So today i went on a 7 hour hike at Mt Tomepias or something similar to that. This whole summer i wasn't really planning to blog until the very end and have a nice recap, but this is so out of the blue i have to share with you Mr Sutherland!
I was hiking in a nice shady area when a blur to my right comes racing down the steep slope. Thinking it was a rock i didn't pay attention to it as it tumbled to my feet. Naturally i didn't stop since it was only a rock in my mind but it turned out to be a bird. I have no idea if the bird was running extremely fast or if it was just falling but it came right across my left foot as my stride took motion, sadly kicking the bird. Luckily i didn't severely hurt it and it flew away after that incident, but it made my heart pound.
Well that was very surprising to me.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
final finale
The year has come to an end!!! I'm gonna miss you during summer Sutherland we can e-mail, but it'll be scarce since im going to indonesia!! If after/before i come back from indonesia you need help with your house, i would love to be of service!
3.Explain one or two ways audience feedback helped you grow over the semester. (It doesn't have to be stuff Sutherland said.)
One of my favorite aspects of blogging is how people give you feedback; it's a real eye opener. When someone posts a comment onto your blog, I can't help but get a little giddy when someone took the time to respond to your own ideas. Once someone does post a comment you get to start a conversation on something you know the other person is interested in, or at least has some knowledge in. It's an amazing feeling when you blog about a certain subject and a professional in that area tells you what they think. A couple months back i did a book report on an amazing book called American Shaolin. It was an amazing read and it was stuck in my head so i decided to blog about it. Admittedly i didn't really put as much effort into the book review as i should have, but his(the author) reply made me feel amazing. Here i am, a high school student, receiving feedback from an author who doesn't even know me!! Receiving comments from friends and Mr. Sutherland is a good feeling also, but just isn't quite the same as the author of a book you read. Comments really make you put more effort into what you write about. I found myself writing for people who i knew would read it; trying my best to write in such a way that they would definitely respond. This would either turn out in a good way or completely horrible. Best case scenario i would write specifically to one person, and having several people comment back with their own ideas creating a whole new chat. The worest thing that would happen is you write for one person, and no one finds it interesting besides the ONE person.
Something i found a little hard to do was actually have a conversation through comments. I had no idea if someone commented on old posts and what not so i wasn't sure if a conversation was actually in the process. In the end i pretty much decided if I would continue the conversation I would do it in person. Sadly, that only works if ALL of your friends are in one town, which mine are not.
4.How do the things you read influence what you write about or how you write it?
Things i read heavily influence the way i write indefinitely. When I'm reading a specifically interesting book I cant help but reflect that style in my own blog/writing works. When i was reading Unwind The writing style was so amazing i tried to do it in my own creative writing. It was completely new to me, and very confusing for readers, but it was still a fun experience. With this style you jump back and forth between perspectives each chapter. I took it into my own way and used it each paragraph, which is a lot more confusing. Unwind was also a pretty dark book and my zombie post was quite the match.
I've noticed that as i read more my writing style and subjects have been broadened. I'm just like a sponge, and books are my dirty water that i must, MUST, absorb. Reading books is not only reflected in my writing, but with everything i do. It is dramatically changing the way i write from week to week and month to month. I believe writing reviews and letters about books you have recently read is good as making the book solid in your head. I understand and retain more from a book after i read it AND wrote a hefty some about it. This is a major key in how i understand and connect with material i read.
I was kind of hoping to read more class books; as in the whole class read the same book. I know not everybody will like the book as much as if they chose their own, but i think the responses would make up for that. 30 different minds all analyzing a single book in way, how could that not be interesting? I believe strong discussion can teach us more then any lecture.
8.For the second semester only: Do you plan on continuing to publish writing on your blog this summer, next year, or beyond? If so, what are your writing goals and how will you use your blog in the future?
Of course I'm going to be blogging when this is all over. Granted i will undoubtedly take a rather long break, but everyone needs to recharge after school right? Blogging has been a wonderful experience that i don't want to let slip away just because it's no longer an assignment. Blogging has been an amazing outlet to release everything in one place. Where friends ( I consider you a friend...if thats ok(?)) can scan over whats on your mind and learn a tad more about you. I'm very interested in the future things i will write as i go through high school. I am very hopeful I will mature in my writing in subject and structure.
This year I have been pretty laid back with my writing. Subjects that i found off the internet and my wandering mind were the main focus. I think i would love to get prompts online from website and dedicate a month to only blogging about that particular subject. I believe it would help me focus my mind. I would also be forced to go in depth with the prompt that i chose, which i think would be an amazing feat.
Another reason why I would continue my blog throughout high school and perhaps even further then that, is to show off what is IN my head. I have quite the imagination, and i love writing stories. I love getting feedback on anything i write. What easier pace to receive feedback then at a site dedicated to public posts?
Sutherland, I'm gonna miss your class so much. If your still here next year ill be looking forward to seeing you walk around or even possibly get inside your class. The year has been full of interesting conversations and life skills that i will cherish. I hope next year will be full of knowledge and even more engaging students then this year. See ya later~
3.Explain one or two ways audience feedback helped you grow over the semester. (It doesn't have to be stuff Sutherland said.)
One of my favorite aspects of blogging is how people give you feedback; it's a real eye opener. When someone posts a comment onto your blog, I can't help but get a little giddy when someone took the time to respond to your own ideas. Once someone does post a comment you get to start a conversation on something you know the other person is interested in, or at least has some knowledge in. It's an amazing feeling when you blog about a certain subject and a professional in that area tells you what they think. A couple months back i did a book report on an amazing book called American Shaolin. It was an amazing read and it was stuck in my head so i decided to blog about it. Admittedly i didn't really put as much effort into the book review as i should have, but his(the author) reply made me feel amazing. Here i am, a high school student, receiving feedback from an author who doesn't even know me!! Receiving comments from friends and Mr. Sutherland is a good feeling also, but just isn't quite the same as the author of a book you read. Comments really make you put more effort into what you write about. I found myself writing for people who i knew would read it; trying my best to write in such a way that they would definitely respond. This would either turn out in a good way or completely horrible. Best case scenario i would write specifically to one person, and having several people comment back with their own ideas creating a whole new chat. The worest thing that would happen is you write for one person, and no one finds it interesting besides the ONE person.
Something i found a little hard to do was actually have a conversation through comments. I had no idea if someone commented on old posts and what not so i wasn't sure if a conversation was actually in the process. In the end i pretty much decided if I would continue the conversation I would do it in person. Sadly, that only works if ALL of your friends are in one town, which mine are not.
4.How do the things you read influence what you write about or how you write it?
Things i read heavily influence the way i write indefinitely. When I'm reading a specifically interesting book I cant help but reflect that style in my own blog/writing works. When i was reading Unwind The writing style was so amazing i tried to do it in my own creative writing. It was completely new to me, and very confusing for readers, but it was still a fun experience. With this style you jump back and forth between perspectives each chapter. I took it into my own way and used it each paragraph, which is a lot more confusing. Unwind was also a pretty dark book and my zombie post was quite the match.
I've noticed that as i read more my writing style and subjects have been broadened. I'm just like a sponge, and books are my dirty water that i must, MUST, absorb. Reading books is not only reflected in my writing, but with everything i do. It is dramatically changing the way i write from week to week and month to month. I believe writing reviews and letters about books you have recently read is good as making the book solid in your head. I understand and retain more from a book after i read it AND wrote a hefty some about it. This is a major key in how i understand and connect with material i read.
I was kind of hoping to read more class books; as in the whole class read the same book. I know not everybody will like the book as much as if they chose their own, but i think the responses would make up for that. 30 different minds all analyzing a single book in way, how could that not be interesting? I believe strong discussion can teach us more then any lecture.
8.For the second semester only: Do you plan on continuing to publish writing on your blog this summer, next year, or beyond? If so, what are your writing goals and how will you use your blog in the future?
Of course I'm going to be blogging when this is all over. Granted i will undoubtedly take a rather long break, but everyone needs to recharge after school right? Blogging has been a wonderful experience that i don't want to let slip away just because it's no longer an assignment. Blogging has been an amazing outlet to release everything in one place. Where friends ( I consider you a friend...if thats ok(?)) can scan over whats on your mind and learn a tad more about you. I'm very interested in the future things i will write as i go through high school. I am very hopeful I will mature in my writing in subject and structure.
This year I have been pretty laid back with my writing. Subjects that i found off the internet and my wandering mind were the main focus. I think i would love to get prompts online from website and dedicate a month to only blogging about that particular subject. I believe it would help me focus my mind. I would also be forced to go in depth with the prompt that i chose, which i think would be an amazing feat.
Another reason why I would continue my blog throughout high school and perhaps even further then that, is to show off what is IN my head. I have quite the imagination, and i love writing stories. I love getting feedback on anything i write. What easier pace to receive feedback then at a site dedicated to public posts?
Sutherland, I'm gonna miss your class so much. If your still here next year ill be looking forward to seeing you walk around or even possibly get inside your class. The year has been full of interesting conversations and life skills that i will cherish. I hope next year will be full of knowledge and even more engaging students then this year. See ya later~
The secret to free energy
"
If you want to find a completely free energy source, step outside and look up at that big ball of electric flame.
"
i liked it, so i posted it
If you want to find a completely free energy source, step outside and look up at that big ball of electric flame.
"
i liked it, so i posted it
Friday, June 4, 2010
for kyle
In post 9-11 world, Islam is often mis-characterized as having a violent, chaotic, and authoritarian mind set. However, today in Indonesia, Islam thrives as an aid for democracy and is relatively peaceful. Indonesia is a prime example of a growing Islamic nation that has become more and more successful. The relationship between Islam and the Indonesian government proves to be rather productive; Islam in Indonesia is also open to modern thoughts of women rights, it is tolerant of other religions (foreigners and tourists shouldn't be afraid of visiting), and helps citizens focus on what they want, but at the same time be happy and have control with their lives. Islam was first introduced in Indonesia in the 14th century, but has now become the main religion within Indonesia. Islam is extremely important to Indonesians even if they aren't following every single rule precisely. It's the major guidelines of their life, but most do not have their whole life revolve around it. Islam in Indonesia has been a unifying force that has support/aided democracy, helped Indonesian citizens unite as one, influence over lifestyle, and has been a helpful tool to work beside other countries.
To understand why Islam stayed strong as the main religion within Indonesia you need to know it's background. Islam was first brought to the island of Java, within Indonesia, in the 14th century most likely from trading with India. The Javanese people already were deeply influenced with Hindu and Buddhist ways. Islam brought over a universal (-ish) form of writing, making communication and transactions simpler. Javanese people already had a strong belief in animism (belief in which inanimate objects have spirits) so they gladly accepted Islamic teachings, as Islam has a sense of mysticism to it. “In AD 1633, Sultan Agung, the greatest king of the Mataram dynasty, replaced the Indian Shaka calendar, which began in AD 78 and which had been used in Javanese courts since Hindu-Buddhist times.” Islam was able to stay in Java and spread to the other Indonesian islands because Islam already backed up many of their previous beliefs, it wasn’t a major change.
Indonesia is full of aspects that constantly remind you, that your in a Muslim country. With all of these constant reminders, you really get a sense of how united the Islamic people in Indonesia are. When you are in Indonesia you will constantly see sirens and towers every where you go. These are not for disaster warning (however they would be used as such give the circumstance) rather a siren that calls Muslim people to pray. When you are following the rules of Islam, it is normal to pray seven times a day. At certain points of the day the siren will go off and if your not doing something incredibly important then you should pray. However, in modern times the working man has very little time in which he can find a peaceful place to pray. If you are extremely religious then you may have to plan your entire days around the siren. When it is time to pray you will see a mass of people praying or moving to a Mosque to pray, a humbling sight.
The common image of a Muslim woman is clothed head to toe, normally in dark colors, with tiny slits for eyesight. That is mainly the Middle Eastern women who are dressed like that. The lifestyle for women in Indonesia is extremely more western compared to Middle Eastern outfits. While still more modest then Western clothing Indonesian women aren’t required to wear headscarves or full body covers. This may seem like a minor thing, but it is a huge step in women equality in the Islam religion. Although men are still getting paid higher and receiving better jobs, sex equality is taking tremendous leaps forward. Indonesia has already gotten a woman as the president, beating the U.S. in a woman leader. If a Muslim nation can have a woman as their leader of state, then says a lot about the progression of equality among Islamic democracies. “The Qur'an is very positive about women. In the story of Creation, women and men are created from the same cells, so usually scholars say that means that men and women are the same before God.” To some people the Qur’an may be saying a certain message that is a complete opposite from someone else who reads the same passage.
Islam in politics has been like a roller coaster ride in the past couple decades of democracy. Currently even though 85% of people within Indonesia say Islam is how they would describe their religious standing, the Islamic political party keeps getting lower percentages. Indonesia is said to be the role model of democracy within Islamic nations. "Moreover, this Indonesianized form of Islam bore none of the severity and rigidity attributed to Middle Eastern forms, earning it praise for its moderation and tolerance. Some scholars even approvingly observed that large numbers of Muslims appeared lax in their devotions and heedless of all but the most basic requirements of Islamic law," Greg Fealy and Sally White note. (10)" This "lax" nature of the Indonesian people could be the decline of religious involvement within politics. This in no way means that democracy is being hurt, but rather that politcal leaders are making decisions with reasoning rather then purely religion.
To understand why Islam stayed strong as the main religion within Indonesia you need to know it's background. Islam was first brought to the island of Java, within Indonesia, in the 14th century most likely from trading with India. The Javanese people already were deeply influenced with Hindu and Buddhist ways. Islam brought over a universal (-ish) form of writing, making communication and transactions simpler. Javanese people already had a strong belief in animism (belief in which inanimate objects have spirits) so they gladly accepted Islamic teachings, as Islam has a sense of mysticism to it. “In AD 1633, Sultan Agung, the greatest king of the Mataram dynasty, replaced the Indian Shaka calendar, which began in AD 78 and which had been used in Javanese courts since Hindu-Buddhist times.” Islam was able to stay in Java and spread to the other Indonesian islands because Islam already backed up many of their previous beliefs, it wasn’t a major change.
Indonesia is full of aspects that constantly remind you, that your in a Muslim country. With all of these constant reminders, you really get a sense of how united the Islamic people in Indonesia are. When you are in Indonesia you will constantly see sirens and towers every where you go. These are not for disaster warning (however they would be used as such give the circumstance) rather a siren that calls Muslim people to pray. When you are following the rules of Islam, it is normal to pray seven times a day. At certain points of the day the siren will go off and if your not doing something incredibly important then you should pray. However, in modern times the working man has very little time in which he can find a peaceful place to pray. If you are extremely religious then you may have to plan your entire days around the siren. When it is time to pray you will see a mass of people praying or moving to a Mosque to pray, a humbling sight.
The common image of a Muslim woman is clothed head to toe, normally in dark colors, with tiny slits for eyesight. That is mainly the Middle Eastern women who are dressed like that. The lifestyle for women in Indonesia is extremely more western compared to Middle Eastern outfits. While still more modest then Western clothing Indonesian women aren’t required to wear headscarves or full body covers. This may seem like a minor thing, but it is a huge step in women equality in the Islam religion. Although men are still getting paid higher and receiving better jobs, sex equality is taking tremendous leaps forward. Indonesia has already gotten a woman as the president, beating the U.S. in a woman leader. If a Muslim nation can have a woman as their leader of state, then says a lot about the progression of equality among Islamic democracies. “The Qur'an is very positive about women. In the story of Creation, women and men are created from the same cells, so usually scholars say that means that men and women are the same before God.” To some people the Qur’an may be saying a certain message that is a complete opposite from someone else who reads the same passage.
Islam in politics has been like a roller coaster ride in the past couple decades of democracy. Currently even though 85% of people within Indonesia say Islam is how they would describe their religious standing, the Islamic political party keeps getting lower percentages. Indonesia is said to be the role model of democracy within Islamic nations. "Moreover, this Indonesianized form of Islam bore none of the severity and rigidity attributed to Middle Eastern forms, earning it praise for its moderation and tolerance. Some scholars even approvingly observed that large numbers of Muslims appeared lax in their devotions and heedless of all but the most basic requirements of Islamic law," Greg Fealy and Sally White note. (10)" This "lax" nature of the Indonesian people could be the decline of religious involvement within politics. This in no way means that democracy is being hurt, but rather that politcal leaders are making decisions with reasoning rather then purely religion.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
♫Unwind the finale♪
1.What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
2.For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
3.Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.
The book that my group is centered on is titled, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, a teen adventure in a dystopia of the world. The novel is mainly focused on how Connor, Risa, and Lev run away, escaping their fate of being Unwinds. As you read Unwind you will find Shusterman's style of writing awkward at first, but i found that it was written in such a way that kept me interested. Point of view changes from chapter to chapter, which, admittedly kept the story at a quick pace and less boring. At first the three strangers could hardly put up with each other, but as they spent time surviving with each other bonds were quickly formed. In a world where the dis-assembling of "unruly" teens is widely accepted how will this bunch manage to continue living? I would recommend this book to anyone who would put the time to reflect on what they read. I wouldn't want this book to be simply read over without taking it to heart.
