People began freaking out when the alien ships were sited near Mars. After that, there were ten days of swirls of speculation and news coverage, with government officials relocating to bunkers in fear of an attack, and researchers trying desperately to learn more about the extra-terrestrials, or make contact. Soon there was mass exodus from metropolitan areas, crowds of people in front of grocery stores and Starbucks, and millions of people living live as though the world could end tomorrow - all without truly knowing what would happen; and when it would happen. The fate of humanity was uncertain. The answer came all to soon without warning - as though someone turned off a switch, every electronic or mechanical object stopped working, and the grid went dark.
That was only the first wave, it only killed a half a million, but it was a calamity - humans were unprepared for the sudden lack of technology which they depended on; like microwaves, Siri, and Facebook. The next wave would be far more devastating. The next after that would be cataclysmic. The next after that would not be that bad, just because there weren't that many people left for the aliens to kill. Only a select few have survived the earthquakes, the plague, and the hunt for last survivors; one of whom is a young woman named Cassie. Cassie does not know if she is the last human on Earth. She does not know if there is any government left. But she holds on to two things: The first, is that if she truly is the last human on the planet, it is her moral duty to at least go out kicking. The second thing: Hope. Hope that maybe there is something else out there. Hope that her younger brother is alive.
I really enjoyed this book, and had trouble putting it down for a week to read the classic books. Its 450 some pages, but that felt like a breeze. I was almost never bored. The good characters were mostly like- able which made the book more interesting to read, and you can almost feel bad for the bad characters (aliens) who are homeless, but hate them at the same time which is rare and cool in a book. The first third of the book which sets up the alien situation and gives us the characters backstories was interesting and highly entertaining, but the middle third felt just a little like a filler, but was still good. The last third was gripping and also, highly entertaining. Perhaps my favorite part of the book was the main character's humor - and personality; it made the book so much better. I would recommend this book to anyone in the class for just a good, fun read.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Picture of Dorian Grey
Dorian Grey thinks very highly of himself, and does not particularly carry or worry about others. He admires his own handsome looks - coming to believe personal beauty is the most important thing anyone can have. When an artist named Basil paints him an excellent portrait, Dorian wishes the portrait would age instead of him. Then Dorian meets a woman at a shakespeare theatre - and they begin a relationship - but things turn sour. Shortly after a wrong doing of Dorian, he realizes the portrait is starting to look slightly older. Dorian realizes what he must do to maintain his everlasting youth - sin.
The Portrait of Dorian Grey was a gray book. Interesting and full characters, (most of whom had flaws, which made the book feel realistic) and a well thought out plot that was entertaining to read. I think the book was a classic for one main reason: it's depiction of morals, and priorities. Dorian is okay with doing bad things if it gets him to look younger - because he has terrible morals. These types of things are discussed in the book - and it's cool to see characters change in this sense. The problems in the book make it a timeless classic.
The Portrait of Dorian Grey was a gray book. Interesting and full characters, (most of whom had flaws, which made the book feel realistic) and a well thought out plot that was entertaining to read. I think the book was a classic for one main reason: it's depiction of morals, and priorities. Dorian is okay with doing bad things if it gets him to look younger - because he has terrible morals. These types of things are discussed in the book - and it's cool to see characters change in this sense. The problems in the book make it a timeless classic.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Textationship
7:43 - K: hey whats up?
7:45 - A: nothin much some homework U?
7:46 - K: washington dc
7:46 - A: what
7:48 - K: i am here with my team
7:49 - A: why
7:50 - K: debate team
7:50 - A: oh so did she like say anything
7:50 - K: she didn't want us to talk about her
7:51 - A: oh ok what should we talk about
7:51 - K: were trying to pick a movie to watch
7:53 - A: what are you thinking of watching
7:54 - K: either lion king or no strings atached
7:55 - A: i saw no string attached last week !
