The Late Night English Blog with Andy Ferguson

http://escapadesinenglish.blogspot.com/

How's it going everyone? Welcome to the grand finale of The Late Night English Blog! I want to thank you all personally for reading this semester. We've been through a lot this semester, covering everything from Creation to Shakespeare. I have had time writing and reading with y'all. That said, there is one writer this semester whose work with these blogs was absolutely phenomenal: Tyree Baptiste. Seriously, all the guys posts were thoughtful and precise. He accurately addressed every prompt without wasting time or words. His posts were entertaining and informative, leading to a great reading experience. Overall, good work man. Well that's it ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for everything this past semester, and always, thanks for reading. Until next time. The End;

How's it going inter- ah who am I kidding. Like the whole internet is reading this. Pfft. Sup guys, gals, and Professor Hamon. Welcome to chapter 1 of the two-part finale of the Late Night English Blog. I'm Andy Ferguson and you knew that already. Tonight, I'll be discussing what work we read this semester that I wouldn't mind reading again. If you haven't guessed, this is gonna be a bit of an easy-going affair. So go ahead: get comfy, kick your feet up, burn some incense or a candle or something, and enjoy. Of all the things we've read this semester, I think I'd like to revisit Dante's Divine Comedy at some point. Not only  because we only read from Inferno and not the other parts but also because I just love the novelty of it. The story of a man who goes to Hell and back, making pitstops in Purgatory and taking a guided tour of Heaven. Sounds like the world's craziest road trip (or a Supernatural episode to be honest) when I put it like that. Yea

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and a huge Bethesda fan Andy Ferguson, and tonight we'll be discussing why Hamlet is more of a modern hero than than an ancient, epic hero. For those of you unfamiliar with the troubled prince of Denmark, here's a brief summary of his troubles: his dad is dead, his uncle probably his dad, and he doesn't know how to deal with the fact his uncle probably killed his dad. A bit different from Achilles, huh? No wars or mortal combats or anything like that. Just a young guy trying to figure out what to do. Definitely different from Gilgamesh. Definitely. No flaming bulls or pissed gods/goddesses to deal with. Hell, despite my last post, Hamlet still isn't epic when compared to Dante. I mean sure, Dante's journey was all about figuring out how to deal with his life too. Then again, his journey took him literally THROUGH HELL AND BACK as opposed to Hamlet's metaphorical, mental he

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy experiencing League-related blood pressure spikes Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll be comparing Hamlet to our old friend Dante. We'll be comparing the two on the terms of their personality, goals, etc. With that said, let's get started: 1.) Broodiness- If there's anything that Hamlet is famous for, it's his propensity for constant reflection and lamentation. Man likes to brood over his life. Same with Dante. Hell, the story starts with the man wandering around the woods at night trying to figure out what to do with his life when manages to stumble into Hell. 2.) Search All They Might- Both Hamlet and Dante were looking for answers. Hamlet wanted to know if his uncle killed his dad and, if so, what to do about it. Should he even do anything about it? or should he just off himself and save the trouble (his words, not mine)? Dante was looking for his way in life, tying to

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy who's a little too into My Hero Academia Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll have a quick discussion on whether the United States of America measures up to Thomas More's "Utopia." As usual, we'll be doing this three point style: 1.) Religion- the island paradise of Utopia has some pretty specific policies regarding religion: everyone's entitled to their own so long as they don't bother others. In America, this is at least 75% true seeing as how our constitution protects the free practice of religion. However, there are no laws or punishments against zealotry that diminishes other religions. I mean there are workplace and housing discrimination laws, but nothing on the level of Utopia's "exile or enslavement" policy. 2.) Money- Utopians have developed an economy that is virtually independent on currency. America, not so much. 3.) Foreign Relati