Mr. Shusterman throws out so many messages/purposes in this book like there's no tomorrow.
This novel is directed, quite obviously, towards the teenage audience. First chapter of the book is about Connor's relationship with a girl, and how she screws him over. The age of the main characters are ranging from 13-17. I believe Shusterman created this book with how teens feel towards adults in mind. How adults feel as though teens are just stupid versions of themselves and need to be trained to be on the same level as them.
People who have been adopted will really relate to Risa, since she grew up in a homestead and it is brought up how that has effected the her way of thinking. Another group of people who i think would enjoy-err, well OK maybe not enjoy, but really reflect on what the author is saying are people who have had transplants or donated part of their body. I know i would be thoroughly freaked out if i had the same conditions(read the book, no spoilers!!) Cy-Fi had. The whole thing makes me want to be an organ donor in case I'm ever in a life threatening car crash or something else that's fatal.
Lev, the youngest of the two, and the most religious of the little gang has been my person of interest. Lev is the tenth child and the religious law states that a family must give up 1/10 of its goods. Lev has been up for an Unwinding his whole life, and on his 13th birthday he has a great party to see him off.
Once Lev becomes kidnapped by Connor he immediately plots his escape, showing he is not completely dense. As he attempts his escape, in which he had several chances, he chose some very dense options. I see Lev as the authors way of speaking about humanity. It'll believe most of what the world tells it, until one day the one thing snaps us out of our mindless daze and we come to our senses. As Lev matures he becomes more violent and angry with the world. As humans become an older species we too are constantly developing weapons and numerous ways to hurt each other. Lev becomes a clapper, no turning back in his mind set. Lev knows what he is going to do and nothing will stop him. The determination we all have and as a whole species our determination is immense. All in all Lev eventually snaps out of his delusional trance and saves Connor from death. Perhaps humans as a species can still turn around. Perhaps our Connor is the Earth. We just keeping pushing it's limits until we finally take note that it just won't survive without our positive interference and/or stop messing with the Earth.
Could you imagine having to Unwind Mars and putting some its parts on to Earth? Pretty crazy but i think it would be hilarious...if it happens i want credit for thinking of it!
2.For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
3.Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.
The book that my group is centered on is titled, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, a teen adventure in a dystopia of the world. The novel is mainly focused on how Connor, Risa, and Lev run away, escaping their fate of being Unwinds. As you read Unwind you will find Shusterman's style of writing awkward at first, but i found that it was written in such a way that kept me interested. Point of view changes from chapter to chapter, which, admittedly kept the story at a quick pace and less boring. At first the three strangers could hardly put up with each other, but as they spent time surviving with each other bonds were quickly formed. In a world where the dis-assembling of "unruly" teens is widely accepted how will this bunch manage to continue living? I would recommend this book to anyone who would put the time to reflect on what they read. I wouldn't want this book to be simply read over without taking it to heart.
Mr. Shusterman throws out so many messages/purposes in this book like there's no tomorrow.
"I was asking if unwinding kills you, or if it leaves you alive somehow. C'mon—it's not like we haven't thought about it." (...)If you don't know what unwinding is here is a link to a previous blog its the paragraph before first quote. The problem addressed here is what happens to you after you essentially die. The reasonable response to this question would be, "Only one way to find out" a bit extreme, but there is no other way to find it for sure. The factor of unwinding comes in now, if 99.44% of you is still alive/functioning are you alive? If you give an organ to another person (lets say part of your brain), then you die soon after, are you still alive within the other person? Shusterman wants you to really ponder about this subject, although it can scare the shit out of many people (myself included), it's a very good question that can make you truely explore your real feelings on life.
What do you think, Connor?" asks Hayden. "What happens to your soul when you get unwound?"
"...One thing you learn when you've lived as long as I have-people aren't all good, and people aren't all bad. We move in and out of darkness and light all of our lives. Right now, I'm pleased to be in the light."Shusterman is trying to relay the commonly used message of not everything is completely black/evil or white/good, but rather a mixture of the two always changing, and never being equal. I don't really think about my own good to evil ratio often, and i think Shusterman is trying to get readers to pay attention and be more self aware of our actions.
This novel is directed, quite obviously, towards the teenage audience. First chapter of the book is about Connor's relationship with a girl, and how she screws him over. The age of the main characters are ranging from 13-17. I believe Shusterman created this book with how teens feel towards adults in mind. How adults feel as though teens are just stupid versions of themselves and need to be trained to be on the same level as them.
"...(After Risa convinces a lady to give her clothes and food for a "school activity")..."What can i say? I'm an artist," she says. "It's like playing the piano; you just have to know which keys to strike in people."Risa obviously knows how to get her way with adults who think they are superior in intellect by being sly. Risa definitely is smarter then the average adult in any world. That being said, adults can still love this book and would also enjoy it just as much as a teen would. All of the things Shusterman writes about is applicable to both age groups. "Unwinding" and "storking" are very much real in our world, it is just not widely accepted by the public, yet.
People who have been adopted will really relate to Risa, since she grew up in a homestead and it is brought up how that has effected the her way of thinking. Another group of people who i think would enjoy-err, well OK maybe not enjoy, but really reflect on what the author is saying are people who have had transplants or donated part of their body. I know i would be thoroughly freaked out if i had the same conditions(read the book, no spoilers!!) Cy-Fi had. The whole thing makes me want to be an organ donor in case I'm ever in a life threatening car crash or something else that's fatal.
Lev, the youngest of the two, and the most religious of the little gang has been my person of interest. Lev is the tenth child and the religious law states that a family must give up 1/10 of its goods. Lev has been up for an Unwinding his whole life, and on his 13th birthday he has a great party to see him off.
"...He's had his entire life to prepare for this-it should have been enough. He knew he was a tithe from the time he was little..."Your life will be to serve God, and mankind." "Lev has been taught his whole life that being a sacrifice is a honorary privilege and to be proud. He's been taught this from when he was so young that he knows its correct. This is where i believe Shusterman is telling us how we shove all of this "knowledge" down the throats of our own kids at such an early age, that we are training them to become what we want them to be, instead of letting them mature on their own and grow their own opinions.
Once Lev becomes kidnapped by Connor he immediately plots his escape, showing he is not completely dense. As he attempts his escape, in which he had several chances, he chose some very dense options. I see Lev as the authors way of speaking about humanity. It'll believe most of what the world tells it, until one day the one thing snaps us out of our mindless daze and we come to our senses. As Lev matures he becomes more violent and angry with the world. As humans become an older species we too are constantly developing weapons and numerous ways to hurt each other. Lev becomes a clapper, no turning back in his mind set. Lev knows what he is going to do and nothing will stop him. The determination we all have and as a whole species our determination is immense. All in all Lev eventually snaps out of his delusional trance and saves Connor from death. Perhaps humans as a species can still turn around. Perhaps our Connor is the Earth. We just keeping pushing it's limits until we finally take note that it just won't survive without our positive interference and/or stop messing with the Earth.
Could you imagine having to Unwind Mars and putting some its parts on to Earth? Pretty crazy but i think it would be hilarious...if it happens i want credit for thinking of it!
"Nice Shoes"
Friday, May 21, 2010
future career(s)
First i would like to clearly state that I HAVE NO FUXIN IDEA WHAT I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP. Ok, thats false i really want to rule the world when i grow up >:3
The first thing that i would like to try at first i guess is being an author. I like to think that I have some sort of creativity. I dont really try to write about anything with too deep of a meaning or realistic. I use writing as a means of getting away from my real life when it's too boring, or when too much is happening. I can create MY own world then shamefully tr to get compliments from my friends. Seems more like a hobby at the moment, sadly. Apprently I cant keep focused and continue just ONE story. I have to create like 7 and only write a chapter or each before i get stuck or find it boring. I do love writing, but i think i should work on short stories more then a whole novel.
A field of interest i am obsessed with is space. Almost everything about it interests me. Learning about new planets that's around our solar system is also fascinating. Possible life in space is what has the majority of my attention. I probably wouldn't even mind if they were hostile, kinda weird...i mean unusual. Just the idea of another species, not even intelligent, living on another planet is an idea that puts joy into my life. Space travel and light speed are two subjects separated by a thin line. Without light speed traveling in space with current technology that the public is aware of isn't worth the amount of time that is needed. Oh space how i love thee so.. alas mathematics is our one strong defiance. Without having to deal with math then space and i would be the perfect match.
Marine biology is very close to home. My grandfatha used to study horse shoe crabs blood or some other stuff with marine life. What excites me with this subject is the potential of studying and finding new species. That is probably the closest i will ever get to an "alien" life form. The study of creatures under the huge pressure of the oceans is also something very complex that i would like to know more about. Some marine animals can thrive miles below the surface yet are sometimes seen near the surface, indicating that they have very adaptive bodies. The first "immortal" animal is a jellyfish.....cah ray zee
Something that i really would like to do is be a teacher. The idea just seems so awesome, i get to be the smartest one in the room and share everything i "know" with who ever is willing to listen. It feels like i should get a job first then after awhile step down to teaching and be "that one really old but still hella cool" teacher. Ahem.
I guess i just have too many things i wanna do. But in reality not too many are practical for me. I'm not very sure what i excel in quite yet, but as of now those are my top interests.
What do you think i should be?
The first thing that i would like to try at first i guess is being an author. I like to think that I have some sort of creativity. I dont really try to write about anything with too deep of a meaning or realistic. I use writing as a means of getting away from my real life when it's too boring, or when too much is happening. I can create MY own world then shamefully tr to get compliments from my friends. Seems more like a hobby at the moment, sadly. Apprently I cant keep focused and continue just ONE story. I have to create like 7 and only write a chapter or each before i get stuck or find it boring. I do love writing, but i think i should work on short stories more then a whole novel.
A field of interest i am obsessed with is space. Almost everything about it interests me. Learning about new planets that's around our solar system is also fascinating. Possible life in space is what has the majority of my attention. I probably wouldn't even mind if they were hostile, kinda weird...i mean unusual. Just the idea of another species, not even intelligent, living on another planet is an idea that puts joy into my life. Space travel and light speed are two subjects separated by a thin line. Without light speed traveling in space with current technology that the public is aware of isn't worth the amount of time that is needed. Oh space how i love thee so.. alas mathematics is our one strong defiance. Without having to deal with math then space and i would be the perfect match.
Marine biology is very close to home. My grandfatha used to study horse shoe crabs blood or some other stuff with marine life. What excites me with this subject is the potential of studying and finding new species. That is probably the closest i will ever get to an "alien" life form. The study of creatures under the huge pressure of the oceans is also something very complex that i would like to know more about. Some marine animals can thrive miles below the surface yet are sometimes seen near the surface, indicating that they have very adaptive bodies. The first "immortal" animal is a jellyfish.....cah ray zee
Something that i really would like to do is be a teacher. The idea just seems so awesome, i get to be the smartest one in the room and share everything i "know" with who ever is willing to listen. It feels like i should get a job first then after awhile step down to teaching and be "that one really old but still hella cool" teacher. Ahem.
I guess i just have too many things i wanna do. But in reality not too many are practical for me. I'm not very sure what i excel in quite yet, but as of now those are my top interests.
What do you think i should be?
lit circle 3
Ill dive right into the quote this time around.
In a world as messed up as the world in Unwind, anarchists have the perfect place to act up in. Anarchy extremists can only thrive in a setting thats corrupt. In a world FULL of teenagers on the run from being chopped up into pieces I doubt it would be hard to convince to convince a kid to become an extremist. Imagine if the whole society you live in want you dead for something you don't even have control off, such as blood type or looking at a higher up the wrong way, or even being the tenth child in the family. Then comes along Mr. sleazy feeding you how the world is agaisnt you and needs to be "rocked" ,and even better by your own hands!! Boom a clapper is born. I would love to shake the world with my own might, but not as badly as to become a clapper, and probably a tad more productive then a clapper. People who feel the need to "to a force of nature" unto the world are adrenaline junkies who need the rush to feel better. The person who i quoted got killed in a riot, he died smiling because he was able to witness a giant riot at his last moments.
HOLY SHIT, THAT SCENE WILL GIVE ME NIGHTMARES FOREVER. Instead of being normal about and knocking you out during the process you HAVE to be awake. They take out your blood and give you a different fluid that gives your organs oxygen. You feel a comfortablenesses and tugging at limbs and as they work their way up your body they take away sections of the table our laying on. Then as they work on your brain, taking it apart bit by bit, memories flash by then disappear. Senses, names, memories all flash then fade until a comfortable rest takes over your sense of mind..then nothing. THATS JUST TOO SCARY FOR ME TO GO THROUGH. I would hate that more then anything. Nightmares are inspired by that one scene, its dark, but i love it =(. This scene is probably the most memorable to me.
Later guys~
"...We believe in randomness... We believe in forces of nature-and WE are forces of nature. We are havoc. We're chaos. We mess with the world... It dosnt matter who or what we mess with, just as long as we mess. The way we see it, the world dosent move if things dont get shaken up..."
In a world as messed up as the world in Unwind, anarchists have the perfect place to act up in. Anarchy extremists can only thrive in a setting thats corrupt. In a world FULL of teenagers on the run from being chopped up into pieces I doubt it would be hard to convince to convince a kid to become an extremist. Imagine if the whole society you live in want you dead for something you don't even have control off, such as blood type or looking at a higher up the wrong way, or even being the tenth child in the family. Then comes along Mr. sleazy feeding you how the world is agaisnt you and needs to be "rocked" ,and even better by your own hands!! Boom a clapper is born. I would love to shake the world with my own might, but not as badly as to become a clapper, and probably a tad more productive then a clapper. People who feel the need to "to a force of nature" unto the world are adrenaline junkies who need the rush to feel better. The person who i quoted got killed in a riot, he died smiling because he was able to witness a giant riot at his last moments.
"the whole process of being unwound"
HOLY SHIT, THAT SCENE WILL GIVE ME NIGHTMARES FOREVER. Instead of being normal about and knocking you out during the process you HAVE to be awake. They take out your blood and give you a different fluid that gives your organs oxygen. You feel a comfortablenesses and tugging at limbs and as they work their way up your body they take away sections of the table our laying on. Then as they work on your brain, taking it apart bit by bit, memories flash by then disappear. Senses, names, memories all flash then fade until a comfortable rest takes over your sense of mind..then nothing. THATS JUST TOO SCARY FOR ME TO GO THROUGH. I would hate that more then anything. Nightmares are inspired by that one scene, its dark, but i love it =(. This scene is probably the most memorable to me.
Later guys~
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Love (made to be edited later)
A lot of the "rules" of love do come from the mass media. Romantic movies play with the "standard bar" of what you should be doing with your significant other. Online porn may give you a feeling of what what the normals is, but may be complete actions to your partner. No doubt an exposure to TV, the internet, and advertising in general affect the general person in a significant way. People are just too embarressed to admit that they have no idea what to do so they have to steal ideas and actions from things they see and have been TAUGHT to do. In a perfect world (my mind) everyone would ignore the bs that is being shoved down our throats, and have an honest talk with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Talk about things your comfortable with and stuff thats not acceptable to you. If it's too uncomfortable to talk about things such as this pass notes, but stay in person. The only thing making us suspectable to the what the media feeds is is our own egos. We MUST be the best at everything and not show flaws so we subconsciously take notes on things that "work" from movies or other forms of media.
Guy's imaginations run amok when they think of doing the "wrong" thing. "If i kiss her she'll slap me or definetly kick in the balls." I can't say I've ever seen someone seriously do that to their boyfriend. The only place where i can remember seeing anything remotely similar to that kind of action is in movies. In reality the worst thing that i have been through or seen is just a really awkward moment. Of course we hate going through those, its not as bad as a kick to the family jewels. When girls think about doing something "wrong" i think they take it even worse. A lot of my friend girls always tell me that they did so and so and now they were terrified their boyfriend would break up with them. Well sure some boys would break up with girls for stupid reasons, but most of the time we are just happy your trying stuff with only us. So I think the only real consequence of doing somthing wrong with your partner is just a few moments of awkwardness that you could easily laugh off.
Rules that dictate what a couple do these days i think mainly relies on your friends. Those are the only people who i feel i care what they think about me. What they talk about and what they share can shape what you do with your partner.
Guy's imaginations run amok when they think of doing the "wrong" thing. "If i kiss her she'll slap me or definetly kick in the balls." I can't say I've ever seen someone seriously do that to their boyfriend. The only place where i can remember seeing anything remotely similar to that kind of action is in movies. In reality the worst thing that i have been through or seen is just a really awkward moment. Of course we hate going through those, its not as bad as a kick to the family jewels. When girls think about doing something "wrong" i think they take it even worse. A lot of my friend girls always tell me that they did so and so and now they were terrified their boyfriend would break up with them. Well sure some boys would break up with girls for stupid reasons, but most of the time we are just happy your trying stuff with only us. So I think the only real consequence of doing somthing wrong with your partner is just a few moments of awkwardness that you could easily laugh off.
