I'm really sad that this year has come to an end. As my last blog post, I'd like to discuss my experience blogging-by answering all the questions posted on www.thestarryvoid.blogspot.com.
I learned a lot about myself as a reader. Some things include that when I read, I read in great amounts but then there are also times when I don't read at all. So maybe I should try to balance it more out. It is also hard to write a blog about a book that I hate and/or non-fiction books like "Game of Kings". Over all, it was pretty easy to keep up with my blog but a lot of the times I felt like it was repetitive and I was writing the same things over and over again. Also, a lot of times I got lazy and not want to do my blogpost-yet I always did anyways.
I think that I benefited from having a blog because not only was I writing for you, Ms.Rear, but for my fellow students too. In addition, I feel like writing online is much more liberating even though it might be more limiting (or seem more limiting). I feel like I'm putting my feelings and opinions out to the whole world. People may disagree with me but I feel like I can be whoever I want to online.
I think that people create other personalities online that that they think other people want or would like better. People can choose to be themselves but most of them aren't online. I think if you met someone in person it is better/you will meet the true/real person that if you just met them online.
I think that some teenagers abuse the freedom the world wide web gives to us. Some people do say the type of things they would never say to someone's face because they don't have to see or hear their reaction. They feel like they can liberate more and have more freedom. Though it is true they have more freedom, some people take advantage of that and hopefully learn their lesson eventually. But not everyone takes advantage of the web I'm the first place. I think that having the ability to go online is a privilege. But many people in the US take it for granted. I think if people take advantage of the world wide web it can be a bad thing ex. if they use it to hurt another person but otherwise it does help society.
Sadly, I can't imagine keeping up with this blog although I might make a website sometime in my life. In general, I don't like blogs that much and I prefer websites because websites are more official. Also I don't know many people with blogs, that follow a blog or interesting blogs. A blog is also harder to find on the web than a website. In conclusion, I had a good time with my blog (it was like my baby) and it will be hard to let go. Maybe I will make a website but I just don't know what about<3
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Nature Vs. Nurture
I just finished reading a book called "The Accidental Cheerleader" by Mimi McCoy. It made me think about both the effects of nature and nurture on a person and which one is stronger.
Nature, in my opinion, are the qualities that a person is born with. Nurture are the qualities that the grow and develop as time goes on (from their parent or guardian). To support that nature is stronger, well our DNA (or genes) make up who we are as human beings (from our parents). Most people don't alter them, so that simply is who they are-and how they were born.
To support that nurture is stronger, well even though our DNA (or genes) make up who we are, we can alter that as we grow and develop. For example, a personality trait from our parents might be that the person is really artistic. But nurture can change that because if art is never revealed to the person, they may as well not have that trait (since they are not doing anything with it).
I personally think that both nature and nurture effect a person. Although I do believe that nurture can over rule nature (or DNA). There are many things that can happen in a life time to a person that can alter who they are. For example, if a mother was an alcoholic and drank while pregnant it is possible that the child also becomes an alcoholic. But over time if the child keeps on drinking they possibly COULD learn not to do that and prevent themselves from a lot of trouble. They could have also learned from their mother's mistake to drink.
This connects to my book because there are two friends who have totally opposite personalities from each other. One, named Sophie, gets a credit card because apparently she is proven trust worthy and responsible. Her best friend, Kylie though is also trust worthy and responsible but because she is a "loud" person (unlike Sophie) doesn't get the credit card. Could that trait be nature or nurture? Definitely!
In conclusion, I think both nature and nurture have an effect on a person but nurture has more strength. People have the ability to change who they are therefore nature doesn't control everything. All in all, nurture happens more over time and there are more factors and more ways to change it.
Nature, in my opinion, are the qualities that a person is born with. Nurture are the qualities that the grow and develop as time goes on (from their parent or guardian). To support that nature is stronger, well our DNA (or genes) make up who we are as human beings (from our parents). Most people don't alter them, so that simply is who they are-and how they were born.
To support that nurture is stronger, well even though our DNA (or genes) make up who we are, we can alter that as we grow and develop. For example, a personality trait from our parents might be that the person is really artistic. But nurture can change that because if art is never revealed to the person, they may as well not have that trait (since they are not doing anything with it).
I personally think that both nature and nurture effect a person. Although I do believe that nurture can over rule nature (or DNA). There are many things that can happen in a life time to a person that can alter who they are. For example, if a mother was an alcoholic and drank while pregnant it is possible that the child also becomes an alcoholic. But over time if the child keeps on drinking they possibly COULD learn not to do that and prevent themselves from a lot of trouble. They could have also learned from their mother's mistake to drink.
This connects to my book because there are two friends who have totally opposite personalities from each other. One, named Sophie, gets a credit card because apparently she is proven trust worthy and responsible. Her best friend, Kylie though is also trust worthy and responsible but because she is a "loud" person (unlike Sophie) doesn't get the credit card. Could that trait be nature or nurture? Definitely!
In conclusion, I think both nature and nurture have an effect on a person but nurture has more strength. People have the ability to change who they are therefore nature doesn't control everything. All in all, nurture happens more over time and there are more factors and more ways to change it.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Freedom
There are many questions I have about freedom. But one in particular that applied to the book I'm reading, "The Giver". Is having choices the same thing as having freedom?
Well when I first thought of this question I thought the answer was immediately no. But then I decided to look at the dictionary definition of both. Choice is "an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities". Freedom is "the power or right to act, speak or think as on wants without hindrance or restraint". As I dug deeper I realized that they are not the same, but they over lap in many places and are related in different ways. For example, the power to act, speak or think comes with choice to actually DO those actions. It's entirely up to the person whether they want to act, speak or think a certain thought-in other words it's voluntary.
Another idea I had was that freedom is more like a general topic and having the ability of choice is a part of the whole "freedom". Without choices in life, a person doesn't have that much freedom. It limits ones freedom by a lot. Many people make choices several times a day (wether they realize it or not). When they pick their outfit in the morning or decide what they should eat for breakfast-it's all choices.
In "The Giver", people don't have choices. In Jonas's society decisions are made for you and though you may have limited freedom, you are safe. This simplicity can be good although people in his society don't have feelings. There are many advantages and disadvantages to being in that situation. There is something appealing about living in a society where people don't have to make choices and especially not having to worry about making the wrong ones. You are always safe (because the rules are strictly made to follow) and everything is just FINE. The choices that are made for you are made for the best of the society and the individual. Some disadvantages include not being able to feel anything or not to know what actual feelings are-I don't think I would like that much. Also you can't feel pleasure because you've never felt the opposite (sadness) so your always in a neutral state. The last disadvantage which I think is one of the most important ones is that you don't have to ability to learn from your mistakes because you never make mistakes. Your not given the choice to make a mistake of pick anything on your own. As of right now, I would give up my life I have now to be in his type of society forever. I would like to try living there but I think I would rather live in a colorful world with all feelings than none at all.
In conclusion I'm glad our society has both freedom and the choice to do what we want (with the obvious consequences). I feel bad for Jonas's society where they have been through so much pain they blocked the whole outside world. Through this blogpost I think I've answered my question to the fullest extent I could with examples. I also think I brought up many great issues. Now I have many more questions...but that will have to wait for next week!
Well when I first thought of this question I thought the answer was immediately no. But then I decided to look at the dictionary definition of both. Choice is "an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities". Freedom is "the power or right to act, speak or think as on wants without hindrance or restraint". As I dug deeper I realized that they are not the same, but they over lap in many places and are related in different ways. For example, the power to act, speak or think comes with choice to actually DO those actions. It's entirely up to the person whether they want to act, speak or think a certain thought-in other words it's voluntary.
Another idea I had was that freedom is more like a general topic and having the ability of choice is a part of the whole "freedom". Without choices in life, a person doesn't have that much freedom. It limits ones freedom by a lot. Many people make choices several times a day (wether they realize it or not). When they pick their outfit in the morning or decide what they should eat for breakfast-it's all choices.
