Maria Popova's "An Antidote to the Age of Anxiety: Alan Watts on Happiness and How to Live with Presence"

Read the article distributed in class by Maria Popova.  It is an interesting reading.  You should read it throughly and choose a few specific quotations that you want to expand upon.  You can use personal experience and opinion to relate to the quotations you choose; however, be sure to respond to the article itself too.  One such quote that stands out to me is "Happiness. . . isn't a matter of improving our experience, or even merely confronting it, but remaining present with it in the fullest possible sense: To stand face to face with insecurity is still not to understand it. To understand it, you must not face it but be it."   I remember looking for happiness for quite a few years in my teenage and young adult years. After exhausting most of my attempts at being happier, I realized that I had to embrace happiness within myself - in other words, I had to "be" happy.  I would like to elaborate more on this but I am just setting you up for your own blog.  Enjoy!  Do a great job.  This is my last blog for you.  Next week, your blog will be sent from Mrs. Messenio.

NO BLOG FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK - See you January 5th

John Steinbeck on Falling in Love

Read the article distributed in class titled "John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A 1959 Letter."  It is a short article with a letter written by Steinbeck as a response to his son, Thom who has confessed to "have fallen desperately in love."   Evaluate Steinbeck's response to his son.  Then compare this letter to what you would expect if it were you writing to your father or mother while away at college and telling them that you were "desperately in love" - would the response be similar?  Finally, what is your idea, at your young ages, inexperienced yet in mature love, as to what you would expect real love to be and how it differs from what people call "young love".

Positive vs Negative Thinking

Read the entire article at this web site:

http://www.the-benefits-of-positive-thinking.com/negative-thinking-versus-positive-thinking.html

Then provide your response to the article.  Does it provide some interesting insights into the power of positive thinking over negative?  Some people claim it is better to think negative so that they can be prepared for anything bad that happens.  Is this logical?  After reading the article, offer your critique and then provide examples from your own experiences when positive or negative thinking had any type of outcome.

Daunting Start to College Application Process

Read "Daunting Start to College Application Process" and for your blog this week, respond and offer alternatives, if any, to this expensive process.

On Not Being Scrooge: To Build Compassion, Get Out of your Comfort Zone

Go to the web site: 
http://therotarianmagazine.com/culture-on-not-being-scrooge/

"On not being Scrooge" - this article appears in the December issue of Rotarian magazine.  It is written by Frank Bures - read the article and make a response.   Keep in mind that your initial blog is expected to be about two pages in length (write it in a Word document first to help determine length and also save it in the event your blog should delete accidentally on the site).  Your responses to peers should also be at least 3/4 of a page minimum.  I noticed that some are getting short.  You are expected to critically respond to two of your peers.

The FBI is Reading over Your Shoulder

Read the article, "The FBI is Reading over Your Shoulder" by Zara Gelsey.  First, respond to the article itself - How does Gelsey organize her essay and in what point of view is it written?  Does she support her points with evidence and is it effective?  Second, discuss in your own opinion, the thesis of Gelsey's essay.