Harry Houdini

NEW YORK – Will wonders never cease?
A century after Harry Houdini thrilled audiences with daring escapes from handcuffs, straitjackets and watery tombs, the legendary magician has conjured a major art museum exhibition that explores his enduring legacy.
"Houdini: Art and Magic," which opens Friday at The Jewish Museum, tells the story of an impoverished son of Jewish immigrants who harnessed the power of the mass media, and the emerging technologies of film and photography, to become one of the 20th century's most famous performers.
The show is beautifully installed in galleries that feature the semi-dark theatrical lighting and spotlights of the vaudeville halls where Houdini got his start as a stage magician before turning to outdoor escape spectacles.
Scattered amid the historic photographs, art nouveau-era posters and archival films are more than two dozen recent works of art by such well-known artists as Matthew Barney, Vik Muniz and Raymond Pettibon that attest to Houdini's continuing influence as the consummate illusionist. The museum also displays some of his magic props, including handcuffs, shackles, a straitjacket, a milk can and a packing trunk that were featured in various escape acts.
Though he eventually became an international celebrity, Houdini was from the most modest of circumstances. He was born Erik Weisz in 1874 in Budapest, the son of a rabbi who immigrated to Wisconsin when Erik was a boy. When he was 12, he ran away from home to join the circus, but eventually returned home to help support the family. Tellingly, one of his earliest jobs was as an apprentice to a locksmith.
From an early age, he trained as a runner, swimmer and boxer, developing the physical strength and stamina that let him perform superhuman feats such as escaping, while handcuffed, from a padlocked crate thrown into an icy river.
Only after his father died in 1892 did the teenager launch his career as an entertainer, changing his name to Houdini in honor of the French magician Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin and performing in freak shows and traveling circuses.
Houdini's big break came in 1899, when he was discovered by the vaudeville impresario Martin Beck and started touring theaters across America and Europe.
Later in life, Houdini sought to debunk the fake spiritualists and mediums who claimed to be able to communicate with the dead. He also published books explaining some of the tricks of his trade, although the exhibition does not reveal any of those secrets.
Houdini died on Halloween 1926 of peritonitis — not trying to escape from a water-filled cell as depicted in the 1953 movie of his life starring Tony Curtis — and was buried in a Jewish cemetery in Queens, N.Y., where fans still make a pilgrimage on the anniversary of his death.
Curator Brooke Kamin Rapaport suggests that part of Houdini's appeal lay in the fact that his working-class audiences, many of whom came to America in search of political or religious freedom, identified with Houdini's immigrant background. His ability to emerge unscathed from handcuffs, chains and packing crates became an inspiring symbol of their own quest for freedom.
Houdini — who often closed his performances by asking "Will wonders never cease? — plays a central role in E.L. Doctorow's novel "Ragtime" and in Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay." The magician David Blaine reveres him, and he is mythologized by the American artist Deborah Oropallo in her oil painting "Escape Artist."
The show closes in New York on March 27, 2011, after which it travels to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Madison, Wis.

My Definition of the United States Working Class

The U.S. working class, a class which is multiracial, multinational, and unites men and women, young and old, employed and unemployed, organized and unorganized, gay and straight, native-born and immigrant, urban and rural, and composed of workers who perform a large range of physical and mental labor—the vast majority of our society. We are the party of the African American, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, all other Latino American, Native American, Asian American, and all racially and nationally civilized peoples, as well as women, youth, and all other working people.
United States has an outstanding history in the struggles for peace, democratic rights, racial and gender equality, economic justice, union organization, and international solidarity. Our country is organized on the principle of democratic centralism, combining maximum democratic discussion and decision-making with maximum unity of will and action, ensuring our ability to play a strong organizing role in the our communities. We strive to build the broadest unity for immediate gains and reforms that benefit all people, and for a progressive democratization of the government, the economy, and society of our country on the road to liberty and justice for all.