Rules that dictate what a couple do these days i think mainly relies on your friends. Those are the only people who i feel i care what they think about me. What they talk about and what they share can shape what you do with your partner.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Unwind letter 2
Ok so im going to try to do something a tad different, sorry if this ruins your whole plan Mr. S. Instead of picking my own quotes I am going to take one quote from my partners and write my own opinions of the specific segment(damn i cant find tim's blog, ill do his quote later expect an edited updated version). Perhaps this way we will have something better to talk about since it will be directly related.
Second part of the book is just as exciting as the first. Reaching people who actually care about the Unwinds shows us there is still hope for the "troublesome" children. They may just have a chance to escape their cruel world and make a living, literally. Connor and Risa's relationship is becoming more evident and is blooming into something with significance. While Connor and Risa are being transported to several different safe houses, Lev is on an adventure of his own. Lev meets a person who has received part of a brain from an Unwound kid. We see how it effects his being as a whole and how he views of having a part of him thats not acutally him. After that whole ordeal Lev manages to get his way into the same safe zone Connor and Risa are residing in. I don't really know what else to tell you about the story without giving massive spoilers, I would be devastated to ruin an AMAZING book for someone who hasn't read this before.
Lev, the kid who used to be a little wimp about everything. The kid who blindly followed the every word his parents told him. Who actually accepted the idea of being Unwound. We;; obviously that has changed, he is not a total badass. I never imagined someone with his mind set would be able to talk to Connor in such a way. The whole ordeal of running from the authority i guess can change your whole being, is what i am getting from this scene. A dark process that every Unwind has been through and utterly changed their whole characteristic. I wonder if i would be able to stay "Adam" if i knew society was fine with me being killed and encouraged the pursuit of my limbs.
Tim i will take your quote after i contact you and get your blogger address.
Second part of the book is just as exciting as the first. Reaching people who actually care about the Unwinds shows us there is still hope for the "troublesome" children. They may just have a chance to escape their cruel world and make a living, literally. Connor and Risa's relationship is becoming more evident and is blooming into something with significance. While Connor and Risa are being transported to several different safe houses, Lev is on an adventure of his own. Lev meets a person who has received part of a brain from an Unwound kid. We see how it effects his being as a whole and how he views of having a part of him thats not acutally him. After that whole ordeal Lev manages to get his way into the same safe zone Connor and Risa are residing in. I don't really know what else to tell you about the story without giving massive spoilers, I would be devastated to ruin an AMAZING book for someone who hasn't read this before.
"I know. I deserved it, and so it's okay, says Lev. But don't you ever git me again, or you'll regret it... Lev leaves, but Conner can't sleep. Every Unwind has a story you don't want to know. He supposes that Lev now has his"
Lev, the kid who used to be a little wimp about everything. The kid who blindly followed the every word his parents told him. Who actually accepted the idea of being Unwound. We;; obviously that has changed, he is not a total badass. I never imagined someone with his mind set would be able to talk to Connor in such a way. The whole ordeal of running from the authority i guess can change your whole being, is what i am getting from this scene. A dark process that every Unwind has been through and utterly changed their whole characteristic. I wonder if i would be able to stay "Adam" if i knew society was fine with me being killed and encouraged the pursuit of my limbs.
Tim i will take your quote after i contact you and get your blogger address.
sounds
My sound environment I think would be the same as any other Alemedan. When I wake up I'm delightfully greeted by a blaring alarm. Slowly, I rise from my deep slumber and head to the bathroom. The light hum of the heater and fan go by unnoticed as i do my buisness. I hear my dog, Radar, barking or clawing at the door trying to pry inside to the warm haven. Dressed, I prepare my things for school. The rough zipper sound fills the air as my backpack becomes full. The heavy footsteps of my dad coming downstairs tells me it's about time to leave.
Opening and closing the front door creates an unsightly squeal. For a brief moment the birds above stop conversing to check us out, noting that we are of no threat, the birds cheerfully go back to their chirps. Once inside the car not much talking happens between my dad and I. Still groggy and nothing on our minds words just dont flow. Instead the noise of an annoying radio show host fills my ears while stare ahead. Soon all sounds get drowned out as i put my headphones on, temporarily escaping from a boring world.
Once inside school the chatter of the other kids is deafening. Although, eleven years of it has trained me to subconciously block out all kinds of chatter recieving only sound from friends, whose voices i am well accustomed to. AS we share our thoughts in the morning my locker opens with a clang of metal on metal. The locker below mine echoes with a deep rumble as i stack books on top carelessly. When im done my locker shuts with an obnoxious clammer that receives a few stray looks.
The soft ring of the bell is barely audible over the orgy of voices trying to invade my ears, but we all hear it and take notice. No one jumps or makes a sudden movement, it's like the wind it just passes by like a normal occurrence. The thunderous sound of feet surround us as the stream of kids lazily go to their respective classes. I'm absoloutely positive that they are all talking, but i hear nothing. My mind is focused no my own stuff i don't have time to comprehend what each individual around me is saying or, for the matter care.
Sitting down in my History class i absent mindlessly stare outside the window. The chatter of classmates increases as time goes on. The soft conversations of people outside the window slowly make their way into my ears and i catch small segments of conversation. I secretly choose someone in the class and eavesdrop as i wait for the period to begin.As the period starts all conversations seem to fade into oblivion. It amazes me how students can be controlled be a single sound. The period is normally silent as Casper lectures, but as the period ends the noise raises.
Next period is Sutherland. The class is pretty noisy, but you know how to control us when need be. I love the sound of paper turning as we read in class. The pencils tapping against the hard desks during a quick write as everyone furiously trys to unload their minds contents into the paper in front of them. The accents you make are wondervul by the way.
Chemistry is just chaos. Jokes that all kids our age knows while the teacher just goes by thinking we are talking about normal things. Sometimes i feel bad, but then i get reminded of my grade and i dont feel too bad anymore.
I dont wanna go on about my day anymore so i just wanna say the sounds of my day are quite noisy. Most of it goes my unnoticed unless i think back to it. Kind of a sad way that everyday isnt completely different, but i think humans look forward to something repetitive somthing they can rely on that will never change. Silly humans.
Opening and closing the front door creates an unsightly squeal. For a brief moment the birds above stop conversing to check us out, noting that we are of no threat, the birds cheerfully go back to their chirps. Once inside the car not much talking happens between my dad and I. Still groggy and nothing on our minds words just dont flow. Instead the noise of an annoying radio show host fills my ears while stare ahead. Soon all sounds get drowned out as i put my headphones on, temporarily escaping from a boring world.
Once inside school the chatter of the other kids is deafening. Although, eleven years of it has trained me to subconciously block out all kinds of chatter recieving only sound from friends, whose voices i am well accustomed to. AS we share our thoughts in the morning my locker opens with a clang of metal on metal. The locker below mine echoes with a deep rumble as i stack books on top carelessly. When im done my locker shuts with an obnoxious clammer that receives a few stray looks.
The soft ring of the bell is barely audible over the orgy of voices trying to invade my ears, but we all hear it and take notice. No one jumps or makes a sudden movement, it's like the wind it just passes by like a normal occurrence. The thunderous sound of feet surround us as the stream of kids lazily go to their respective classes. I'm absoloutely positive that they are all talking, but i hear nothing. My mind is focused no my own stuff i don't have time to comprehend what each individual around me is saying or, for the matter care.
Sitting down in my History class i absent mindlessly stare outside the window. The chatter of classmates increases as time goes on. The soft conversations of people outside the window slowly make their way into my ears and i catch small segments of conversation. I secretly choose someone in the class and eavesdrop as i wait for the period to begin.As the period starts all conversations seem to fade into oblivion. It amazes me how students can be controlled be a single sound. The period is normally silent as Casper lectures, but as the period ends the noise raises.
Next period is Sutherland. The class is pretty noisy, but you know how to control us when need be. I love the sound of paper turning as we read in class. The pencils tapping against the hard desks during a quick write as everyone furiously trys to unload their minds contents into the paper in front of them. The accents you make are wondervul by the way.
Chemistry is just chaos. Jokes that all kids our age knows while the teacher just goes by thinking we are talking about normal things. Sometimes i feel bad, but then i get reminded of my grade and i dont feel too bad anymore.
I dont wanna go on about my day anymore so i just wanna say the sounds of my day are quite noisy. Most of it goes my unnoticed unless i think back to it. Kind of a sad way that everyday isnt completely different, but i think humans look forward to something repetitive somthing they can rely on that will never change. Silly humans.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Gorillaz song
I do not own or claim to own these lyrics, i am obviously "borrowing" it from the Gorillaz just to post it. Please don't sue me =)
"Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head"
Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain,
there was a town where the people known as Happyfolk lived,
their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world,
obscured as it was by great clouds.
Here they played out their peaceful lives,
innocent of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below.
To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough.
Then one day Strangefolk arrived in the town.
They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glasses, but no one noticed them: they only saw shadows.
You see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happyfolk were blind.
Falling out of aeroplanes and hiding out in holes
Waiting for the sunset to come, people going home
Jump out from behind them and shoot them in the head
Now everybody dancing the dance of the dead,
the dance of the dead,
the dance of the dead
In time, Strangefolk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain,
and it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable Sincerity and Beauty.
By chance, they stumbled upon the Place Where All Good Souls Come to Rest.
The Strangefolk, they coveted the jewels in these caves above all things,
and soon they began to mine the mountain, its rich seam fueling the chaos of their own world.
Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly,
their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls.
Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain.
Why was it bringing darkness into their lives?
And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain,
holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the monkey.
For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful for they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep.
And then came a sound. Distant first, it grew into castrophany so immense it could be heard far away in space.
There were no screams. There was no time.
The mountain called Monkey had spoken.
There was only fire.
And then, nothing.
O little town in U.S.A, your time has come to see
There's nothing you believe you want
But where were you when it all came down on me?
Did you call me now?
If you liked it go check out the real song.
I really like this song. I love songs that tell a story. I love stories~
"Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head"
Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain,
there was a town where the people known as Happyfolk lived,
their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world,
obscured as it was by great clouds.
Here they played out their peaceful lives,
innocent of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below.
To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough.
Then one day Strangefolk arrived in the town.
They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glasses, but no one noticed them: they only saw shadows.
You see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happyfolk were blind.
Falling out of aeroplanes and hiding out in holes
Waiting for the sunset to come, people going home
Jump out from behind them and shoot them in the head
Now everybody dancing the dance of the dead,
the dance of the dead,
the dance of the dead
In time, Strangefolk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain,
and it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable Sincerity and Beauty.
By chance, they stumbled upon the Place Where All Good Souls Come to Rest.
The Strangefolk, they coveted the jewels in these caves above all things,
and soon they began to mine the mountain, its rich seam fueling the chaos of their own world.
Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly,
their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls.
Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain.
Why was it bringing darkness into their lives?
And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain,
holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the monkey.
For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful for they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep.
And then came a sound. Distant first, it grew into castrophany so immense it could be heard far away in space.
There were no screams. There was no time.
The mountain called Monkey had spoken.
There was only fire.
And then, nothing.
O little town in U.S.A, your time has come to see
There's nothing you believe you want
But where were you when it all came down on me?
Did you call me now?
If you liked it go check out the real song.
I really like this song. I love songs that tell a story. I love stories~
Friday, May 7, 2010
rough draft zombie
The clatter of feet echoed back and forth inside the hallways. The once cheery posters campaigning to vote for certain school presidents and VP's are now smeared with blood. This shouldn't have happened, not to this school it was supposed to be like any other day. Daniel was sitting in his science class when it began. Already staring out the window he notices a girl outside walking aimlessly with hair all over the place. "Mrs. Pert can i go to the bathroom? It's an emergency!" Daniel said without even trying to be sincere. Running down the hallway too catch up with mysterious girl he made sure to look at his reflection. His black wavy hair slyly touched his ear lobes. Brown eyes that gave a limited view into his personality. Tall for his age, and never let anyone forget it. Finally catching up to her, Daniel notices security walking up to her. Peeking out of the window, but crouching low enough to not be witnessed for leaving class. Slowly the security officer reached out for her shoulder trying to be calming. The second the security guards hand touched her, it was like the flip of a switch. Her head lunged for his outstretched arm, teeth fully bared. Daniel saw the teeth easily sink into the arm and let out a yelp. A terrifying yell escaped his mouth as his blood seeped in between skin and teeth. Three more guards rushed outside to aid him pepper spray drawn. All three sprayed the girl's eyes, but it had no effect. She didn't even wince, let alone wince. Daniel was stuck to where he was. The sight was horrifying, but his feet wouldn't listen to him. He knew he should run out and help, but all he could do was turn away and run.
Katie saw Daniel rush towards the building entrance, and couldn't resist following him. Every girl who had her wits about her knew that Daniel was one of the best looking boys at school. Having her chance to be alone with him she took it without thinking twice. Sure she would probably get detention, but hey! it's Daniel! Katie saw Daniel crouching looking out the window. Trying to be flirtatious she sneaked up behind him. Just as she was about to put her hands over his eyes he jerked up, slamming his head into her nose. Her shriek went unnoticed, due to the commotion outside.
Daniel didn't feel a thing. Numb from the grotesque sight he just witnessed, he gladly turned around to help Katie up. Katie was just a someone he saw every now and then not someone who stood out to him. The blood spilling out of her nose made him shudder and feel more guilty about what he just did to her.
"I'm sorry about that, i was spooked that's all."
Nose in agony Katie lamely replied, "It's fine i just wanted to talk to you. You look kinda pale, you ok Daniel?"
A swarm of police officers ran past them, guns drawn. Daniel quickly ignored Katie and turned for the window. The girl was lazily attacking the security gaurds who were covered in dark red, from the many bites. The officers yelled at the girl to get on the ground. The first officer decided to taze the girl. Eyes grew wide as the electricity made her body jump, but not making her fall. In fact this woke her up. Eyes grew wide, suddenly she sprinted to the officer. Shots were fired, but that wouldn't stop her from sinking her teeth into the neck of the man who tazed her. Katie screamed, Daniel stood in horror. Daniel caught a glimpse of what was outside of the school gates. More people who mimicked the weird girls movement slowly heading towards the school.
OK guys kind of rushed would love to revise it with you guys.
Katie saw Daniel rush towards the building entrance, and couldn't resist following him. Every girl who had her wits about her knew that Daniel was one of the best looking boys at school. Having her chance to be alone with him she took it without thinking twice. Sure she would probably get detention, but hey! it's Daniel! Katie saw Daniel crouching looking out the window. Trying to be flirtatious she sneaked up behind him. Just as she was about to put her hands over his eyes he jerked up, slamming his head into her nose. Her shriek went unnoticed, due to the commotion outside.
Daniel didn't feel a thing. Numb from the grotesque sight he just witnessed, he gladly turned around to help Katie up. Katie was just a someone he saw every now and then not someone who stood out to him. The blood spilling out of her nose made him shudder and feel more guilty about what he just did to her.
"I'm sorry about that, i was spooked that's all."
Nose in agony Katie lamely replied, "It's fine i just wanted to talk to you. You look kinda pale, you ok Daniel?"
A swarm of police officers ran past them, guns drawn. Daniel quickly ignored Katie and turned for the window. The girl was lazily attacking the security gaurds who were covered in dark red, from the many bites. The officers yelled at the girl to get on the ground. The first officer decided to taze the girl. Eyes grew wide as the electricity made her body jump, but not making her fall. In fact this woke her up. Eyes grew wide, suddenly she sprinted to the officer. Shots were fired, but that wouldn't stop her from sinking her teeth into the neck of the man who tazed her. Katie screamed, Daniel stood in horror. Daniel caught a glimpse of what was outside of the school gates. More people who mimicked the weird girls movement slowly heading towards the school.
OK guys kind of rushed would love to revise it with you guys.
Unwind letter 1
Okay gotta just say this first, THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I would say it's my favorite book of it's just pure win. It covers all the genres i like in a book and keeps the story moving at an awesome pace. Definetly an all night reader if you ever get a chance to read it. Romance, action, and the realism is what first attracted me to this book. Everything in this story feels like it could happen tomorrow if things took a bad turn. Even the Clappers, who seem hard to believe, are actually very capable in real life. Good thing terrorists don't read teenage books though... i hope.
In Unwind, the process of being unwound is when your parents sign a paper saying they don't want you and the government can basically take your body and use all of it's parts to give to other people who need them. From 13-18 you are at risk of being signed up for an unwinding, but abortion is now outlawed. This is only reasonable to the people because your not REALLY dieing, how can you be dead if 99.44% of your body is still alive and functioning. The only difference is that you are not all together in one place. Reasonable logic right...?
The Storking Initiative is if you have a baby but don't want it, you can simply place it on someones doorstep. If you can leave it their without anyone seeing you place the baby on the steps that baby is no longer legally yours, but now the owner of the house. If the anyone catches you trying to stork a baby then by law that baby remains yours until you dont get caught. Its like a fun game! Playing with the babies life ooh fun world.