In "The Giver", people don't have choices. In Jonas's society decisions are made for you and though you may have limited freedom, you are safe. This simplicity can be good although people in his society don't have feelings. There are many advantages and disadvantages to being in that situation. There is something appealing about living in a society where people don't have to make choices and especially not having to worry about making the wrong ones. You are always safe (because the rules are strictly made to follow) and everything is just FINE. The choices that are made for you are made for the best of the society and the individual. Some disadvantages include not being able to feel anything or not to know what actual feelings are-I don't think I would like that much. Also you can't feel pleasure because you've never felt the opposite (sadness) so your always in a neutral state. The last disadvantage which I think is one of the most important ones is that you don't have to ability to learn from your mistakes because you never make mistakes. Your not given the choice to make a mistake of pick anything on your own. As of right now, I would give up my life I have now to be in his type of society forever. I would like to try living there but I think I would rather live in a colorful world with all feelings than none at all.
In conclusion I'm glad our society has both freedom and the choice to do what we want (with the obvious consequences). I feel bad for Jonas's society where they have been through so much pain they blocked the whole outside world. Through this blogpost I think I've answered my question to the fullest extent I could with examples. I also think I brought up many great issues. Now I have many more questions...but that will have to wait for next week!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Making A Splash: Robyn
I am currently reading the book "Making A Splash: Robyn" by Jade Parker. There are many interesting issues in this book-some bigger than others. The issue that I would like to discuss in this blog post is the issue of friendship and money.
In the book friendship and money play a big role in friendships that may occur. There is this new girl (Whitney) working at the amusement park who has a big attitude. Of course she has the looks and calls herself "gorgeous and cute" (which is a little self absorbed if you ask me). She doesn't want to work and her dad is making her. She doesn't have any friends nor does she want to. She is totally independent and seems like she doesn't want anything to do with other people (even boys).
When this new girl comes, Robyn is in charge of helping her get adjusted. It is hard for her to work with her given her attitude towards life. Robyn realizes that there are many secrets between them and things that Whitney won't tell people about herself. I feel bad for Robyn because I've been in many situations where I had to steer someone in the right direction but they don't want to themselves and are helpless.
To add on to the issue of money, Whitney gets whatever she wants. All her clothes are designer and gets driven around in a limo. This has an affect on others (especially Robyn) because having money can make you self-centered (like Whitney is in the beginning of the book). But one of the most important lessons I think Whitney learned was that money doesn't necessarily equal happiness. No matter what she thinks, people need other people in their lives. Wether its family, friends or bf/gf's.
In the end, they realize if they are going to be working together for the rest of the summer, they need to get along. But they do more than just that-they become close friends. Whitney needed a friend and Robyn need some of the self confidence that Whitney had. I think even though Robyn struggled at first it was worth it because they were obviously made to become friends. Even though they are in two different worlds, that doesn't mean they can't collide.
In the book friendship and money play a big role in friendships that may occur. There is this new girl (Whitney) working at the amusement park who has a big attitude. Of course she has the looks and calls herself "gorgeous and cute" (which is a little self absorbed if you ask me). She doesn't want to work and her dad is making her. She doesn't have any friends nor does she want to. She is totally independent and seems like she doesn't want anything to do with other people (even boys).
When this new girl comes, Robyn is in charge of helping her get adjusted. It is hard for her to work with her given her attitude towards life. Robyn realizes that there are many secrets between them and things that Whitney won't tell people about herself. I feel bad for Robyn because I've been in many situations where I had to steer someone in the right direction but they don't want to themselves and are helpless.
To add on to the issue of money, Whitney gets whatever she wants. All her clothes are designer and gets driven around in a limo. This has an affect on others (especially Robyn) because having money can make you self-centered (like Whitney is in the beginning of the book). But one of the most important lessons I think Whitney learned was that money doesn't necessarily equal happiness. No matter what she thinks, people need other people in their lives. Wether its family, friends or bf/gf's.
In the end, they realize if they are going to be working together for the rest of the summer, they need to get along. But they do more than just that-they become close friends. Whitney needed a friend and Robyn need some of the self confidence that Whitney had. I think even though Robyn struggled at first it was worth it because they were obviously made to become friends. Even though they are in two different worlds, that doesn't mean they can't collide.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Looking in Closer: Freak the Mighty
In the beginning of this year we had a re-reading unit where we re-read some of our childhood favorite books. Even though I have read Freak the Mighty two times already I decided to read it again (aside from Game of Kings, which I am still currently reading). I wanted to read it again to try and think even deeper about the character Freak.
Freak has taught me to never give up hope.
Hope is a strong word. To me, it means that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Freak knows he is going to die soon. Yet he still believes that a robotic body is going to be made for him before then. Freak uses the time he has sparingly and wisely. He makes the time he has worth wild. He learns everything he can possibly learn in 14 years. He doesn’t try to be someone else either. It has taught me to be appreciative for the time that I do have. I can be whoever I want and do whatever I set my mind to.
I hope that one day I could be as brave and as strong as Freak.
Freak was brave and strong. Having his disease is painful mentally and physically. A question I had was if having this disease affected being brave and strong as he was. I think it does. I knew that if I was only going to survive until I was 14, I would do things that I would necessarily do now. I would live life at it’s fullest. I definitely wouldn’t have enough courage anytime to stand up to a gang who had guns. I guess it depends on the persons’ personality also. Freak was outgoing, caring and smart.
People who have conditions aren’t ‘normal’ but you should still treat them the same.
Many people who have a condition get looked upon. They get judged by the way they look. Freak’s condition is rare yet the people who do have it suffer majorly. In the book, Freak gets made fun of. He probably thinks that having a condition is unfair. But he learns how to deal with it. It is unfair that some people have to suffer more in life. There will always be some time in life where some one else gets life better than me. But I always try to remember, even if you feel like your one the bottom of the chain, you never are. There is always someone doing worse that I can help.
These were just three main things I thought about as I dug deeper. I really believe people like Freak (who never give up) can change the world. So have respect and treat people the same even though they might seem "different" on the outside. They might even return the favor:)
Freak has taught me to never give up hope.
Hope is a strong word. To me, it means that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Freak knows he is going to die soon. Yet he still believes that a robotic body is going to be made for him before then. Freak uses the time he has sparingly and wisely. He makes the time he has worth wild. He learns everything he can possibly learn in 14 years. He doesn’t try to be someone else either. It has taught me to be appreciative for the time that I do have. I can be whoever I want and do whatever I set my mind to.
I hope that one day I could be as brave and as strong as Freak.
Freak was brave and strong. Having his disease is painful mentally and physically. A question I had was if having this disease affected being brave and strong as he was. I think it does. I knew that if I was only going to survive until I was 14, I would do things that I would necessarily do now. I would live life at it’s fullest. I definitely wouldn’t have enough courage anytime to stand up to a gang who had guns. I guess it depends on the persons’ personality also. Freak was outgoing, caring and smart.
People who have conditions aren’t ‘normal’ but you should still treat them the same.
Many people who have a condition get looked upon. They get judged by the way they look. Freak’s condition is rare yet the people who do have it suffer majorly. In the book, Freak gets made fun of. He probably thinks that having a condition is unfair. But he learns how to deal with it. It is unfair that some people have to suffer more in life. There will always be some time in life where some one else gets life better than me. But I always try to remember, even if you feel like your one the bottom of the chain, you never are. There is always someone doing worse that I can help.
These were just three main things I thought about as I dug deeper. I really believe people like Freak (who never give up) can change the world. So have respect and treat people the same even though they might seem "different" on the outside. They might even return the favor:)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Game of Kings 2
I just read Ethan's post about stereo types and ignorance and it made me think about the same exact thing in my book. I am still currently reading the book Game of Kings, which is about many different immigrants from all over the world who come together to play chess. A lot of them are poor and live in small houses but despite their hardships they come to school everyday to learn chess.
Sometimes these immigrants get frown upon. Many of them think that they can't play chess and are just trying to as another way to receive money. But in reality, they don't get that much money even if they do win AND they just love playing chess. After playing a game or two with them, people start to get intrigued. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Then the press comes over.
As I said before, many of these people don't play chess for the money and the sure don't do it for the fame either. Most of them don't lie the press. they don't smile in pictures and pretend their lives are perfect. What I like so much about these people is that they are down to earth and very smart.
Being smart doesn't always mean being school smart. It doesn't always mean being people or money smart either. There are a lot of types of "intelligence". For example, these immigrants that go to Edward Murrow High School. They don't get the top grades in their class and sometimes they don't do their work. but it's not because they don't want to, it's because they love chess so much. A lot of them spend most of their time playing chess and don't have time for their school work. But does that mean they're not smart people? No.
