Death of a Salesman Casting

Casting for Death of a Salesman would be so, if I were casting director:

Sean Connery would play Willy Loman.  He is a great choice for this role because Willy feels like he has not made a difference, and he feels like he can never make a difference.  Also, Willy is an older man who has been through the process of raising a family, and Connery's appearance would display such an experience.

Robert Downey, Jr. would play Biff.  Downey plays confusing characters remarkably well, and throughout the first Act Biff seems confused about himself; he continually seeks to find the truth within himself and who he really is.  Downey's erratic roles such as Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man would allow him the ability to play Biff remarkably well.

Jason Bateman would play Happy.  His annoying personality throughout his movies would grant him the ability to play this static character.  He seems to be forced to live in his brother's shadow, and because of that situation he never seems to come to the realization that he is his own person.  Thus, Bateman would easily play Happy because he cannot really act out change in his characters well.

Bonnie Hunt would play Linda.  She is very motherly and attempts to keep the peace throughout the first act.  Hunt, who plays the mother in Cheaper by the Dozen, keeps the peace within the family throughout the entire movie. 

An American Dream... Or Is it Just Learning to Dream American?

The American Dream...  This label for the typical middle class American lifestyle came about during the years of industrialization and the accumulation of immigrants throughout America.  Foreigners came to find a better life, and to create for themselves a legacy and to be proud of what they have done.  The American Dream was to live a satisfying life.  It was not to be a glamorous life, but a simple existence with self sufficiency in mind.
Now, the dream has changed.  The stereotypical dream is very grandiose now, filled with visions of grandeur and wealth.  It is no longer the desire for sufficiency in shelter, food, and lifestyle.  The American dream is for power and wealth. Everybody wants to be popular and known.
There is very little variance between each individual's American dream.  Everybody wants to be greater than what they are now.  For most, that means acquiring wealth and power.  For few, it means to make a difference.  But for all, it means to prove themselves  and show the world that they are great.  

Nana's Cheesecake

A particular food experience... I would have to say that my Nana's cheesecake classifies as a unique experience pertaining to my family's eating.  It is not so much the actual cheesecake that is the center of the experience though. 
Every year my family makes time to go visit my grandparent's house, whether it be for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or another random holiday.  They live in this monstrous lodge, filled with millions of dollars worth of taxidermy: bears, bison, elk, and buffalo are among the species present.  It is all hardwoods and tile, and has a very open floor plan.  The living room, music room, dining room, kitchen, and living room are all connected in a modern way, with traditional architecture.  The end result is a beautiful house.  There are many memories that make their home there, but what always accompanies every experience is Nana's cheesecake.  This delicious dessert is made every year, and every time we come to my grandparents'.  It is simply a traditional cheesecake, served with strawberries and a strawberry sauce.  The food connects the entire experience at the lodge, and the entire family (including myself) finds themselves sitting together at the dinner table, laughing and joking with each other; all the while we are eating a slice of decadent cheesecake.

Hot fish

I went to P.F. Chang's recently, and ordered a spectacular dish whose name escapes me at the moment. It was "Something Something, Hot Fish." But, the dish was fantastic. It had some veggies in it: cabbage, snow peas, onions, and carrots. All of these were probably locally grown, at least in the United States. The peas I am sure were pre-frozen, as well as the carrots. But the onions and cabbage tasted incredibly fresh, leading me to the conclusion that they were probably fresh, possibly from a local farmer's market. The sauce accompanying the dish was an oriental sauce, and quite spicy. I am not sure what the ingredients would be in the sauce, as I do not have great knowledge of the Asian countries. And the fish was cod, and was spectacularly cooked. I could not even taste any "fish." it did not smell like fish, nor did it taste quite like it. The texture told me what it was, yet it's flavor was outstanding: the mix of sweet and spicy was perfectly balanced and smooth. The fish was probably from either the Mississippi river, or the Gulf of Mexico. Obviously this is not a completely Oriental dish, as all the ingredients are undoubtedly manufactured/grown in America or around it. But, it shows that an amazing, yet foreign meal can be created from local ingredients. You don't have to be within that country or region to taste its spectacular dishes. Just find a great restaurant, with good ingredients, and be daring. You never know what you might find delightful, and maybe even inspiring. After all, that is the reason that food network was created: to inspire and motivate people all over the nation to expand their palate and find amazing dishes. P.F. Chang's allowed me to do that, with "Something Something, Hot Fish."

OK.  So this is my first post.  I'm testing out Portlandia right now. In case you are wondering (which I doubt), it is a super indie TV show with an odd set of characteristics, like... Well nevermind.  I assume that this "blogging" outside of classroom necessity is frowned upon by most within the modern high school culture.  But, as for now, I have this for educational purposes.  Blogging is also exceptionally egocentric, but maybe I do need to focus on me, for now.  Maybe I will tell of that later.  Anyways, this whole large paragraph filled with ramblings is now over.