Message in a Bottle Survives Epic Journey

Last year, a high school student named Corey Swearingen put a letter in a bottle, sealed it up, and dropped it in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Florida coast. It was kind of an experiment for school. In the letter, he appealed to whomever came across the bottle to contact him and let him know where in the world it showed up. Amazingly, someone did.
About 16 months after the bottle was dropped, Swearingen's marine science teacher heard from someone in Ireland. The letter had made its way across the Atlantic Ocean and washed up on the shores of the Emerald Isle, found by a 17-year-old and his Dad while out for a stroll. In an interview with Florida Today, Swearingen said he never expected the message to be found.
Can't blame him for pessimism. After all, the wine bottle, which, according to Swearingen, is being put up on display in an Irish pub, did face long odds. But it's hardly the first message in a bottle to survive a perilous journey.
Another epic journey: Man's 859-mile walk down the Amazon
In 2009, a message in a bottle washed up on the shores of England. It had been tossed into the waters near the Bahamas nearly five years previous. Incredible, but that pales in comparison to a bottle sent by Emily Hwang. True, Hwang's bottle traveled "only" 1,735 miles from Seattle to Alaska, but it took an amazing 21 years to do so.
There's even a case of a message in a bottle helping a family find a new life. In 1979, Dorothy and John Henry Peckham dropped a message in a bottle in the Pacific Ocean while on a cruise. Amazingly, the bottle found its way to Southeast Asia where it was picked up by 31-year-old Hoa Van Nguyen.
Nguyen wrote back and began a correspondence that eventually led to the Peckhams helping to sponsor Nguyen and his family's immigration to the United States.

Assignment:
Write a "message in a bottle" that has the following posts:
1. your name, the country and city you live in
2. A brief description of yourself
3. Your School
4. Your goals and ambitions'
5. A cause you are passionate about. For example, animal abuse, deforestration, global warming, bullying, or anything you feel you take a stand for.
6. Why you are writing this message. What's in it for you? What do you hope may happen?
7. List five people that can contact if in case they cannot contact you.

How often do you play tennis?a. On Tuesday.b. For two hours.c. Almost every day.d. With John.AnswerC
Where do you usually eat lunch?a. Sandwich.b. With Jane.c. At 12:00.d. In the cafeteria.AnswerD
How long did you study last night?a. With Bob.b. In my room.c. English.d. For three hours.AnswerD
What kind of novels do you like?a. Yes, I do.b. I like spy novels.AnswerB
What kind of work do you do?a. I work every day.b. I'm a piano teacher.c. I worked for two hours.AnswerB
How many hours a day do you watch TV?a. About two hours.b. In my living room.c. I watch the news.d. On Tuesday.AnswerA
What is your busiest day of the week?a. In the morning.b. Every day.c. Tuesday.d. Last week.AnswerC
My mother is a good cook.a. I agree with you.b. I agree you.c. I agree to you.d. I agree for you.AnswerA
What does "TV" mean?a. For one hour.b. Yesc. Television.d. For one hour.e. On Friday.AnswerC
How do you spell "dog"?a. Nob. D-O-Gc. Nod. I don'te. Cat.f. I have one dog.AnswerB
What did you do yesterday?a. I am swimming.b. I swim.c. I will swim.d. I swam.AnswerD
What do you like to drink?a. Coffee.b. Saturday evening.c. Two.d. With my friends.AnswerA
What did you eat last night?a. At six.b. Spaghetti.c. With my family.d. At home.AnswerB
What are you doing?a. I'm eating.b. I ate.c. I will be eating.d. I have eaten.AnswerA
What will you do this afternoon?a. I play soccer.b. I played soccer.c. I'll play soccer.d. I was playing soccer.AnswerC
It seems to me that most restaurants are too expensive?a. I don't think it.b. I don't think.c. I don't think so.AnswerC
Where's Mike?a. At school.b. At eight.c. For three hours.d. No, he isn't.AnswerA
Where do you do your homework?a. With John.b. In the evening.c. About one hour.d. Every day.e. At home.AnswerE
When did you go to that restaurant?a. Spaghetti.b. With Jane.c. Last night.d. About 30 minutes.AnswerC
When was the last time you took a picture?a. A picture of Jane.b. Seven pictures.c. About four days ago.d. With my camera.AnswerC
What were you doing last night at 7:00?a. I sleep.b. I slept.c. I will be sleeping.d. I was sleeping.AnswerD
When will you mail that letter?a. Last night.b. To Jane.c. After school.AnswerC
What are you going to do after dinner?a. I took a bathb. I'll take a bath.c. I take a bath.AnswerB
How long have you been playing the trumpet?a. About 50 cm.b. For four years.c. In my room.d. By myself.AnswerB
How many hours a day do you sleep?a. I have slept 7 hours.b. I am sleeping 7 hours.c. I slept 7 hours.d. I sleep 7 hours.AnswerD
How often do you write letters?a. Two pages.b. Two times a week.c. Two people.d. Two hours.AnswerB
Where can I buy beer?a. When you are twenty years old.b. About two bottles.c. With Jane.d. At a liquor store.AnswerD
What's your favorite sport?a. Swim.b. Swimming.AnswerB
When was the last time you went shopping?a. Yesterday.b. Tomorrow.c. Near the Station.AnswerA
How often do you speak on the telephone?a. At least once a day.b. In the evening?c. For about 30 minutes.AnswerA
How many times have you gone camping?a. Three people.b. Three days.c. Three times.AnswerC
When's your birthday?a. November two.b. November twice.c. November second.AnswerC
Where are you from?a. New York.b. 1982.c. At school.AnswerA
How do you get to school?a. With train.b. In train.c. By train.AnswerC