7:55 - K: ya me too I saw it like a month ago or something it was pretty good
7:57 - A: ya it was funny
7:58 - K: ya
7:58 - A: the lion king is good too
7:58 - K: ya it was like my favorite movie when i was a kid
8:01 - A: your kinda still a kid
8:03 - K: you're and whatever
8:03 - A: shut up lol oh dang i might have to stop txting
8:04 - K: why
8:05 - A: cuz i gotta walk the dogs but my brother might do it
8:06 - K: k
8:09 - A: are you watching the movie
8:09 - K: no now were really divided what do you think we should watch?
8:09 - A: lion king is nice and all but i is also a kid movie i mean no string attached is more entertainin for your age level you know
8:09 - K: ikr but a lot want to watch lion king we cant decide
8:10 - A: oh
8:12 - K: so what is going on wit you
8:13 - A: just doing homework thought i told yo
8:15 - K: oh ya
8:15 - A: school kinda sucks right now
8:16 - K: oh sorry why?
8:17 - A: im just stressed about next year i dont know which class i am gonna be in in AS and im kinda nervous thats all also i might not be in class with freinds and there will be kids i dont know
8:17 - K: ya thats hard i get what your saying
8:17 - A: oh i got to walk the dogs but i can keep texting
8:17 - K: oh
8:20 - K: are you outside now?
8:20 - A: ya im walking the dogs have you decided on a movie?
8:21 - K: i told them what you thought but we havent desided
8:22 - A: its kinda cold out here
8:22 - K: oh sorry
8:23 - A: it's ok i brought jacket
8:24 - K: we picked lion king
8:26 - K: it's good
8:27 - K: hello
8:28 - A: sorry just dropped my phone couldnt find it for a while
8:30 - K: oh so have you talked to her?
8:31 - A: no what would i do just walk up to her she knows what i think of her did she say anything to you last time you were at her house? oh and i thought we werent gonna talk about her
8:32 - K: she said you have no purpose on the earth
8:32 - A: really wow thats lame
8:33 - K: im sorry i know that must suck
8:34 - A: ya it kinda does mostly we just avoid each other
8:34 - K: she says when i txt you i will turn into you
8:34 - A: what does that even mean it doesent make any sense
8:35 - K: ya you seem nice i dont know what she doesnt like about you but even her mom has told her she does not have good people skills
8:35 - A: but i must have done something pretty bad
8:36 - K: i dont know
8:37 - A: its weird to think shes the only reason we know each other i bet she hates that and i bet she hates that we talk
8:38 - K: ya but she'll get over it shes not that mad at me at least and you are right
8:39 - A: she wont get mad at you your her freind
8:41 - K: ya its weird i feel like i know you so well but we have never even met
8:41 - A: ya that is weird i feel the same way
8:42 - K: i hope you guys work something out
8:42 - A: thanks but we both know that wont happen
8:43 - K: i am probably going to do some homework now
8:44 - A: ok goodbye
8:45 - K: later
8:47 - A: thanks for talking with me its been nice
8:48 - K: your welcome aaron
8:49 - A: bye
8:49 - K: bye
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Slice of Life
I felt paralyzed. Why do I have an aching sense that someone is under my bed? My eyes dart to the closet. Did I just see something move? No, no one is there. Or is there someone in the shadows? I am gripped by fear. I want to hide under the covers, and close my eyes, but I can't look away. Why did I watch that movie? How could I have thought it was a good Idea? I know it's all in my head, but I can't help but feel like if I look under my bed, I will be killed by some evil menace that lurks there, in the dark. The image of the ghost girl Samara, from "The Ring" crawling out of a television is ingrained in my mind. The face of the ghost from "The Grudge" also haunts me. I can't shake the feeling that I am about to receive a call saying I have seven days to live, of that I am going to be kidnapped by Jigsaw and he will want to play a game, or I will fall asleep and Freddy Krueger will kill me, etc.