Are we, as a country, too dependent on tests to judge to judge the worth of our youth and citizens? While some students excell at school work and testing, others may be extremely talented in other areas of importance that noone will ever realize because people judge so extremely on what other people tell them to judge you on.
In Unwind, the process of being unwound is when your parents sign a paper saying they don't want you and the government can basically take your body and use all of it's parts to give to other people who need them. From 13-18 you are at risk of being signed up for an unwinding, but abortion is now outlawed. This is only reasonable to the people because your not REALLY dieing, how can you be dead if 99.44% of your body is still alive and functioning. The only difference is that you are not all together in one place. Reasonable logic right...?
The Storking Initiative is if you have a baby but don't want it, you can simply place it on someones doorstep. If you can leave it their without anyone seeing you place the baby on the steps that baby is no longer legally yours, but now the owner of the house. If the anyone catches you trying to stork a baby then by law that baby remains yours until you dont get caught. Its like a fun game! Playing with the babies life ooh fun world.
"She considers ringing the bell and running, but she realizes that would not be a good idea. If they catch her, she;s obliged to keep the baby-that's part of the Storking Initiative too-but if they open the door and find nothing but the child, it's "finder's keepers" in the eyes of the law. Whether they want it or not, the baby is legally theirs."This girl a teenager just dosn't want to have the responsibility of taking care of a baby at her age so she decides to stork the baby. If you can't handle consequences then make him wear a damn condom if your going to have sex, come on. If i was Storked i would most likely hate all adult figures who let this happen day to day and do nothing about it. To not act against an unjust action is just as bad as doing the action yourself. Perhaps the author was trying to convey the message that we as a society are lazy and rather the easy way out then actually dealing with our bad judgment.
Are we, as a country, too dependent on tests to judge to judge the worth of our youth and citizens? While some students excell at school work and testing, others may be extremely talented in other areas of importance that noone will ever realize because people judge so extremely on what other people tell them to judge you on.
"I was never going to amount to much anyway, but now, statistically speaking, there's a better chance that some part of me will go on to greatness somewhere in the world. I'd rather be partly great than entirely useless."This kid has been fed this garbage over and over until he finally started seeing the way his peers did. Stockholm Syndrome? I would rather be in one piece as adam then be separate all over the world doing things i could already be doing with my body as a whole. Unwinding is when parents think their child or society thinks that a kid (13-18) is of no use to the world, besides limbs and organs. Instead of trying to teach a them how to improove their life and give them life skills they would be able to use in the future, they get rid of the problem by turning their backs on people who could use the most help. Being useful to the world for only your blood type is way more depressing then being re-educated. To be unwound by your parents, non the less would be horrible for your psych someone who you've been with for the first 13 years of your life decides to throw you out at just a few complications that may or may not have been your fault.
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Hot Zone review
This month i read the nonfiction book titled The Hot Zone by Richard Preston with Jacob and Tim. Thee book revolves around Richard Preston's research and interviews on viruses in the ebola family. Preston tells seemingly fictitious encounters with this predator like virus. Tracing it's roots up until an out break IN THE U.S! East coast so us Californians are relatively safe... for now. Although the book comes out with a fantastic hook, it only got me for so long. It soon became a dull read for me. I will be covering the following topics: What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?, How would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?, and What are the weaknesses of this book, in your opinion?
I believe when Preston first found out about Ebola and it's devastating effects on the human body he felt compelled to hunt down information on such a deadly virus. In my mind's eye this sort of "side project" of his turned into a fixation and as Preston received more and more information he decided to write a book. Receiving many interviews with people who had first hand contact with the Ebola and it's relatives really gave him the ability to piece together everyone's story and make good documentation. I believe Preston's first target for his book was other virus enthusiasts. If not those people then the kind of people who love reading about modern day events that could strike the population, adrenaline junkies with the passion of reading? The book often retells how "if only Ebola were able to spread through the air in an easier way the human race would be a splinter of what it is now." Ebola can only be transmitted through droplets, although droplets may become airborne. Preston wants to stress how incredibly contagious and life threatening viruses are still capable oh attacking the modern age. Just because we are more advanced, doesn't mean that viruses have stayed the same. Viruses change faster then the human can change, making it a terrifying threat. Preston displays this by explaining, " A virus is normally not dangerous to it's original host. Once the virus hops the species border is when it becomes deadly." The ability for a virus to adapt to spread its information is constantly changing which makes cures hard to make. Preston showed achieved this goal in my eyes. It certainly puts a fear inside of you and makes you more conscious about the things you touch, and how you clean your self after such encounters. I come across the feeling, "Wow this can actually happen to me tomorrow by a monkey sneezing, and those sneeze droplets landing in the wrong place." I see a valid reason for those people in Japan and China wearing the face masks now after becoming paranoid from this book.
I really did not like Preston's way of writing, at all. It was a bit too "jumpy" for me. Here is an example, a part where a house wife, Nancy Jaax, is saying" Monkeys throw and spit stuff up. It is dangerous to work around contaminated animals without proper protection."...(one paragraph later) Preston is speaking of a time ten years earlier about people who are searching for the first cases of Ebola in Africa. I mean come on in my opinion he really should have talked about the doctors searching for the epicenter of the virus in the beginning or save it all for the end. It would have been perfectly fine if Preston never mentioned Nacny Jaax again, but sadly he does. He brings up Nancy's family again in a much later point in the book. Such a point that i barely remembered Nancy, her family, or her significance to the story. I strongly believe Preston should have kept related sections closer together, rather then jump around to and frough. Although i do see one benefit of writing in this manner. It could be a break for the reader to take from all of the gruesome scenes Preston is so skilled at writing. Most of the time he leaves you in a cliffhanger of a subject then brings you back when it's already too late and the information lost. The way a book is written is very important to me. It needs to be smooth flowing and interlocking for me to fully enjoy the book without pausing and questioning what just happened. The intervals between his subject jumps are very difficult to adjust to in my reading experience. I'm the type of person who gets really involved with the progression of the current topic and for it to just suddenly change is rather annoying.
The main weakness that really dug into my brain was the way the author went about writing his information. I already ranted about that in my second paragraph though so obla di obla dah. Another fatal flaw in the book is its audience target. The wording seems rather sophisticated for an average high schooler to just pick up. Although if you read on a average basis it shouldn't be a problem. If he simplified his word usage or at least briefly explained complex scientific terms (that completely went over my head) his reader range would have been higher. Kind of speaks a lot about what i think of the average highschooler... Although it is a top seller so i might be completely spewing bs, i surely hope not. The content was very limited, in a way that it followed a structure, Present day story, background, intense descriptions of what the specific virus does to you and other creatures, repeat. The way i pick a nice book to read (for my self, not school) is to go to a random page plus the inside cover sneak peak. If nothing on either page pops out at me or has an interesting concept i won't read it unless i get an outstanding review from a friend of mine who i know share the same interests as me. Ahem Ahem i would love to try and tempt you to join the fictitious side of books very tastey and lets your mind really say ," WOW i wonder how my students or the world would react to that if that were real?!?!" think about that as you smugly sip your coffee/tea in your little wifi-hotspot little haven. Enjoy your Saturday~
I believe when Preston first found out about Ebola and it's devastating effects on the human body he felt compelled to hunt down information on such a deadly virus. In my mind's eye this sort of "side project" of his turned into a fixation and as Preston received more and more information he decided to write a book. Receiving many interviews with people who had first hand contact with the Ebola and it's relatives really gave him the ability to piece together everyone's story and make good documentation. I believe Preston's first target for his book was other virus enthusiasts. If not those people then the kind of people who love reading about modern day events that could strike the population, adrenaline junkies with the passion of reading? The book often retells how "if only Ebola were able to spread through the air in an easier way the human race would be a splinter of what it is now." Ebola can only be transmitted through droplets, although droplets may become airborne. Preston wants to stress how incredibly contagious and life threatening viruses are still capable oh attacking the modern age. Just because we are more advanced, doesn't mean that viruses have stayed the same. Viruses change faster then the human can change, making it a terrifying threat. Preston displays this by explaining, " A virus is normally not dangerous to it's original host. Once the virus hops the species border is when it becomes deadly." The ability for a virus to adapt to spread its information is constantly changing which makes cures hard to make. Preston showed achieved this goal in my eyes. It certainly puts a fear inside of you and makes you more conscious about the things you touch, and how you clean your self after such encounters. I come across the feeling, "Wow this can actually happen to me tomorrow by a monkey sneezing, and those sneeze droplets landing in the wrong place." I see a valid reason for those people in Japan and China wearing the face masks now after becoming paranoid from this book.
I really did not like Preston's way of writing, at all. It was a bit too "jumpy" for me. Here is an example, a part where a house wife, Nancy Jaax, is saying" Monkeys throw and spit stuff up. It is dangerous to work around contaminated animals without proper protection."...(one paragraph later) Preston is speaking of a time ten years earlier about people who are searching for the first cases of Ebola in Africa. I mean come on in my opinion he really should have talked about the doctors searching for the epicenter of the virus in the beginning or save it all for the end. It would have been perfectly fine if Preston never mentioned Nacny Jaax again, but sadly he does. He brings up Nancy's family again in a much later point in the book. Such a point that i barely remembered Nancy, her family, or her significance to the story. I strongly believe Preston should have kept related sections closer together, rather then jump around to and frough. Although i do see one benefit of writing in this manner. It could be a break for the reader to take from all of the gruesome scenes Preston is so skilled at writing. Most of the time he leaves you in a cliffhanger of a subject then brings you back when it's already too late and the information lost. The way a book is written is very important to me. It needs to be smooth flowing and interlocking for me to fully enjoy the book without pausing and questioning what just happened. The intervals between his subject jumps are very difficult to adjust to in my reading experience. I'm the type of person who gets really involved with the progression of the current topic and for it to just suddenly change is rather annoying.
The main weakness that really dug into my brain was the way the author went about writing his information. I already ranted about that in my second paragraph though so obla di obla dah. Another fatal flaw in the book is its audience target. The wording seems rather sophisticated for an average high schooler to just pick up. Although if you read on a average basis it shouldn't be a problem. If he simplified his word usage or at least briefly explained complex scientific terms (that completely went over my head) his reader range would have been higher. Kind of speaks a lot about what i think of the average highschooler... Although it is a top seller so i might be completely spewing bs, i surely hope not. The content was very limited, in a way that it followed a structure, Present day story, background, intense descriptions of what the specific virus does to you and other creatures, repeat. The way i pick a nice book to read (for my self, not school) is to go to a random page plus the inside cover sneak peak. If nothing on either page pops out at me or has an interesting concept i won't read it unless i get an outstanding review from a friend of mine who i know share the same interests as me. Ahem Ahem i would love to try and tempt you to join the fictitious side of books very tastey and lets your mind really say ," WOW i wonder how my students or the world would react to that if that were real?!?!" think about that as you smugly sip your coffee/tea in your little wifi-hotspot little haven. Enjoy your Saturday~
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
hot zone lettah
woah did not mean to prematurely post a blank blog, my bad.
Any who hello there ladies gentlemen and freaks of all kind, to this book that would make the hairy-lady's beard curl in a hurry. Like what i did there? Just for you Jacob. Jacob I think it's perfectly fine to leak SOME spoilers. People wouldn't just willy nilly click on a hot zone letter THREE thread without expecting a tad. I agree with you Jacob that the very beginning of the book seemed to have a very bloody hook to drag you within its gruesome pages. Although Charles Monet didn't seem to be a like-able character and is easily forgotten as new characters appear, such as the Stay at home mom who actually works with level 4(incredibly high) agents. The author seems to portray characters he likes with much more background then the ones that are a bit of a "filler" type in my opinion.
Somthing i havnt tried before, I am going to stray from talking about the book and answer/ ask questions with you guys (Jacob and Tim). For some reason i thought you asked some questions...... Ok well i guess i will just ask and speculate.
If an outbreak of the disease were to explode right now how would alameda react? In my fantasy i guess i see myself as being that one of the handful who are immune to the disease and go out and do heroic things. In an actual reality i fear that something similar to the move The CRAZIES would happen. Get rid of the disease by getting rid of the town. Blame it as a nuclear missile from another country? Honestly i think i would freak out. The question in my head is when i break would i be the kind of person who hides in the corner and silently dies away or the kind of person to go out into the world and seek help/attention. I don't think i would be able to risk the lives of so many if i could just die in a corner and contain the virus. But who knows? Maybe when your as sick as that survival instincts kick in. I'm pretty sure no one is morally perfect.
If a loved one were infected? I see two ways that i would handle this. Choice one make sure they are contained and killed painlessly, stopping the spread of the virus. Or i would be close to them if i really loved them. Share what they felt, and share their fate.
I'm curious what would happen if we sent a virus into space. Would it act differently without gravity?
All this talk of viruses makes me think of how humans are in a way a virus on the Earth. Using up all of it's resources so quickly while quickly copying ourselves within it. Maybe soon we will move on to a new host? Perhaps this isn't our first host after all? Were humans a bothersome virus that some alien race banished to that planet which held other bothersome creatures? Perhaps we are on the trail to becoming less of a virus? Perhaps we are becoming an even more powerful virus. Not related to the book, but just some thoughts that ran through my head as i was reading. Let the mind wander....
Any who hello there ladies gentlemen and freaks of all kind, to this book that would make the hairy-lady's beard curl in a hurry. Like what i did there? Just for you Jacob. Jacob I think it's perfectly fine to leak SOME spoilers. People wouldn't just willy nilly click on a hot zone letter THREE thread without expecting a tad. I agree with you Jacob that the very beginning of the book seemed to have a very bloody hook to drag you within its gruesome pages. Although Charles Monet didn't seem to be a like-able character and is easily forgotten as new characters appear, such as the Stay at home mom who actually works with level 4(incredibly high) agents. The author seems to portray characters he likes with much more background then the ones that are a bit of a "filler" type in my opinion.
Somthing i havnt tried before, I am going to stray from talking about the book and answer/ ask questions with you guys (Jacob and Tim). For some reason i thought you asked some questions...... Ok well i guess i will just ask and speculate.
If an outbreak of the disease were to explode right now how would alameda react? In my fantasy i guess i see myself as being that one of the handful who are immune to the disease and go out and do heroic things. In an actual reality i fear that something similar to the move The CRAZIES would happen. Get rid of the disease by getting rid of the town. Blame it as a nuclear missile from another country? Honestly i think i would freak out. The question in my head is when i break would i be the kind of person who hides in the corner and silently dies away or the kind of person to go out into the world and seek help/attention. I don't think i would be able to risk the lives of so many if i could just die in a corner and contain the virus. But who knows? Maybe when your as sick as that survival instincts kick in. I'm pretty sure no one is morally perfect.
If a loved one were infected? I see two ways that i would handle this. Choice one make sure they are contained and killed painlessly, stopping the spread of the virus. Or i would be close to them if i really loved them. Share what they felt, and share their fate.
I'm curious what would happen if we sent a virus into space. Would it act differently without gravity?
All this talk of viruses makes me think of how humans are in a way a virus on the Earth. Using up all of it's resources so quickly while quickly copying ourselves within it. Maybe soon we will move on to a new host? Perhaps this isn't our first host after all? Were humans a bothersome virus that some alien race banished to that planet which held other bothersome creatures? Perhaps we are on the trail to becoming less of a virus? Perhaps we are becoming an even more powerful virus. Not related to the book, but just some thoughts that ran through my head as i was reading. Let the mind wander....
Friday, April 16, 2010
plans for weekend
This weekend I am really excited for. Two things are happening. On Saturday I'm headed to Berkley to go on a date with my girlfriend. We havn't had a nice hangout day in so long, im really nervous. Then on Sunday I have a Judo tournament to attend and help run. I was never in a full on match with someone i never met before. This makes me a lot more nervous. I dont want to embaress myself in front m=of my sensei and friends. My goal for the tournament is to get at least 3rd place so that i win some kind of medal to show off. Plus it would proove that i am not utterly useless in Judo.
Today (Friday) I spent countless hours setting up for the tournament. Okay so maybe not countless but from fifth period all the way up until 6:30pm i was hard at work. First we had to take all of these heavy mats from the boys locker room. At first its a really easy task, but eventually all the mats that you pick up and with add up a heavy toll on your arms. The sunny afternoon weather hardly helped at all. A really awesome thing that happened though, was that i was excused from sixth period, SPANISH. I'm really not a fan of spanish i think its dull. Plus i didn't really do my spanish home work. After we cleaned and loaded all of the mats up on the truck I had to sweep the outside, kind of difficult since nature kind of magically conjures dirt everywhere! After that we had to set up all of the mats in a specific order in the new gym. THAT TOOK FOREVER! The design had to exact and so tight. very hard to make mats tight when they have so much traction on the bottom. After countless mats and sore feet we were done. We also had to move those yellow/black tables that you see all the asian kids sitting on, those are also VERY heavy. After taking a quick look at it i was excited that we made something look so neat and professional. Although every time i think of the match my hands begin to shake with either fear or anticipation.