Oh boy, how's it going internet? Welcome to Late Night English Blog. I'm your host Andy Ferguson and tonight we're talking about politics. Yep, politics. Yayyyyyy. Not only politics, but a specific politician: President Donald J. Trump. I'm not going to give my personal opinions here. Nobody wants to read that nonsensical rant. Rather, we're going to evaluate whether or not Trump is an effective president according to Niccolo Macchiavelli's "The Prince" in which he details his ideas of the ideal ruler. Three-point thesis, take it away: 1.) Better to be Feared than Loved- perhaps one of Machiavelli's most famous sayings, this statement means that, if you cannot be both, it is better to be feared by your subjects than loved. In this regard, Trump checks out. For better or worse, he's got America on the edge of its seat. 2.) A Good Ruler must be able to defend Himself- in other words, behind every great ruler is an even greater armed force. To

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and un hombre tratando de aprender español Andy Ferguson and today we'll be discussing the portrayal of beauty in Radiohead's famous song "Creep." If you've never heard the song before, no sweat. Here's a link: Give it a listen? Great! Now we can move on to the analysis. First things first, however, we have to define what exactly the word "beauty" means. For that, we'll turn to our good friend the Oxford dictionary: - Beauty= A combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Or, alternatively,  a combination of qualities that pleases the intellect. (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/beauty) With that in mind, let's take a look at Radiohead's "Creep." The song centers around a speaker looking around them and seeing the world and the people that live in it as e

The first ray of sun on a bright winter morning, Falling gently through a window stained with dust Onto a hardwood floor that creaks happily When you find the strength to get out of bed. The second you step into a warm shower, Feeling goosebumps ripple across your skin The moment before they're washed away Like specks of dirt from polished gemstone. The third time you kiss someone you've come to love. Before, it had been awkward. More like a greeting, really; But now, you're heart beats thinking of their eyes, their touch, and the satisfaction of breathing in another's existence. Going forth, I wonder if these things even really matter. It's not like we reflect on things like these in the moment they happen. Rather, we reflect on and assign meaning to them in post, because, as time walks out on us, we crave the comfortable embrace of moments that no longer exist.

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and slightly bummed guy Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll be examining whether or not Socrates belongs in Hell in Dante's "Inferno."  In "Inferno," Dante (the character) discovers that inside the First Circle of Hell, Limbo, rests the spirit of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. If you remember from my last post, those residing in Limbo were sent there because, while they were virtuous individuals, they either had not accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour or died before Christianity began. Socrates, having been born some 400 odd years before Christ, definitely falls into these categories. So, semantically speaking, yes, he belongs in Hell. That's it for tonight everybody. Thanks for reading! Good night!

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy currenty slacking off in Stats Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll be discussing the concept of Dante's version of Hell in "Inferno" and how we might find it appealing in our modern world. Before we begin, we need to clear up some background information: 1.) Dante Alighieri- more commonly referred to as simply "Dante," this Florentine poet wrote The Divine Comedy of which "Inferno" is a part. For his contributions to literature, he is considered (in Italy anyway) "Il Sommo Poeta" (trans: The Supreme Poet) as well as "the Father of the Italian Language." For more, read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri 2.) Inferno- Dante's "Inferno" follows the journey of the similarly named protagonist Dante as he journeys through the depths of Hell with the poet Virgil. In this  section, Dante (the author) attempted to

Still interested in how Jesus is portrayed in the qur'an? Well no need to fear. that's exactly why I am writing this post....here. huh, kinda got a little with the, uh, rhyme scheme a bit. Oh well. Anyway, as I mentioned last time, Jesus is protrayed rather differently in the Qur'an than in the Bible. Sure there are some common threads between the two, but ultimately they are very different characters. Here a few of such differences  I didn't cover last time: 1.) He wasn't crucified it was just someone that looked like him. I like how they have to specify that. Like "Yeah, a guy did crucified and looked kinda like this other really important guy but they weren't the same" 2.) Completely normal human. Not the son of God or any of that jive. just 100% grade-a human. Well that's all for today. Bye!

