See I Told You So :: essays research papers

It is not very often that a person has his own national television show, radio show, and two books that have been on the "New York Times Best Seller List." Rush Limbaugh happens to be one of these unique people, his radio show is popular, his television show has the largest audience for a program of its type and his new book is one of the best of its kind. Limbaugh always backed up his comments with facts or statistics. While the book was informative and factual, it was also very humorous. See, I Told You So was definitely a conservative use of 363 pages.Without question, Rush Limbaugh is a spokesperson for a conservative majority within the United States. His book follows what he says on his radio and television programs, which is a conservative and republican view on issues. A few of the things he stresses in his book are that conservatives are the silent majority and President Clinton cannot ruin this country in four years. Although he stresses that conservatives are the majority, he says that liberals are trying to regain control by forcing the public schools get rid good things like the Bible and competition, and replace them with "Outcome-Based Education". Most importantly, we need to motivate people to pursue excellence and not feel sorry, pity and coddle underachievers.While the purpose of his book is to express these views, he also covers many other topics from the environment, to Dan's Bake Sale. "The spectacle was enough to drive a stake through the heart of liberalism (p.101)," says Rush Limbaugh about Dan's Bake Sale. Sixty-five thousand people flocked to Fort Collins, Colorado for what was called "Rushstock '93." This all started as a quest for Dan Kay to make $29.95 for a subscription to The Limbaugh Letter and escalated to a full day event that even Limbaugh attended.While Rush Limbaugh discusses many different controversial and serious issues, he manages to make it entertaining. He makes these serious issues amusing by sarcastic comments and pionting out the irony in government today. Parts of the book are made for just entertainment like the Politically Correct Liberal Dictionary and the Lies, Lies chapter in which Limbaugh backs up his theory that, the Clinton administration, has cataloged an "avalanche of false hoods" with 7 pages of Clinton's major contradictions.Rush Limbaugh makes many controversial comments throughout his book, but instead of just commenting, he supports what he says.