So Alexa is my long time girlfriend. I first attracted her by showing my stalker potential, yes we are not the average couple and i LOVE it. Recently she moved pretty far away so our time together is scarce but precious. She is the most artistic person i know. She completely loves the whole drawing aspect. She recently got a new camera from someone who must like her alot, alot. So now she is taking pictures of all kinds of things that spark her interest. Although I'm sure she enjoys being with me, she has picked up some bad habits from me. I'm the kind of person who sleeps from anywhere between 1-5 on fridays-sundays. When i first began talking to this lovely lady she would fall asleep at ten or even earlier. At first i didn't believe she slept so early, but just wanted to stop talking to me. Now i can get her to stay up until 1 if im lucky but normally 12 is her cut off time. I love talking to Alexa since we have really open minds we can talk about anything and it will be fine. Although with such a variety of topics its sometimes hard to choose something to talk about and we end up taking a long time just talking about nothing.
But the one thing i can decide about in an instant is that Saturday is going to be a really enjoyable day.
Lots of plans for the weekend, hey mr clouds dont rain on my parade ;3
Today (Friday) I spent countless hours setting up for the tournament. Okay so maybe not countless but from fifth period all the way up until 6:30pm i was hard at work. First we had to take all of these heavy mats from the boys locker room. At first its a really easy task, but eventually all the mats that you pick up and with add up a heavy toll on your arms. The sunny afternoon weather hardly helped at all. A really awesome thing that happened though, was that i was excused from sixth period, SPANISH. I'm really not a fan of spanish i think its dull. Plus i didn't really do my spanish home work. After we cleaned and loaded all of the mats up on the truck I had to sweep the outside, kind of difficult since nature kind of magically conjures dirt everywhere! After that we had to set up all of the mats in a specific order in the new gym. THAT TOOK FOREVER! The design had to exact and so tight. very hard to make mats tight when they have so much traction on the bottom. After countless mats and sore feet we were done. We also had to move those yellow/black tables that you see all the asian kids sitting on, those are also VERY heavy. After taking a quick look at it i was excited that we made something look so neat and professional. Although every time i think of the match my hands begin to shake with either fear or anticipation.
So Alexa is my long time girlfriend. I first attracted her by showing my stalker potential, yes we are not the average couple and i LOVE it. Recently she moved pretty far away so our time together is scarce but precious. She is the most artistic person i know. She completely loves the whole drawing aspect. She recently got a new camera from someone who must like her alot, alot. So now she is taking pictures of all kinds of things that spark her interest. Although I'm sure she enjoys being with me, she has picked up some bad habits from me. I'm the kind of person who sleeps from anywhere between 1-5 on fridays-sundays. When i first began talking to this lovely lady she would fall asleep at ten or even earlier. At first i didn't believe she slept so early, but just wanted to stop talking to me. Now i can get her to stay up until 1 if im lucky but normally 12 is her cut off time. I love talking to Alexa since we have really open minds we can talk about anything and it will be fine. Although with such a variety of topics its sometimes hard to choose something to talk about and we end up taking a long time just talking about nothing.
But the one thing i can decide about in an instant is that Saturday is going to be a really enjoyable day.
Lots of plans for the weekend, hey mr clouds dont rain on my parade ;3
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Beams out of your eyes
Ever have the fanatasy to be able to shoot beams out of your eyes? In actuality the idea is not all that absurd. In Texas they have done experiments showing that when someone stare at you you can kind of feel it. full article in link.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Psychiatrists-Research-Finds-iw-2733973438.html?x=0&.v=1
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Psychiatrists-Research-Finds-iw-2733973438.html?x=0&.v=1
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
combined letter
Hey Jacob and Tim I am quite positive you fellows are far ahead of me in page numbers. I'm certain i cant catch up with Tim but Jacob watch yourself! The Hot Zone dosnt take its time setting up the gut turning events. I'm up at the point where every time before i begin to read I make sure I didn't just eat. There has so many gruesome scenes and death. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the description usage since i can vividly see everything the author describes (to my dismay).
The first person we are introduced to is Charles Monet, Monet was a very adventurous person. Although lonely he was a satisfied person living in Kenya. He loved to go on hikes and camping trips, nature seemed to call him out. On this particular adventure Monet decides to bring some company, female of course(prostitutes). The two ventured off towards the base of Mount Elgon, a volcanic mountain with lushes surroundings. The mountain is full of millions of different species some probably never found yet(ominous for a disease book huh?). Monet had a knack for getting animals to trust him. At the entrance to the camp site he enticed a monkey to sit on his shoulder and eat straight from his hand. Sanitary? I highly doubt it. They made camp the middle of trees that towered over them like skyscrapers. Hmm escaping the city to get into a city of trees, well its a step up i guess? During the heavy rains that often occurred in this part of the forest Monet and his company went at it in the tent. Aids was not yet a huge fear among the human race. Hmm did they have condoms in Kenya? Do they now? I wonder how they prevent pregnancy back in the day.When the rain finally subsided our Monet decides to venture into the cave with his friend girl. Inside the cave the floors and walls were coated with guano (bat poop). Monet noticed the scratched up walls from elephants grinding their tusks to get minerals, and touched crumbling stone. As they went deeper they ran into a sticky film that was all over the back of the cave. Curious Monet also felt the texture and elasticity of the goo. OK RED FLAGS PEOPLE A GUY TOUCHING EVERYTHING IN A CAVE.......I dont expect him to live too long.
When Monet returns to his isolated hut in his Kenyan village he starts to feel a lower back ache and migraines. After not showing up to his usual locations in a few days friends came by to check up on him. Noticing how sluggish and horrible he looked they sent him on a small plane to a hospital nearby. During the flight Monet couldn't stop vomiting. Vomiting fine right? NOT IF THE VOMIT IS BLOOD...oh just blood? thats fine right? NOT IF ITS BLACK BLOOD. EW. Black blood is when your blood cells are infected. Once black that means the cell is about to explode with the virus. It's the way the virus is able to reach other hosts easier.
Once inside the hospital Monet was told to wait. Too bad the virus inside his body disagreed and made his anus fall off. Blood pooled from his body. Infected blood pools away from the mangled body. The virus made all of his muscles deteriorate in his body, it also liquidizes the organs within his body. The people who had to operate on Monets body said they were "up to their elbows in blood" his blood wouldnt clot, a severe problem. Monet died. I totaly saw this coming WHOOT. Hot Zone is incredibly gory something i wasn't really expecting, but now im sort of used to it and i can hang on to my lunch.
The first person we are introduced to is Charles Monet, Monet was a very adventurous person. Although lonely he was a satisfied person living in Kenya. He loved to go on hikes and camping trips, nature seemed to call him out. On this particular adventure Monet decides to bring some company, female of course(prostitutes). The two ventured off towards the base of Mount Elgon, a volcanic mountain with lushes surroundings. The mountain is full of millions of different species some probably never found yet(ominous for a disease book huh?). Monet had a knack for getting animals to trust him. At the entrance to the camp site he enticed a monkey to sit on his shoulder and eat straight from his hand. Sanitary? I highly doubt it. They made camp the middle of trees that towered over them like skyscrapers. Hmm escaping the city to get into a city of trees, well its a step up i guess? During the heavy rains that often occurred in this part of the forest Monet and his company went at it in the tent. Aids was not yet a huge fear among the human race. Hmm did they have condoms in Kenya? Do they now? I wonder how they prevent pregnancy back in the day.When the rain finally subsided our Monet decides to venture into the cave with his friend girl. Inside the cave the floors and walls were coated with guano (bat poop). Monet noticed the scratched up walls from elephants grinding their tusks to get minerals, and touched crumbling stone. As they went deeper they ran into a sticky film that was all over the back of the cave. Curious Monet also felt the texture and elasticity of the goo. OK RED FLAGS PEOPLE A GUY TOUCHING EVERYTHING IN A CAVE.......I dont expect him to live too long.
When Monet returns to his isolated hut in his Kenyan village he starts to feel a lower back ache and migraines. After not showing up to his usual locations in a few days friends came by to check up on him. Noticing how sluggish and horrible he looked they sent him on a small plane to a hospital nearby. During the flight Monet couldn't stop vomiting. Vomiting fine right? NOT IF THE VOMIT IS BLOOD...oh just blood? thats fine right? NOT IF ITS BLACK BLOOD. EW. Black blood is when your blood cells are infected. Once black that means the cell is about to explode with the virus. It's the way the virus is able to reach other hosts easier.
Once inside the hospital Monet was told to wait. Too bad the virus inside his body disagreed and made his anus fall off. Blood pooled from his body. Infected blood pools away from the mangled body. The virus made all of his muscles deteriorate in his body, it also liquidizes the organs within his body. The people who had to operate on Monets body said they were "up to their elbows in blood" his blood wouldnt clot, a severe problem. Monet died. I totaly saw this coming WHOOT. Hot Zone is incredibly gory something i wasn't really expecting, but now im sort of used to it and i can hang on to my lunch.
Friday, April 2, 2010
purpose
In the beginning of the year i believed this blog was pointless and noone would ever read it, besides you of course. I thought that this was useless and that i would eventually run out of ideas rapidly. It felt like such a burden to stray from my everyday routine to blog about something i felt half-heartily about.I would write the bear minimum and passed it off as something i worked hard about and spent a lot of time thinking about. In the beginning i thought that my friends and I would just brainstorm together and blog about the same ideas week to week. Since that is a really easy way of getting ideas and thoughts together.
Now that I've spent so much time blogging I've realized that this blog is in no way pointless. Through this blog i have explored ideas, thoughts, topics, myself, and other people closely. I was able to explore my own thoughts in depth and sort them out into a one way conversation with the reader. Then after a few hours to minutes if what i put out there was interesting enough someone would put there own little thoughts and i would be able to expand my ideas and see from a different vantage point. I would be able to spark conversations in topics that i was obviously interested in since Ive already posted it online. Another huge milestone of me realizing that this blog was far from pointless is when the author of a book i reviewed actually commented on my review. I was simply stunned. I was in a hyper frenzied mode for the next few hours. Someone who is famous and sold millions of books actually read my review and had the heart to comment on it. It gave me the knowledge that I'm not only posting to my class mates or to my teacher, but to whom ever stumbles upon my work and decides to take a read.
This gives me a whole new drive to to put stuff out there that will catch people's eye. Currently I am working on my own fictional story. I was overjoyed when i convinced my friend to also write his own story. The fact that i inspired one of my own friends to take up his own creative imagination is fascinating. We get to exchange story ideas and the whole works. It makes me want to keep going on with the story even when i hit slow spots, knowing that i could at any moment inspire someone with one chapter, one paragraph, or even on sentence is just so inthrilling.
Instead of blogging being a detour from my daily life it has become something of a reload point in daily life. When something has me engrossed in it so much that it can't escape my head then I must blog about it. If i think its so good someone else must also share the same interest somewhere in the world right? Blogging is now a time for me to unload all the contents of my brain into a stored and organized place. "i wonder what i was thinking about that week?" simply just head over to my own blog and i can self analyze.
I want to continue with my story more then anything right now. Then every now and then i would love to blog about whats happening to me in the NOW. Such as politic events or other major events that have captivated my attention. I want to explore my own interests and possibly learn even more interests that have eluded me so far. ANYTHING that makes me go, "wow that's amazing" will instantly be put into the blogging choices section of my brain.
I want my audience to be anyone with an open mind and an interest in all things. My audience is for me also, it's similar to an online diary. A diary that I'm happy to share with the world, and i hope the world will like the stuffs i blog about :3
Now that I've spent so much time blogging I've realized that this blog is in no way pointless. Through this blog i have explored ideas, thoughts, topics, myself, and other people closely. I was able to explore my own thoughts in depth and sort them out into a one way conversation with the reader. Then after a few hours to minutes if what i put out there was interesting enough someone would put there own little thoughts and i would be able to expand my ideas and see from a different vantage point. I would be able to spark conversations in topics that i was obviously interested in since Ive already posted it online. Another huge milestone of me realizing that this blog was far from pointless is when the author of a book i reviewed actually commented on my review. I was simply stunned. I was in a hyper frenzied mode for the next few hours. Someone who is famous and sold millions of books actually read my review and had the heart to comment on it. It gave me the knowledge that I'm not only posting to my class mates or to my teacher, but to whom ever stumbles upon my work and decides to take a read.
This gives me a whole new drive to to put stuff out there that will catch people's eye. Currently I am working on my own fictional story. I was overjoyed when i convinced my friend to also write his own story. The fact that i inspired one of my own friends to take up his own creative imagination is fascinating. We get to exchange story ideas and the whole works. It makes me want to keep going on with the story even when i hit slow spots, knowing that i could at any moment inspire someone with one chapter, one paragraph, or even on sentence is just so inthrilling.
Instead of blogging being a detour from my daily life it has become something of a reload point in daily life. When something has me engrossed in it so much that it can't escape my head then I must blog about it. If i think its so good someone else must also share the same interest somewhere in the world right? Blogging is now a time for me to unload all the contents of my brain into a stored and organized place. "i wonder what i was thinking about that week?" simply just head over to my own blog and i can self analyze.
I want to continue with my story more then anything right now. Then every now and then i would love to blog about whats happening to me in the NOW. Such as politic events or other major events that have captivated my attention. I want to explore my own interests and possibly learn even more interests that have eluded me so far. ANYTHING that makes me go, "wow that's amazing" will instantly be put into the blogging choices section of my brain.
I want my audience to be anyone with an open mind and an interest in all things. My audience is for me also, it's similar to an online diary. A diary that I'm happy to share with the world, and i hope the world will like the stuffs i blog about :3
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
leaves of titanium
This new leaf was talked about in our own front yard, SF but created and thought of in China.
"Using sunlight to split water into its components — hydrogen and oxygen — is one of the most promising methods for creating a sustainable, safe and cheap alternative to fossil fuels. And there is no machine more efficient at using sunlight than the humble leaf. Through photosynthesis, leaves use the power of sunlight to assemble sugars using only carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. "
full article http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/gadgets-electronics/blogs/titanium-leaves-could-unlock-hydrogen-power#
"Using sunlight to split water into its components — hydrogen and oxygen — is one of the most promising methods for creating a sustainable, safe and cheap alternative to fossil fuels. And there is no machine more efficient at using sunlight than the humble leaf. Through photosynthesis, leaves use the power of sunlight to assemble sugars using only carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. "
full article http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/gadgets-electronics/blogs/titanium-leaves-could-unlock-hydrogen-power#
magnets and brain function
So apparently strong magnets can mess with the way your brain works....
full article
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1262074/Scientists-discover-moral-compass-brain-controlled-magnets.html
full article
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1262074/Scientists-discover-moral-compass-brain-controlled-magnets.html
Friday, March 26, 2010
Book Review
Parable Of The Talens written by Octavia E. Butler is a fascinating fictional tale of a future Christian America. A world where corrupt Christian America is starting more and more unnecessary war,and even more unnecessary "crusades" on their own people, Olamania tries to start her own community, her own religion, and her own way of life. Just as she gets her little compound progressing at a good pace the radical Christian Americans take it away, how will she survive the Nazi like behavior of her captors? With her super sensitive ability how will Olamania survive a world filled with such chaos and horror? The sequel of a trio trilogy this book will not allow you to put it down for even a second. If you are expecting to read this book prepare to be engrossed with it's contents. If you have an open mind and like to challenge your own beliefs then this book is a must read. You will be questioning your religion, your own being, and humanity in itself!
What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
Octavia Butler created this book as a reflection towards the human behavior. The way the Christian Americans see any other people that have a different religion or even a different variation of Christianity is immediately deemed as a heathen and sent to a correctional facility. Of course these facilities are not actually meant to correct you, but more as an imprisonment camp. Everyone inside the camp is forced to wear a shock collar, the perfect tool since it never leaves a mark AND creates so much pain when activated, the most efficient tool in the time. People are forced to destroy their own religious symbols in public and dig their friend's graves. Forced to memorize bible verses in conditions identical possibly worse then the Nazi camps. They hypocritical Christians who say sex is horrible before marriage go about raping girls and men as they please. I believe Octavia is trying to explain to us how it's not going to take much at all to revert back to times similar to the Nazis. Only this time noone is for certain what side of conflict you will be on. Anyone could be the oppressor and anyone could be the oppressed. Octavia is telling us without a complete acceptance of all religions, "races", and sexes average day life could turn out to be world full of chaos. Octavia brings up the idea of modern day slavery and how it is so much easier to accomplish with newly designed shock collars. While some people might think this is too horrid or grotesque to be true, it is already possible. A simple slip of a dog collar around a unknowing human can have the same effects. Above all I believe Ocatavia's main idea to try to get into people's minds is that your life's results depends on what you do. If you want something to thrive you have to put the effort, time, and wise planning to get the deed accomplished. The main character Olamania was constantly being told to give up on Earthseed. No matter what she paid them no mind and kept the belief and spread the word to as many people as possible. Having been through severe pain, rape, mugged, homeless, and all the terrible things you could think of Olmania does what ever is in her power to keep Earthseed's vision alive.