In conclusion, many people make stereotypes. Whether it's about race, color, religion etc. It's not right to make stereotypes unless they are proven to be true-but still that doesn't mean everyone is like that. Most of America is filled with immigrants but that isn't a bad thing. Even though some people may live their life in poverty, that doesn't mean they are to be frowned upon.
Sometimes these immigrants get frown upon. Many of them think that they can't play chess and are just trying to as another way to receive money. But in reality, they don't get that much money even if they do win AND they just love playing chess. After playing a game or two with them, people start to get intrigued. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Then the press comes over.
As I said before, many of these people don't play chess for the money and the sure don't do it for the fame either. Most of them don't lie the press. they don't smile in pictures and pretend their lives are perfect. What I like so much about these people is that they are down to earth and very smart.
Being smart doesn't always mean being school smart. It doesn't always mean being people or money smart either. There are a lot of types of "intelligence". For example, these immigrants that go to Edward Murrow High School. They don't get the top grades in their class and sometimes they don't do their work. but it's not because they don't want to, it's because they love chess so much. A lot of them spend most of their time playing chess and don't have time for their school work. But does that mean they're not smart people? No.
In conclusion, many people make stereotypes. Whether it's about race, color, religion etc. It's not right to make stereotypes unless they are proven to be true-but still that doesn't mean everyone is like that. Most of America is filled with immigrants but that isn't a bad thing. Even though some people may live their life in poverty, that doesn't mean they are to be frowned upon.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
High Expectations
High expectations. I've read so many books about teenagers who have high expectations from their family to be someone their not. I've definitely experienced it and so has probably many others. Whether it's about school work or relationships, parents just want the "best" for their child/children. Though most parents think they know what's best for their child, it not always so.
One example of when this happens is in the book Back Water by Joan Bauer. Ivy is on a quest to find out who she really is. Along the way, she meets an outrages mountain guide, a great boyfriend and a long lost relative who no one will talk about. All she wants is to be understood, find her long lost aunt and break free of high expectations from her family (which is to be a lawyer).
Another example of when this happens is in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet aren't allowed to be together yet they sneak behind their parents back. Whether this was the right decision or not, they both want to free the high expectations of their parents. Even though it ends in the death of both of them, they obviously think it's worth it for each other's love.
All in all, it is normal for parents to have high expectations for their children. But there is a fine line between high expectations and over protection. Most of the time, they go hand in hand. It might take a while for the child to stand up to their parent(s) and confront them about the high expectations but it will eventually come out-even if they are used to holding their feelings in. In conclusion, children have a lot to say. A lot of times they get stressed out because of the high expectations their parents put on them. Life is hard but children learn how to live through it and speak up to their parents.
One example of when this happens is in the book Back Water by Joan Bauer. Ivy is on a quest to find out who she really is. Along the way, she meets an outrages mountain guide, a great boyfriend and a long lost relative who no one will talk about. All she wants is to be understood, find her long lost aunt and break free of high expectations from her family (which is to be a lawyer).
Another example of when this happens is in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet aren't allowed to be together yet they sneak behind their parents back. Whether this was the right decision or not, they both want to free the high expectations of their parents. Even though it ends in the death of both of them, they obviously think it's worth it for each other's love.
All in all, it is normal for parents to have high expectations for their children. But there is a fine line between high expectations and over protection. Most of the time, they go hand in hand. It might take a while for the child to stand up to their parent(s) and confront them about the high expectations but it will eventually come out-even if they are used to holding their feelings in. In conclusion, children have a lot to say. A lot of times they get stressed out because of the high expectations their parents put on them. Life is hard but children learn how to live through it and speak up to their parents.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Keep Me in Your Heart
I just finished reading a book called "Keep Me in Your Heart", by Lurlene McDaniel. This book was composed of three very wonderful short stories about the values of love and life/death situations.
The first short story was called "Saving Jessica". In this short story, Jessica finds out she has kidney failure and has to live the rest of her life on a machine unless someone can donate a kidney. Her boyfriend, Jeremy, helps her all along the way. After finding out none of her family members have a kidney that matches, Jeremy wants to donate his (which just happens to be a perfect match). But since he is 16, he can't do it with out his parents permission. In the end, he goes to court against his parents to fill a suit saying he should have control over his own body. He wins and they save Jessica. This book shows me that their love is strong. More than that though, they care about each other a lot and will do anything to help the other person, even if it's against their parents wills.
The second short story was called "Telling Christina Goodbye". In this short story, Trisha and her perfect best friend (Christina) both have boyfriends. The difference is, Trisha's boyfriend Cody actually treats her with the respect that she deserves. While Christina has a lousy boyfriend (Tucker) who takes control over her all the time. Even though on the outside it might look like he doesn't like her, if you look deeper you realize he just has a hard time showing it. After a car accident (with Tucker driving), Christina dies and Cody gets extremely hurt. People can't help but blame Tucker for the death but really it wasn't his fault at all. In the end, Tucker realizes he should have not only treated Christina better but the whole world. At the end you also see how great Trisha and Cody's relationship is because Cody wakes up not remembering anything. Though, Trisha could just walk away from him she doesn't because of their love for each other.
The third short story was called "Letting Go of Lisa". In this short story, Nathan finally gets to go to public school, senior year of high school. He meets this girl named Lisa who is popular because she is herself. She is independent and always does things her way. Though she's popular, she doesn't let anyone get close to her. Nathan starts to wonder why. He starts to study her and follow her places trying to understand or help and one night he finds out she has brain tumor. She never wanted anyone to know because she didn't want "special treatment". While she dies, Nathan is always by her side no matter what. "Lisa took flight 3:09 this morning".
All in all, these stories are all different but they all have the same message. You should love who you love and treat them special because one day they won't be there. Tucker didn't do that and now he lives his life in regrets of what he should have done. But the thing is, you can never go back. The idea of life/death also comes in to play in a lot of these stories. Life is a valuable thing and you have to treasure it forever. Keep the ones you love close and always remind them that they are special. I enjoyed reading this book a lot because it taught me how I should live.
The first short story was called "Saving Jessica". In this short story, Jessica finds out she has kidney failure and has to live the rest of her life on a machine unless someone can donate a kidney. Her boyfriend, Jeremy, helps her all along the way. After finding out none of her family members have a kidney that matches, Jeremy wants to donate his (which just happens to be a perfect match). But since he is 16, he can't do it with out his parents permission. In the end, he goes to court against his parents to fill a suit saying he should have control over his own body. He wins and they save Jessica. This book shows me that their love is strong. More than that though, they care about each other a lot and will do anything to help the other person, even if it's against their parents wills.
The second short story was called "Telling Christina Goodbye". In this short story, Trisha and her perfect best friend (Christina) both have boyfriends. The difference is, Trisha's boyfriend Cody actually treats her with the respect that she deserves. While Christina has a lousy boyfriend (Tucker) who takes control over her all the time. Even though on the outside it might look like he doesn't like her, if you look deeper you realize he just has a hard time showing it. After a car accident (with Tucker driving), Christina dies and Cody gets extremely hurt. People can't help but blame Tucker for the death but really it wasn't his fault at all. In the end, Tucker realizes he should have not only treated Christina better but the whole world. At the end you also see how great Trisha and Cody's relationship is because Cody wakes up not remembering anything. Though, Trisha could just walk away from him she doesn't because of their love for each other.
The third short story was called "Letting Go of Lisa". In this short story, Nathan finally gets to go to public school, senior year of high school. He meets this girl named Lisa who is popular because she is herself. She is independent and always does things her way. Though she's popular, she doesn't let anyone get close to her. Nathan starts to wonder why. He starts to study her and follow her places trying to understand or help and one night he finds out she has brain tumor. She never wanted anyone to know because she didn't want "special treatment". While she dies, Nathan is always by her side no matter what. "Lisa took flight 3:09 this morning".
All in all, these stories are all different but they all have the same message. You should love who you love and treat them special because one day they won't be there. Tucker didn't do that and now he lives his life in regrets of what he should have done. But the thing is, you can never go back. The idea of life/death also comes in to play in a lot of these stories. Life is a valuable thing and you have to treasure it forever. Keep the ones you love close and always remind them that they are special. I enjoyed reading this book a lot because it taught me how I should live.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Game of Kings
I am currently reading the book, "Game of Kings" by Michael Weinreb. This book isn't like any other book I've read. It is about "The odd balls and geniuses who make up America's top high school chess team". One of those teams is in Edward R. Murrow High School.