Philippine Art Movement Essay

Sabel and the Dreamer Mark Justani created an oil painting entitled Abot Tanaw last 1997. In this painting, there’s a flying white kite and a floating person trying to reach for some sort of star in the night sky. The first thing that I noticed was the star the subject was trying to reach. It was quite noticeable because of the use of very bright colors on top of a dark night sky as background. The night sky was painted dark with highlights on the clouds. The subject was painted using bright colors as well. Shapes and lines were not very evident, though. There were no visible outlines on the subject. The only apparent shape was the diamond-shaped kite while the only evident lines were the stripes on the subject’s shirt. The dominant textures in the painting were soft ones, seen on the clouds, clothes and the skin of the subject. These elements of art give the feeling of being in a dream-like state. In the year 2002, Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, also known as Ben Cab, painted Homage to Sabel using acrylic paint on canvas. The name speaks of the subject, Sabel, a woman living in the streets. In this painting, she wears some sort of plastic material covering her body. Her face and hair was painted with brown and black colors respectively and white and grey for the covering on her body. I did not notice any shapes on the painting, yet I saw lines which were the apparent brushstrokes in every part of the subject. She smiles in the painting, drawing my eyes to her face. It was probably day time when this was rendered for the plastic seemed to be reflecting a lot of light. With the bright plastic and bright smile, the painting seemed to impart a warm, happy feeling. The colors used in the painting, Abot Tanaw, were well blended, making it look soft, giving the impression of a vague dream. Using bright colors on the subject made it stand out from the dark background. The absence of strong outlines and the use of light and shadow made the painting look 3 dimensional or realistic. The shadows show the contours of the body parts of the subject, adding to the realism of the subject. The presence of the flying kite on the night sky gives the impression of ironic events that usually happens in dreams since people don’t usually fly kites during the night. Meanwhile, Ben Cab used apparent brushstrokes for his painting of Sable, making it look rough, adding to the character of Sabel, a woman living in the streets. Sabel’s face was painted dark on top of a light background, also lifting it from the background, such as the subject of Abot Tanaw. Her plastic covering had a very apparent reflective texture because of the contrast between the shadows and lit areas, showing some bulkier areas. The covering also had stiff and flowing areas, like folded plastic, shown by both rigid brush lines and curved brush lines. The white plastic stands out from the red background as well. Abot Tanaw whispers â€Å"Dream.† I think what Mark Justani was trying to say that dreaming is the first and biggest step to achieving our goals, hence the nearness of the boy’s hand to the star. Without dreams, we cannot think of the possibilities we want to create for our lives. And to achieve our goals, we must believe in ourselves, as the subject believes that he can float and reach the star. The artwork speaks to me, telling me to believe in myself that I can be as great of an artist as Mark Justani is. I constantly bring myself down when I make mistakes or create a â€Å"bad† artwork because others bring me down as well. They constantly criticize my artworks: â€Å"where’s the other foot,† â€Å"she’s too fat,† and countless more. But, it is because of these critiques that I pursued to become better. The star is our goal, and the floating boy is each and every one of us. Mark Justani made this for us to see that he has reached hi s goal. He wants us to reach for ours too by believing in ourselves. Ben Cab oversteps the boundaries of classical or romantic art, whose subjects are usually beautiful women. He chose a very different muse, a woman living in the streets, using plastic or scraps of waste for clothes. Yet he was able to paint Sabel as real as she can be. Muses don’t have to be beautiful, nude ladies or women of high status. Society always dictates what is right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. I have found myself following these dictations, in art and in myself. I am used to following classical teachings regarding art. My subjects are usually people and animals, and I perfect them according to their anatomy, according to what I see with my eyes. I also dress myself according to what recent fashion magazines tell what is in. I perfect my artwork and myself according to what others see as beautiful. One thing that captivated me was Sabel’s smile. She smiles even though she has nothing. The painting imparts that we can be whoever we are and still be beautiful an d happy, paint whatever we want, see it beautiful and be happy about it. The boy in Mark Justani’s artwork looks a bit unappealing to me because, as I have mentioned, I grew up appreciating classical and romantic artworks. The face in not â€Å"ideal,† as classicists would say, yet I was able to appreciate its very Filipino rendering for it conveys an important message for us Filipinos that we can dream and try to reach for the stars. Sabel’s beauty portrayed by Ben Cab also changed my perception of beauty and happiness. Though I have the feeling that most people would not understand the portrait the way I have seen it, and think of it only as a portrait, it does not lack anything. Even though the subject is a repulsive person in real life, she is still meaningful. Society cannot tell us what we should dream of, how to be beautiful or how to be happy.

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay - 1465 Words

The Great Gatsby (2013), directed by Baz Luhrmann, is a contemporary construct of the original novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. The essence of this film is to portray the â€Å"American Dream† as understood in the 1920’s. The film (as well as the novel) contains many themes that correlate to the depiction of the story. The main notable themes that are embodied throughout the motion picture are social class, love, wealth, isolation, and hope. Nick Carraway, whom the film is focalized, communicates the elements of the setting and main characters. He portrays this through his personal experience as an outsider to the wealthy world of the 1920’s, in which this motion picture takes place. Nick Carraway is a young man who is seeking the achievement of the â€Å"American Dream†. The three images that are included depict the main themes of the story as well as illustrate considerable meaning through cinematography. The movie focuses on Jay Gatsby†™s relationship with Daisy, his wealth, and himself. In image one, the movie’s themes of hope, isolation, and love are represented. Gatsby is standing at the end of his dock in front of his home looking out to the green light that is shinning from across the water. The green light is outside of Daisy’s property. Hope is portrayed through the reaching out of Gatsby’s hand. He is trying to grasp what is on the other side of the water even though he is already aware that his goal is too far away from where he is standing. The theme ofShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that