For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
This book is intended for people of young adults or people in search of finding out what they truly believe deep down. If you ever find yourself thinking, "Wow I'm not all to certain the religion i follow is that of a good one" then this book will make you really think WOW could this really happen? Could blind faith push people to do such disgusting things to their fellow human? For me i kind of found this books religious stand points amazing. I already have a biased towards the Christian religion and found the Earth Seed was a very nice change of pace then the normal teachings i hear from other religions. "God is change and change is God. You can influence God and therefore you have the power to change anything." I think that is a very solid way of thinking. People who would like to lose themselves in a good fiction book will get into this. This book will pull you inside and won't spit you back out until your eyes have poured over every single word. This book actually has quite a dark atmosphere. With the happy events occuring mainly in the beginning and sparse it's not a feel good book for those looking for one. This book is directed to people who have a knack for looking deeper into things. Not everything is as it seems in this book. Almost everything has a deeper meaning and reflects back on the mistakes we are making in the present that add up to the post apocalyptic world the Olmania lives in. Global warming is destroying crops and causing massive floods, the US is fighting countries (and states) that you would think would never be necessary and are still questionable, US has sold their space program to the Japanese even after they found life on Mars!, and other such things as gangs raiding each other. If you like knitty gritty survival books pick this up in a heart beat. You will be able to witness how people survive through these times of disorder and how other don't survive.
Although there are a few typos i have caught this book is very professional and intriguing. If anyone asks me about the book i would instantly tell them to just read a random page and dare them to stop reading. What really made me attracted to the book is the post apocalyptic setting. Parable of The Talents did a wonderful job capturing the whole roughness and realism. The fact that EVERYTHING in the book sounds actually quite plausible if applicated to real world settings, is what gives this book a position in my top 10 books.
What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
Octavia Butler created this book as a reflection towards the human behavior. The way the Christian Americans see any other people that have a different religion or even a different variation of Christianity is immediately deemed as a heathen and sent to a correctional facility. Of course these facilities are not actually meant to correct you, but more as an imprisonment camp. Everyone inside the camp is forced to wear a shock collar, the perfect tool since it never leaves a mark AND creates so much pain when activated, the most efficient tool in the time. People are forced to destroy their own religious symbols in public and dig their friend's graves. Forced to memorize bible verses in conditions identical possibly worse then the Nazi camps. They hypocritical Christians who say sex is horrible before marriage go about raping girls and men as they please. I believe Octavia is trying to explain to us how it's not going to take much at all to revert back to times similar to the Nazis. Only this time noone is for certain what side of conflict you will be on. Anyone could be the oppressor and anyone could be the oppressed. Octavia is telling us without a complete acceptance of all religions, "races", and sexes average day life could turn out to be world full of chaos. Octavia brings up the idea of modern day slavery and how it is so much easier to accomplish with newly designed shock collars. While some people might think this is too horrid or grotesque to be true, it is already possible. A simple slip of a dog collar around a unknowing human can have the same effects. Above all I believe Ocatavia's main idea to try to get into people's minds is that your life's results depends on what you do. If you want something to thrive you have to put the effort, time, and wise planning to get the deed accomplished. The main character Olamania was constantly being told to give up on Earthseed. No matter what she paid them no mind and kept the belief and spread the word to as many people as possible. Having been through severe pain, rape, mugged, homeless, and all the terrible things you could think of Olmania does what ever is in her power to keep Earthseed's vision alive.
For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
This book is intended for people of young adults or people in search of finding out what they truly believe deep down. If you ever find yourself thinking, "Wow I'm not all to certain the religion i follow is that of a good one" then this book will make you really think WOW could this really happen? Could blind faith push people to do such disgusting things to their fellow human? For me i kind of found this books religious stand points amazing. I already have a biased towards the Christian religion and found the Earth Seed was a very nice change of pace then the normal teachings i hear from other religions. "God is change and change is God. You can influence God and therefore you have the power to change anything." I think that is a very solid way of thinking. People who would like to lose themselves in a good fiction book will get into this. This book will pull you inside and won't spit you back out until your eyes have poured over every single word. This book actually has quite a dark atmosphere. With the happy events occuring mainly in the beginning and sparse it's not a feel good book for those looking for one. This book is directed to people who have a knack for looking deeper into things. Not everything is as it seems in this book. Almost everything has a deeper meaning and reflects back on the mistakes we are making in the present that add up to the post apocalyptic world the Olmania lives in. Global warming is destroying crops and causing massive floods, the US is fighting countries (and states) that you would think would never be necessary and are still questionable, US has sold their space program to the Japanese even after they found life on Mars!, and other such things as gangs raiding each other. If you like knitty gritty survival books pick this up in a heart beat. You will be able to witness how people survive through these times of disorder and how other don't survive.
Although there are a few typos i have caught this book is very professional and intriguing. If anyone asks me about the book i would instantly tell them to just read a random page and dare them to stop reading. What really made me attracted to the book is the post apocalyptic setting. Parable of The Talents did a wonderful job capturing the whole roughness and realism. The fact that EVERYTHING in the book sounds actually quite plausible if applicated to real world settings, is what gives this book a position in my top 10 books.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Worlds first immortal animal?
"The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth. Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life). The key lies in a process called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders, which can regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able to reverse its aging process. Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. They're now found in oceans around the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters. "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion," says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute. Bryan Nelson is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network, where a version of this post originally appeared."
Taken from http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread553088/pg1
Taken from http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread553088/pg1
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
letter 3
So our adventure has come to an end. But im getting ahead of myself here. Our group has just rebelled and killed of their captors. Sadly they are deciding to split up the close community Olamania had worked so hard to create. WHY!!?!?! I don't think her plan is all that fool proof. She says that by splitting up Earth seed will be able to spread to more people, and still stay undercover. I doubt that the other member of Earth seed can preach as well as she does. How does she expect people to join unless they have such convincing speeches as she does?
Olamania Harry and the other lady... have decided to move to George town. I think this is one of her better ideas. She knows the people here for sure and they definitely have her back. I can't believe that she found one of the kids here! Seems very unlikely that in such a dangerous world one would just happen to show up where she was. Hmm Octavia might actually have a soft side!
Harry decides to leave on his own. I think i related to him the best. He was the guy who loved to work on the truck and other electronics. He went up north since that's where most people went.
Olamania found her brother, cool, but sucks that he is part of the Christian America. I got really pissed when he slapped Olmania i guess that's what Christian America does to people. EARTH SEED PWNS.
Getting closer and closer to her daughter Olamania teams up with another sharer. She seems to be a spoiled brat at first and i didn't like her at all. But eventually Olamania found out she had such a rough past and her bitchy attitude was to cover up her sharer abilities. And the they head north and pick up a few boys...well thats really as far as i got xD
I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND BOOK OF A TRILOGY!! CRAZY It totally makes sense as a starter book but its not.
Olamania Harry and the other lady... have decided to move to George town. I think this is one of her better ideas. She knows the people here for sure and they definitely have her back. I can't believe that she found one of the kids here! Seems very unlikely that in such a dangerous world one would just happen to show up where she was. Hmm Octavia might actually have a soft side!
Harry decides to leave on his own. I think i related to him the best. He was the guy who loved to work on the truck and other electronics. He went up north since that's where most people went.
Olamania found her brother, cool, but sucks that he is part of the Christian America. I got really pissed when he slapped Olmania i guess that's what Christian America does to people. EARTH SEED PWNS.
Getting closer and closer to her daughter Olamania teams up with another sharer. She seems to be a spoiled brat at first and i didn't like her at all. But eventually Olamania found out she had such a rough past and her bitchy attitude was to cover up her sharer abilities. And the they head north and pick up a few boys...well thats really as far as i got xD
I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND BOOK OF A TRILOGY!! CRAZY It totally makes sense as a starter book but its not.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Steam Part 2 chapter 1
You will not understand what is happening unless you read the earlier parts to "Steam"
Taking note of the sun and its low position she knew she would be cutting it close. The House had a strict policy to not let anyone inside after the sun was down. Caution was of the utmost importance. They recently have had several raids and were not about to let it happen again. The House was not actually a house but a rundown shed where small group of people lived. Full of thieves and the poor it was not a place you would go for vacation. A small close gorup of 10 lived snugly inside. Hoarding and crafts was their income. One persons income was shared to everybody.
Rin only had one close friend in the House, she was the newest member of the close knit group. Only taking her in after finding her half covered in snow and dirt.Haru who was a genius with his hands, but as sharp as a light bulb made his income through creating weapons and other needs. He was often teased for being able to create such weapons, but being a fool when actually using them. He was friendly and useful, two aspects Rin loved to see in a person. Haru, unlike Rin, had been born into the group. He learned his trade from studying pictures in books and spying on blacksmiths. He was the one who created Rin's prized curved blade. Trying to make it special he added amber and a red dye into the cooling metals and that created a vibrant red scheme. Often boasting how original he was, but rarely anyone saw this side of Haru.
Rin arrived to the tiny shack that was on the outskirts of Kyoto. The ideal place for thieves. To be out of mind, yet close enough to the hectic streets to make a profit. Knocking along the side of the shed then three more times on the door the familiar creaking and hiss of steam ran through the entire building. As the gears creaked the door slowly raised upwards. The handle on the side of the door was for misleading purposes. Slipping inside quickly she quickly pulled a lever inside that made the door fall at an instant with a very loud thump. Inside were 6 people laying around waiting for the next day. Each person had their own little hidden stash that they never shared with the rest of them. Rin didn't really feel like she felt like she fit in with these people. Quickly and without making any eye contact she made a bee line to a closet in the very back of the rusty place. Inside was a staircase, the shed was actually built on top of a underground shelter.
The three kids of the group not including herself stayed down here. The youngest was an American stowaway that was kicked out. He was still 12, yet a master of pickpocketing and begging. His bright blue eyes attracted locals and soon emptied their wallets to help such a cutie. Rin was the oldest. She was 17 years old. In he her mind she was in her prime for stealing and scavenging. Haru was 16 but only behind Rin by three months. The last kid was 15 years old and a fugitive from northern Nippon. Europe's first steam planes were testing out their flight range when an Asian country took them down. Ever since Europe has been trying to invade every suspect-able Asian country for the past 3 years. Unfortunately they were making good progress and colonized half of china and India.
Taking note of the sun and its low position she knew she would be cutting it close. The House had a strict policy to not let anyone inside after the sun was down. Caution was of the utmost importance. They recently have had several raids and were not about to let it happen again. The House was not actually a house but a rundown shed where small group of people lived. Full of thieves and the poor it was not a place you would go for vacation. A small close gorup of 10 lived snugly inside. Hoarding and crafts was their income. One persons income was shared to everybody.
Rin only had one close friend in the House, she was the newest member of the close knit group. Only taking her in after finding her half covered in snow and dirt.Haru who was a genius with his hands, but as sharp as a light bulb made his income through creating weapons and other needs. He was often teased for being able to create such weapons, but being a fool when actually using them. He was friendly and useful, two aspects Rin loved to see in a person. Haru, unlike Rin, had been born into the group. He learned his trade from studying pictures in books and spying on blacksmiths. He was the one who created Rin's prized curved blade. Trying to make it special he added amber and a red dye into the cooling metals and that created a vibrant red scheme. Often boasting how original he was, but rarely anyone saw this side of Haru.
Rin arrived to the tiny shack that was on the outskirts of Kyoto. The ideal place for thieves. To be out of mind, yet close enough to the hectic streets to make a profit. Knocking along the side of the shed then three more times on the door the familiar creaking and hiss of steam ran through the entire building. As the gears creaked the door slowly raised upwards. The handle on the side of the door was for misleading purposes. Slipping inside quickly she quickly pulled a lever inside that made the door fall at an instant with a very loud thump. Inside were 6 people laying around waiting for the next day. Each person had their own little hidden stash that they never shared with the rest of them. Rin didn't really feel like she felt like she fit in with these people. Quickly and without making any eye contact she made a bee line to a closet in the very back of the rusty place. Inside was a staircase, the shed was actually built on top of a underground shelter.
The three kids of the group not including herself stayed down here. The youngest was an American stowaway that was kicked out. He was still 12, yet a master of pickpocketing and begging. His bright blue eyes attracted locals and soon emptied their wallets to help such a cutie. Rin was the oldest. She was 17 years old. In he her mind she was in her prime for stealing and scavenging. Haru was 16 but only behind Rin by three months. The last kid was 15 years old and a fugitive from northern Nippon. Europe's first steam planes were testing out their flight range when an Asian country took them down. Ever since Europe has been trying to invade every suspect-able Asian country for the past 3 years. Unfortunately they were making good progress and colonized half of china and India.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Letter 2
Wow so much has happened in these last couple of chapters. Lets start from the beginning. Woah! she met her brother who supposedly died. I was super happy to hear this bit of information the family gets bigger! Low blow though when we find out he is a super Christian. Although Olamania gave him shelter and allowed him to preach to her people about his own ideals, he still seemed rather un-grateful. Eventually he runs off, im not too sad about his lose he didn't help the community in any big way.
She's PREGNANT!!! I see how shes happy and all but in my own opinion i wouldnt want to bring a baby into a world like that. What if her baby turned out to be a sharer that would cuase so many troubles (luckily she isnt). In the back of my head i was kind of hoping her baby would gain some other power or side effect since Olamania is a sharer, darn.
The Joy of the baby was very short lived. Soon after the Maggots, which sound incredibly fun to use, storm in and take over Acorn. If i was harry i would have spent my time upgrading the fighter trucks. Anywho the Christian enthusiasts completely took over Acorn with the help of their immobilizing gas. They are quickly rounded up and collared. Somthing I though Olamania would never have to go through. Soon Acorn begins looking like a nazi concentration camp. Being forced to work for no reason. CA thought they were doing good since these people were not christian but they were just hypocrites. They raped all of them which from my understanding of Christianity is a no no. It bothers me how CA would take over Acorn a community sticking to itself but not people like Cougar who are selling little boys and girls as sex slaves. 17 months of that torture, Bankole died but no huge surprise.
It seems our characters have split off and went on their own way. How long will it take Olamania to be reunited with her daughter? Will they ever be reunited? I think Olamania should have another husband. She could use the company and protection. Hopefully by the end of all of this Earth seed will leave earth and travel space, but the future looks bleak. =(
She's PREGNANT!!! I see how shes happy and all but in my own opinion i wouldnt want to bring a baby into a world like that. What if her baby turned out to be a sharer that would cuase so many troubles (luckily she isnt). In the back of my head i was kind of hoping her baby would gain some other power or side effect since Olamania is a sharer, darn.
The Joy of the baby was very short lived. Soon after the Maggots, which sound incredibly fun to use, storm in and take over Acorn. If i was harry i would have spent my time upgrading the fighter trucks. Anywho the Christian enthusiasts completely took over Acorn with the help of their immobilizing gas. They are quickly rounded up and collared. Somthing I though Olamania would never have to go through. Soon Acorn begins looking like a nazi concentration camp. Being forced to work for no reason. CA thought they were doing good since these people were not christian but they were just hypocrites. They raped all of them which from my understanding of Christianity is a no no. It bothers me how CA would take over Acorn a community sticking to itself but not people like Cougar who are selling little boys and girls as sex slaves. 17 months of that torture, Bankole died but no huge surprise.
It seems our characters have split off and went on their own way. How long will it take Olamania to be reunited with her daughter? Will they ever be reunited? I think Olamania should have another husband. She could use the company and protection. Hopefully by the end of all of this Earth seed will leave earth and travel space, but the future looks bleak. =(
Friday, March 12, 2010
American Shaolin
So this is one of my first book reviews/ reflection it's martial arts based so yea...
American Shaolin
By Matthew Polly
This book was an amazing read, definitely glad I picked it up. At no moment is the story slow or uneventful. Matthew clearly knows how to tell what happened to him in such a way to draw attention. Matthew is the type of person who has a to do list. The top five that come first in his list are: 1. Stop being Ignorant 2. Stop being a coward 3.Be more of a man 4. Be more attractive 5. Find spirituality.
His first goal he accomplished by getting into Princeton. Matthew was tired of not knowing what other people were talking about that seemed so important. In turn he decided to give his all in school, and create a Spanish club to show his leadership potential. Luckily Princeton ate it up and gladly admitted his attendance. Matthew felt accomplished up until his third year in college. His list started appearing in his mind more often. Going towards one of his most favorite interests, Chinese culture and martial arts, he decided to travel to the Shaolin temple and accomplish more of his list there. Disregarding everything his friends and family said about China, he was set on finding the Shaolin temple and learning the teachings.
Once in China he quickly realizes that it’s not the same place that America has told him it was. It was no longer in severe poverty, but on an economic rise with higher sights in the future. After many dead ends he finally gets good advice on where the Shaolin temple is located. Upon arriving at the temple his excitement crashes down to a disappointment. The place was full of tourists, surely the Shaolin monks were in a more secluded area? After looking through the temple on display and several martial art schools that were erected in the area he finally found the Shaolin monks in a nice looking building. Upon stating his desire to train with the monks the buildings manager’s eyes quickly gleamed with dollar signs. Upon paying 1300 (U.S) a month he was allowed to stay and learn.
