmosphere and tone are very different.

       The main characters in the two stories (the narrator & Montressor) effect the way you look at the story. In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the narrator (the caretaker) is nervous and irrational, unlike Montressor in "The Cask of Amontillado" who is confidant and arrogant. These characteristic effect the two stories outcome and  the characters credibility. The narrator is telling the story to prove his sanity to the listener. On the other hand, Montressor is relating the events in a conversational manner and to prove a point or an argument. The narrator's effort in proving his sanity gives the opposite effect, while Montressor's conversation proves his point precisely. The narrator's motives are illogical; his reason to kill the old man was because of his eye. In contrast to Montressor who expresses "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge". The fact that Montressor never explains the nature of the insult however, make us doubt his logic as well. What both characters do share is that they both have obvious psychological problems. 

       The setting and mood in the two stories are one of the most significant aspects in the story's development.  In "The Tell-Tale Heart" the murder occurs in the old man's house, while In "the Cask of Amontillado" the murder takes place in Montresso's pallazo. The murder scene is symbolic of the murder's nature. The narrator attacks the old man in his house and bedroom symbolizing the innocence of the old man and his trust to his caretaker by not locking his bedroom door. Meanwhile, Montressor murders Fortunato in his own house and in his own terms in his catacombs. They both chose a late hour at night to execute their plan. The narrator though, was waiting for the eye's appearance for he did not have the heart to kill the man, he just wanted to kill the evil eye. Monterssor on the other hand, strategically chooses a carnival night, so no one wold notice i someone was missing. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is full of superstitious ideas of the evil eye that it makes the entire murder ridiculous and unfair. The major thoughts in "The Cask of Amontillado" are thoughts of sweet vengeance and triumph. Both stories raise the readers anticipation when they state from the beginning of the story that they have murdered someone. They only state how the murdered in the end of their tale, making i a nerve wrecking experience for the readers.

        The murder plan and success rate are both stories highlights. The narrator in"The Tell-Tale Heart" waits an entire week to plan proceed with his murder. In contrast to Montressor, who seemingly just had to make his resolve and execute his vow for vengeance in one night. The narrator stalks the old man every night and puts a dull light on the evil eye waiting in silence and patience to end its being. Montressor on the other hand, psychologically lures Fortunato into following him with his own will to his own doom with the confidence of a king. The narrator flips the old mans bed over him which kills him instantly. The he disemberes him brutally to hide him under the loose floorboards in pieces. Montressor chains his friend in a stone chamber in his catacombs, walls him up and leaves him to his death. The narrator gets himself caught when he screams that he can still hear the old man's heart beat under the floorboards in the presence of the police, which leads us to believe that he is in some sort of asylum. In contrast to Montressor, Who tells the story fifty years after it's occurrence and proudly boasts that no one ever found out about it.

        "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado" are both psychological horror stories about two cold blooded murderers who tell the story without an ounce of regret. The stories both main characters show kindness to the ones the murdered before murdering them. They both share the same theme of murder and suspense. "The Cask of Amontillado" is more frighting in my opinion because of the unsettling thought that the murder was never discovered. Montressor's arrogance and boasting of the success of his plans almost makes the murder right and that alone is gruesome.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" & "The Cask of Amontillado" outline:

Introduction:

Thesis statement: Although the two stories share a lot of characteristic  the characters  atmosphere and tone are very different.

1st Paragraph:

TS: The main characters in the two stories (the narrator & Montressor) effect the way you look at the story.

SP: "TTH" the narrator is nervous/ "CA" Montressor is confidant.

SP: The narrator is proving his sanity/ Montresser is conversing with someone.

SP: Has no logical reason/ has a more logical reason.

SP: they both have obvious psychological problems.

2nd Paragraph: 

TS: The setting and mood in the two stories are one of the most significant aspects in the story's development.

SP: in the old mans house/ in his pallazo in the catacombs.

SP: Both are in a late hour at night.

SP: full of superstitious thoughts/ full of sweet vengeance glee.

SP: they both state the murder in the beginning of the story.

3rd Paragraph:

TS: The murder plan and success rate are both stories highlights.

SP:  "TTH" plan takes a week/ "CA" in one night".

SP: stalks his prey every night/ psychologically lures him to his own doom.

SP: brutally kills and dismember him/ walls him up and leaves him to his death.

SP: is caught "asylum"/ not caught.

Conclusion:

TS: "TTH" and "CA" are both psychological horror stories about two cold blooded murderers who tell the story without an ounce of regret.
SP: both were kind to the ones they murdered before murdering them. 

