Dining With The Bentlers

At my house dinner can be very important. That being said for the majority of the time dinner is a time for the family to sit down talk about our days and then unlike many families we do not sit at the table we sit at on our couch get comfy and just eat! While this is the case during many of the extremely hectic week nights, this is not always what we do. When we have formal dinners we all gather in the dining room and dress nicely. Food wise we eat a lot of different proteins. Generally we have steak a night or two a week with some different fish or even tacos.

While dinner at my house can range from extremely causal to formal, I have been to a multitude of other houses unlike mine in this way. One of the my favorites was the dining at the house of my Persian friend. Rather than eating the normal American dinner, large amounts of beautiful Persian food was there for us to eat. The serving of the food was generally the same, but the amount of work that went into the feast was insane. To be honest I am making myself hungry as I speak!

Jack

I personally really like my name. To be honest I have always liked it. Sometimes it wasn't the name Jack I liked, but rather all the nicknames. To my friends I was Jackie B. to many I was JB and to my family I was Jackiepoo. That being said, never have I disliked my name or been placed in an uncomfortable place by it. Unlike Gogol being named after a Russian author or my own mother being named after a Beatle's song, my name had no inspiration behind it. As a young man I do not think that is a bad thing either, as I am the first in my family to try and create a legacy as the lone "Jack."
Not only that, but as I continue to mature I have no problem with the name. Jack is timeless and could be anyone from a boats captain to a famous actor. Perhaps one day I will decide to name my own kid Jack. Until that day I enjoy being the only Jack Bentler I know of, as the only thing making or breaking my name is my evolving reputation as I grow up and find my place in the world.

Montague?

My full name is Jack Montague Bentler and my names does little to define my heritage. Bentler is derived from the last name Blumenfeld and was picked when my family wanted a name with no country or history tying it back. Montague comes from my grandfather's family with which I feel greatly impacts my life. The Montague name comes from the French side of my grandfather's family and actually dates back to what we found to be three fourths of a millennium. Not only that but the Montagues were among the first to reach America in the 1600's. For years the Montagues remained in Virginia until they coincided with the Hill family and my great grandfather married my great grandmother. The Hill family had also been in America for many years, but unlike my great grandfather's family my great grandmother's family amassed tremendous wealth. My grandpa still tells me today he remembers being dined on by servants in the family estate. As luck would have it however, his family lost nearly everything they had and like my fathers German/Jewish family in Berlin, went from riches to just more than rags. The Southern traditions in my family are still continued every single time I fly to Virginia where I find myself listening to his tall tales out on the patio, whittling, and drinking a cup of ice cold sweet tea. So while I might have slightly different views than the more traditional Southern gentleman my grandfather is, I can appreciate the history he has lived through and the long talks we have shared on this history.

Irrational?

I personally think that we are defined much more by our irrational elements. Irrational elements can take many forms, as they are the times that we lack power over the situation and decide to put ourselves in fates hands. If we were to always act in our most beneficial self interest we would all be extremely one dimensional without any need to take risk and try new sometimes dangerous things. While I enjoy taking charge and creating benefits for myself, I feel as though taking chances and living life somewhat on the edge makes even more sense.

Contradicting myself

Everyone has contradictions. While we all work hard to do what we say, that just is not realistic. We all cut corners and we all make mistaken comments or take contradictory actions. After being asked to write this blog I have begun to question whether or not some of my actions match up with my preconceived plans. My most common contradiction is that I want good grades. To many this just sounds like a good achievable plan, but to me it is my most daily contradiction. While I am ready and willing to accept an A I am not ready to put in the work needed to secure the grade. As I work to accomplish my goal and right my contradiction I hope to identify and overcome my life's other contradictions. Thank you for reading this week!