Matthews first day of training was intense. He had studied kung fu for about 3 years in high school, but this made all of his work seem like 3 weeks. He learned that kung fu was a form of moving mediation and that there was probably a fighting style for every animal imaginable. Matthew learned about the iron –body part- styles of fighting. In fact he was lucky enough to learn the iron forearm technique in which the ancient Chinese medicine doctor helped him learn. After the first day he was so incredibly soar that he had to use his arms to make his feet walk. Instead of resting the monks encouraged him to keep going through the exercises (which they did two rounds of a day) and sure enough in a week his body was used to the difficult tasks. No one seemed to respect him since he was just another white foreigner who was in over his head, and would eventually end up quitting. In an attempt to prove them wrong he decided to train 7 hours a day instead of the usual amount. The monks began to notice this and a few started to visit him in his hotel despite the elder monks dis-advising them to.
Deqing is Matthews first and best friend in the temple. They first meet each other during an interview of why Matthew came to china. While Matthew was stumbling over his Chinese Diqing winked at him and encouraged him to speak up more. Later in a restaurant Diqing gets challenged to a match, but instead Matthew is sent in to assess the opponents skill. Although nervous Matthew was glad to help out his best friend in the temple.
Coach Chen is one responsible for teaching Matthew while he is in China. Matthew did not know this at the time, but this was a huge task. Most monks don’t mind teaching a foreigner, but that’s when they are there for a few days or weeks. Matthew was there for two years so in that time frame Coach Chen had very little time to work on his own technique. Although immensely burdened by this Coach eventually saw past Matthews foreignness and started to see what he was really like instead of what everyone else expected of him. (Such as knowing famous Americans)
The conclusion of the story has Matthew getting second place in a tournament, and getting his top 5 to do list crossed off. Although now living in America Matthew keeps contact with the monks (via letters) and travels around America giving presentations.
This book is definitely on of my favorite reads. Straight from the beginning I could relate to the author. His great interest in an Asian culture, the need to improve yourself, physically (although he is a lot bigger than I in height we weigh around the same) and a sense of wanting to learn everything and anything that will stick in your mind. I feel as though the author and I would be able to talk for hours and be good friends.
The first sense of wonderment once you finally start getting in deeper into a martial art is shared between us. Although I’m not as dedicated as Mat, I still try my best and try to improve myself. Although at time seems very difficult as I have some habits that are hard to break, such as keeping my head down. My first impression of martial arts was like something as a show or performance. I’m really just beginning to see all of the different aspects of martial arts of all kinds not just Shaolin or Judo. The kazushi (spelling?) and balance is so important. I never really noticed, but during a match I find myself more focused on trying to keep myself balanced. Kazushi is rather difficult for me to do fast, and still relatively difficult to do even at a slower pace. So much goes on that you have to be really focused. From reading this book and reflecting on what I do in class really makes me want to meditate more.
I really like how the author was a 98lb scrawny guy. He proved that with dedication it doesn’t matter what your build is. I love how he advanced so much in 2 years, a short time for a Shaolin monk. Although Mat is considered at a really low class, he has improved in so many ways. American Shaolin also touches upon spirituality. To mediate while in motion, it seems inconceivable to me how you can be moving in such ways while trying to keep my mind blank. Heck, its hard enough keeping your mind blank.
This book also made me think about all the different kinds of fighting styles. Its amazing how with one body and several different minds can make the body intricate and distinct movements that are so easy for some and impossible for others. Definitely in top 10 favorite books.
American Shaolin
By Matthew Polly
This book was an amazing read, definitely glad I picked it up. At no moment is the story slow or uneventful. Matthew clearly knows how to tell what happened to him in such a way to draw attention. Matthew is the type of person who has a to do list. The top five that come first in his list are: 1. Stop being Ignorant 2. Stop being a coward 3.Be more of a man 4. Be more attractive 5. Find spirituality.
His first goal he accomplished by getting into Princeton. Matthew was tired of not knowing what other people were talking about that seemed so important. In turn he decided to give his all in school, and create a Spanish club to show his leadership potential. Luckily Princeton ate it up and gladly admitted his attendance. Matthew felt accomplished up until his third year in college. His list started appearing in his mind more often. Going towards one of his most favorite interests, Chinese culture and martial arts, he decided to travel to the Shaolin temple and accomplish more of his list there. Disregarding everything his friends and family said about China, he was set on finding the Shaolin temple and learning the teachings.
Once in China he quickly realizes that it’s not the same place that America has told him it was. It was no longer in severe poverty, but on an economic rise with higher sights in the future. After many dead ends he finally gets good advice on where the Shaolin temple is located. Upon arriving at the temple his excitement crashes down to a disappointment. The place was full of tourists, surely the Shaolin monks were in a more secluded area? After looking through the temple on display and several martial art schools that were erected in the area he finally found the Shaolin monks in a nice looking building. Upon stating his desire to train with the monks the buildings manager’s eyes quickly gleamed with dollar signs. Upon paying 1300 (U.S) a month he was allowed to stay and learn.
Matthews first day of training was intense. He had studied kung fu for about 3 years in high school, but this made all of his work seem like 3 weeks. He learned that kung fu was a form of moving mediation and that there was probably a fighting style for every animal imaginable. Matthew learned about the iron –body part- styles of fighting. In fact he was lucky enough to learn the iron forearm technique in which the ancient Chinese medicine doctor helped him learn. After the first day he was so incredibly soar that he had to use his arms to make his feet walk. Instead of resting the monks encouraged him to keep going through the exercises (which they did two rounds of a day) and sure enough in a week his body was used to the difficult tasks. No one seemed to respect him since he was just another white foreigner who was in over his head, and would eventually end up quitting. In an attempt to prove them wrong he decided to train 7 hours a day instead of the usual amount. The monks began to notice this and a few started to visit him in his hotel despite the elder monks dis-advising them to.
Deqing is Matthews first and best friend in the temple. They first meet each other during an interview of why Matthew came to china. While Matthew was stumbling over his Chinese Diqing winked at him and encouraged him to speak up more. Later in a restaurant Diqing gets challenged to a match, but instead Matthew is sent in to assess the opponents skill. Although nervous Matthew was glad to help out his best friend in the temple.
Coach Chen is one responsible for teaching Matthew while he is in China. Matthew did not know this at the time, but this was a huge task. Most monks don’t mind teaching a foreigner, but that’s when they are there for a few days or weeks. Matthew was there for two years so in that time frame Coach Chen had very little time to work on his own technique. Although immensely burdened by this Coach eventually saw past Matthews foreignness and started to see what he was really like instead of what everyone else expected of him. (Such as knowing famous Americans)
The conclusion of the story has Matthew getting second place in a tournament, and getting his top 5 to do list crossed off. Although now living in America Matthew keeps contact with the monks (via letters) and travels around America giving presentations.
This book is definitely on of my favorite reads. Straight from the beginning I could relate to the author. His great interest in an Asian culture, the need to improve yourself, physically (although he is a lot bigger than I in height we weigh around the same) and a sense of wanting to learn everything and anything that will stick in your mind. I feel as though the author and I would be able to talk for hours and be good friends.
The first sense of wonderment once you finally start getting in deeper into a martial art is shared between us. Although I’m not as dedicated as Mat, I still try my best and try to improve myself. Although at time seems very difficult as I have some habits that are hard to break, such as keeping my head down. My first impression of martial arts was like something as a show or performance. I’m really just beginning to see all of the different aspects of martial arts of all kinds not just Shaolin or Judo. The kazushi (spelling?) and balance is so important. I never really noticed, but during a match I find myself more focused on trying to keep myself balanced. Kazushi is rather difficult for me to do fast, and still relatively difficult to do even at a slower pace. So much goes on that you have to be really focused. From reading this book and reflecting on what I do in class really makes me want to meditate more.
I really like how the author was a 98lb scrawny guy. He proved that with dedication it doesn’t matter what your build is. I love how he advanced so much in 2 years, a short time for a Shaolin monk. Although Mat is considered at a really low class, he has improved in so many ways. American Shaolin also touches upon spirituality. To mediate while in motion, it seems inconceivable to me how you can be moving in such ways while trying to keep my mind blank. Heck, its hard enough keeping your mind blank.
This book also made me think about all the different kinds of fighting styles. Its amazing how with one body and several different minds can make the body intricate and distinct movements that are so easy for some and impossible for others. Definitely in top 10 favorite books.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
book letter
So far i am loving every part of this book. The story is really progressing at a speed that i like. It's not too slow or too fast that makes you have to reread a whole chapter to just figure out what happened. Although the writing style is a bit difficult to get used to. At first i thought the story revolved around this one girl. Only to find out that the only time we see her thoughts and opinions it's in the gold print. It turns out the majority of the story is read by her mom's diary. A bit confusing at first, but eventually i got it.
Earthseed the religion of Acorn. Acorn being the city of course is a religion i wouldn't mind converting to. God is change and change is God. You may influence God and God may influence you. Very appealing in my eyes. A religion whose goal is to spread it's self into other planets in space is what really captured me. Acorn is a nice little town that i would love to stay in, in my post-apocalyptic world. A tight community where everyone has your back and has their own trade is very comforting in a world where you can barely trust the food you eat. I would want to be a scavenger looking for materials the town would find useful. Not the safest job, but definetly won't be boring.
I really enjoyed learning about how their world is so much different then ours. Although it seems so immensely different it feels like that kind of thing could happen at any moment. I mean they found life forms on mars, and yet the US sell all of their space equipment for aesthetic money for the higher ups. People just elected an obviously danergous racist president. People want to join the side of the oppressor instead of standing up and defying them.
I wonder if the daughter will stop reading the diary and take the main role later in the book. That is what i think is likely to happen.
Earthseed the religion of Acorn. Acorn being the city of course is a religion i wouldn't mind converting to. God is change and change is God. You may influence God and God may influence you. Very appealing in my eyes. A religion whose goal is to spread it's self into other planets in space is what really captured me. Acorn is a nice little town that i would love to stay in, in my post-apocalyptic world. A tight community where everyone has your back and has their own trade is very comforting in a world where you can barely trust the food you eat. I would want to be a scavenger looking for materials the town would find useful. Not the safest job, but definetly won't be boring.
I really enjoyed learning about how their world is so much different then ours. Although it seems so immensely different it feels like that kind of thing could happen at any moment. I mean they found life forms on mars, and yet the US sell all of their space equipment for aesthetic money for the higher ups. People just elected an obviously danergous racist president. People want to join the side of the oppressor instead of standing up and defying them.
I wonder if the daughter will stop reading the diary and take the main role later in the book. That is what i think is likely to happen.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Just the begining
I'm sure many of you are already aware of the protests and marches on March 4th. Sutherland, a handful of his students, and I went to the gathering in Oakland's city hall. I tried my best to try to document everything that stood out or was important to me. While at the same time adding my own thoughts and whatever was running through my head at the time. This current part is straight from my notes that were taken on the day without any doctoring besides grammar and spelling issues. This first blog is just a prequel to the actual happenings of the protest. There is just so much that went down it couldn't all be processed in one night, unlike several newspapers have. This is mainly my own personal thoughts of the morning of March 4 until I get off the bus.
Before: I am really nervous about this whole ordeal. In the back of my head i hear myself saying that it (the protest) could turn violent, that its not worth the risk. It's definitely worth it. A good education is worth ever risk. After all nothing gets accomplished by being passive as events move around you. It's about time I get active in something that will determine how my future will turn out.
This in itself is a whole new learning experience for me. I am so used to reading about such amazing changes, but have never actually participated in anything. I've never dreamed of going to a protest so early in my life, but right now I am questioning why i haven't done so earlier. I'm excited to take in and learn so much from this event. I'll also get first hand witness to observe human behavior (which i am fascinated in) in a crowd of such a mass but also at a youthful moment in life. Overall my feelings are curious and excited, but i also know to be weary and feel a bit nervous.
Bus: I met with what seems to be the group from AHS, sadly it's not an abundance of people as i hoped it would be. I envisioned at least 30 people from our school, it seems as if no one cares. The people who have decided to show up are mainly girls. Although i was not completely alone in gender as one other boy came. From what i can see none of us has brought any signs, banners, or megaphones. Perhaps that's an illusion that movies make?( boy was i wrong. There were actually dozens of clever signs that made me grin or chuckle) We had alot of cameras though, awesome. Hopefully we will be able to catch a lot of what is going down over there, and perhaps inspire other people to get involved once they see what the environment is like. Our group isn't as lively as the raging protesters in my head act. I expect that to change once we get pumped at the rally. I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts and opinions about what is going on. Currently it seems to be a number game with several people mass texting there phone books to tell people to come. I also tried to encourage people to join us, but like many of the others i failed to do so. I'm excited to see the turn out when we reach the actual event.
Next post will be solely focused on the events as seen through my eyes.
Before: I am really nervous about this whole ordeal. In the back of my head i hear myself saying that it (the protest) could turn violent, that its not worth the risk. It's definitely worth it. A good education is worth ever risk. After all nothing gets accomplished by being passive as events move around you. It's about time I get active in something that will determine how my future will turn out.
This in itself is a whole new learning experience for me. I am so used to reading about such amazing changes, but have never actually participated in anything. I've never dreamed of going to a protest so early in my life, but right now I am questioning why i haven't done so earlier. I'm excited to take in and learn so much from this event. I'll also get first hand witness to observe human behavior (which i am fascinated in) in a crowd of such a mass but also at a youthful moment in life. Overall my feelings are curious and excited, but i also know to be weary and feel a bit nervous.
Bus: I met with what seems to be the group from AHS, sadly it's not an abundance of people as i hoped it would be. I envisioned at least 30 people from our school, it seems as if no one cares. The people who have decided to show up are mainly girls. Although i was not completely alone in gender as one other boy came. From what i can see none of us has brought any signs, banners, or megaphones. Perhaps that's an illusion that movies make?( boy was i wrong. There were actually dozens of clever signs that made me grin or chuckle) We had alot of cameras though, awesome. Hopefully we will be able to catch a lot of what is going down over there, and perhaps inspire other people to get involved once they see what the environment is like. Our group isn't as lively as the raging protesters in my head act. I expect that to change once we get pumped at the rally. I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts and opinions about what is going on. Currently it seems to be a number game with several people mass texting there phone books to tell people to come. I also tried to encourage people to join us, but like many of the others i failed to do so. I'm excited to see the turn out when we reach the actual event.
Next post will be solely focused on the events as seen through my eyes.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Steam
So this is a story that was inspired to me by Mr. Sutherlands prompt of the girl and the box. I have included the first part (but am not counting it towards my total word count) just for the ease to read it all in one post.
She touched the box in her pocket and smiled to herself. The Royal messengers had no idea that Rin had so easily pick pocketed. They were engrossed in watching a common street fight unfold. What hope did the government have if such high ranking messengers were so easily amused and distracted. This was why she couldn't wait to leave the corrupt lands of Japan. Judging on the messengers clothing Rin determined that those men worked for the shogun.
Rin gracefully weaved in and out of the crowded streets of market day. The excitement of fresh new goods was wafting through the air. The feeling of excitement could not be compared to Rin's though. The rush of successfully stealing from the royal messengers was still pulsing throughout her body. The rush was only one factor of her excitement. With such an item being put in the trust of royalty meant that what ever was inside was going to fetch a hefty sum. Deciding she was far enough Rin slipped inside an alley to take a closer look at her loot.
The box was wrapped in a brown cloth with black black designs that seemed to pop out at you from within the cloth. The cloth alone would sell at a high price alone, and this made Rin's smile even deeper. She would be able to buy some actual fitting clothes instead of the glorified rags she made. Carefully unwrapping the box she noticed it was incredibly heavy for a box the size of her fist. The box was made out of redwood, which meant it came from far away since Japan did not have redwoods. It was smooth and every centimeter of it was decorated in a coal black or a deep red. In the upper right corner was the obvious sign of a red disc symbolizing Japan. It was definitely Rin's best steal.
Slipping the smooth box back inside her pocket she started to head out of the alley, into the bustling streets. As she turned she noticed a man standing at the entrance slowly walking towards her. Slightly turning her head she saw another man from behind. There were no misplaced bricks or things she could jump onto to escape by roof top, sadly someone created these shacks with good quality. She was trapped she had to confront them.
"What do you guys want with me? I'm just a frail girl!" Rin whimpered. Playing the pity card.
"We see a girl walking into an alley alone... do you expect us to not jump on an opportunity like this? So do you have any valuables or are we going to have to sell you to a slave owner?" the first guy said triumphantly pulling out a wooden club. The bigger of the two remained still acting as a wall, preventing her from running away.
"Hand over what ever you got, and maybe we'll let you go," the man with the bat said with a sneer.