Setting and Mood"Setting refers to the environment, the physical place and time, in which the story takes place. Character and Psychology"The characters are the people that are in the story. Character, characterization A character is a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, and characterization is the process by which a writer makes that character seem real to the reader. A hero or heroine, often called the protagonist, is the central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy. The antagonist is the character, force, or collection of forces that stands directly opposed to the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story. A static character does not change throughout the work, and the reader’s knowledge of that character does not grow, whereas a dynamic character undergoes some kind of change because of the action in the plot. A flat character embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits that can be readily described in a brief summary. They are not psychologically complex characters and therefore are readily accessible to readers. Some flat characters are recognized as stock characters; they embody stereotypes such as the "dumb blonde" or the "mean stepfather." They become types rather than individuals. Round characters are more complex than flat or stock characters, and often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people. They are more fully developed, and therefore are harder to summarize. Authors have two major methods of presenting characters: showing and telling. Showing allows the author to present a character talking and acting, and lets the reader infer what kind of person the character is. In telling, the author intervenes to describe and sometimes evaluate the character for the reader. Characters can be convincing whether they are presented by showing or by telling, as long as their actions are motivated. Motivated action by the characters occurs when the reader or audience is offered reasons for how the characters behave, what they say, and the decisions they make. Plausible action is action by a character in a story that seems reasonable, given the motivations presented" (Meyer). "In some works characters possess a psychological complexity resembling our own. Hamlet, for instance, is one of literature's most psychologically complex characters" (Jacobus 69). "Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others" (Nellen Literary Terms).Plot and Narrative Structure"An author’s selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus. Discussions of plot include not just what happens, but also how and why things happen the way they do. Stories that are written in a pyramidal pattern divide the plot into three essential parts. The first part is the rising action, in which complication creates some sort of conflict for the protagonist. The second part is the climax, the moment of greatest emotional tension in a narrative, usually marking a turning point in the plot at which the rising action reverses to become the falling action. The third part, the falling action (or resolution) is characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot’s conflicts and complications" (Meyer).Irony and Tone"Some stories are meant to be ironic: they say one thing, but mean another. You recognize irony by observing the language in which the story is told. In a few cases, you may not be able to tell whether the writer is being sincere or ironic. [...] The tone of a story may reveal an author's attitude toward characters or the values. The tone of these stories suggests sympathy for the characters. In some stories the tone is judgmental; in others it is neutral" (Jacobus 69).

Monday, September 20
Begin answering the questions
1. What does North Hills need that it doesn't have? bowling alley, park, more shopping malls? why?
2. If love were a real, tangible object that you can see and physically hold/touch, what would that object be? Why?
3. New law: texting is now forbidden. You have one text message left.What would it say and who would you send it to? Why?
4. Stuck on a deserted island? Too bad. We'll give you three wishes. you can't leave! Sorry! What are they and why? Also, what three songs would you take with you?
5. Imagine the 1970s...describe it to me. Also, do you feel a connection to a decade for any particularly unusual reason? What is it?
6. As a student in high school, what do you think about the educational system? What would you keep and what would you change? Why

III. No One At the BridgeCrying back to consciousnessThe coldness grips my skinThe sky is pitching violentlyDrawn by shrieking windsSeaspray blurs my visionWaves roll by so fastSave my ship of freedomI'm lashed helpless to the mastRemembering when first I heldThe wheel in my own handsI took the helm so eagerlyAnd sailed for distant landsBut now the sea's too heavyAnd I just...I just don't understandWhy must my crew desert me?When I need...I need a guiding hand...Call out for directionAnd there's no one there to steerShout out for salvationBut there's no one there to hearCry out supplicationFor the maelstrom is nearScream out desperationBut no one cares to hear