SP: share the same theme.

SP: "CA" is more frighting.

My Diary 15:

                      Dear Diary, Wednesday was a hectic day for me and my sisters. Our cousin's wedding was on Wednesday and the preparations were hellish.  We all had school/work. Some were lucky enough to get a beauty nap, while others were not so lucky. Our plan of action consisted into separating into two groups  The saloon group (Mom+ the two eldest), and the house group (the rest of the girls). My sisters friend is an amazing make up artist and she agreed to come over and do our make up. She gave me a dark blue (I know right?) smokey eye make up that looked fabulous. The rest had a lot calmer and less flashy make up then mine. My sister did our hair. My mom finished early and left early to help with the wedding. The Place was really far, so my mom gave us the directions and left. We were late in finishing up and my mom gave us the WRONG directions, so we called my uncles wife who also gave us WRONG directions. We called our brother and our only hope, but alas, luck was not with us and he gave us WRONG directions. A sensible man was sitting next to my brother and was eavesdropping on my brothers phone call and offered to give directions. We finally made it ELEVEN O'CLOCK!! Talk about being fashionably late! We were the last to enter. We did the usual rounds of greetings and congratulated the brides sisters. We had to explain how we got lost THREE TIMES to everyone in hopes of being forgiven. It was a wonderful wedding. We danced, laughed and gossiped to our hearts content. Sleep deprivation began to get the best of us, so we ended up leaving at 2:30, but mom stayed behind to help. None of us remembers going to sleep, we kind of just collapsed in our beds the moment we got home.

My Diary 14:

                     Dear Diary, today is my baby brother's 11th birthday!! He is growing up so fast, we honestly can't keep up. We already threw him a huge 10th birthday on the condition of no more birthdays, so all he asked for is to order pizza today! How cute. Little does he know that we already pre-ordered a Barcelona cup cake cake. He is soooo exited about turning eleven. He came to me and asked me if turning eleven qualifies him to be a Potterhead (a Harry Potter Fan), and I told him it does, but he wont get his Hogwarts letter till he reads the first book before the end of the summer. You should have seen his face. Priceless. He was skipping with joy before we even started our surprise attack. My family has this strange custom of crushing someones hopes of ever having a birthday celebration then attacking them with cakes and presents. We do this to everyone and its a lot of fun. We surprised him after we ordered the pizza and we let him pick a movie since he's the "Birthday Boy". He chose "Hotel Transylvania" and we all watched it together. Tomorrow is virtually his last day of school since kids these days barely show up for the last two weeks of  school, teachers just tell them not to show up. The lucky one. He is still exited and can barely sleep from the sugar consumption. He will only turn eleven once, might as well make it worth it.

                               The Cask of Amontillado

        In Edgar Ellen Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado", the narrator (Montressor) is relying the incident where he murdered his friend Fortunato for both hurting and insulting him. The story takes place in a nameless Italian city on the eve of a carnival night.

      Montressor, an Italian nobleman, decides to take revenge on his fellow nobleman Fortunato on the carnival night and seeks him out. He knows his friend to be proud of his knowledge of wine and ability to differentiate it's types to the point of vanity. He finds him dressed in a jester's attire and a bit drunk to match the spirit of celebration and Montressor can't help thinking how appropriate he is dressed for the occasion. He tells Fortunato about the vintage Amontillado he bought, but suspects it's authenticity. Fortunato gets exited and insists to inspect it immediately and refuses his friend's protests about taking him away from the festivities. He offers him some alcohol as a compensation. Satisfied with the results of the drink, they leave the carnival and head to Montressor's pallazo. 

        Making sure the servants were gone, He leads his intoxicated friend to the catacombs in which he keeps his wine. Fortunato kept on coughing due to the cold, damp catacombs. Montressor shows concern to his friend and asks weather they should head back or not. He suggests asking Luchresi, another nobleman and an aquaintance, about the Amontillado since he is as good as Fortunato, which outrages the drunken man. Montressor then offers him some wine (Medoc) to warm him up and Fortunato gladly accepts. He then expresses how concrened he is for his health, and how does not want to be responsible for any harm that might befall him since he is "rich, respected, admired, beloved" and a "man to be missed". Fortunato then declared that he has forgotton Montressor's coat of arms and motto. Montressor describes his coat of arms as a huge human foot, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the heel and is motto as "Nemo me impune lacessit." Fortunato is still cold, so he offers him more wine (De Grave). He still thinks it is not too late to head back and that he could always ask Luchresi later, but Fortunato ignores him and keeps going.