Mr. Weiss, the chess teacher, was not always a teacher at Murrow. So many times he came close to becoming a math teacher at the school but the Board of Education brought him down. But he never gave up and kept trying until in August 1981 (his third try) he finally got accepted. All through the process though he managed to play chess and make a living teaching at other schools.
Murrow is known for its chess team. The students come from all different ethnic groups and levels. They have won many awards and have a strong traveling chess team. One of their struggles though was the ability to have enough money to actually go to different states and complete nationally. Mr. Weiss tried everything he could for team because he believed in them. From something as small as selling water bottles to setting up TV and newspaper interviews. Once he did this though, the media soon kept an eye on them and saw that they kept on beating every team they played. The sponsorship money soon came rolling in and they could go to many more tournaments.
At Murrow, students have the freedoms to do what they want, when they want. If they skip class, teachers won't crack down on them. Now why is that? It's because they have the freedoms of a college students. Students can abuse the time they have and fool around (having okay grades) or they can take the time and use it wisely to study and succeed at Murrow. Many of them are independent, self motivators and hard working-that's why they got chosen to go to Murrow. This also applies to the chess students. All of them are good students but some didn't keep up with their schoolwork. It wasn't because they were lazy or didn't want to do their work though, it was because of their love and desire to play chess. "Thirteen percent of my life is spent of the ICC (the internet chess club)" says Alex Lenderman.
Only on page 65, I learned that Mr. Weiss never gave up. He was determined to have a chess team and to teach at Murrow and he did. He followed his dreams and pursued them. He developed an amazing chess team that still plays today. His students not only get the motivation to learn chess but they also get valuable life lessons from him.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
"National Guard soldiers in camouflage fatigues stood at the door with their machine guns pointed straight up in the air. They looked us over like we had crossed the border from another country without any papers. I locked eyes with one of them who had a thick square jaw, and his grip on the gun got tighter."
In the book Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi; Miles and his Pop are stuck in the Super Dome during Hurricane Katrina. When they finally jumped over the barriers/fences and escaped the Super Dome, they were living on the street with nothing more than their hungry stomachs and dirty bodies. There was a lot of other people living on the street too, survivors from the hurricane. All the survivors were dirty and poor and many stole from nearby shops to survive. Poverty affects many people in different ways. It can make a person feel unwanted, overpowered or helpless. It can also empower you to know right from wrong and stick up for what you love. The survivors that lived on the street, except for Miles and Pop were willing to risk their own lives for objects that they stole. The objects were worth less than a thousand dollars. Miles and Pop didn’t believe in stealing, so it was harder for them to survive.
One example is when a woman risked her life for a television because she wanted money. Another homeless man saw her with the television and beat her up because he wanted it badly. The soul patrol, a gang who helped people living on the street, broke up their fight by pulling the man away from the woman. They made a wall between the man and the woman to protect her. When the soul patrol helped the woman back to her feet the man ran away with the television set. The woman exploded with anger. She said that she would rather get hurt than to get the television taken away from her. If I was that woman, I would have appreciated what they did for me with a thank-you or a reward. It’s not fair that she would get mad when the soul patrol risked their lives to help her when they didn’t even know each other. It is awful what poverty can do to a persons’ life: it can make people desperate and do things that wouldn’t normally do.
Another example is when two men tried to steal an old piano from Santa’s (store? museum? cafe? music hall?). Pop was furious because many great jazz musicians played on that same piano for decades and it meant a lot to him. Pop and Miles wrestled the thieves to save the piano. But soon, their fight got dangerous. The guys tried to drown Miles and Pop in the polluted water. I know the piano is worth a lot of money but it is worth much more than that, it brought back many memories to the great musicians who played on it and the people who listened to them play. I know this is a hard time for everybody, not only them. But that doesn’t mean they have to steal. Are they good guys? Have they gone through a lot? Got shaken from the Hurricane? Have they lost family or friends? Are they stealing as a way to survive? Is this their only option?
All in all, this was a strong book filled with many powerful moments, especially with Pop and Miles. It shows how horrible life was in the Super Dome given the lack of help from the government. Poverty affects people throughout the world. This book focused on a city, New Orleans, in the United States that was devastated by a hurricane. The conditions were unbearable which caused some people to steal and risk their lives for objects, except for Miles and Pop. It made me question why some people are greedy and why others are more appreciative for what they have.
One example is when a woman risked her life for a television because she wanted money. Another homeless man saw her with the television and beat her up because he wanted it badly. The soul patrol, a gang who helped people living on the street, broke up their fight by pulling the man away from the woman. They made a wall between the man and the woman to protect her. When the soul patrol helped the woman back to her feet the man ran away with the television set. The woman exploded with anger. She said that she would rather get hurt than to get the television taken away from her. If I was that woman, I would have appreciated what they did for me with a thank-you or a reward. It’s not fair that she would get mad when the soul patrol risked their lives to help her when they didn’t even know each other. It is awful what poverty can do to a persons’ life: it can make people desperate and do things that wouldn’t normally do.
Another example is when two men tried to steal an old piano from Santa’s (store? museum? cafe? music hall?). Pop was furious because many great jazz musicians played on that same piano for decades and it meant a lot to him. Pop and Miles wrestled the thieves to save the piano. But soon, their fight got dangerous. The guys tried to drown Miles and Pop in the polluted water. I know the piano is worth a lot of money but it is worth much more than that, it brought back many memories to the great musicians who played on it and the people who listened to them play. I know this is a hard time for everybody, not only them. But that doesn’t mean they have to steal. Are they good guys? Have they gone through a lot? Got shaken from the Hurricane? Have they lost family or friends? Are they stealing as a way to survive? Is this their only option?
All in all, this was a strong book filled with many powerful moments, especially with Pop and Miles. It shows how horrible life was in the Super Dome given the lack of help from the government. Poverty affects people throughout the world. This book focused on a city, New Orleans, in the United States that was devastated by a hurricane. The conditions were unbearable which caused some people to steal and risk their lives for objects, except for Miles and Pop. It made me question why some people are greedy and why others are more appreciative for what they have.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Inspiration
The thing that actually made me want to write a poem about the unfortunate lifestyles of some people, is what we are learning in social studies. I read many books about immigration recently and found them fascinating. Even though this is not exactly about immigration, that definitely tied into my idea of writing a poem along with many articles and books I've read this week.
I wrote a poem as my blog post...
During the past week, I read many books about unfair life styles. I decided to combine all the themes I got from each book and write a poem as my blog post on a general topic that could have happened in real life. Many people, today, don't get running hot water. Whether it's it's a shower or just an outdoor hose.
As warm water showered down above me,
hitting my face and body
the feeling of crust and dirt rinsed off me.
The caked layers of grime dripped at my toes,
and the feeling of pleasure and happiness arose
from gigantic feet.
My arms,
my legs,
my face
nearly cleaned like never before.
Singing while bathing,
never thought this would happen
under the hot water.
The water almost burned me,
leaving my body hot and red
but I didn’t care,
I was cold without a jacket
to bundle me,
to survive me though the winter.
As the water sprayed me,
I thought of how lucky I was
to even get clean water once a month.
I looked up at the clouds
and saw them smiling at me
and I smiled back.
They made a elephant,
and I laughed;
the sound rustling through the wind.
Joy, delight and happiness
beamed inside and out.
I was almost sure if some one came,
they would see me glowing
and
shinning,
my grin stretching miles and miles long.
Then,
putrid screaming
awakened me from dreaming.
“You wasted enough water, did you hear?”
“Yes mother!” I said.
But I didn’t want it to end.
It was so great,
I sighed and closed my eyes.
I pictured it never ending,
the hotness still running down my body,
the happiness and joy I only got every month.
Then more yelling followed,
then some one grabbed the wonderful sensation from me
and smacked me hard.
Her voice
started to drown over my water being wasted
by my siblings fighting over the hose.
Quiet now.
Silent now.
Gone now.
As warm water showered down above me,
hitting my face and body
the feeling of crust and dirt rinsed off me.
The caked layers of grime dripped at my toes,
and the feeling of pleasure and happiness arose
from gigantic feet.
My arms,
my legs,
my face
nearly cleaned like never before.
Singing while bathing,
never thought this would happen
under the hot water.
The water almost burned me,
leaving my body hot and red
but I didn’t care,
I was cold without a jacket
to bundle me,
to survive me though the winter.
As the water sprayed me,
I thought of how lucky I was
to even get clean water once a month.