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy developing insomnia Andy Ferguson and tonight we will discuss the differences between the characters of Jesus in the Bible versus Jesus in the Qur'an. Before you ask, yes. Jesus is in the Qur'an. Fairly major role too. Like, second only to Muhammad who happens to be the main prophet type guy. For those of you wondering what the Bible and the Qur'an are exactly, here's a brief description: 1.) Bible- Holy text of the Christianity 2.) Qur'an- Holy text of Islam all squared up? Great! Now let's move on to the next thing: Who's Jesus? Well, Jesus is a bit different depending on whether you read the Bible or the Qur'an. Sure there are some similiarities between the two, but otherwise they're pretty different. In order to compare and contrast the two versions, here are some convenient lists: - Bible Jesus    1. Son of God/Part of God    2. Crucifie

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! Im your host and man recovering from Saint Patrick's Day Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll have a lightning round discussion of whether or not  high government officials should lead by personal example and high ideals. Now there are, as always some pros and cons to doing so: Pros: - The officials will be more likely to hold themselves accountable - The people might find comfort in knowing their officials believe in similar ideals - It looks nice to other countries Cons - Personal example becomes problematic if an officials "high ideals" involves them being high at their desk - easier to cover up scandals/atrocities if you slap some slipshod justification over it - one particular group of idealists could take control and form an oligarchy So yeah, could be good, could be bad. Who knows? That's it for tonight. Thanks for reading!

How's it going internet. I'm Andy  Ferguson, this is the Late Night English Blog and let's get right to it. The U.S president is, in the American governement, the head of the military and other federal departments. In addition, the president has to power to introduce bills onto the legislative floor or veto those that come off it. As such, the president has a duty to set an example for others. This is supported by the saying of confuscious "The Duke Ai asked, saying, ‘What should be done in order to secure the submission of the people?’ Confucius replied, ‘Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit.’ (Book II, Chapter XIX) Well that;s it for this time. later.

How's it going internet? Welcome to The Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and (insert clever thing here) and tonight we're just gonna blaze on past the role of god(s) in war. War. The big time for bloodshed. the battlefield where humanity goes to die. In our modern age, we've grown (as a species, I like to think) to view war more realistically rather than the glorified fields of victory portrayed in the past. Such portrayals, in fact, were and still are found in many religious texts such as: 1.) Bhagavad-Gita 2.) the Bible 3.) the Quran etc. etc. In the Bible, it was all those wars against the Philistines and what not. David was a good, holy hero cause he managed to kill somebody in cold blood. All that jazz Anyway, that's it for tonight. thanks for reading. Im very tired. good night.

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy at Barnes & Noble who reads books on the floor Andy Ferguson and tonight we will be doing a quick little once over on the war in Iraq. First, some information: the Iraq war began in 2003 and ended in the year 2011. In that time, casualties on both sides had piled up to disputable amounts. There were two main reasons given for the US's involvement: 1.) We would invade Iraq in order to place the seed of democracy (For more info on that, google Arab Spring) 2.) We would invade Iraq to ensure that they did not possess any W.M.D's (Weapons of Mass Destruction). For these two reasons alone, the war in Iraq would be considered justifiable by both the Bhagavad-Gita and Sun Tzu's The Art of War  on the basis that preemptive striking and preservation of morality were both  acceptable reasons to wage war. As for the popular response to the War in the US, well, I'll just inv

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and possibly telepathic bag boy Andy Ferguson and tonight, we return once more to the dark side. By dark side, I of course mean tragedies, those stories we read when we want our hearts to break a little, or skip a few beats, or, in some cases, skydive without a parachute. You know, sad stories: the ones without happy endings. If you're looking for a more formal definition of tragedy, however, look no further than the oxford dictionary which says: 1.) Tragedy-  An event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe. Today, we'll be discussing a very particular tragedy. A real-life tragedy that may have occurred within some of y'all's lifetimes. If you can't tell who the tragic figure is just from the title, then you need not fear anything except my judgement regarding your music tastes. (For shame.) I'm talking