       Fortunato was surprised to find himself facing a door-less stone chamber filled with bones and has chains attached to it's wall. Montressor, seeing his friend's shock, took the importunity to chain him. The other was too drunk and shocked to resist and soon gave in to the many drinks he had consumed. Satisfied with things so far, Montressor began to wall his unconscious friend up. He did it brick by brick, row by row and enjoyed the ringing of the bells coming from his friend's jester costume as he struggled to free himself. Before placing the last brick and sealing his friend's fate, he psychologically tortures his friend and makes him beg for his life. He places the last brick and leaves his friend in the cold, damp catacombs. He tells the story fifty years after it happened and he proudly declares that no one found out about the affair.

      The story doesn't tell us how Fortunato insulted Montressor, but what we learn from it is that insults should never be taken lightly.Humans are sensitive, proud and capable of anything if wronged. Montressor doesn't even bat an eyelash as he bricks his friend in, for his friend didn't think twice about insulting him before. Fortunato being his friend didn't stop him. On the contrary, it gave him the advantage, for he knew his friend's weakness to wine and praise and lead him to his doom. Fortunato, on the other hand, barely knew his friend,that is evident when he said he had forgotten his motto and coat of arms. The fact that no one knew about the whole incident is both ironic and blood chilling. It makes one think that no one actually liked Fortunato and all that talk about him being respected and loved was nothing but praise for the proud Fortunato. What makes this story great in my opinion is the many problems of society it speaks of. Hypocrisy, pride, family heritage, revenge and most importantly superficial relationships.

     

"The Cask of Amontillado" Outline:

Introduction:

Thesis Statement: In Edgar Ellen Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado", The narrator (Montressor) is relying the incident where  he murdered his friend Fortunato as revenge for both hurting and insulting him.

1st Paragraph:

TS: Montressor, an Ittalian nobelman decides to take revenge on his fellow nobleman Fortunato on a carnival night.

SP 1: he knows his friend's weakness.

SP 2: he tells him about Amontillado (a type of rare Sherry).

SP 3: he gets him drunk.

Sp 4: he takes him to his pallazo.

2nd Paragarph:

TS: Making sure the servants were gone, He leads his intoxicated friend to the catacombs in which he keeps his wine.

SP 1: Fortunato keeps coughing from the cold damp catacombs.

SP 2: he gives him wine and praises him.

SP 3: the subject if the coat of arms.

SP 4: he is given more wine and lead deeper into the catacombs.

3rd Paragraph:

TS: Fotunato was surprised to find himself facing a door-less stone chamber filled with bones and has chains attached to it's wall.

SP 1: He was chained.

SP 2: he begins to wall his friend in.

SP 3: he psychologically tortures him.

SP 4: the story takes place 50 years before it has been told.

Conclusion:

TS: The story doesn't tell us how Fortunato insulted Montressor, but what we learn from it is that insults should never be taken lightly.

SP 1: Humans are sensitive and proud.

SP 2: Fortunato being his friend didn't stop him.

SP 3: ironic & blood chilling.

SP 4: why I liked it.

My Diary 13:

                     Dear Diary, Today our college arranged an honoring for honor student's mothers. Me and my mom attended and had a blast. I took her around the university and now she can finally sympathize with me when it comes to the AC issue. My mom was horrified when she went to the cafeteria and saw all the girls "Stuffing themselves with junk" instead of eating something ... edible! When we got home, reality hit me and I remembered that I have an essay to post BY TOMORROW. I could do it, but that's not the issue here. The issue lies in that I promised Aroob I would come over on the pretext that I would do my essay YESTERDAY, which I didn't. I just read the story and wrote an outline. I will probably post the essay and outline together first thing tomorrow.

 

My Diary 12:

