Final Thoughs on "Happy, Happy, Happy" by Phil Robertson

Phil Robertson's autobiography is an eye-opening expose into the mastermind behind how the gentlemen from Duck Dynasty gained their fame. Bet you never thought you'd here that sentence to describe a book by a "redneck". But I digress. Behind the endless shenanigans that you see on TV is a story of redemption, family and hunting. 'Happy, Happy, Happy" follows the story of Phil's life, from his childhood in a ramshackle cabin to a multi-millionaire duck call mogul. And he lives very, very humbly. And from his humility before God, his love of family and simplistic life style, we can take from him how to enjoy the smaller things in life. But sometimes his dedication to these three principles has led to him to make some seemingly foolish decisions. The 60’s is where I can show you the best example of this. Phil was one of the top football players in the state of Louisiana, and had a full-ride scholarship to Louisiana Tech. After a couple of years starting, he quit the team, citing the football team interfering with his favorite time of the year, duck hunting season. Phil's backup was Terry Bradshaw, the man who would lead the Pittsburg Steelers (this is going to be really hard to write) FOUR Super Bowls! That’s like JT Barrett breaking his leg, and Cardale Jones coming in to win the championship. Phil hasn't regretted his decision, but he still talks to Bradshaw about this, saying in his book "I still tell Terry that if I had never left, he wouldn't have won four Super Bowl rings." (Robertson 63) Four Super Bowl rings. It's kind of crazy that any man would give that up to plug a couple of ducks, but Phil doesn't need that. And that's admirable. It may be hard to believe that you could give up the glory of being in of the most decorated NFL QB's of all time, but some people just don't need all of that. So next time you see the Robertson's on TV, and think that they're just a bunch of dirty guys who somehow managed to get rich. Just remember that the patriarch of the family gave up a life of sports glory for a life of hunting, fishing and wise-cracking in TV.

The Robertsons, sitting down for a family meal. Phil is at the head of the table leading everyone in prayer.

Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Roberston

      When Duck Dynasty was the big thing in 2013, I, like many of my friends, watched the show religiously. Now, not so much. Maybe it was because of the decreasing quality of the show. Maybe it was just that we were tired of the Robertson's antics. But honestly, it was all becoming rather stupid. But aside from all the antics shown on screen, the side of the Robertson's that we don't see on camera is one based on faith, family and lots and lots of food. The humble beginnings of Duck Commander, the duck call company that made the Robertsons, are documented in Phil Robertson's autobiography Happy Happy Happy. 

     Happy Happy Happy follows the story of how Phil Robertson overcame being poor as a child, living off the animals and plants of the woods for some time, to a multi-millionaire duck call mogul. However, just like his childhood, he doesnmt use his millions to buy Mercedes. In fact, he's about as far from a man who enjoys the unparalleled joy of a heated car seat as Pluto is from the Sun. 

The meaning of Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress.

     My favorite column was "What will Kate Middleton's wedding dress look like?" by Robin Givhan, because I find the whole concept of the hype that surrounded the royal wedding funny. One of the strangest things about the Royal Family in Britain is that it's really just for show. The Queen, Prince Charles, the whole lot of them don't really yeild any power other than being the figurehead for the millions of people Britain still has somewhat control over. So when the Queen's grandson, who could basically choose from any woman in the whole world (I mean come on, he's a freaking prince!) chooses to mary a commoner, the whole world makes such a big deal that people on California woke up at about 2am just to watch Kate and William get married. Which leads me too all the hype. I remember when William and Kate announced their engagement, in December 2010. For the next  five months, it was completely insane how much information the news could squeeze out of this. The best quote out of this column was by far "Now we can focus on that other crucial wedding planning decision: What will the gown look like? And what might it mean?" 

Imagine me sighing heavily.

But in all seriousness, what can a dress mean. It's a freaking dress. Do dresses now have some inner meaning other than to be what you wear when you getting married. Is there now some type of way to make a dress have some inner meaning? Well, to be quite honest, I couldn't care less.