I looked up at the clouds
and saw them smiling at me
and I smiled back.
They made a elephant,
and I laughed;
the sound rustling through the wind.
Joy, delight and happiness
beamed inside and out.
I was almost sure if some one came,
they would see me glowing
and
shinning,
my grin stretching miles and miles long.
Then,
putrid screaming
awakened me from dreaming.
“You wasted enough water, did you hear?”
“Yes mother!” I said.
But I didn’t want it to end.
It was so great,
I sighed and closed my eyes.
I pictured it never ending,
the hotness still running down my body,
the happiness and joy I only got every month.
Then more yelling followed,
then some one grabbed the wonderful sensation from me
and smacked me hard.
Her voice
started to drown over my water being wasted
by my siblings fighting over the hose.
Quiet now.
Silent now.
Gone now.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
“Apology”
By “Emily Woods” or Ginger Rue
Here is the part where I insist,
it is not only me.
We have all taken part-
sorting souls like a deck of cards,
creating categories of emblems and colors
with identical faces.
But this insistence changes nothing.
I cannot sweep my splintered glass
into a crystalline pattern,
making something lovely from the wreckage I caused.
I cannot pretend I never took into my eager hands
the treasure of the human spirt,
breaking it into pieces,
casting it among old wrappers and empty plastic.
And so I stand here,
muttering frustrated, failing syllables,
searching for a gesture that does not exist:
A quick fix to undo the damage.
I find instead
only low, wordless tones.
Finally,
my mouth forms one request:
Forgive me.
Here is the part where I insist,
it is not only me.
We have all taken part-
sorting souls like a deck of cards,
creating categories of emblems and colors
with identical faces.
But this insistence changes nothing.
I cannot sweep my splintered glass
into a crystalline pattern,
making something lovely from the wreckage I caused.
I cannot pretend I never took into my eager hands
the treasure of the human spirt,
breaking it into pieces,
casting it among old wrappers and empty plastic.
And so I stand here,
muttering frustrated, failing syllables,
searching for a gesture that does not exist:
A quick fix to undo the damage.
I find instead
only low, wordless tones.
Finally,
my mouth forms one request:
Forgive me.
"How can you know what's popular before it's popular?"
In the book Brand-New Emily by Ginger Rue, Emily is not popular. She wants to be part of the coolest clique “The Daisies” but instead becomes a target for them. “The Daises” are made up of Alexa, Meredith and Heatherly--the leader and the meanest of the group--who love embarrassing and teasing Emily. When Emily gets an interview with Colby Summers, the 17 year old pop teen sensation for her school newspaper, she knows that the days that she has spent getting embarrassed and teased will be over. After her interview with Colby, she walks out slowly and overhears that Colby is a 28 year old guy, has a wife, a child, a name that is not his own and is totally fake. Getting an opportunity of a lifetime, Emily goes to New York’s most powerful public relations firm; the company that Colby’s publicist works at, and threatens to tell his secret if they can’t give her what she wants: popularity. She gets Colby’s publicist named Brynn, who teaches her how to become a teen sensation just like Colby. While going through different sessions with Brynn about how to dress, act and talk; Emily learns that being popular is hard but staying true to yourself is harder.
Popularity is an issue everybody knows. This book doesn’t only speak about popularity, it explores what it means to be truthful to yourself. In the beginning of the book Emily is a sweet, nice and caring person. But by the middle of the book, she becomes mean and selfish to everyone who is not popular. Instead of setting a good example to others, she turns into a “Heatherly”. This book made me think differently about popularity because unlike in other books, Emily realizes what she is doing is wrong when she is doing it but doesn’t stop. The reason why she keeps on doing it, confused me as I became more engrossed in her story. Does she only care about being popular? Does she not care about hurting others? Does it make her feel good to have other people under her control? These questions pulled me into the book.
In many other books, popularity is a central issue. Most of the time there is a “popular crowd” and a main character who wants to be popular. This is also seen in movies, such as Mean Girls. But in every book or movie, the main character realizes that being popular isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Initially the thought of being popular would bring them more friends, boyfriends, power and the ability to do what you want when you want it. But in this book Emily is so hungry for the popularity, that she just can’t stop-it’s like eating a tub of ice cream even though you feel sick.
This book made me think about the idea of forgiving and forgetting. Emily knew she made a huge mistake and regretted being mean and taking advantage of people. She wanted everyone to know that she was sorry for being unkind, disrespectful and dishonest. She wrote a poem to share with her grade in the hope that the friends that she made while she was popular would forgive her and see who she really is. Are they really her friends though? If they are, would they forgive her? Would they take the time to try to understand? Would they accept the fact that she hurt many people and be willing to move on and forget that? Would they even accept the real Emily? I wondered if the people Emily hurt and manipulated cared enough to forgive her and would try to understand and relate to what she went through.
I believe you shouldn’t change who you are to get people to like you. Popularity can be a good thing if you’re not changing who you are, being mean or taking advantage of people. You can learn how to use popularity in a good way too. You can stop rumors and gossip, stick up for people, make changes to your school and inspire fellow students to do the right things. This book is very different from any other popularity book I’ve read because the main character spoke about her mistakes to her school. Emily and I both learned a lot from the choices and actions that she made in her story. Sometimes, I wish that I was more popular but then I think about how lucky I am to have friends and family that love me, good grades, a home and food; I discern that’s all I need. Getting what you want in life can make you simply want more. Be happy with what you have and reach farther.
Popularity is an issue everybody knows. This book doesn’t only speak about popularity, it explores what it means to be truthful to yourself. In the beginning of the book Emily is a sweet, nice and caring person. But by the middle of the book, she becomes mean and selfish to everyone who is not popular. Instead of setting a good example to others, she turns into a “Heatherly”. This book made me think differently about popularity because unlike in other books, Emily realizes what she is doing is wrong when she is doing it but doesn’t stop. The reason why she keeps on doing it, confused me as I became more engrossed in her story. Does she only care about being popular? Does she not care about hurting others? Does it make her feel good to have other people under her control? These questions pulled me into the book.
In many other books, popularity is a central issue. Most of the time there is a “popular crowd” and a main character who wants to be popular. This is also seen in movies, such as Mean Girls. But in every book or movie, the main character realizes that being popular isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Initially the thought of being popular would bring them more friends, boyfriends, power and the ability to do what you want when you want it. But in this book Emily is so hungry for the popularity, that she just can’t stop-it’s like eating a tub of ice cream even though you feel sick.
This book made me think about the idea of forgiving and forgetting. Emily knew she made a huge mistake and regretted being mean and taking advantage of people. She wanted everyone to know that she was sorry for being unkind, disrespectful and dishonest. She wrote a poem to share with her grade in the hope that the friends that she made while she was popular would forgive her and see who she really is. Are they really her friends though? If they are, would they forgive her? Would they take the time to try to understand? Would they accept the fact that she hurt many people and be willing to move on and forget that? Would they even accept the real Emily? I wondered if the people Emily hurt and manipulated cared enough to forgive her and would try to understand and relate to what she went through.
I believe you shouldn’t change who you are to get people to like you. Popularity can be a good thing if you’re not changing who you are, being mean or taking advantage of people. You can learn how to use popularity in a good way too. You can stop rumors and gossip, stick up for people, make changes to your school and inspire fellow students to do the right things. This book is very different from any other popularity book I’ve read because the main character spoke about her mistakes to her school. Emily and I both learned a lot from the choices and actions that she made in her story. Sometimes, I wish that I was more popular but then I think about how lucky I am to have friends and family that love me, good grades, a home and food; I discern that’s all I need. Getting what you want in life can make you simply want more. Be happy with what you have and reach farther.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
FOUR LITTLE WORDS WRITTEN IN LIPSTICK...mean Emily must say goodbye to everything she knows.
I am reading the book "Lipstick Apology" by Jennifer Jabaley. It is about a girl named Emily who gets her life turned around when her both her parents die in a plane crash. The three months following that was a disaster because the press (TV, Magazines, Newspapers) were all around her trying to get the scoop about this mysterious message her mom wrote in lipstick on her tray. "Emily Please Forgive Me". Nobody knows or understands what she means.
Emily moves in with her "high-classed" aunt-Jolie who is the head of a famous makeup line and her life goes from shabby to living like a celebrity. She instantly becomes one of the most popular girls in the school-with the bess make-up, clothes and hair. One of the most popular guys is falling in love with her. Her life seems perfect, but is it really?