My third grade self knew that monsters and ghosts and demons weren't real. But the movies sure made them feel real. I had a completely irrational fear, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. I also had a curiosity that drove me to watch movies like Saw, the Ring, and Blair Witch Project. When I was in second grade, my older brother convinced me and Daniel to watch the Grudge, a movie about a mother and son who die and kill people who enter their former home. We got five minutes into it, and the first scare scared me and Daniel so bad we probably screamed, and had to turn off the TV. After that, I downright would not go into the attic, and I never went upstairs alone. Later, in the third grade, I saw "IT". It was written by Stephen King, and was super scary. It's about a clown that lures children into a revine and eats them. I barely slept for three weeks.
If I had not seen as many horror movies as I did when I was young, I would never have had these fears. I was not ready of it - I wasn't able to push it out of my mind, or deal with the fear. however, that went away with time. I learned to deal with horror movies, and I was able to make them less scary for me by thinking of positive things, and thinking to myself how unreasonable my fears were. With time, I could watch almost any movie, with no lasting effects. It was jus about the timing - if I hadn't been exposed so early, I wouldn't have had night terrors, or fear of the dark, or being alone. The times when I was so scared I couldn't sleep were some of the roughest experiences of my life. The fear is so intense, it almost feels like physical pain. In the fast year or so, I have watched movies like "Paranormal Activity," and "Insidious" with almost no trouble at all. Whether my experiences that made me able to reach that point made it worth it, I do not know - I probably should have waited - but, I think movies just gave me a reason to be scared, and night terrors as a child are relatively common.
My third grade self knew that monsters and ghosts and demons weren't real. But the movies sure made them feel real. I had a completely irrational fear, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. I also had a curiosity that drove me to watch movies like Saw, the Ring, and Blair Witch Project. When I was in second grade, my older brother convinced me and Daniel to watch the Grudge, a movie about a mother and son who die and kill people who enter their former home. We got five minutes into it, and the first scare scared me and Daniel so bad we probably screamed, and had to turn off the TV. After that, I downright would not go into the attic, and I never went upstairs alone. Later, in the third grade, I saw "IT". It was written by Stephen King, and was super scary. It's about a clown that lures children into a revine and eats them. I barely slept for three weeks.
If I had not seen as many horror movies as I did when I was young, I would never have had these fears. I was not ready of it - I wasn't able to push it out of my mind, or deal with the fear. however, that went away with time. I learned to deal with horror movies, and I was able to make them less scary for me by thinking of positive things, and thinking to myself how unreasonable my fears were. With time, I could watch almost any movie, with no lasting effects. It was jus about the timing - if I hadn't been exposed so early, I wouldn't have had night terrors, or fear of the dark, or being alone. The times when I was so scared I couldn't sleep were some of the roughest experiences of my life. The fear is so intense, it almost feels like physical pain. In the fast year or so, I have watched movies like "Paranormal Activity," and "Insidious" with almost no trouble at all. Whether my experiences that made me able to reach that point made it worth it, I do not know - I probably should have waited - but, I think movies just gave me a reason to be scared, and night terrors as a child are relatively common.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The 5th Wave (Pt.1/2)
(To be clear, I am finishing this book the week after next)
People began freaking out when the alien ships were sited near Mars. After that, there were ten days of swirls of speculation and news coverage, with government officials relocating to bunkers in fear of an attack, and researchers trying desperately to learn more about the extra-terrestrials, or make contact. Soon there was mass exodus from metropolitan areas, crowds of people in front of grocery stores and Starbucks, and millions of people living live as though the world could end tomorrow - all without truly knowing what would happen; and when it would happen. The fate of humanity was uncertain. The answer came all to soon without warning - as though someone turned off a switch, every electronic or mechanical object stopped working, and the grid went dark.
That was only the first wave, it only killed a half a million, but it was a calamity - humans were unprepared for the sudden lack of technology which they depended on; like microwaves, Siri, and Facebook. The next wave would be far more devastating. The next after that would be cataclysmic. The next after that would not be that bad, just because there weren't that many people left for the aliens to kill. Only a select few have survived the earthquakes, the plague, and the hunt for last survivors; one of whom is a young woman named Cassie. Cassie does not know if she is the last human on Earth. She does not know if there is any government left. But she holds on to two things: The first, is that if she truly is the last human on the planet, it is her moral duty to at least go out kicking. The second thing: Hope. Hope that maybe there is something else out there. Hope that her younger brother is alive.
