1: Lord Loss, by Darren Shan
2: Demon Thief, by Darren Shan
3: Slawter, by Darren Shan
4: Bec, by Darren Shan
5: Blood Beast, by Darren Shan
6: Demon Apocolypse, by Darren Shan
7: Death's Shadow, by Darren Shan
8: Wolf Island, by Darren Shan
9: Dark Calling, by Darren Shan
10: Hell's Heroes, by Darren Shan
As you can see, I really enjoy Darren Shan's books. I've read the Cirque du Freak series and I want to see what this other series by Darren Shan is like.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Current Connections: Navy SEALs
Title: Navy Seals: A Battle for the Conscience
What's the author's purpose? To see if the Navy SEALs are writing these books just for the fame and glory.
Does the author accomplish his/her purpose? Yes, the author shows good points on what the SEALs are doing.
What ideas do you agree with? Before, SEALs did not talk about what they did. Being part of the best special forces was good enough.
What ideas do you disagree with? That now, since the younger generations of SEALs grew up in an age of social networking such as Facebook and online publicity, now the younger SEALs want to share their experiences with others to get a positive feeling from the peers, no longer do they have the full pride of being a SEAL.
What do you not understand? Why the SEALs want recognition for this by spreading classified information, which they know is illegal, but they still look for that fame and glory in their job.
What Connections can you make with the text? (Self, Text, World) Self: I am joining the Marines soon, and I may learn of classified information about my job that I want to talk about with others, but cannot.
Source: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/06/navy-seals-a-battle-for-the-conscience/
What's the author's purpose? To see if the Navy SEALs are writing these books just for the fame and glory.
Does the author accomplish his/her purpose? Yes, the author shows good points on what the SEALs are doing.
What ideas do you agree with? Before, SEALs did not talk about what they did. Being part of the best special forces was good enough.
What ideas do you disagree with? That now, since the younger generations of SEALs grew up in an age of social networking such as Facebook and online publicity, now the younger SEALs want to share their experiences with others to get a positive feeling from the peers, no longer do they have the full pride of being a SEAL.
What do you not understand? Why the SEALs want recognition for this by spreading classified information, which they know is illegal, but they still look for that fame and glory in their job.
What Connections can you make with the text? (Self, Text, World) Self: I am joining the Marines soon, and I may learn of classified information about my job that I want to talk about with others, but cannot.
Source: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/06/navy-seals-a-battle-for-the-conscience/
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Junior/Senior Year
I am almost a senior in high school, and only 16 years old. This school year went by fast, faster than the others, and I have worked hard on my grades to raise them to reflect my actual knowledge instead of getting low grades for not turning in work.
Although this year went by fast, the year was emotionally difficult to get through. I have had many psychological factors and lots of stress affecting me negatively and have had to pull through in order to keep my grades up and basically from falling into depression. Difficult, but manageable.
I am proud to be a senior, I have worked hard for my education and proud to have been advanced in my studies in every year. Hopefully my knowledge helps me later in life with my career, and that my talents can be employed to an extent so that I am advanced in that career like I am with my school education.
Although this year went by fast, the year was emotionally difficult to get through. I have had many psychological factors and lots of stress affecting me negatively and have had to pull through in order to keep my grades up and basically from falling into depression. Difficult, but manageable.
I am proud to be a senior, I have worked hard for my education and proud to have been advanced in my studies in every year. Hopefully my knowledge helps me later in life with my career, and that my talents can be employed to an extent so that I am advanced in that career like I am with my school education.
You and Survival
In a life or death situation, people have either a fight or flight reaction. They will either fight back or try to run away. In any situation, either reaction can be the difference between survival and death, so fighting instinct and fighting back, or running away when needed instead of rushing into danger is a difficult choice to make in a spur of the moment action.
For my survival, I will do anything in my power to escape or end the situation. I will fight tooth and nail to stop an attacker. Depending on the attack, I know that I have a chance to survive and fight back. I have training in hand to hand combat and will be able to disarm and take down someone who rushes me with a knife or a gun.