My mom woke up at 5:00am to watch the wedding. She says it was kind of a sentimental thing. She watched when Diana and Charles got married in '81 and   through the eyes of People Magazine (which she no longer subcribes to, citing not having enough time) and saw their two kids, William and Harry, grow up. She's sentimental like that. Now, for five years, I've held a long-honored tradition of waking up and watching Sportscenter. This was one of those days where that didn't happen. I got up at 5:30, as I have for a long time, and went downstairs to see a woman in a white dress with a 8 or so foot long piece of silk dragging behind the back of it. And now, Ms. Givhan, I can answer your question, the meaning of the dress is...there is no meaning.

Kate Middleton's actual wedding dress, with the long train.

Fahrenheit 451 Theme Project Handout

 Censorship diminishes individual thought.

Timeline:

1. Montag met Clarisse and she changed the way he thinks. She made him more curious about the society.
2. After they burned the old lady and her house Montag started to question the procedure that the firefighters use. Also while Montag was in the house, he took a book from her house. 
3. Montag pretended to be sick from the nervousness from stealing the book. He planned on involving Mildred with his crime. He had a change of heart towards Beatty.
4. Montag decided to go to Faber after numerous events in which he found a bible and exposed himself to Mildred, and wanted someone to help him in his new way of thinking.
5. Montag returned home to find Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps at his house. They angered him when they talked lightly about their husbands which caused him to recite Dover Beach despite Faber telling him otherwise causing Bowles and Phelps to storm off distraught and Mildred cursing him.
6. After the reciting of the poem, the call for a burning was actually for Montag’s house. At that time Montag and Beatty confront each other, causing Beatty to take out the device Faber used to communicate. The two fought until it came to gruesome end in which Montag burned Beatty before the hound came, for that is what is Beatty wished.
7. After this incident, Montag had officially became a convict. He had planted a book into one of his colleague’s home and had made the run for it after he learned that the hound was nothing but accurate. When Montag finally made it to the forest he had noticed a fire in a way in which he never had before and met the intellectuals/book people, who had noticed who Montag was and welcomed him. Shortly after meeting they were met with the site of the city’s aftermath from being bombed.

• The theme helps us understand the censorship that affects their everyday thoughts and opinions on society and law.

• Censorship still occurs today because children’s programs are censored of adult content.

Quotes:

“Are you happy?” she said. “Am I what?” he cried. But she was gone…” (Bradbury 8)

“Then he began to read in a low, stumbling voice that grew firmer as he progressed from line to line and his voice went out across the desert into the whiteness, and around the three sitting women there in the great hot emptiness.” (Bradbury 97).

“And then he was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering manikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him...Beatty flopped over and over and over, and at last twisted in on himself like a charred wax doll and lay silent.” (Bradbury 113).

Fahrenheit 451: Final Thought

     Fahrenheit 451 is probably the most thought provoking story I have ever read. A riveting, honest portrayal of the future, it is also a way for the author, Ray Bradbury, to vent his feelings on the censorship of books. What's ironic about this book, which is about censorship, was released in the early 1950s, when the US was rampant with fears of communist infiltrators and a book about defying the government was the last thing everybody needed. I'll admit, the idea of the banning of all printed liturature seems scary when you think about how much printed liturature there is in the world. But the most striking thing about this book is that it depicts a future America. America. The land of the free and the home of the brave, now burning books to get outside thought into their people's mind. And that could be our future. I say could because you never know what's going to happen.

      I saw a trailer and a few scenes from the movie version, and it's very, VERY, different from what I envisioned as a very bland, cloudy all the time kind of world, but it seemed half decent, it had a whole big monorail system and it all seemed kind of nice, you know, except of couse, for the book burnings. I also found it really cool that Bradbury predicted the widespread use of technology, like television and bluetooth headsets, and even predicted the awkward conversations that arise because of it. "Fool, Montag, fool, fool, oh God you silly fool...""Shut up! He pulled the green bullet from his ear and jammed it into his pocket.    

                   b b  b

    Over all, it's been a pretty good book. It's interesting to see how we have a law enforcer using the stuff he's supposed to confiscate and destroy, it's like a DEA agent using drugs he takes from other people. But the drugs Montag takes are one full of uncensored knowledge and wisdom. It's a shame to see that the world Montag live's in could be our future, but it's in our hands to prevent that from happening. 

