Week 4

Boy Meets World 

Boy Meets world, created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly is an American sitcom which gives you a look at the every day life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage. Personally, this was my favourite sitcom growing up due to the fact that it taught me lessons about life that I could easily relate to, also the entire cast always managed to keep the audience entertained until the very last second of each episode. 

The show was based on a young boy who didn’t exactly fit in growing up, however he had a best friend who was there through thick and thin for him, Shawn Hunter (Ryder Strong). Also, a little later in the series, Cory (Ben Savage) falls in love with who was said to be the weirdest girl in their class, Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel). The series allows the audience to see Cory grow up before their eyes as it shows him going through middle school, high school and college, where he finally marries Topanga. 

In my opinion, the entire cast done an outstanding job from the very first episode of the series until the very last episode. Cory Matthews was the protagonist of the show, and throughout the series the audience watched him grow from an ignorant child to a well-rounded individual. Cory had to learn many life lessons that are actually valuable to everyday life. He dealt with things that actually happen in the real world. He had a brother that seemed absent during his childhood, a little sister that continuously bothered him, a father that he claimed was “average”, heartbreak from his girlfriend moving away, not being as “cool” as his best friend, and he had to learn how to deal with the world changing around him. Throughout the entire series, Cory was the only person to ever say that Topanga and himself were destined to be together. Topanga was always an awkward person, but she was never embarrassed to be herself. She was always there for Cory, even when he acted irrationally. Throughout the series she had to deal with her parents separating, and come to terms with the fact that not every relationship is destined to fail.  Shawn always managed to deal with Cory when no one else could. He was always the most honest person on the show, due to his past. He had a rough upbringing, his mother ran away after he was born, and he managed to come to terms with that. Later in the show, he finds out the person that he thought was his mother was not, and shortly after his father passed away when Shawn started college. He had to deal with discovering he had a half-brother, that was rich, while Shawn himself had to grow up in a trailer park with nothing. The only reliable thing Shawn ever had was Cory, and he was the only one that could handle him at times. 

Overall, Boy Meets World was very successful running for seven seasons, in addition a spin-off was created called Girl Meets World, which features Corey and Topanga as adults with children of their own. If the spin-off can fill the footsteps of the original it will be an excellent show for children of this generation to grow up with. Personally, Boy Meets World taught me more than I will ever know. It was a very real atmosphere, and most of the viewers will face the same issues as characters in the show. I would recommend this show to anyone, because anyone can relate to the issues raised, and the characters dealing with them. 

Week 3

Photo Number One 

This is a photo of the Grand Bank Cottage Hospital. The hospital has been a very important landmark in Grand Bank for many years.  The demolition of this building is on-going, therefore I value this picture quite a bit because once this building is gone, I will always have the picture. I have fond memories of going to this hospital as a child when I was sick, but this building holds much more history to the town of Grand Bank than ill patients. The high school in the town is even named after a specific practitioner, Dr.John Burke, who practiced at the hospital for many years. The town holds many myths surrounding the hospital, some people strongly believe them, while others simply discard them. Nurses have claimed to see Dr.Burke roaming the halls, long after his passing. Similarly, janitorial workers, working by themselves, have claimed to hear strange noises, such as footsteps and voices.

I took this particular picture this summer past. I was looking to give the picture the eery feeling due to stories I have previously mentioned. As the demolition of the building continues, citizens of the town believe the land still belongs to Dr.Burke. 

Photo Number Two

This is a photo of Lanse Au Loup pond. Lanse Au Loup is located about five kilometres outside of Grand Bank. It may not look like there is much going on in this picture, however there are many things represented. The dory represents the heritage of Newfoundland. In previous years, the dory was used everyday for transportation, and for the fishery. The calmness of the picture is showing how it is seldom used today, since the economy has evolved. The ways of life in Newfoundland have changed, and right now more Newfoundlanders are working away rather than in the fishery. Personally, the calmness of the picture also reminds me of the lifestyle I grew accustomed to, while living in a small town. However, the city is never calm and I have been trying to adapt to a whole new lifestyle. 

I took this picture this summer past. I was hoping to capture the feeling of serenity, and the beauty of nature in contrast to the city. 

Week 2

"It's Still Rock And Roll To Me"

What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing?

"Can't you tell that your tie's too wide?"

Maybe I should buy some old tab collars?

"Welcome back to the age of jive.

Where have you been hidin' out lately, honey?

You can't dress trashy till you spend a lot of money."

Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound

Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

What's the matter with the car I'm driving?

"Can't you tell that it's out of style?"

Should I get a set of white wall tires?

"Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?

Nowadays you can't be too sentimental

Your best bet's a true baby blue Continental."

Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk

It's still rock and roll to me

Oh, it doesn't matter what they say in the papers

'Cause it's always been the same old scene.

There's a new band in town

But you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine...

Aimed at your average teen

How about a pair of pink sidewinders

And a bright orange pair of pants?

"You could really be a Beau Brummel baby

If you just give it half a chance.

Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers,

You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers."

Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways

It's still rock and roll to me

What's the matter with the crowd I'm seeing?

"Don't you know that they're out of touch?"

Should I try to be a straight 'A' student?

"If you are then you think too much.

Don't you know about the new fashion honey?

All you need are looks and a whole lotta money."

It's the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways

It's still rock and roll to me

Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound

Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/itsstillrockandrolltome.html

Still Rock And Roll To Me by Billy Joel consists of six stanzas. Verses one, two, four and five all consist of the same number of lines: eight. In addition, they also share the same rhyme scheme, ABCBDDEF. However, verses three and six have a different number of lines. Verse three has five lines with a rhyme scheme of ABCDB, where verse six only has two lines and no rhyme scheme. “It’s still rock and roll to me” is the closet thing to a chorus, it is repeated five times to emphasize the main idea of the song. 

I can see the speaker of this song being a middle aged man. Whom refuses to change his ways for an upcoming generation. He is very set in his old ways, and simply does not see a need to change. This is clearly shown in the lines, “Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout the new sound / Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me”. As time evolves, people tend to evolve with it, examples would include, clothing trends, technology constantly upgrading ,musical influences, and media. It doesn’t matter how much change is occurring around the speaker, he is completely set in his ways. The tone of the lyrics seems to be bitter simply because, change is not necessary. As the speaker says, as objects go “out of style” his ways will remain relevant as trends come and go. The person is finding it very difficult to let go of the way he learned things and to move on with the times. It is almost as if he was asking, what is the point to change if the current way still works? It’s like the old saying, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. 

There are many examples of poetic terminology used throughout this song. The song is very informal due to diction. The song is full of words that you would hear anyone saying in everyday conversations, such as, “talkin’, nowadays, lotta, and ‘bout”. Alliteration is used in the line,“Your best bet’s a true baby blue continental.” Also, allusion was used to reference “Beau Brummel” who was known for men’s fashion. Symbolism is also used throughout the song. On the surface this song seems to talk about the music industry changing and a particular artist not willing to change with the times, but “rock and roll” could have a deeper meaning, which is life. The speaker is being ridiculed throughout the entire song for being out of style, and at the end of every verse he repeats, “It’s still rock and roll to me”. Artists release new albums daily full of beats and sounds that have never been heard before, but it is still serves the same purpose as every other song, similarly a cheap styrofoam plate, and an expensive plate are both used to eat off of, so they are still just plates. Over time, things become more modern, and as humans we adapt to these changes. Change can be awesome, or terrible, but it is a part of life that the speaker despises. Overall, even with upgrades everything serves the same purpose. 

This song is one of my favourites for a few reasons. It is a classic, and I prefer it over most new material produced by artists today. I can also relate to it, I am not a fan of change and I strongly believe that you should not tamper with something just for the sake of doing so. I am not a believer in trends, and I just do things the way I see fit. I feel that the speaker has the same idea with his music. You do something because you like it, not to copy someone else's ideas.

Here is a link to the song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAQa4MOGkE

Week 1

Hello Everyone! 

I would like to welcome you all to my blog. My name is Michael Cumben, but everyone calls me Mike and I am from Grand Bank, Newfoundland. I graduated high school in 2011, and I am very excited for my first semester at Memorial University.

Where do I begin to describe myself? Coming from such a small town can be boring at times, but I made the most of it. Most days you could find me outside playing street hockey with some friends, or playing ice hockey with the United Towns Pirates. I was even playing hand hockey before I could walk, thanks to my Father. Watching every Leafs game with my Dad (bring on the jokes, I am use to it) has lead to some of my greatest family memories. Although some people feel that hockey is a waste of time, it is a true passion of mine. In the past four years, I have also developed a strong passion for photography. I never leave home without my camera and tripod. I was never an art lover, but I do love the creativity involved with photography, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Anyone can take a simple picture, but it is a true talent to see beauty where others cannot. Travis Parsons, a local photographer to Grand Bank and a good friend of mine, has really inspired me to pursue photography. 

In addition to Travis, I also have a great family that continues to support me everyday. I am the youngest member of my family of four. I tend to keep to myself for the most part, however if you get to know me I am a very easy going guy. Since graduating high school I have grown and changed quite a bit. I have changed my view on life, live every day to the fullest because no one knows how long we have left to live. If there is something you want, set your heart to it and do it.