For the survival of my family or my close friends, or even a stranger depending on the situation, I will also fight tooth and nail, but the only difference would be I would be a little less reckless with someone else's life in my hands. Under my own power, if I am wounded then that would not matter very much, but I will try my hardest to survive and if someone else is in danger, I will make sure that the person is not maimed in any manner, if at all possible.
For my survival, I will do anything in my power to escape or end the situation. I will fight tooth and nail to stop an attacker. Depending on the attack, I know that I have a chance to survive and fight back. I have training in hand to hand combat and will be able to disarm and take down someone who rushes me with a knife or a gun.
For the survival of my family or my close friends, or even a stranger depending on the situation, I will also fight tooth and nail, but the only difference would be I would be a little less reckless with someone else's life in my hands. Under my own power, if I am wounded then that would not matter very much, but I will try my hardest to survive and if someone else is in danger, I will make sure that the person is not maimed in any manner, if at all possible.
Survival Essay
Six-Word-Slant: Everything that can be done, must
140-Character Claim: In order to operate efficiently as a team, one must be able to put their trust in the man that fights next to them on the battlefield.
How to Survive: Being a Marine Scout/Sniper:
From boot camp to indoctrination, all the way to scout/sniper school, Marine scout/sniper training is difficult, to say the least. The large amount of time spent training all leads up to an effective force multiplier that shows that United States Marine scout/snipers truly are the best at what they do, but being the best does not make surviving as a scout/sniper easy. Many challenges follow on the way from recruit to Marine to P.I.G to H.O.G in a scout/sniper’s life.
Boot camp includes some of the hardest training that a person will go through. According to some Marines, “Boot camp was the hardest thing I have ever done.” Boot camp for the marine Corps lasts 13 weeks and is split to focus on a different training each week, including the pugil stick training, MCMAP, and the Crucible. With pugil sticks, staves covered with hard foam wrapped in rubber to simulate rifle combat, recruits go into a one-on-one combat with another, fighting viciously until one is declared victor. The MCMAP, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, ensures that recruits follow up to “One mind, any weapon” by enabling recruits to disarm and take out an enemy with their bare hands. The final section of the boot camp training, the Crucible, consists of 52 hours of extreme physical effort; long marches over harsh terrain, carrying a full pack with over 70 pounds of equipment all for one goal: the eagle, globe, and anchor to symbolize their becoming of a Marine.
Indocumentation lasts about two days and most STA, Surveillance and Tactical Acquisition, platoon indoctrinations have an 80-100% failure rate. Over the two days, indoctrinations briefly run over all the skills a basic scout/sniper would need before sniper school, including map reading, land navigation, spotting, observation, and movement. Scout/sniper school itself lasts 8 and a half weeks and goes into high details on instruction that a Marine scout/sniper needs. There are three phases of the training, the first phase being the Marksmanship and Basic Fields Craft. The students shoot at targets between 300 yards and 1000 yards and have several observational tests. The second phase is the Unknown Distance and Stalking phase where students start at a distance of 1200 to 800 yards away and stalk towards two instructors within a distance of 200 yards. The third phase is the Advanced Field Skills and Mission Employment where sniper students go on basic simulation missions and use the skills they have been taught to accomplish them.
After this rigorous training snipers graduate and become H.O.Gs, hunters of gunmen, as the snipers like to call themselves. Snipers are then able to join a sniper platoon and work on scout/sniper related missions. Being a scout/sniper is very difficult, though. Missions may have the sniper go through days of possibly sitting or laying in one place with little movement, little food and water and lots of waiting before firing on a target. Snipers also have to deal with several stress factors and a moral factor. Normal infantry soldiers fire on enemy targets while in a firefight, both sides shooting at each other. Stress is high and adrenaline is pumping, but the situation is a survival one and so soldiers would fight on instinct. Marine scout/snipers though, are not in that firefight situation. They calmly look through the scope, identify the target, whether the target be a man, woman, or in some cases even a child (Carlos Hathcock, famous Marine scout/sniper that fought in Vietnam, had to kill a young boy because he was a weapons mule, a person who delivers large amounts of weapons, for the enemy soldiers) and then fire their round. The target is hit and they see that. The impact on the mind is a lot greater than a normal infantry soldier’s would be, and therefore many snipers come out of the military different mentally than they were before.