Looking down Rin walked over to the man. He had a tattoo with a red crescent moon on his forearm with a bright blue slash going behind it. It was obviously fresh with the skin around it still blazing red. Standing two feet away from the man with the tattoo she stood there waiting for further instruction from her aggressor.
"Hurry up! Do you want to see the light of tomorrow?! Give me what you got!" he yelled getting impatient. Rin put her hand inside the out pocket of her worn deep red outer jacket. Pulling out a smooth envelope with a red crest holding it together.
"That's more like it, looks like you stole this from a high positioned official. Do you steal from your clients?" he sneered as he tore open the seal. Hearing the tear Rin slightly looked to the side, the big man was standing there possibly 20 feet away. She returned her glare to the man who was shaking her down. His face soon turned with surprise, for there was not money in the envelope, but a neatly folded paper. His greedy eyes scanned the paper reading the characters carefully hand painted with a brush that read, "FUCK YOU" Rin noticed the sudden change of face, and quickly acted while he was still in shock. Skillfully grabbing a concealed curved knife in her sleeve she placed the deadly blade and plunged it into his sore forearm. Blood obscured his new tattoos making them un-distinguishable blobs. Eyes tearing he crumbled to his knees clutching his wound, trying to put as much pressure as possible to make the blood stop. Not taking time to notice her handy work she quickly turned to see that his companion was making a bee line towards her.He had a bulky build so he wouldn't be too fast. Holding her knife so naturally it was like her hand she sprinted towards the man. Crossing her arms to make an X, she turned the knife to face away from her and threw her body to the ground. The momentum from his sprint sent him stumbling over her body with his calf scraping across the smooth blade. His wound visible only by the cloth of his pants darkening. Wiping the blood from her blade onto the inside of her already deep red jacket she made herself look as if nothing happened in the past two minutes. Silently she slipped out of the alley leaving the mess behind. Rin was late after all and she hated making her friends wait.
no crticism is too cruel or useless, all(honest) comments wanted :D
She touched the box in her pocket and smiled to herself. The Royal messengers had no idea that Rin had so easily pick pocketed. They were engrossed in watching a common street fight unfold. What hope did the government have if such high ranking messengers were so easily amused and distracted. This was why she couldn't wait to leave the corrupt lands of Japan. Judging on the messengers clothing Rin determined that those men worked for the shogun.
Rin gracefully weaved in and out of the crowded streets of market day. The excitement of fresh new goods was wafting through the air. The feeling of excitement could not be compared to Rin's though. The rush of successfully stealing from the royal messengers was still pulsing throughout her body. The rush was only one factor of her excitement. With such an item being put in the trust of royalty meant that what ever was inside was going to fetch a hefty sum. Deciding she was far enough Rin slipped inside an alley to take a closer look at her loot.
The box was wrapped in a brown cloth with black black designs that seemed to pop out at you from within the cloth. The cloth alone would sell at a high price alone, and this made Rin's smile even deeper. She would be able to buy some actual fitting clothes instead of the glorified rags she made. Carefully unwrapping the box she noticed it was incredibly heavy for a box the size of her fist. The box was made out of redwood, which meant it came from far away since Japan did not have redwoods. It was smooth and every centimeter of it was decorated in a coal black or a deep red. In the upper right corner was the obvious sign of a red disc symbolizing Japan. It was definitely Rin's best steal.
Slipping the smooth box back inside her pocket she started to head out of the alley, into the bustling streets. As she turned she noticed a man standing at the entrance slowly walking towards her. Slightly turning her head she saw another man from behind. There were no misplaced bricks or things she could jump onto to escape by roof top, sadly someone created these shacks with good quality. She was trapped she had to confront them.
"What do you guys want with me? I'm just a frail girl!" Rin whimpered. Playing the pity card.
"We see a girl walking into an alley alone... do you expect us to not jump on an opportunity like this? So do you have any valuables or are we going to have to sell you to a slave owner?" the first guy said triumphantly pulling out a wooden club. The bigger of the two remained still acting as a wall, preventing her from running away.
"Hand over what ever you got, and maybe we'll let you go," the man with the bat said with a sneer.
Looking down Rin walked over to the man. He had a tattoo with a red crescent moon on his forearm with a bright blue slash going behind it. It was obviously fresh with the skin around it still blazing red. Standing two feet away from the man with the tattoo she stood there waiting for further instruction from her aggressor.
"Hurry up! Do you want to see the light of tomorrow?! Give me what you got!" he yelled getting impatient. Rin put her hand inside the out pocket of her worn deep red outer jacket. Pulling out a smooth envelope with a red crest holding it together.
"That's more like it, looks like you stole this from a high positioned official. Do you steal from your clients?" he sneered as he tore open the seal. Hearing the tear Rin slightly looked to the side, the big man was standing there possibly 20 feet away. She returned her glare to the man who was shaking her down. His face soon turned with surprise, for there was not money in the envelope, but a neatly folded paper. His greedy eyes scanned the paper reading the characters carefully hand painted with a brush that read, "FUCK YOU" Rin noticed the sudden change of face, and quickly acted while he was still in shock. Skillfully grabbing a concealed curved knife in her sleeve she placed the deadly blade and plunged it into his sore forearm. Blood obscured his new tattoos making them un-distinguishable blobs. Eyes tearing he crumbled to his knees clutching his wound, trying to put as much pressure as possible to make the blood stop. Not taking time to notice her handy work she quickly turned to see that his companion was making a bee line towards her.He had a bulky build so he wouldn't be too fast. Holding her knife so naturally it was like her hand she sprinted towards the man. Crossing her arms to make an X, she turned the knife to face away from her and threw her body to the ground. The momentum from his sprint sent him stumbling over her body with his calf scraping across the smooth blade. His wound visible only by the cloth of his pants darkening. Wiping the blood from her blade onto the inside of her already deep red jacket she made herself look as if nothing happened in the past two minutes. Silently she slipped out of the alley leaving the mess behind. Rin was late after all and she hated making her friends wait.
no crticism is too cruel or useless, all(honest) comments wanted :D
Friday, February 19, 2010
Video games a hobby, a lifestyle
It doesn't bother me in the slightest bit that some people are super addicted to their video games. Everyone is entitled to do whatever it is they wish to do with their lives, that's the message that attracts so many people into America in the first place. People who devote their lives to playing and studying video games may very well make more money then your average joe at a "normal" job. Games are in a huge market right now. A single game for the 360 can go as high as 70 even more if your really dedicated. Their is a lot of money to gain in the universe of gaming. Even if your just a player, if your good you could enter a tournament and win a couple thousand dollars, or hey a life time supply of cup ramen haha.
I used to play all sorts of mmo's (massive multiplayer online games) bute lately they have been quite repetitive. A lot of the animes i watch depict a person playing a game where they are virtually put into another world with all senses active. Sometimes it would turn out that they could not escape the "game" and it ended up being the real world and "real life" was just a dream. A virtual reality where you could import your mind would be amazing, i would definitely look into it. A "reality" in which you can personally change at your will by inputting your own code. A chance to play God and create the world you think is fit for your new life.
Although i enjoy games and the advancements that are inevitable, I'm worried that the virtual reailt i dream can be very dangerous. Perhaps the game is too real and the senses are very real to your brain. Your brain is very powerfull your brain could shut down important organs in your body from functioning if it believes it is horribly injured or "dead". In a very good book series that i highly reccomend (fiction adventure) Pendragon it sort of dives into the realm of virtual reality. The main character ventures into a world where 98% of the population has turned to a device called lifelite where you get plugged in and get to live out your fantasies for as long as you want. Noone leaves these machines as its pure bliss inside them. The machines feed them food that the skin absorbs by itself and all seems perfect to the user. The only problem is that EVERYONE is on these machiens and noone wants to be in the real world where so much real troubles burden them. The city is in ruins since it is barely used by the people and society is falling apart, yet its citizens are either oblivious or don't care in the slightest. I'm scared that this will happen to humanity since we are so easy to dump our burdens away and ignore them.
In my eyes instead of making video games more life like we should make video games more applicable to the real world. Wars decided over a match of the newest shooting game. Space explorations manned by millions of people who log into their game systems and explore for themselves while simultaneously gathering space information for the world/government. We need to spread our imagination and ingenuity for the better of the Earth, education, science, and our beings. Video games not horrible not perfect, a lot like us humans.
off topic but i was very amused by this quote, "light a man a fire and he will be warm for the night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for life" haha
I used to play all sorts of mmo's (massive multiplayer online games) bute lately they have been quite repetitive. A lot of the animes i watch depict a person playing a game where they are virtually put into another world with all senses active. Sometimes it would turn out that they could not escape the "game" and it ended up being the real world and "real life" was just a dream. A virtual reality where you could import your mind would be amazing, i would definitely look into it. A "reality" in which you can personally change at your will by inputting your own code. A chance to play God and create the world you think is fit for your new life.
Although i enjoy games and the advancements that are inevitable, I'm worried that the virtual reailt i dream can be very dangerous. Perhaps the game is too real and the senses are very real to your brain. Your brain is very powerfull your brain could shut down important organs in your body from functioning if it believes it is horribly injured or "dead". In a very good book series that i highly reccomend (fiction adventure) Pendragon it sort of dives into the realm of virtual reality. The main character ventures into a world where 98% of the population has turned to a device called lifelite where you get plugged in and get to live out your fantasies for as long as you want. Noone leaves these machines as its pure bliss inside them. The machines feed them food that the skin absorbs by itself and all seems perfect to the user. The only problem is that EVERYONE is on these machiens and noone wants to be in the real world where so much real troubles burden them. The city is in ruins since it is barely used by the people and society is falling apart, yet its citizens are either oblivious or don't care in the slightest. I'm scared that this will happen to humanity since we are so easy to dump our burdens away and ignore them.
In my eyes instead of making video games more life like we should make video games more applicable to the real world. Wars decided over a match of the newest shooting game. Space explorations manned by millions of people who log into their game systems and explore for themselves while simultaneously gathering space information for the world/government. We need to spread our imagination and ingenuity for the better of the Earth, education, science, and our beings. Video games not horrible not perfect, a lot like us humans.
off topic but i was very amused by this quote, "light a man a fire and he will be warm for the night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for life" haha
genocide final
Genocide is purely a human species invention. You don’t see other species of animals killing each other for a stupid reason like different shade of fur. It’s quite ridiculous how humans, as such an “advanced” species who has developed such a complex array of language and comprehension we still revert to violence when we see it most effective. What is the use of words if we don’t even take them in account and go straight for our fists and guns? Animals may be violent, yes, but they do it to survive. They never go overboard and wipe out a whole species. Dolphins and whales have a huge brain size compared to their body hinting that they are rather intellectual beings. They even have one more layer of brain that humans don’t have (if my recollection is correct from an article I read) some would say they are more intelligent then us. Humans (in my eyes) seem to judge intelligence on how advanced animals are at using and creating tools. The way I see it when species do this they rapidly deplete their resources. In like what, a tiny three thousand years, give or take? A single species has never tormented the Earth in such a way, that was not caused by natural forces. I believe an intelligent species is one that doesn’t make its environment turn on them and support its own food source. Dolphins are friendly to most species. It eats small fish and dolphins even protect other marine life by taking on a shark now and then. It isn’t rare to hear stories of dolphins saving people whom are under attack from a shark. Dolphins have even used a tool that other animals use and turned that into a language, sonar. Point being species with similar brains and diverse biological tools don't use those tools to eliminate what they need to survive. They keep the circle of life revolving instead or diverging on a different path.
A philosopher I studied a few months ago, Thomas Hobbes, believed that humans were born evil. That if a human were to be left unobserved they would take the selfish and naturally evil course of actions. Hobbes continues to say that humans need a single person (philosopher) to lead the rest of us like sheep, for we cannot make the correct decision on our own. To some extent I agree with Hobbes. It truly takes an evil being to even process the thoughts of genocide let alone actually commit to the idea and carry it out. I don’t think all of humanity would agree to killing off a certain race or religion, but sadly I think there is still a percentage that would gladly agree. Humans are rather easy to give in to pressure. Fear could make parents throw away their own children if they are scared enough, whether for the children or themselves. Other just like the power if being "superior" to another group of people that is not them. Either really confused or not bright people may think genocide is better for the world. "Maybe that race IS out to get us all. We must band together and get rid of them before they get rid of us." Hypocrisy thy name is humanity. People like Hitler actualy though they were doing the world a favor by eliminating people that were not "good enough" What in nature could inspire this way of thought? I don't think nature has the ability to be so hateful. Instead of Hobbe's idea i believe that society shapes the individual human, depending on how they see the world and universe around them. A chaos filled environment will have some obvious side effects on the development of a person.
I think religion has a huge impact on this also. As far as we know humans are the only species who can think of the idea of religion. Personally i don't really have a religion i strictly follow, although my family is Muslim.
A lot of people blame their radical ideas on their religion. I bet when i say this a lot of people instantly think of Muslims. Hitler was on a religious craze and he wasn't Muslim. People interpert their religious beliefs their own way even Christians start shooting people if a certain message in the bible seems like thats what it is saying. I don't like religion because it gives people an excuse. In my eyes religion has a huge similarity to the shocking( not adjective) experiment that took place in Europe. There is one authority figure giving out directions. It's not all too clear what his true objective is, but it seems to be important. People sign up for their own accord and listen to instructions. When things start to become scary and uncertain they ask the authority figure for conformation. This is when some people can choose to leave or continue on blindly following what he says. It seems like you can replace several words in the past couple sentences with religious words and it would make perfect sense. I'm not trying to bash on religion saying its the cause of genocide, but it dosnt always condemn it either. "I just did what i was told, i wasn't aware that I was doing anythign truely harmful." is a nice resemblance to what nazi soldiers have said and the shock experiment. Blindly following orders is always a dangerous idea.
People who have given up and just don't give a damn anymore. Yet people who have a drive to achieve something that is correct and great in their own mind, both can be the sparks leading to the bonfire of genocide. Brilliant people, stupid people, and even regular joes can commit genocide. Humans are the ones stupid enough to commit genocide and humans are the ones with the complexity to commit genocide. We are in need of an upgrade, hopefully we will do something about it before we are on earth version 5 in a different galaxy.
"Humans are like a virus. They feed off of a host, once its not useful we just move on to the next host. Rinse Wash Repeat."
A philosopher I studied a few months ago, Thomas Hobbes, believed that humans were born evil. That if a human were to be left unobserved they would take the selfish and naturally evil course of actions. Hobbes continues to say that humans need a single person (philosopher) to lead the rest of us like sheep, for we cannot make the correct decision on our own. To some extent I agree with Hobbes. It truly takes an evil being to even process the thoughts of genocide let alone actually commit to the idea and carry it out. I don’t think all of humanity would agree to killing off a certain race or religion, but sadly I think there is still a percentage that would gladly agree. Humans are rather easy to give in to pressure. Fear could make parents throw away their own children if they are scared enough, whether for the children or themselves. Other just like the power if being "superior" to another group of people that is not them. Either really confused or not bright people may think genocide is better for the world. "Maybe that race IS out to get us all. We must band together and get rid of them before they get rid of us." Hypocrisy thy name is humanity. People like Hitler actualy though they were doing the world a favor by eliminating people that were not "good enough" What in nature could inspire this way of thought? I don't think nature has the ability to be so hateful. Instead of Hobbe's idea i believe that society shapes the individual human, depending on how they see the world and universe around them. A chaos filled environment will have some obvious side effects on the development of a person.
I think religion has a huge impact on this also. As far as we know humans are the only species who can think of the idea of religion. Personally i don't really have a religion i strictly follow, although my family is Muslim.
A lot of people blame their radical ideas on their religion. I bet when i say this a lot of people instantly think of Muslims. Hitler was on a religious craze and he wasn't Muslim. People interpert their religious beliefs their own way even Christians start shooting people if a certain message in the bible seems like thats what it is saying. I don't like religion because it gives people an excuse. In my eyes religion has a huge similarity to the shocking( not adjective) experiment that took place in Europe. There is one authority figure giving out directions. It's not all too clear what his true objective is, but it seems to be important. People sign up for their own accord and listen to instructions. When things start to become scary and uncertain they ask the authority figure for conformation. This is when some people can choose to leave or continue on blindly following what he says. It seems like you can replace several words in the past couple sentences with religious words and it would make perfect sense. I'm not trying to bash on religion saying its the cause of genocide, but it dosnt always condemn it either. "I just did what i was told, i wasn't aware that I was doing anythign truely harmful." is a nice resemblance to what nazi soldiers have said and the shock experiment. Blindly following orders is always a dangerous idea.
People who have given up and just don't give a damn anymore. Yet people who have a drive to achieve something that is correct and great in their own mind, both can be the sparks leading to the bonfire of genocide. Brilliant people, stupid people, and even regular joes can commit genocide. Humans are the ones stupid enough to commit genocide and humans are the ones with the complexity to commit genocide. We are in need of an upgrade, hopefully we will do something about it before we are on earth version 5 in a different galaxy.
"Humans are like a virus. They feed off of a host, once its not useful we just move on to the next host. Rinse Wash Repeat."
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