                Dear Diary, I have A LOT of nicknames and they all have funny story's. The first nickname and my favorite was given to me by my dad, he calls me "Massah" which means diamond. My mom later altered it to "Mwais" which is the reduction of "Massah". My older brother calls me "Diamond". Later on, they started calling me "Match stick" which has a double meaning. The first meaning is because I resembled a match sick due to how thin I was and the way my hair was cut! The second reason is because I get angry really fast really easy. My eldest sister usually calls me "Sarah barah", which I like a lot. My younger sister gave me my second favorite nickname, "Tharooday". It started as "Saroonah" then, "Saroonay" and when she wanted to be cute she would use "Tharoonay" and lastly she got sick once and pronounced it "Tharooday" and we loved it! My baby brother mimicked my sister and reduced "Tharooday" to "Rooday", and when I asked him why he said: "If someone makes you angry , he will "Rue" the "Day" he did that", which was very clever of him. In school and collage are completely different matter, they don't give me cute names there. When I was in high school, the girls of my class nicknamed me "H"; because I would say the letter "H" with a heavy American accent. My friends just call me "Evil" due to an indecent that proved it. One girl in my class calls me "Single Lady" after Beyonce's song, which I was addicted to at the time. In collage I have many nicknames and pet names. Some call me "Serikins" or "Twin". One calls me "God-sister" and another calls me "Perona"; a cute anime charecter that isn't that cute. I like all my nicknames and all the people who gave them to me. 

This is "Perona".

My Diary 11:

                          Dear Diary, as I gazed at the pile of unfinished school work, I started wondering, Is it too late for world domination? Can I still make it? Should I start campaigning for recruits next week or the week after?Or maybe I should start studying the worlds most famous dictators to avoid their mistakes. Taking over the world has always been a favorite topic to me. I read about the life of Hitler and it was quite fascinating! The thought that if the arts university had accepted him, he might not have been a dictator! Being a dictator doesn't necessarily mean being evil; it means sticking to your beliefs and not listening to what others have to say, you might even call it "determination". I'm not saying that I support dictation, I'm saying if people around you keep pushing you, you will end up being a dictator. With the way my schedule for next week looks like, I am so gonna make a career change. Look out world, cause you have just created a monster!

"Sharing is Caring"

Throughout our younger years, parents, teachers and children programs have been stressing and advertising "Sharing".  A famous children program "The Care Bears" in the early 1980's was known for its famous phrase "Sharing is Caring". If you ask me, I think sharing is overrated.  

Parents and kindergarten teachers are always emphasizing sharing for its benefit in a child's character. A child who shares is a good natured child. The more children share the more likely they are to get along. When a kindergarten teacher evaluates a child, they comment on whether the child is a good team player or not. Kids who share are most likely to have higher team spirit then kids who don’t like to share. Another thing is, when children are sharing, it is easier to handle them. They would all be huddled together and playing peacefully.  Last but not least, sharing is less costly. It is more expensive for kindergarten schools and parents to buy each child a toy, so sharing is the best alternative.

"Sharing" is not as great as what parents and teachers claim it to be. Most sharing incidents result in quarrels, especially when a child is forced to share. It is not "sharing" when it is done by force. "Sharing" is not necessarily good for a child's character. Forcing and encouraging sharing might result to gullibility. Sharing toys among a large group of children might cause the spread of diseases.  The most common diseases spread among children are the flu, the cold and in extreme cases chickenpox and fleas.  The biggest reason why parents and teachers encourage sharing is because it's easier. Why solve a problem about who gets the toy when you could just tell them to share? In my opinion, they are just being lazy.

Learning to share is an important skill for children, but it is not a priority. Parents and teachers should be spending less time in forcing sharing and more in teaching children to respect the rules. Children should be taught that crying and screaming for a classmate's/sibling's toy won't work. They should also be taught to understand boundaries. What belongs for someone else is not theirs and they can't have it. Parents and Kindergarten teachers should encourage kids to have a strong personality and to stand up for themselves.  When a child doesn’t want to share, he shouldn't be forced to share, he/she should be encouraged to express himself/herself instead of breaking his/her resolve and "convincing" him/her to give up their toys. They should be taught to share willingly and with an open heart. Otherwise it is not sharing.

Bottom line is, "Sharing is NOT Caring" if it is not done by will and convenience. Parent and teachers should never force something that is meant to be done with good will, especially from children in a tender age. What we teach children will outline their personalities in the future.   

Essay Outline:

Title: "Sharing is Caring"

Thesis Statement: If you ask me, I think sharing is overrated.  

TS: Parents and kindergarten teachers are always emphasizing sharing for its benefit in a child's character.

 SP 1: good-natured.

 SP 2: better team player.

 SP 3: easier to handle.

 SP 4: less expensive.

TS: "Sharing" is not as great as what parents and teachers claim it to be.

 SP 1: quarrels.

 SP 2: gullibility.

SP 3: spreading diseases.

 SP 4: lazy guardians. 

TS: Learning to share is an important skill for children, but it is not a priority.

 SP 1: respecting rules.

 SP 2: understanding boundaries.

 SP 3: strong personality.