The answer is no. While Jolie wants Emily to forget about her past and move on, Emily finds it impossible. Everything keeps on reminding her of her past-an apron, lemon bars and christmas are just a few examples. She wishes she could go back to the life she had before but she can't. More than anything though, she wants to find out what her mom meant by her apology.
If I were Emily, that would kill me not to know. I would be so curious too because like Emily said, her mom was a perfect mom in every way. What possibly could she have done wrong?
I can't wait to read more of this book to find out more. This is a very interesting book--a twist between a mystery and realistic fiction--that I have many unanswered questions about. At first I was going to write this blogpost off of the only 20 pages I read, but then I decided to read more and I'm on page 130. I'm totally hooked too! <3
Emily moves in with her "high-classed" aunt-Jolie who is the head of a famous makeup line and her life goes from shabby to living like a celebrity. She instantly becomes one of the most popular girls in the school-with the bess make-up, clothes and hair. One of the most popular guys is falling in love with her. Her life seems perfect, but is it really?
The answer is no. While Jolie wants Emily to forget about her past and move on, Emily finds it impossible. Everything keeps on reminding her of her past-an apron, lemon bars and christmas are just a few examples. She wishes she could go back to the life she had before but she can't. More than anything though, she wants to find out what her mom meant by her apology.
If I were Emily, that would kill me not to know. I would be so curious too because like Emily said, her mom was a perfect mom in every way. What possibly could she have done wrong?
I can't wait to read more of this book to find out more. This is a very interesting book--a twist between a mystery and realistic fiction--that I have many unanswered questions about. At first I was going to write this blogpost off of the only 20 pages I read, but then I decided to read more and I'm on page 130. I'm totally hooked too! <3
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
I would probably want to die... Brian wants to live.
I am currently reading the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. This book is about a guy named Brian whose parent divorced a month ago. It is really hard for him to accept the fact that he has to "live" with his mom but then visit his dad only during the summer. On his first trip to see his father, his mom hires a private plane to take him there (to Canada from the US). Halfway there, the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian tries to reach someone who could help him but fails because the plane is very old. As the plane is starting to lose fuel, Brian decides to crash it because he doesn't have a better idea.
After surviving the plan crash, Brian has to learn how to live in the middle of no where with northing. Surviving in the middle of no where is very hard for Brian. He has to learn how to survive by getting food, water and building shelter for him to live it. At first he isn't able to do it mentally or physically but then state of mind changes. He wants to live.
He makes many mistakes while in the middle of no where. For example, in the middle of the night he hears some animal in the shelter he built him himself and immediately throws his only weapon at it and misses. In defense, the porcupine sticks its quills in Brian's leg. After that experience Brian learns that he has to do whatever it takes to keep himself safe and healthy. He doesn't have any medicine in the wild and needs to keep himself alive.
Everything is going fine until a plane comes over where he is living. He knows it's a "search" plane looking for him and he tries to signal it but it misses him. He knows that is the only chance he had of going home and starts to cry, he feels like dying. Though he could of killed himself (or let himself starve and die) he doesn't because he wants to live.
If I were him in this situation, I would want to die. Knowing that I would never see my family again would hurt me so much and I wouldn't see the point in living. I also wouldn't know how to figure out half he stuff Brian learns by the middle of the book. Brian is really smart and even though I see no point in living, he does.
In conclusion, this is a really good book that I can't wait to finish. Does he get to see his parents again? Does he die at the end of the book? What happens??? I can't wait to read more and find out the rest of Brian's journey and struggle to live.
After surviving the plan crash, Brian has to learn how to live in the middle of no where with northing. Surviving in the middle of no where is very hard for Brian. He has to learn how to survive by getting food, water and building shelter for him to live it. At first he isn't able to do it mentally or physically but then state of mind changes. He wants to live.
He makes many mistakes while in the middle of no where. For example, in the middle of the night he hears some animal in the shelter he built him himself and immediately throws his only weapon at it and misses. In defense, the porcupine sticks its quills in Brian's leg. After that experience Brian learns that he has to do whatever it takes to keep himself safe and healthy. He doesn't have any medicine in the wild and needs to keep himself alive.
Everything is going fine until a plane comes over where he is living. He knows it's a "search" plane looking for him and he tries to signal it but it misses him. He knows that is the only chance he had of going home and starts to cry, he feels like dying. Though he could of killed himself (or let himself starve and die) he doesn't because he wants to live.
If I were him in this situation, I would want to die. Knowing that I would never see my family again would hurt me so much and I wouldn't see the point in living. I also wouldn't know how to figure out half he stuff Brian learns by the middle of the book. Brian is really smart and even though I see no point in living, he does.
In conclusion, this is a really good book that I can't wait to finish. Does he get to see his parents again? Does he die at the end of the book? What happens??? I can't wait to read more and find out the rest of Brian's journey and struggle to live.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
"I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more..."
In The Hunger Games, North America, (now broken into twelve districts), is ruled by The Capitol. The Capitol uses oppression, poverty, and hunger to control these districts. The Capitol is well supplied by the districts, and its citizens live prosperous lives, in contrast to the districts, where people live in poverty and oppression. In addition, to prevent a rebellion like one that happened roughly seventy-five years before the start of the book, the Capitol uses the Hunger Games, a bloody fight to the death involving one boy and one girl from each district, to remind the districts that they are powerless. These methods are used rather effectively to keep the districts in line. Oppression is used by the Capitol to control the districts in several forms. The most obvious form of oppression is the peacekeepers. In the districts, laws are to be obeyed down to the smallest detail, with severe punishments for those who disregard them. These laws are partly to prevent rebellion, and partly to keep the districts poor and hungry.
Another way that the Capitol uses oppression to control the districts is the Hunger Games. The forced removal of the districts’ children psychologically affects their families, and shows them that since it is so easy for the Capitol to take their children and force them to kill each other, if they try to rebel they will be crushed. The Capitol ensures this effect by forcing everyone to watch the Hunger Games.
Oppression is the most direct and noticeable way the Capitol keeps the districts in its iron fist. While poverty is a less obvious way of controlling the districts, everybody knows that it exists. This can be seen on a national scale in Panem (new North America) and on a smaller district level scale in District 12. In Panem, there are a few districts where competing in the Hunger Games is considered an honor. These districts, called the career districts, are well of, suck ups to the capitol, and most of the Hunger Games’ victors come from these districts. In contrast, the other nine districts are poorer and getting sent to the Hunger Games is considered a death sentence. Hence, the career districts are hated by the rest of the districts, which keeps them divided and therefore weak. In the non-career districts like District 12, a similar division occurs, but it is not as intense. In these districts there are two social classes: the merchant class, which includes families that work as butchers and bakers, and live in the main town area, and the working class, which generally follows the district industry, and lives in a slum or poor housing. The working class is much poorer than the merchant class, which causes their kids to enter for the tesserae, which allows them to get a supply of grain and oil for their families, but enters their name in for each family member 10 times instead of the usual 1. This causes a bit of resentment of the merchant class, because they do not have to take the tesserae. Division like this, caused by poverty, if not completely obvious at first, is still a very effective way of making sure that the districts are in the control of the Capitol.
The last and most indirect method the Capitol uses to control the districts is hunger. Caused by poverty, this weakens the working class and kills many. These deaths are not officially caused by hunger, but everyone knows it is. Hunger weakens the members of Panem’s society most likely to rebel: the working class, who understandably dislike their situation. Without enough food in their bellies, the would-be rebels would be weak and destroyed easily. It also distracts from time that could be spent planning on an uprising, as people with starving families would devote a lot of time trying to feed their family, rather than letting them starve and plotting a rebellion. Hunger, while the least obvious method of controlling the districts, is just as effective as the others when it comes to preventing rebellion.
Thanks to oppression, poverty, and hunger, the districts are firmly in the grasp of the capitol. As a result, the districts are forced to comply with the Capitol’s laws and the Hunger Games. I believe that this book sends a strong message about the corruption of some oppressors (mainly dictators).
Another way that the Capitol uses oppression to control the districts is the Hunger Games. The forced removal of the districts’ children psychologically affects their families, and shows them that since it is so easy for the Capitol to take their children and force them to kill each other, if they try to rebel they will be crushed. The Capitol ensures this effect by forcing everyone to watch the Hunger Games.