I was too young to remember and too young to understand. I can recall vague snippets of conversation kept to a low whisper and a tearful explanation. I couldn't fully comprehend the gravity of what they meant when they said that Grandpa Smoke, my great-grandfather, wouldn't be around any more.  My great-grandfather, Delbert Smoke, had moved  to Georgia with his wife Margery from Ohio so that they could be closer to their family. In Ohio, he  had owned a music shop, selling various instruments and such. He himself was a proficient musician who could play, if memory serves me right, 7 different instruments. I'm sure I've heard him sing before but I can't recall it perfectly. According to all sources I asked, Grandpa Smoke had been the very definition in his every action. He was a quiet man, though, not in terms of volume. He didn't talk very often but when he did he made sure he was heard clearly. Furthermore, he had never been known to speak ill of anyone,

How's it going  internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy who just woke up Andy Ferguson and today we're gonna continue talking about epic heroes in the modern world. This time, however, I won't be working it out alone: today I'll be exploring the cases for modern epic heroes found in the blogs of Jnan Cabahug (aka The Asian Persuasion) and Marlyn Molton (aka Marlyn's World  Literature Blog). Without further ado, let's begin.  1.) The Flash- Cannot agree with my man Jnan more on this one. the Flash, a supersonic superhero with a heart of gold, is an excellent example of a modern epic hero. While Barry Allen himself may not be of noble birth like other heroes (his parents were regular people), his superpowered identity as the Flash could technically be considered a noble birth in an indirect sense as he gets his powers after being struck by a very special bolt of lightning (did somebody say Zeus? Well, he's not in the lore

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and inexplicably despicable (I honestly just liked the way that sounded, to be honest) Andy Ferguson and tonight this is not the post I need to write but rather the one I deserve to. Why? Because it's about Batman. Ohhhhhhh yeah buddy, get ready for tonights discussion on how Batman is, in every single sense of the word, a modern epic hero. Let's get started. For those of you wondering what exactly an epic hero is, examples of epic heroes throughout history and mythology include:  - Hercules (or Heracles if you're greek)  - Achilles  - Gilgamesh  - Beowulf  - Oda Nobunaga (actual historical figure btw)  - Genji  - Maui (after watching Moana with my four-year-old sister, I did some research. He belongs here)  - Arthur and so on and so on. I think you get the point I'm trying to make here, right? Anyhow, you must be asking: okay, that's cool. but how is Batman like thos

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and deadline skirting ne'er-do-well  Andy Ferguson and tonight I'd like to talk to you about a little project I'm working on. It has come to my attention that the wikipedia article for "the Physician's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales  is somewhat lacking in substance (i.e references) and organization. At the present moment, the article in question only summarizes the story, gives vague descriptions for themes, and (perhaps most sinfully) has only one reference. I intend to, in my work, accomplish three tasks: 1.) organize the information of the article into a more accessible and logical structure 2.) Give more detailed analysis of themes using scholarly sources. 3.) Build a more complete list of references for the article's bibliography. That's it for today everybody. Short post? Yep! Anyway, I'll see y'all next time. Thanks for rea

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and guy who starts lightsaber fights at Walmart Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll discussing something hysterically historical: the origins of Romance. Now I know what your thinking: whoa, that's a broad topic you got there buddy ole pal ole friend ole chum ole homeslice breadslice. And you're right. It's hella broad. But fear not kind sir, madame, or otherwise 'cause we're going to be looking at a specific question regarding the origins of amore. Why didn't I just say that earlier? No clue,the train of thought sometimes jumps the tracks. Anyhow, the specific question we'll be addressing is "Why did romantic love first develop in aristocratic courts with the upper class rather in the lower class?" The answer probably won't shock you: they could afford it. "What? That sounds like a cop out" Ahhh my dear friend Doubting Thomas (who I should have

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog! I'm your host and semi-avid human being Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll be taking things easy. Go ahead, take a load off.. I'll try to keep the behemoth text blocks to a minimum. Tonight, we'll comparing/contrasting views of sexuality in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Chaucer's The Wife of Bath with, quite possibly my favorite song ever, The Darkness' "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." If you haven't heard the song, no sweat. Here's a video of it complete with lyrics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZtcz4WVBGg). Feel free to listen to the song while you read. God knows I am. In Metamorphoses, particularly in the story of Apollo and Daphne, Ovid characterizes sexuality as something as unavoidable and infectious as a wound from a marksman. Sound cheesy? Well, that doesn't even come close to what Apollo said about it to Daphne: "My aim is certain, but an arrow tr