Conclusion: Bottom line is, "Sharing is NOT Caring" if it is not done by will and convenience.

 

Clustergam:

My Diary 10:

                        Dear Diary, did anyone ever notice the lyrics of Michael Jackson's song "Smooth Criminal"? IT. IS. CREEPY. "Thriller" is also creepy, but it is not nearly as blood chilling as "Smooth Criminal". That is due for two reasons:

 1) "Smooth Criminal" talks about a criminal that assaults a women "Annie", while "Thriller" is about a supernatural horror incident.

"Smooth Criminal"	"Thriller"
As He Came Into The Window It Was The Sound Of A Crescendo He Came Into Her Apartment He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet She Ran Underneath The Table He Could See She Was Unable So She Ran Into The Bedroom She Was Struck Down, It Was Her Doom .	It's Close To Midnight And Something Evil's Lurking In The Dark Under The Moonlight You See A Sight That Almost Stops Your Heart You Try To Scream But Terror Takes The Sound Before You Make It You Start To Freeze As Horror Looks You Right Between The Eyes, You're Paralyzed.

2) The repeat of certain lines in "Smooth Criminal" makes the lyrics, unlike the beat, hard to stomach. On the other hand, "Thriller"'s style feels like a classic horror movie.

"Smooth Criminal"	"Thriller"
Annie Are You OK? Will You Tell Us That You're OK? There's A Sign In The Window That He Struck You - A Crescendo Annie He Came Into Your Apartment He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet Then You Ran Into The Bedroom You Were Struck Down It Was Your Doom	You Hear The Door Slam And Realize There's Nowhere Left To Run You Feel The Cold Hand And Wonder If You'll Ever See The Sun You Close Your Eyes And Hope That This Is Just Imagination But All The While You Hear The Creature Creepin' Up Behind You're Out Of Time

Both of these songs were a favorite of mine as a child and I always sung them without knowing the lyrics (due to MJ's lack of correct pronunciation), so when I looked up the lyrics, you can imagine the shock! What have I been singing all this time? something like: da da da da da dada da da, da da da da dada da dada da da! "Smooth Criminal" is only one of my "child ruined" moments. I don't know if I'm the only one, but most of the movies and songs I used to see and hear became totally different when I started to understand English and this is an example

  

My Diary 9:

                       Dear Diary, what is the meaning of being an adult? And when can you say that a person is an adult? By age? Hardly! I noticed that being an adult depends on your birth order. The first born is an adult since birth unless he is an only child, a middle child is always seen not as mature as the eldest and the youngest is always a baby. At least this is the system in my family. My family is divided into three main quatrains ruled by the parents and they are: Adults (three active members), The Middles (two not so active members), and The Kids (two very active members), but that leaves two with their own category: Me (between The Middles and The Kids) and my baby brother who is The Baby. Why do I separate me and my brother from the three main category? Its simple, because we are always the exception. Faisal (fifth grader) is the youngest, so of course he is treated differently. No surprise there. The strange thing is my place of birth, for I am a veteran between two generation which means I belong to neither. I am three and a half years younger then The Middles and three and a half years older then The kids. In other words, I am the family's wallflower. It has its upsides and downsides. The upside is I don't have many responsibilities, my priorities are my health, education and fun. The downside is that I don't get to make any decisions including personal ones. When I was in my last year of high school, my family were all gathered around discussing what major I should apply for collage without really listening to what I want. When I filled the application without them knowing they totally freaked and asked why didn't I ask them before. It just seemed to me that that is something I should decide since it is related to my future. Even though they say I'm an adult, they treat me like a baby. So I decided to make my own decisions from that time and prove that I can take care of myself. If I make mistakes, it will help me learn.

My Diary 8:

                       Dear Diary, four words; First. Week. After. Break. What the hell is going on? What did we take before the break? did we really say we will take these exams later? I find myself asking these questions a lot after the break. The worst part is, my brain cells are too frozen from the god damn AC to function correctly!! I haven't had a decent conversation with any of my family members ever since school started again. I hear what happened to my sister in school from my friend who is in another university who was told by her sister who goes to the same school as my sister instead of from my sister directly!!! plus, I can't remember anything that I take in class! Another strange syndrome is that no hours of sleep is enough! I am always tired!! I will give this odd disorder a name and it will be: First Week After Break Disorder (FWABD for short). We need to spread awareness of this strange disorder that is very common to all students. Especially PNU students, the AC and messed up study hours play a big part in increasing the severity of the symptoms mentioned above *adjusts her classes dramatically*.