Oppression is the most direct and noticeable way the Capitol keeps the districts in its iron fist. While poverty is a less obvious way of controlling the districts, everybody knows that it exists. This can be seen on a national scale in Panem (new North America) and on a smaller district level scale in District 12. In Panem, there are a few districts where competing in the Hunger Games is considered an honor. These districts, called the career districts, are well of, suck ups to the capitol, and most of the Hunger Games’ victors come from these districts. In contrast, the other nine districts are poorer and getting sent to the Hunger Games is considered a death sentence. Hence, the career districts are hated by the rest of the districts, which keeps them divided and therefore weak. In the non-career districts like District 12, a similar division occurs, but it is not as intense. In these districts there are two social classes: the merchant class, which includes families that work as butchers and bakers, and live in the main town area, and the working class, which generally follows the district industry, and lives in a slum or poor housing. The working class is much poorer than the merchant class, which causes their kids to enter for the tesserae, which allows them to get a supply of grain and oil for their families, but enters their name in for each family member 10 times instead of the usual 1. This causes a bit of resentment of the merchant class, because they do not have to take the tesserae. Division like this, caused by poverty, if not completely obvious at first, is still a very effective way of making sure that the districts are in the control of the Capitol.
The last and most indirect method the Capitol uses to control the districts is hunger. Caused by poverty, this weakens the working class and kills many. These deaths are not officially caused by hunger, but everyone knows it is. Hunger weakens the members of Panem’s society most likely to rebel: the working class, who understandably dislike their situation. Without enough food in their bellies, the would-be rebels would be weak and destroyed easily. It also distracts from time that could be spent planning on an uprising, as people with starving families would devote a lot of time trying to feed their family, rather than letting them starve and plotting a rebellion. Hunger, while the least obvious method of controlling the districts, is just as effective as the others when it comes to preventing rebellion.
Thanks to oppression, poverty, and hunger, the districts are firmly in the grasp of the capitol. As a result, the districts are forced to comply with the Capitol’s laws and the Hunger Games. I believe that this book sends a strong message about the corruption of some oppressors (mainly dictators).
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Actually, I just started reading a book of Shakespeare Sonnets...
I just finished three books over the past weekend and I ran out of books to read. So I decided to just start reading a book of Shakespeare Sonnets...
Most of Shakespeare's sonnets are about love or relationships with different people. The one that I am reading currently is "Sonnet 116" which is exactly about that.
In the sonnet, Shakespeare is talking about love and marriage. He is trying to define love and what it is although that is nearly impossible because it's different for everybody. In the first four lines he attempts at saying what love is and what it isn't. He says love is perfect and unchanging which means that if you really love someone it will remain that way forever no matter what. It doesn't "admit impediments”. Even when your loved one might have changed, that doesn't mean that you don't love them anymore. Basically what Shakespeare is saying is that true love is forever-like in Romeo and Juliet.
In the second four lines following those he describes to us what love really is using metaphors.
"It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come..."
In the third set of four lines Shakespeare starts talking about what love isn't. He says that love isn't susceptible to time. That if you really love someone love doesn't alter or change-within days, hours or minutes. Instead it "Bears it out even to the edge of doom" which means it lasts until the person is dead.
His conclusion is:
"If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
To me that means that if he is thought wrong on his opinions and notes about love then no man had truly ever loved anyone before.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
"As fall grows closer, they must figure out if their love is forever, or just a summer they'll never forget."
I am currently reading the book Seventeenth Summer by Mawreen Daly. It is about a girl named Angie who lives in Oklahoma with her family. They live the typical country-styled life out in the open country. It is her seventeenth summer and things within her begin to change. At first, she didn't believe in love. But now after meeting Jack they build a strong bond together and she falls in love for the first time.
But their relationship is complicated. Jack doesn't believe in going "steady" with a girl and likes flirting with many girls even while going out with Angie. This confuses Angie because she doesn't know if Jack really likes her or not. After a while one of Jack's best friends asks her to dinner. She says yes not knowing that it is a "date". Then Jack takes it the wrong way and hooks up with his ex-girlfriend. They don't talk for a while because the rumor is that Jack and his ex are back together. This crushes Angie's heart.
One thing that I would change within their relationship (if I could), would be to change their lack of communication. They are both shy people and love silence. Silence can be good at some extent but you need communication in a good relationship too. Sometimes, they talk about random things but they never talk about their relationship. I think it could benefit their relationship if they talked about it. The only reason Jack was confused about Angie's "date" with one of his friends is because he didn't hear it straight from her-but as a rumor. If he had gone and confronted her about his problem he probably would have saved himself a lot of regret hooking up with his ex to make her jealous. Overall I think that if you are in a serious relationship you should be able to talk to them about stuff that is bothering you. You need communication in order to make a relationship better.
Both Angie and Jack are very different people. They come from different families: Jack in an only child and Angie is one out of three kids. Jack is allowed much more freedom where as Angie's parents restrict her with guys so they don't have to see her get hurt. They both went to different schools and are on different education levels. Angie's parents are making her go to college to get a full education where as Jack's parents want him to look after the bakery in Oklahoma. Even though they come from different families, one thing they have in common is their parents deep love and care for them.
In conclusion, this is a very interesting book with many great characters. Even though I'm only on page 182 I can tell something is going to change within one of them because of their different lifestyles. They still have to choose whether their love is forever, or just a summer they'll never forget. If they choose that their love is truly forever they will have to make many sacrifices in order for that to happen. But if it's just a summer they will never forget than maybe it's not worth all the trouble they are going through.
But their relationship is complicated. Jack doesn't believe in going "steady" with a girl and likes flirting with many girls even while going out with Angie. This confuses Angie because she doesn't know if Jack really likes her or not. After a while one of Jack's best friends asks her to dinner. She says yes not knowing that it is a "date". Then Jack takes it the wrong way and hooks up with his ex-girlfriend. They don't talk for a while because the rumor is that Jack and his ex are back together. This crushes Angie's heart.
One thing that I would change within their relationship (if I could), would be to change their lack of communication. They are both shy people and love silence. Silence can be good at some extent but you need communication in a good relationship too. Sometimes, they talk about random things but they never talk about their relationship. I think it could benefit their relationship if they talked about it. The only reason Jack was confused about Angie's "date" with one of his friends is because he didn't hear it straight from her-but as a rumor. If he had gone and confronted her about his problem he probably would have saved himself a lot of regret hooking up with his ex to make her jealous. Overall I think that if you are in a serious relationship you should be able to talk to them about stuff that is bothering you. You need communication in order to make a relationship better.
Both Angie and Jack are very different people. They come from different families: Jack in an only child and Angie is one out of three kids. Jack is allowed much more freedom where as Angie's parents restrict her with guys so they don't have to see her get hurt. They both went to different schools and are on different education levels. Angie's parents are making her go to college to get a full education where as Jack's parents want him to look after the bakery in Oklahoma. Even though they come from different families, one thing they have in common is their parents deep love and care for them.
In conclusion, this is a very interesting book with many great characters. Even though I'm only on page 182 I can tell something is going to change within one of them because of their different lifestyles. They still have to choose whether their love is forever, or just a summer they'll never forget. If they choose that their love is truly forever they will have to make many sacrifices in order for that to happen. But if it's just a summer they will never forget than maybe it's not worth all the trouble they are going through.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
“You heard about the fingerprints, huh? They just came in and told me about that a little while ago. They still think I took that snake. But I didn’t! I swear!”
In the book Nancy Drew #18, by Carolyn Keene, Nancy is trying to prove one of her good friends innocent. It is hard because every little bit of evidence is leading to say that he is guilty. But Nancy Drew is determined and will not give up until she proves him innocent (like he says he is).
Charlie Adams, the “guilty one” knows he’s innocent. I think he is a nice person who would't steal a thing especially a poisonous snake from the zoo. I’ve inferred that it is really hard to prove yourself innocent if every little bit of the evidence that the police has leads back to you. I know Charlie wouldn’t do such a thing. Then who would fake this and why? Based on the book, Charlie Adams is a really good guy who is locked up in jail for nothing and I believe he did no harm. Nancy is a smart, loving and a great detective; I know she will prove them wrong.
Things are not looking good for Charlie Adams. I feel really bad for him because even his friends are suspecting that he stole the snake. No one is sticking by him except for Nancy Drew. I hope Nancy can prove him innocent or it will be bad. I can tell, about the way he talks on the phone and directly to Nancy that he is innocent. “Nancy!” he cried, sounding both relieved and embarrassed as the clerk left the room. “They told me you where here. What are you doing here? Never mind-I don’t even know what I’m doing here; why should I know what your doing here?”. When will everyone realize that?