Many people call snipers cowards, that they are murderers, shooting unaware soldiers who have no chance of fighting back, but war itself is not fair. Artillery can kill an unaware soldier from 7 miles away, a pilot in a plane can drop a bomb on a platoon and kill all of them. Snipers are trained to do what they do, and they suffer for their skills. Sniper training, especially Marine Corps sniper training, is extremely difficult. Snipers are not cowards. During missions, snipers may have to sneak around enemy lines with little chance of recovery if they are hurt or caught, stay hidden when an enemy may be only a few feet away, lay for days in one spot, unmoving, just to take their shot on a single high value target or to gather intelligence that may help the rest of the military on a very important mission. Their training is intense, rigid and designed for this. Snipers are some of the bravest men in the world, no matter what country they are fighting for.
Surviving with the stress would be difficult, but snipers need to remember, this is their job. This is what they signed up for. With every bullet they send downrange, they are saving lives of their fellow soldiers. Their job is very important, and they cannot let stress affect them or the way they perform their job. Many organizations also help veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Take pride in the job, take pride for the soldiers that have to put up with this difficult life.
Works Cited:
140-Character Claim: In order to operate efficiently as a team, one must be able to put their trust in the man that fights next to them on the battlefield.
How to Survive: Being a Marine Scout/Sniper:
From boot camp to indoctrination, all the way to scout/sniper school, Marine scout/sniper training is difficult, to say the least. The large amount of time spent training all leads up to an effective force multiplier that shows that United States Marine scout/snipers truly are the best at what they do, but being the best does not make surviving as a scout/sniper easy. Many challenges follow on the way from recruit to Marine to P.I.G to H.O.G in a scout/sniper’s life.
Boot camp includes some of the hardest training that a person will go through. According to some Marines, “Boot camp was the hardest thing I have ever done.” Boot camp for the marine Corps lasts 13 weeks and is split to focus on a different training each week, including the pugil stick training, MCMAP, and the Crucible. With pugil sticks, staves covered with hard foam wrapped in rubber to simulate rifle combat, recruits go into a one-on-one combat with another, fighting viciously until one is declared victor. The MCMAP, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, ensures that recruits follow up to “One mind, any weapon” by enabling recruits to disarm and take out an enemy with their bare hands. The final section of the boot camp training, the Crucible, consists of 52 hours of extreme physical effort; long marches over harsh terrain, carrying a full pack with over 70 pounds of equipment all for one goal: the eagle, globe, and anchor to symbolize their becoming of a Marine.
Indocumentation lasts about two days and most STA, Surveillance and Tactical Acquisition, platoon indoctrinations have an 80-100% failure rate. Over the two days, indoctrinations briefly run over all the skills a basic scout/sniper would need before sniper school, including map reading, land navigation, spotting, observation, and movement. Scout/sniper school itself lasts 8 and a half weeks and goes into high details on instruction that a Marine scout/sniper needs. There are three phases of the training, the first phase being the Marksmanship and Basic Fields Craft. The students shoot at targets between 300 yards and 1000 yards and have several observational tests. The second phase is the Unknown Distance and Stalking phase where students start at a distance of 1200 to 800 yards away and stalk towards two instructors within a distance of 200 yards. The third phase is the Advanced Field Skills and Mission Employment where sniper students go on basic simulation missions and use the skills they have been taught to accomplish them.
After this rigorous training snipers graduate and become H.O.Gs, hunters of gunmen, as the snipers like to call themselves. Snipers are then able to join a sniper platoon and work on scout/sniper related missions. Being a scout/sniper is very difficult, though. Missions may have the sniper go through days of possibly sitting or laying in one place with little movement, little food and water and lots of waiting before firing on a target. Snipers also have to deal with several stress factors and a moral factor. Normal infantry soldiers fire on enemy targets while in a firefight, both sides shooting at each other. Stress is high and adrenaline is pumping, but the situation is a survival one and so soldiers would fight on instinct. Marine scout/snipers though, are not in that firefight situation. They calmly look through the scope, identify the target, whether the target be a man, woman, or in some cases even a child (Carlos Hathcock, famous Marine scout/sniper that fought in Vietnam, had to kill a young boy because he was a weapons mule, a person who delivers large amounts of weapons, for the enemy soldiers) and then fire their round. The target is hit and they see that. The impact on the mind is a lot greater than a normal infantry soldier’s would be, and therefore many snipers come out of the military different mentally than they were before.
