Julius Caesar

Many people think that dramas written by William Shakespeare are dull and boring. This is not the case with Julius Caesar. I loved the historical action that Julius Caesar provided.

Julius Caesar tells the story of the demise of Julius Caesar and the consequences of his death. In an act for the common good, Marcus Brutus plots with a group of patricians to kill Caesar. They believe that with his death, a tyranny will be ended. Their plan begins to backfire when Mark Antony, a friend of Caesar's, turns the people of Rome against them.

The main characters in this drama, such as Caesar, Brutus, and Mark Antony, are real people. They all lived way before my time, so there is no way I could know how they felt or thought. Julius Caesar provides an insight to historical events through these characters. Although Shakespeare could not have know how they felt either, it is interesting to see how he interpreted their feelings.

The setting of the drama is ancient Rome. As with the characters, ancient Rome was a real place, but it thrived before my time. I have seen pictures of ruins and drawings of what it may have looked like, but never have I been able to envision how people interacted in the city. This drama provides that look into the lives of those of ancient Rome. However, by simply reading the play, I cannot vividly see what the town looked like. The only descriptions I get are from the characters.

The style of Shakespeare is widely recognized. He usually writes in iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is characterized by ten syllables in each line. Since he lived in old England, he also uses old English language in Julius Caesar. Sometimes, this language can be hard to understand, but the version of the drama I read provided explanations on the side to aid in comprehension. All in all, the language Shakespeare uses adds to the overall effect of Julius Caesar.

I enjoyed reading Julius Caesar. Everyone should be required to read at least one of Shakespeare's dramas, and Julius Caesar makes a very good choice.

209 Pages

An Ode to Leaders

Almost every major group has a leader. Without one, anarchy often occurs. Groups can only hope that the leaders that come to power are good and successful. With that said, what is it that makes a good and successful leader?

A leader should always be concerned for the common good of his or her people. Good leaders have many positive attributes such as honesty, loyalty, and integrity. Leaders are not working for themselves. Instead, they want to help their people and their group or country achieve all that they possibly can. They can help others through tough times. Leaders should be inspirational. I want to listen to a leader and feel the need to work for his or her cause. For this, good speech skills can help a leader. It is not always possible for someone to make the right decisions all of the time, but good leaders can accept their mistakes, apologize, and fix them. Good leaders are very important because a good leader makes a good group.

Below I have compiled a list of excellent leaders.

1. John F. Kennedy- He was very good for our country and its people.
2. Queen Elizabeth I
3. Pope John Paul II- This pope was excellent at reforming some of the teachings of the Church to improve it.
4. Fred Jones (From Scooby Doo)
5. Pope Benedict XVI- As the current pope, Benedict has worked hard to make good speeches and appear public ally to restore respect for the Catholic Church.
6. Martin Luther King Jr.
7. Optimus Prime- Optimus is in charge of protecting the people of Earth from Decepticons. He is very inspiring to both humans and Autobots.
8. Jesus
9. Aragorn (From The Lord of the Rings)- Aragorn is the king of Gondor. He was successful in leading an army and defeating the army of Mordor. He lead men, elves, dwarfs, and even some dead people. That is not an easy task especially since elves and dwarfs usually cannot stand each other.
10. Abraham Lincoln

My Christmas Playlist (Plus Commentary)

I love Christmas music. I start listening to my CDs and records the day after Thanksgiving. Below is a list of my favorite songs with added commentary. (Note: I am not actually including ALL of my favorites. My Christmas playlist actually contains many, many songs, so I figured that would be way too boring. Enjoy!)

1. "Blue Christmas" Elvis Presley- This is a classic song. It's original and has that Elvis flair. I really enjoy Christmas music even more when Elvis sings it anyway. His version of "Here Comes Santa Claus" is a must hear.

2. "Little Saint Nick" The Beach Boys- The Beach Boys really know how to harmonize. This song is just really cute.

3. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Brenda Lee- I cannot help but laugh when I hear this song thanks to a certain Weygandt and her misinterpretation of the words.

4. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" Bruce Springsteen- "Everybody been good out there? Ah, that's not many, not many. Ya'll are in trouble."

5. "Opera of the Bells" Destiny's Child- This version of the classic song is just beautiful.

6. "Jingle Bells" Frank Sinatra- Frank Sinatra's voice makes me feel like I am living in the 1940s sitting back laughing at some sort of cocktail party. Jingle all the way, you guys.

7. "Up on the Housetop" The Jackson Five- I love how the lyrics to this song have been changed so that they talk about the Jackson kids.

8. "A Wonderful Christmas Time" Paul McCartney- This song just makes me happy. It makes me want to sway from side to side and make a cute face or something.

9. "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Thurl Ravenscroft- How the Grinch Stole Christmas is definitely my favorite Christmas book and half-hour special. The song for the special fits so perfectly. It has crazy lyrics and Tony the Tiger makes this song amazing. (Did you know the guy who sings this song is Tony the Tiger? You do now.)

10. "Christmas Wrapping" The Waitresses- This song is so cute. It makes me want to bob my head. I cannot get it out of my head despite the fact that I only know the first two lines. This is one of the best modern Christmas songs in my opinion.