They don't pay me enough to be a therapist

This week I decided to take on a more complicated and peculiar case. My clients Katherine and Petruchio (what kind of name is that?) came into my office both pretty worked up. After explaining to them that my office is a safe judgment free zone with no bias I decided to try and delve into their problems. Petruchio barely letting me finish, told me about how Kate was not an ideal wife and how she hounded him constantly. I asked him for some examples and he basically said that she just speaks her mind to often. I'm not going to lie, I was taken back, I mean does this guy not realize that we live in the twenty first century? His feeling superiority over his wife was crazy, I swear Petruchio was trying to tame his wife Katherine during the ENTIRE meeting. I listened to as much of his ignorant as I could manage, but before I had the ability to respond to his incorrect and offensive tactics to "tame" his wife, Katherine began to respond. Instead of getting upset she actually seemed to submit to her husband. She said that she realized she was too hard on him and instead of sticking up for herself she started to coddle him and apologize. The problem hit me as I asked her about her childhood. Katherine, Kate as Petruchio called her, told me about how she had a beautiful sister and felt as though she could never really compare. So instead of working to become the wife her father had hoped her to become she started developing a rebellious attitude and a sarcastic manner. When a man seemed to show interest in her she decided that the only way to ever attain a husband was to submit to him and follow his every wish. I quickly explained to her that a wife's role does not have to be defined by her husbands limits and most certainly does not have to be limited to the house. The pair talked some more and decided on a more progressive approach to their extremely traditional shakespearian relationship. I honestly hope I made a difference because to be honest they seemed impossible.

Denying of tradition?

Personally I believe that women taking the last name of their spouse is perfectly fine. Last names can hold long lines of family history one example is that of my last name Bentler. The last name Bentler evolved from my families name of Blumenfield. Richard Blumenfeld my great great grandfather created a huge monopoly based ovens in Germany and was extremely successful in many other fields as well. Today in the town of Velten, Germany they even have a museum in his honor. Many years later during World War II the Nazis seized the family fortune he had amassed and placed my great grandfather who was a well known chemist at the time into interrogation because of his Jewish background reflected by his Jewish last name. After many unsuccessful attempts at bribing his freedom my great grandmother eventually achieved my great grandfathers freedom with the trading of her car. After raising my grandfather and great uncle they decided to leave the outskirts of Nazi Berlin and came to settle in Beverly Hills California in the mid 40's. To start new they changed the Jewish last name of Blumenfeld to the name Bentler. Having this sort of history behind a name and knowing that if I were to have a son, the name and the history that follows, would continue on is exciting. I personally do not believe that the dropping of a last name is a bad thing or that it is done to make women feel inferior, but that it unites a couple and guarantees that the name is carried down at least one more generation. Historically if the last name of women were to be taken I would be perfectly fine with that today, but to change tradition and potentially lose track of a families lineage is a sad prospect. This in no way is a reflection on my feelings toward women or societal roles as I feel that men and women are equal, this is just my belief based solely on tradition.

Equalist?

Feminism is commonly misconstrued. Not only is feminism not understood by those hearing about it on the news or in a weekly magazine, feminism is also in my personal opinion misunderstood by a large group of said "feminists." Rather than focusing on creating social equity and promoting an open equal society many of the so called feminist can be seen slandering men and tarnishing the reputation of the feminists that work to make change and tighten the gap between men and women. So while feminism is at its most basic form, vital to an equal society, it is often confused with the lowering of one gender for the sake of the other. In its original form I would whole heartedly consider myself a feminist, women play huge rolls in my life and I have always believed that women are equal to men. In a perfect world I would just promote egalitarianism, but it really just is not that easy.

Those of the feminists that are well educated in gender equality, do however, have lots of work ahead of them. One problem that needs work, illustrated in Amy Poehlers quotation clearly identified a common problem with todays perception of women. Why can a man talk and clearly boss people around and be considered driven and purposed, while a women performing the same task is still considered bossy? Until problems like this one are abolished those practicing true feminism and those hoping for a general social equity have a lot of work in front of them.