So far, this book has been good, and interesting. The set up of the alien invasion and the attack is very well described, and is very smart. The depiction of how people react to the aliens feels realistic, and the main characters back story is relatable. However, the part I don't understand is how this one girl is the person the book focuses on. Honestly, if this invasion were real, she would totally be dead. So would I. She was just some teenager before everything happened - now she lives alone in a forest shooting at stuff and surviving without any help at all, (at first) which I just cannot see happening. I do enjoy the main characters voice though, and she is a good character - I think it's just a stretch. I am excited to read the rest of the book, which has a very interesting plot line brewing - but I won't give anything away.
People began freaking out when the alien ships were sited near Mars. After that, there were ten days of swirls of speculation and news coverage, with government officials relocating to bunkers in fear of an attack, and researchers trying desperately to learn more about the extra-terrestrials, or make contact. Soon there was mass exodus from metropolitan areas, crowds of people in front of grocery stores and Starbucks, and millions of people living live as though the world could end tomorrow - all without truly knowing what would happen; and when it would happen. The fate of humanity was uncertain. The answer came all to soon without warning - as though someone turned off a switch, every electronic or mechanical object stopped working, and the grid went dark.
That was only the first wave, it only killed a half a million, but it was a calamity - humans were unprepared for the sudden lack of technology which they depended on; like microwaves, Siri, and Facebook. The next wave would be far more devastating. The next after that would be cataclysmic. The next after that would not be that bad, just because there weren't that many people left for the aliens to kill. Only a select few have survived the earthquakes, the plague, and the hunt for last survivors; one of whom is a young woman named Cassie. Cassie does not know if she is the last human on Earth. She does not know if there is any government left. But she holds on to two things: The first, is that if she truly is the last human on the planet, it is her moral duty to at least go out kicking. The second thing: Hope. Hope that maybe there is something else out there. Hope that her younger brother is alive.
So far, this book has been good, and interesting. The set up of the alien invasion and the attack is very well described, and is very smart. The depiction of how people react to the aliens feels realistic, and the main characters back story is relatable. However, the part I don't understand is how this one girl is the person the book focuses on. Honestly, if this invasion were real, she would totally be dead. So would I. She was just some teenager before everything happened - now she lives alone in a forest shooting at stuff and surviving without any help at all, (at first) which I just cannot see happening. I do enjoy the main characters voice though, and she is a good character - I think it's just a stretch. I am excited to read the rest of the book, which has a very interesting plot line brewing - but I won't give anything away.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
The War that was Really Just a Game
Bang-Bang-Bang! I hear in rapid succession, then: "Double kill." Then silence. Boom! "Dang! Was that a bulltrue?" Someone asks. "Yep."Is another's reply. I don't look to see who it is, I just keep on hunting. Playing a game I have finally gotten good at, after six or seven years of trying. My eyes are glued to my player on screen. I'm carrying an energy sword and a rocket launcher, two great weapons, while hunting for a target. I wander through the spartan base, passing trucks and fighter jets to my right, on the other side of a fence, glancing occasionally at my radar. Finally is spot someone out of the corner of my eye. I run towards them as fast as I can, and "beat them down" with my energy sword. Now I'm at fifteen points. It feels like a war, even though really it's just a game. A game I have finally gotten good at, after six or seven years of trying. My eyes are glued to my player on screen, fighting a war that is really just a game.