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog, I'm your host and groundhog who's gone deep undercover to hide from his shadow Andy Ferguson and tonight we will be discussing everybody's favorite topic: Sexuality and Romance. Amore e Cuore. Going down and sticking around. Euphemisms. Now unless you're like me and spent the past twenty years filling that gaping black hole in your chest with the tears of your enemies and japanese entertainment mediums, you've probably had some experience with falling in love and/or making it. If not, never fear! We have dictionaries for a reason. Speaking of which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, sexuality and romance are defined as: 1.) Sexuality - one's capacity for sexual feelings or, alternatively, a person's sexual orientation/preference (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sexuality). 2.) Romance - a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love or, alternatively love, espec

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog, I'm your host and guy who's addicted to watching let's plays of horror games Andy Ferguson and tonight we will be continuing our discussion on archetypes. This time, however, we will looking at archetypes that can be found in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Don't know who and/or what  that is? Have no fear, fun facts are here: 1.) Ovid, the writer of Metamorphoses, was a master poet in the age of the Roman Empire alongside Virgil. Unlike his contemporary, however, Ovid typically portrayed the gods as more than somewhat irresponsible and driven by base desires. Naturally, this pissed quite a few people off which lead to his exile later on. 2.) Metamorphoses is Ovid's big project, his epic, magnum opus type thing if you will. In it, the man creates a narrative using both Greek and Roman myths to tell the story of humanity from the world's creation to Julius Caesar. Here's a link if you want to

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog with Andy Ferguson. I'm your host and possible robot Andy Ferguson and tonight we will be talking about (drum roll please)...Archetypes! What the hell are those, you ask? Well, I'm glad you so conveniently asked; According to oxford dictionary, Archetypes are " A very typical example of a certain person or thing" or, in a more literary sense, "a  recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology" ( https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/archetype).  Put more bluntly, Archetypes are things that tend to show up frequently throughout works of literature as well as everyday life. Still not getting it? Well then, here are some examples from real life to help you understand (Complete with pictures!) 1.) The Cross- if you grew up like I did, i.e in the Deep South with a hardline methodist family, then you sure as hell know all about Jesus and how he died on a cross so that we may

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog, I'm your host with a post Andy Ferguson and tonight we'll continue talking about creation stories. For those of you just joining us, last time I offered a brief introduction to creation stories as well as my personal views on creation. Tonight, however, we will be discussing how creation stories shape the way we view the world we live in. To accomplish this, I will be referring to my close friend Ye Olde Three Part Thesis. Creation stories shape the way we view the world because: 1.) Calling back to part one of this two-part series, creation stories offer us an explanation to who we are and where we come from as a species. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty fucking important in terms of how we view the world. Knowing who you are and where you come from, or at least having an IDEA of those things, are essential to one's identity as an individual. It goes to follow, then, tha

How's it going internet? Welcome to the Late Night English Blog with Andy Ferguson! I'm Andy Ferguson, a perpetually exhausted English Major, wannabe writer, and inexperienced host of this here internet thing that you will not be able to cite in your next formal essay. All that said, let's get started. What better way to celebrate the creation of this blog than to discuss, you guessed it, Creation stories! Be it Adam and Eve sinning in Genesis, The Doctor of the Earth sweating life into existence in the Pima tradition, or Uranus and Gaia creating the concept of familial dysfunction in Greek mythology, creation stories have existed since we've been able to tell them!  As they are, creation stories serve a sort of three-pronged purpose. I don't believe that word correctly but, hey, what the hell.  Creation stories: 1.) Offer us human beings, not just in ancient times but modern as well, a kind of explanation as to where we came from and why we're all