Charlie Adams, the “guilty one” knows he’s innocent. I think he is a nice person who would't steal a thing especially a poisonous snake from the zoo. I’ve inferred that it is really hard to prove yourself innocent if every little bit of the evidence that the police has leads back to you. I know Charlie wouldn’t do such a thing. Then who would fake this and why? Based on the book, Charlie Adams is a really good guy who is locked up in jail for nothing and I believe he did no harm. Nancy is a smart, loving and a great detective; I know she will prove them wrong.
Things are not looking good for Charlie Adams. I feel really bad for him because even his friends are suspecting that he stole the snake. No one is sticking by him except for Nancy Drew. I hope Nancy can prove him innocent or it will be bad. I can tell, about the way he talks on the phone and directly to Nancy that he is innocent. “Nancy!” he cried, sounding both relieved and embarrassed as the clerk left the room. “They told me you where here. What are you doing here? Never mind-I don’t even know what I’m doing here; why should I know what your doing here?”. When will everyone realize that?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
“It is much easier to be brave if you do not know everything.”
In the book Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry, Kira learns that Jamision, her defender/boss/leader is lying. He told her that her father is dead and was taken by beasts. In the beginning, I thought Jamision was trust-worthy but by the end, I found out that her was a lier.
In the beginning of the book, I thought Jamision was trust-worthy because he saved Kira from having to go to the field. He helped her and gave her anything she needed/wanted. I think he was nice and caring to help Kira even with her disabled leg. When he told Kira that her dad was dead and he actually saw the beasts take him away I was surprised. I knew I trusted him but it was a big surprise to Kira and myself. “Don’t forget, Kira,” he continued, “I saw your father taken by beasts. It was a hideous thing, terrible”. I trusted Jamision and his 3 syllable wisdom (each time you get older, you get one syllable added to your name) but something seemed fishy about the way he was acting all nice and goddie-goddie to Kira.
My feelings for Jamision kind of started to turn when Kira discovers that he locked a toddler with great talent inside the big castle/house. Then Kira realizes that she really isn’t really free, she always has to stay there and work; she can’t even sew what she wants to. I feel really bad for Kira because she starts to realize that this isn’t the life for her but she is forced now. Also, she talks to Jamision about beasts; how Anabella said that there is no such thing and men are just trying to scare you. Jamision overreacts and that makes me think that maybe Anabella is telling the truth and Jamision is hiding something. “She’s very old,” he said firmly. “It’s dangerous for her to speak that way. Her mind is beginning to wonder". But really, he is lying and Anabella is telling the truth. I think Jamision is a lier and he is just hiding something from the reader and most of all, Kira.
I realize that my inference is true by the end of the book. Jamision is hiding the fact from Kira that there are no beasts and that he tried to kill her father and maybe poisoned her mother into dying so her could have Kira’s wonderful talent all to himself. Her father says “Yes, he tried to find a place for me before. Jamision is the one who tried to kill me.” But when Kira meets her father at the end of the book she decides to stay with Jamision and try change the ways of living in their society.
I don't know if I agree with Kira's decision because even though Jamision took care of her all her life, he is a lier and that will never change. If I was Kira, I wouldn't of forgave Jamision that quickly and would have went to live with my poor old lonely dad. Maybe I would have tried to changed Jamision into a better person, I don't know. Although I question Kira's decision to stay with Jamision at the end of the book, I trust her to make the best decisions that will carry her through the rest of her life.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
"Stanford Wong? Are you Sarah Wong's little brother?" my teachers always ask. Eventually, when they find out that I am nothing like my sister, I can sense their disappointment. Sarah skipped a grade. So it only seems right that I flunk a grade to balance things out. Hey, maybe I'll be in Ripley's Believe It or Not! The headline will read: STANFORD WONG, THE ONLY STUPID CHINESE KID IN AMERICA!"
In the book Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee, Stanford gets put in summer school. His dad isn't happy about it. Stanford’s relationship with his father is upsetting because his dad doesn’t listen, isn’t supportive and is jealous of him.
When Stanford tries to talk to his dad, his dad doesn’t listen. When Stanford’s dad tells him he has to go to summer school, he doesn’t even want to hear what Stanford has to say. He leaves the room before anything else is said. Another example of when his dad doesn’t listen, is when his dad misses dinner several times on purpose. He knows Stanford and his wife wants to talk to him but still he doesn’t want to listen. As you can see, even when Stanford might have something important to say, his dad still doesn’t want to listen.
In the middle of the book, Stanford loses confidence in himself because his dad isn’t supportive. When Stanford improves from a F to a B+, his dad says “You could have done better, you could have gotten an A!” I think his dad is really mean not to say anything nice to Stanford, he improved a lot. Also, his dad keeps comparing him to his sister Sarah, who is a genius. It makes him sad to think his dad doesn’t believe that he can get an A! Instead of wanting to prove to his dad he can do it, he loses faith in himself- I know he could get an A. Besides all that, his dad never comes to his basketball games. It is sad because that’s where Stanford excels. It seems that Stanford’s dad doesn’t want to see his own son perform well (which is in basketball).
Eventually, Stanford learns that his dad might actually be jealous of him. Stanford is great at sports especially basketball. He thought his dad would be too but every time he offers to play with his dad, his dad rejects his offer. Then, he finds out from his grandma that his dad has always been really bad at sports. Stanford is really surprised about that news. Also, he learns that his dad was so bad that he couldn’t even do the monkey bars. Who can’t do the monkey bars? His dad also got teased a lot as a child. I think Stanford’s dad wanted to be a great student, so nobody would ask him if he was good at sports. It is clear, that Stanford’s dad probably wished to be Stanford growing up and is now jealous that Stanford has such an amazing talent for sports. Therefore that is probably why his dad won't come to any of his games.
Stanford learns it is challenging to live with his dad (like any relationship, it has it's ups and downs). Although it was hard to live with his dad (because he didn’t listen, wasn’t supportive and is jealous of him) Stanford dealt with these problems delicately (for a guy). It definitely showed a different side of him. By the end of the book, Stanford and his father built a stronger relationship and I think really connected in a "father-son" kind of way.
When Stanford tries to talk to his dad, his dad doesn’t listen. When Stanford’s dad tells him he has to go to summer school, he doesn’t even want to hear what Stanford has to say. He leaves the room before anything else is said. Another example of when his dad doesn’t listen, is when his dad misses dinner several times on purpose. He knows Stanford and his wife wants to talk to him but still he doesn’t want to listen. As you can see, even when Stanford might have something important to say, his dad still doesn’t want to listen.
In the middle of the book, Stanford loses confidence in himself because his dad isn’t supportive. When Stanford improves from a F to a B+, his dad says “You could have done better, you could have gotten an A!” I think his dad is really mean not to say anything nice to Stanford, he improved a lot. Also, his dad keeps comparing him to his sister Sarah, who is a genius. It makes him sad to think his dad doesn’t believe that he can get an A! Instead of wanting to prove to his dad he can do it, he loses faith in himself- I know he could get an A. Besides all that, his dad never comes to his basketball games. It is sad because that’s where Stanford excels. It seems that Stanford’s dad doesn’t want to see his own son perform well (which is in basketball).
Eventually, Stanford learns that his dad might actually be jealous of him. Stanford is great at sports especially basketball. He thought his dad would be too but every time he offers to play with his dad, his dad rejects his offer. Then, he finds out from his grandma that his dad has always been really bad at sports. Stanford is really surprised about that news. Also, he learns that his dad was so bad that he couldn’t even do the monkey bars. Who can’t do the monkey bars? His dad also got teased a lot as a child. I think Stanford’s dad wanted to be a great student, so nobody would ask him if he was good at sports. It is clear, that Stanford’s dad probably wished to be Stanford growing up and is now jealous that Stanford has such an amazing talent for sports. Therefore that is probably why his dad won't come to any of his games.
Stanford learns it is challenging to live with his dad (like any relationship, it has it's ups and downs). Although it was hard to live with his dad (because he didn’t listen, wasn’t supportive and is jealous of him) Stanford dealt with these problems delicately (for a guy). It definitely showed a different side of him. By the end of the book, Stanford and his father built a stronger relationship and I think really connected in a "father-son" kind of way.
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