I don't even remember when we got Halo 3 for christmas - or tearing away the wrapping paper, or putting it in the console for the first time. All I remember is playing it - playing and losing every single time I played with my brothers on multiplayer. We played "Slayer" which is a multiplayer game where there are two to four players, all fighting against each other. There are a series of futuristic maps, a variety of futuristic weapons, and a large set of futuristic vehicles. I know each map by heart, the positives and negatives of each weapon and how to expertly use them, i.e., what range you should be, how long it takes to kill someone with it, what inflicts the most damage, etc. The players of the game kill each other multiple times, each time responding with pre-determined weapons, just to kill each other again. Alex was a master, and for the longest time, he always just killed me and Daniel over and over, until he won each game. Just like most other things we did. He would quiz us on things we obviously didn't know just to be better at yet something else, or make competitions he would always win. I hated never being able to beat him at anything - and it made me feel incompetent and stupid; especially when he lorded it over us, jeering and teasing.
Over break we took out Halo 3 once more, for old time's sake. We selected multiplayer, chose weapons, chose a map, and began to play. But this time, it was different. By now I knew all the secrets of the map. I knew all the little tricks he used on us - and I knew how to fight him. Once the massacre commenced, I knew the game was different; I was able to kill Alex's player. The points began stacking up, and his points dwindled. I began feeling great, like I might be able to beat him. Each kill was a new combination of skills; using grenades and picking up weapons as I went. Dodging his blows, and slowly taking down his health. Eventually I had thirty or forty kills, while he was left in the dust in the high teens. He grew quiet - none of the usual jeering and teasing. Before I even reached the score limit to win which was fifty, he gave up. He kind of tried to say he was bored, but me and Daniel saw right through him. He would rather give up than lose to his younger brother. I finally won. I finally won the war. I finally won the war that was really just a game.
I don't even remember when we got Halo 3 for christmas - or tearing away the wrapping paper, or putting it in the console for the first time. All I remember is playing it - playing and losing every single time I played with my brothers on multiplayer. We played "Slayer" which is a multiplayer game where there are two to four players, all fighting against each other. There are a series of futuristic maps, a variety of futuristic weapons, and a large set of futuristic vehicles. I know each map by heart, the positives and negatives of each weapon and how to expertly use them, i.e., what range you should be, how long it takes to kill someone with it, what inflicts the most damage, etc. The players of the game kill each other multiple times, each time responding with pre-determined weapons, just to kill each other again. Alex was a master, and for the longest time, he always just killed me and Daniel over and over, until he won each game. Just like most other things we did. He would quiz us on things we obviously didn't know just to be better at yet something else, or make competitions he would always win. I hated never being able to beat him at anything - and it made me feel incompetent and stupid; especially when he lorded it over us, jeering and teasing.
Over break we took out Halo 3 once more, for old time's sake. We selected multiplayer, chose weapons, chose a map, and began to play. But this time, it was different. By now I knew all the secrets of the map. I knew all the little tricks he used on us - and I knew how to fight him. Once the massacre commenced, I knew the game was different; I was able to kill Alex's player. The points began stacking up, and his points dwindled. I began feeling great, like I might be able to beat him. Each kill was a new combination of skills; using grenades and picking up weapons as I went. Dodging his blows, and slowly taking down his health. Eventually I had thirty or forty kills, while he was left in the dust in the high teens. He grew quiet - none of the usual jeering and teasing. Before I even reached the score limit to win which was fifty, he gave up. He kind of tried to say he was bored, but me and Daniel saw right through him. He would rather give up than lose to his younger brother. I finally won. I finally won the war. I finally won the war that was really just a game.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
In a psychiatric hospital in Oregon in 1963, a native american man named Bromden, called "Chief" by other patients slowly rots away. From both his confinement, mental illness, and from the clutches of the manipulative head nurse, miss Ratched. He has been there as long as anyone can remember, and know one knows much about him. . He act's as though he is mute and deaf to avoid attention, and stay out of the head nurses way. He observes the ward from a far, and all that was about to happen. It all started with Nurse Ratched.
Miss Ratched uses her authority and ability to abuse patients' illnesses and insecurities to subdue them, keeping the ward in perfect working order - all the while maintaining the persona as a caring person, who only wants to help the patients. She is a master of implication, and uses the harsh treatments available at the hospital to punish patients. It appears as though the ward will stay under the firm grip of Nurse Ratched until one man arrives who will change everything - the man who would question the head nurse. his name: Randle Patrick McMurphy.