Little Colonists Big Africa

Hey guys! This week we are talking about and reflecting on power, privilege and who gets generally tells the story after reading a piece from Adichie's The Thing Around Your Neck. Analyzing the stories we have read this year I was surprised when I found out that almost all of the narrators of the stories or the authors themselves, were underdogs or minorities. This is especially the case with this story as a continent is harshly colonized by a small group of individuals with firearms and superior technology. The citizens don't give in because they feel less than the intruders, but so that they do not create backlash or an even more strained relationship. So, while the colonists forcibly take the privilege and the power the new subsiding central population tells the story. See you all next week!

Just how fictional?

Personally I believe that historical fiction can hold the same importance and felt impact as a nonfiction book. What it comes down to and the big difference, is the how interesting the authors story is. While nonfiction can be very interesting, only so many crazy things can happen to one person at one time. On the other hand with historical fiction, events that may have actually occurred are potentially discussed and emphasis can be place on whatever the author believes is the most important.

Someone being reeducated might have a story to tell full of their adventures, but a story written from the perspective of someone the author has fabricated can tell a powerful story on the authors specific interests. With different language or tone, the author may be able to tell a more relatable story with a bigger impact than a historian publishing a nonfiction work. 

Up to this point

Hey everyone! As you may know this year I am taking English II and I actually just finished my first quarter. Thinking back on my journey thus far I feel as though I have grown as a writer. Yes my conventions are not perfect, but I am somewhat satisified with the progress nonetheless. That's not to say that I am not thrilled with a few other aspects of my first quarter. First off my procrastination has to stop along with my distraction in class. Aside from these problems that need to be fixed, I can continue to add in class discussions as I have been doing. I can also continue studying for reading quizzes while hopefully staying on task.
I have felt a new passion for writing this year I have never before had. I think it is largely in part thanks to the depth of the discussions in class. While I still have room for improvement I am happy with the changes I have made so far this year and hope to continue or improve the trend.

What would you do for a book?

Hey everyone, its been a little while, but this week we have a very interesting discussion. Banned books. As an individual that loves to culture myself and learn about others views and arguments, I rarely believe a book should be banned. Only in extreme cases, i.e. The Communist Manifesto, Mien Kampf do I actually understand why they are banned. But so rarely can a book do the harm these have done.

On this years banned book list, I was extremely surprised to see novels I had come to love such as The House on Mango Street had been chosen for the list. Having read it in school, I honestly feel so lucky to be taught by open minded educators who see the good in reading controversial texts. While some themes in Mango Street were dark and its portrayal of America was rather bleak, it ultimately opened my eyes to the life of those stricken with poverty. The irony in it all is the fact that the books being censored and shielded away from students are actually the books that open the most eyes to the world around them. With that being said I would go to far reaches to get a book even it was banned. I see the worth in the risky discovery of something new.  That is it for this week thanks for reading again. Come back next week and we will set sail and discuss a new adventure. Bon Voyage!

8th Place Trophy?

Hey everyone! Something has been weighing on my mind for way to long and I just have to put in my two cents. So, after reading a story in English about a society that promoted complete social equality, I was struck. How can people be equal and still maintain any quality of life or ambition?

Competition helps create the movers and the shakers in society and with nobody standing out, it is nearly impossible to innovate and make great things ever greater. Even worse is the fact that everyone is assumed to be a winner because they are equal. Personally that sounds more like a loser than a winner, rather than getting an award they get recognized for participation while undermining achievement and therefore losing. One can only take so much mediocracy before they lose all sense of ambition and drive. Yes, I believe everyone should be appreciated for their differences, but I do believe that people are allowed and should possess certain talents. That is it for this week bon voyage! See you soon!

Foie Gras?

Hey readers, this week we talk about choices. Choices and times that we stayed and realized the detrimental effect something might be having on someone or something, or times we were brave and simply walked away. Two such examples struck me.

When I saw my dog at the pet store I knew right away that he was perfect. Taking him home, we did some research on pet stores and were shocked to hear about the conditions of the puppy mills that the dogs came from. While I cannot do anything about it now, I know for certain as a family we will never give in and support something so terrible again. One other example comes from foie gras. As a huge foodie I decided to try something that much of my immediate family said I should try. Not really thinking about what I put in my mouth, I later realized it was force fed goose liver and swore off it forever. To this day some restaurants make me feel sick thinking about the inhumane torture of the birds. 

