The Finale

It's over. It's actually over. Senior year is done, High school is done, Honors English IV is done. We were so young and naive when we embarked on this adventure in September, but now we graduate with a profound knowledge of the English language. This day marks the last day of the blog. That's right, the Blog Cabin is shutting its doors. No more insight, no more rhymes, no more personal opinions on anything. I am now forced to keep my thoughts to myself for how could I possibly reach my listeners in a blogless world. All in all, it was a great experience. There were some good times and there were some bad times. There were some easily constructed blogs, and there were some that frankly, were difficult to get through. The experience started on a very low note with "Herland," possibly the worst novel ever written in my opinion. It soon picked up, however, once "A Clockwork Orange" reared its head into my life. That is when it hit me that this whole blogging world I had been thrusted into may not be so bad after all. From there on, the ideas just flowed, the rivers of the Amazon. I am going to miss you Blogger.com. I hope you all remember the Blog Cabin, as it shuts its doors for the last time. Farewell all.

Sincerely,
Jacob A. Strasser

Time to Write

Well it's been a great year. We had some laughs, we had some tears. We had some seat changes. We had some more seat changes. But now it's time to get serious. No more Hamlet. No more novels. No more Socratic Seminars. This is it, the big time, the show; this is the the culmination of an English class to be remembered for years to come. Baseball players give a hundred percent all season to get to the playoffs, the second season, as some call it. This, in a sense, is the second season for our English class. It's time to take all of our knowledge, all of our grammar notes, and all of our experiences and bring it all together for one final project. Now it is time for me to embark upon my epic journey and compose the screenplay formerly know as (drumroll please) SOULVAL OFFICE. Yes, it is time for the wheels to start turning, the wood to start burning, the butter to start churning. It is time for the ideas to spark, for me to make my mark, as I embark. I will write and compose, and tonight, my flows... of screenplay genius will be exposed. That was just a little taste of the place that you will be able to embrace when my movie is ready for all to see and love, with help from the big man above. So for now I am out, I'm gone, off to the lab, to write you the most incredibly and incredulously wonderful screenplay you will ever get a chance to have.

Successful Last Week

The week spanning May 5th to May 9th was a huge success for me and my final marking period journey. I have discovered exactly what I am going to write about. I have chosen to discuss how hollywood has become increasingly racist over the years, to a point where many of the tv shows and movies exposed to the general public are downright racist. For this piece, I will discuss Chappelle's show, Soul Plane, and other racist forms of entertainment. I also used this week to watch a dvd of a famous comedian by the name of Eddie Murphy. In this video was proof that one can be entertaining while using racial stereotypes but can avoid crossing the line into racism. Here is what my next week will look like.

Tuesday: Write paper
Wednesday: Continue writing paper
Thursday: Wiki and finish paper
Friday: Begin the writing of the greatest and most epic screenplay ever.

A Breakthrough Has Been Made

I've done it. Yes, I've finally had a breakthrough and decided what I am going to write my final paper on. Considering that my project is writing a screenplay that tinkers on the edge of racism and entertainment, what better topic to compose an essay about? I plan to research and discuss that blurred boundary between the two aspects of my script. Unfortunately, there have been some roadblocks, but hey, no one ever said this would be easy. While I am having almost no trouble at all coming up with examples of gray area instances that have been deemed entertainment, finding examples of people or shows that have gone too far with the racism is hard to find. I have no doubt in my mind that I will overcome this obstacle. One such occurance that will help me is the Michael Richards outbreak, now a famous and thouroughly mocked issue. My schedule for the upcoming week is as follows.

Tuesday: research essay topic
Wednesday: see tuesday
thursday: Wiki madness
Friday: see tuesday or wednesday

Weekend: Begin writing the legendary essay

Screenwriting is a Lot More Detailed Then I Thought

Here I am, one week into the screenwriting process. I know what you're thinking. How hard could it be? You have an idea for a movie; write down some ideas and run with it. Well, contrary to what I also believed before I dove into hollywood's literary world, writing a screenplay is a very scripted procedure (no pun intended). While reading the book "Screenwriting for Dummies, I have realized how much effort and attention to detail is necessary for composing a useful script. There are so many formats and outlines that are necessary to use in this process. One of the most important things that I have learned is the difference that must be noticed in writing a play as opposed to a movie. It is imperative to separate the two styles of writing and assure that they do not cross. Another interesting fun fact I learned dealt with how much time to spend on the setting of a movie. In the olden days, the 1930's, setting was a key aspect to a properly written screenplay. Many films would open up with an instrumentall accompanied panoramic view of where the movie was to take place. Perhaps rolling hills or busy city streets would clutter the movie screen for the first five minutes or so. Now, however, times have changed, and more modern movies do not pay that much attention to the setting as it is more common to jump right into the story. These are just a few things that I have already learned through my screenplay writing research. I now plan to read the other novels I have talked about and learn even more. For now, goodbye.

My Fourth Marking Period Goal

As we embark on a journey through the fourth marking period, we have been given the freedom to come up with our own project that will better ourselves as students. Something that I have always wanted to do is to write a screenplay; that is why I have decided to compose one based on an idea I have had for about a year now. The movie will be called "Soulval Office." To ensure that I am doing a proper job, there are two books I am going to read and study, hopefully guiding myself on a path to a succesful script. The first book is called "How to Write a Screenplay." This straight forward titled book will hopefully assist me in my goal. I plan to learn some important lessons and key aspects of writing this type of literature. The next book I will read in an effort to help my plan is called "How Not to Write a Screenplay." This novel boasts 101 mistakes to avoid when writing a script. I will then research other screenplay tips. Along with this assistance, these pointers will also help. With my creativity and hopefully a newly acquired knowledge of screenplay writing, I plan to write a good movie that will entertain all viewers.

The Last Blog

Wow. As I sit here on this dreary and dismal rainy Friday, all I can think about is who will I be when my blogging career is over. Retirement is a funny thing; some can do it, while some just can’t step away from the game. Michael Jordon is a hero among men, yet the only thing he could not handle was walking away from basketball. He did in fact walk away, but right into a baseball clubhouse, then back to basketball, and then finally to the comfort of his own home. I feel like I have something in common with the greats like him as it will be hard to leave the blogging world that has treated me so good. Like Jay Z, I Can't leave rap alone the game needs me. In my case however, it is not the rap game, but the game of spitting out your feelings about anything onto a webpage that millions and millions of people can access. This idea of the “blog” that Mr. Saxon has incorporated into the curriculum has greatly increased my interest in English class. I’m gonna be honest, English has not always been my subject; but I feel more connected to it this year because in the integration of blogs. I love you world of blogging; see you soon.