Randle Patrick McMurphy does not actually have any mental illnesses, (besides maybe a gambling addiction) instead he faked his way out of the work farm and into the hospital in order to have an easier rest of his sentence. He had been in and out of the corrections system for his whole life practically, just because he could not help himself when it came to trouble. He was finishing a sentence for statutory rape of a fifteen year old girl, but his stay would not be as easy as he hoped.
Right of the bat, Randle begins disobeying the strict guidelines the head nurse has set, and starts to rouse insubordination in the patients. He begins gambling with patients, causing mischief, and even generates laughter - something the ward has missed for many years. This is all to miss Ratched's liking, and as her perfect web of lies and manipulation that encases the ward begins to disintegrate, she tightens her grip on the patients, and uses the full extent of her power.
This book is truly excellent. It is classic - and It's probably the best book I have read all year. Why? Three main things: The first is that Kesey does an incredible job of exploring characters - which he really had to do, because this book is largely character driven. Randle and Miss Ratched are intricate and interesting characters - by the end you will understand them very well, and have strong emotions about both.
The second reason: The setting. It takes place in a psychiatric hospital - in a time where mental hospitals were getting better, but treatment was still relatively harsh, and most people seemed to want to just forget about those that were unfit to society. Kesey shows us inside the horrors of mental facilities, and teaches us to empathize with people that have crippling mental illness - which makes this book very powerful.
The third reason: The writing and the storyline. The way this book was done is outstanding. A story that packs an educational and emotional punch, and writing that has great use of metaphors and similes, and takes us in the mind of a mental patient. If you have gotten this far, I hope you understand how good this book is, and I hope this inspires you too read the book, because this book is great, and you will get alot out of it.
Miss Ratched uses her authority and ability to abuse patients' illnesses and insecurities to subdue them, keeping the ward in perfect working order - all the while maintaining the persona as a caring person, who only wants to help the patients. She is a master of implication, and uses the harsh treatments available at the hospital to punish patients. It appears as though the ward will stay under the firm grip of Nurse Ratched until one man arrives who will change everything - the man who would question the head nurse. his name: Randle Patrick McMurphy.
Randle Patrick McMurphy does not actually have any mental illnesses, (besides maybe a gambling addiction) instead he faked his way out of the work farm and into the hospital in order to have an easier rest of his sentence. He had been in and out of the corrections system for his whole life practically, just because he could not help himself when it came to trouble. He was finishing a sentence for statutory rape of a fifteen year old girl, but his stay would not be as easy as he hoped.
Right of the bat, Randle begins disobeying the strict guidelines the head nurse has set, and starts to rouse insubordination in the patients. He begins gambling with patients, causing mischief, and even generates laughter - something the ward has missed for many years. This is all to miss Ratched's liking, and as her perfect web of lies and manipulation that encases the ward begins to disintegrate, she tightens her grip on the patients, and uses the full extent of her power.
This book is truly excellent. It is classic - and It's probably the best book I have read all year. Why? Three main things: The first is that Kesey does an incredible job of exploring characters - which he really had to do, because this book is largely character driven. Randle and Miss Ratched are intricate and interesting characters - by the end you will understand them very well, and have strong emotions about both.
The second reason: The setting. It takes place in a psychiatric hospital - in a time where mental hospitals were getting better, but treatment was still relatively harsh, and most people seemed to want to just forget about those that were unfit to society. Kesey shows us inside the horrors of mental facilities, and teaches us to empathize with people that have crippling mental illness - which makes this book very powerful.
The third reason: The writing and the storyline. The way this book was done is outstanding. A story that packs an educational and emotional punch, and writing that has great use of metaphors and similes, and takes us in the mind of a mental patient. If you have gotten this far, I hope you understand how good this book is, and I hope this inspires you too read the book, because this book is great, and you will get alot out of it.
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