What makes these two examples significant to me is that both of them are effects of ignorance. The bad in both easily overlooked and many people "stay". While only a small victory I "walked away" and feel that much more informed. Until next week!

Fear or Fiction?

Hey everyone, this week I'm going to share with you a reflection on a quote from the novel The Culture of Fear. "Watch enough brutality on TV and you come to believe you are living in a cruel and gloomy world in which you feel vulnerable and insecure. In his research over three decades Gerbner found that people who watch a lot of TV are more likely than others to believe their neighborhoods are unsafe, to assume that crime rates are rising, and to overestimate their own odds of becoming a victim. They also buy more locks, alarms, and- you guessed it- guns, in hopes of protecting themselves. 'They may accept and even welcome,' Gerbner reports, 'repressive measures such as more jails, capital punishment, harsher sentences- measures that have never reduced crime but never fail to get votes- if that promises to relieve their anxieties. That is the deeper dilemma of violence-laden television"(Glassner 44).

As a well informed person I see the news on the television and try to use it to benefit my own reflection on the world. I look through the stories only trying to spark controversy, while paying attention to larger more widespread stories. With that being said, I do agree that watching the news and investing oneself in every murder or every kidnapping will no doubt raise awareness and fear in the viewers. The excerpt I just illustrated does however seem to stretch reality a bit, as those in government and legislative power should be well informed and have open minds. Just because a trial is shown on the television does not mean that a judge does not have to still go through years of training before visiting the courtroom. A single story of a masked assailant raiding a bank makes us scared of things like guns. Those watching news on channels only drawn to dramatic, violent stories will especially feel the impact. Living a life in fear is not without drawbacks as we learn from Nadine Gordimer's "Once Upon a Time." Fear significantly lowers quality of life and can make the population act in ways they wouldn't normally have.
So to all my viewers watch the news if you wish stay informed, but please keep an eye out for articles and stories devoted only to drawing in viewers. Until next week bon voyage! Captain Jack singing off.

Picture This

Hey all! This week I thought that I would do something different. I have decided to pick a picture and tell you what a caption couldn't. This picture was take during the summer of my 6th grade. While visiting the beautiful island of Santorini, I snapped this pic of the beautiful pearl white houses that seemed to hang right above the deep blue of the Mediterranean. But all of that could be interpreted by you the reader after viewing the image. 

After a long journey we finally arrived to the island of Santorini known for its picturesque beauty. I specifically remember looking out from our room and being blown away. Here I was, seeing something only a lucky few get to see, with the people I love, and not a single care in the world. I truly felt light and limitless. A caption wouldn't be able to express the smile on my face as we walked down the cobblestone streets or the warmth of the Greek sun on my pink cheeks. These moments will last forever.

Hopefully I've painted a picture and have expressed more than this picture ever could have. Until next voyage guys! Its Captain Jack signing off over and out.

Starting Things Off

Hey everybody it's Jack! I'm pretty new to the blogosphere, but I feel confident I'll get the hang of it pretty soon. So to start things off here is a little about me. This year I will be a sophomore at a great school in Newport Coast and have just started my school year and English II. I was born and raised in Southern California as an only child and have always been centered around my home and great family. Growing up I went to a small public school for elementary and a massive public school for middle school. Fun fact I love student council and was President at both schools! While President at my middle school I created a charity that donated iPads to the Children's Hospital of Orange County. The iPads with the money raised from my school wide garage sale and donations, were to be used by little kids before a scary operation or checkup to help take their minds off things. Before I get all side tracked, (trust me you'll know me really well by the end of my blogging days;)) let me just show you who I am. I think the quickest way is to show you my word cloud. Yes it does look like a mashup of random words, but please take a second and peruse what I identify as me.

 Whether it's just whats going on in the mind of a extroverted guy like myself or my past stories we are going on a voyage. I hope your ready to be Captain Jack's first mate! Bon voyage!