Many people call snipers cowards, that they are murderers, shooting unaware soldiers who have no chance of fighting back, but war itself is not fair. Artillery can kill an unaware soldier from 7 miles away, a pilot in a plane can drop a bomb on a platoon and kill all of them. Snipers are trained to do what they do, and they suffer for their skills. Sniper training, especially Marine Corps sniper training, is extremely difficult. Snipers are not cowards. During missions, snipers may have to sneak around enemy lines with little chance of recovery if they are hurt or caught, stay hidden when an enemy may be only a few feet away, lay for days in one spot, unmoving, just to take their shot on a single high value target or to gather intelligence that may help the rest of the military on a very important mission. Their training is intense, rigid and designed for this. Snipers are some of the bravest men in the world, no matter what country they are fighting for.
Surviving with the stress would be difficult, but snipers need to remember, this is their job. This is what they signed up for. With every bullet they send downrange, they are saving lives of their fellow soldiers. Their job is very important, and they cannot let stress affect them or the way they perform their job. Many organizations also help veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Take pride in the job, take pride for the soldiers that have to put up with this difficult life.
Works Cited:
Primary
Henderson, Charles. Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills. New York, NY: Berkley, 1988. Print.
"Recruit Training." Marines.com. United States Marine Corps. Web. 8 May 2012. <www.marines.com>.
"Becoming a Sniper." United States Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Association. United States Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Association. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://www.usmcscoutsniper.org/hogsden/becoming.htm>.
Secondary
Roberts, Craig, and Charles W. Sasser. Crosshairs on the Kill Zone: American Combat Snipers, Vietnam through Operation Iraqi Freedom. New York: Pocket Star Book, 2004. Print.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
"How To" Works Cited
Works Cited
Primary
"Becoming a Sniper." United States Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Association. United States Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Association. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://www.usmcscoutsniper.org/hogsden/becoming.htm>.
Henderson, Charles. Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills. New York, NY: Berkley, 1988. Print.
"Recruit Training." Marines.com. United States Marine Corps. Web. 8 May 2012. <www.marines.com>.
Secondary
Roberts, Craig, and Charles W. Sasser. Crosshairs on the Kill Zone: American Combat Snipers, Vietnam through Operation Iraqi Freedom. New York: Pocket Star Book, 2004. Print.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
"How to Survive" claim
In order to operate efficiently as a team, one must be able to put their trust in the man that fights next to them on the battlefield.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Anthropomorphism Short Story
I crept through the grass, keeping my body low to the ground and making sure my footsteps made no sound. I was the hunter, silent and invisible as I stalked my prey. There, the small mouse sniffing the air, unaware of my presence as I made my way closer to my target. Soon, I was close enough, my tail twitching slightly with excitement as I readied to pounce.
"Gotcha!" I heard Snow yell as she jumped out of a nearby tree, landing on my back as well as scaring away my prey.
"Snow, you scared my prey away! There goes dinner for tonight!"
"Gotcha!" I heard Snow yell as she jumped out of a nearby tree, landing on my back as well as scaring away my prey.
"Snow, you scared my prey away! There goes dinner for tonight!"
Monday, April 16, 2012
What Makes us Human? Essay Summary
Topic- What Makes us Human?
Main Points: Advanced communication, thought (emotions/morals and actual thought along with imagination), ability to use tools
Main Point 1 (Advanced Communication) Supporting Details: Written word, which transfers thought without having to actually be there yourself, along with recording thought for time. Spoken word. Telephones and radios allow communication across the world, including thousands of miles. This creates a world that functions cooperatively.
Main Point 2 (Advanced Minds) Supporting Details: Feelings like anger or sadness, happiness and more complex feelings like jealousy. Also can be harmful, with emotions can cause suicide or gambling that turns into addiction. Emotions guide who we are and affects the choices we make, which we have to take responsibility for.
Main Point 3 (Ability to use Tools) Supporting Details: Vehicles that allow us to travel from one part of the world to another quickly. Crafting tools such as hammers and saws that allow us to create shelter and bigger vechicles such as cranes and bulldozers that allow us to create buildings for offices and businesses.