The poster for the film version.

Fahrenheit 451 Story Continuation - Mrs. Phelps

Mrs. Phelps stormed out of Montag's house, horrified at what she had just been wiyneds too. It was as if she had just seen Montag kill another man. A book! She thought. How could my best friend's husband have a blasted book. I mean, he's a fireman for christ sake! She paused for a moment to enjoy a quick chuckle of that iromy before going back to her mental rant. Can I ever see Millie again? Are we even allowed to speak to eachother after what happened? Suddenly, a wave of panic hit her, like a baseball player hits a home run. "What if they come after me. I listened to Montag's foresaken poem. I mean, what is "Dover Beach anyway? Mrs. Phelps walked down the stairs and hopped onto the subway just as  the doors were closing. She arrived at her station very quickly. She then quickly walked up the stairs, down the street and entered her own home. She could hear her husband, talking to the programs in the den. "Haha, at least I have a fourth wall in my parlor" She called out to her husband.
"Arthur!"
"What is it honey?"
"I'm going to go to sleep. I feel tired."
"But the program, we have twelve lines tonight!!"
Mrs. Phelps was tempted to participate, but then remembered why she had rushed home in the first place.
"That's alright Arthur, had a bit to much to drink is all. Tell me about it in the morning"
She walked down the hall and opened the door to her room. She changed into her pajamas, and then walked over to the small portrait of her and Arthur which hung above her dresser. She delicately lifted the photograph off the wall, revealing an indentation in the wall hiding a small bottle of whiskey, a pack of cigarettes and she produced a highly-polished steel lighter. She lit a cigarette and poured herself a drink. So my best friends husband, a fireman, has book. He read it to me. He read me a book. A book. She took a swig of her drink. She knew she had to do something. She finished her drink and smoke, put the photo back on the wall and walked down the hall, hearing her husband talking to the programs. She reached the telephone. She pulled out a thick catalouge of numbers and found a praticular number. She dialed it into the phone, looking back at the number written in the book after every few numbers or so she punched in. The phone rang twice before a man picked it up on the other line.
"Firehouse, Captain Beatty speaking."
"Hello Captain, I have something urgent to tell you..."

Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson

     Walter Issacson's penultimate portrayal of the life of Steve Jobs chronicles the late visionary fouder of Apple's life from his childhood to his death in 2011. Based on a series of interviews Issacson conducted with Jobs in the last years of his life, the book is an eye-opening foray into the life and mind of the Jobs as he goes through the fouding of Apple, his firing from the company he started and subsequent return in 1996. What really was fantasic about this book was that it not only described the processes of how Apple first became a company and grew into the most-influential company of the past 20 years, but the relationships that he formed and deteriorated over the course of his life. Did you know that he was a former hippie, and spent time in India, all while expiramentibg with pot and LSD. lIt was only after he came back that he teamed up with Steve Wozniak to create the Apple I in 1976, thus creating the company we know and love and spend billions on each year today. 

     When Jobs came back in 1996, Apple had gone through a phase where it had lost the creative touch, something that he had always wanted the company to have. His return brought along a new company slogan..."Think Different". When I finished reading this book (I got it as a Christmas gift) the first thing I thought about was the day after Steve Jobs died. I got on my phone, and went to Apple's website. All there was was a picture of Jobs, staring back at you, hand on his chin, as if he was thinking about you, and   the words "Steve Jobs 1955-2011". It was at that moment when I realized the scope of this man's influence on our whole world. His whole life, he has been able to bring forth ideas of innovation, new technology and thinking differntly in a time where the social norm was to do the opposite. And even now, 3 1/4 years after his death, his legacy on the world will prolong his shortened life for generations to come. I think that without him and his drive to create change in the world for creativity and simplicity, our world would be much different. And his legacy will live on in every iPhone, iPad and Mac sold.