Argument and Rebuttal:
-Argument: Simple differences like our opposable thumbs define who we are.
-Rebuttal: Answer lies within us. The choices we make define how we act and our actions cause reactions that change our future actions. That is what makes us human. Choices
Conclusion: We have the choice to create and destroy. Humans need to choose to create and take care of Earth so that we can live longer on this planet. Otherwise, we might not be able to survive.
Main Points: Advanced communication, thought (emotions/morals and actual thought along with imagination), ability to use tools
Main Point 1 (Advanced Communication) Supporting Details: Written word, which transfers thought without having to actually be there yourself, along with recording thought for time. Spoken word. Telephones and radios allow communication across the world, including thousands of miles. This creates a world that functions cooperatively.
Main Point 2 (Advanced Minds) Supporting Details: Feelings like anger or sadness, happiness and more complex feelings like jealousy. Also can be harmful, with emotions can cause suicide or gambling that turns into addiction. Emotions guide who we are and affects the choices we make, which we have to take responsibility for.
Main Point 3 (Ability to use Tools) Supporting Details: Vehicles that allow us to travel from one part of the world to another quickly. Crafting tools such as hammers and saws that allow us to create shelter and bigger vechicles such as cranes and bulldozers that allow us to create buildings for offices and businesses.
Argument and Rebuttal:
-Argument: Simple differences like our opposable thumbs define who we are.
-Rebuttal: Answer lies within us. The choices we make define how we act and our actions cause reactions that change our future actions. That is what makes us human. Choices
Conclusion: We have the choice to create and destroy. Humans need to choose to create and take care of Earth so that we can live longer on this planet. Otherwise, we might not be able to survive.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Responsibility of the Cost of Life
Depening on the circumstances, there are differences to how people will react to the responsibility and cost of life, and also the zeal to survive. If a situation is seemingly impossible to escape from or to survive in, people may react with acceptance and just accept their fate as is, or they will react by fighting tooth and nail until the final second.
The Titanic, for example, was a ship that was supposed to be unsinkable, according to those that built the ship, but an iceberg ripped out on side and the ship sank, killing over a thousand people. Some say that the engineers who built the ship should be responsible, but I say that the captain should be. The engineers are not at fault for building a supposed unsinkable ship and have the ship sunk, for any ship is sinkable, but the captain of the ship who was maneuvering the ship and crashed into the iceberg should be responsible for the lives of the people, if he escaped. This situation also goes back to the zeal to survive, for some on the ship would have accepted their fate and died in the ship, but the others would have been fighting to escape and get on any object that would float in order to stay out of the freezing water and survive.
In The Call of the Wild, Buck fights to survive as a sled dog. In the beginning of his "career" he is ignorant on the ways of survival out in the cold, brumal land. The other dogs teach him and he learns quickly how to burrow into the ground for warmth and how to steal food from the humans in order to eat more. Then, later in the book Buck has a feeling of the wild calling him, and under a new owner he ventures out into the woods and wonders for many days. Buck happens upon a herd of moose and he fights for days in order to kill the leader of the herd. The moose fights for those four days until he literally cannot anymore, this survival instinct that pushed the moose farther than maybe another moose or a human in this situation would have been able to do just because the moose wanted to survive, but when the moose was too tired to fight back he accepted his fate as Buck killed him.
So, in a life or death situation, how would you react? Would you accept your fate, or would you go down fighting? Think of these two situations and imagine yourself in them, as a passenger on the Titanic, as Buck, and as the moose.
The Titanic, for example, was a ship that was supposed to be unsinkable, according to those that built the ship, but an iceberg ripped out on side and the ship sank, killing over a thousand people. Some say that the engineers who built the ship should be responsible, but I say that the captain should be. The engineers are not at fault for building a supposed unsinkable ship and have the ship sunk, for any ship is sinkable, but the captain of the ship who was maneuvering the ship and crashed into the iceberg should be responsible for the lives of the people, if he escaped. This situation also goes back to the zeal to survive, for some on the ship would have accepted their fate and died in the ship, but the others would have been fighting to escape and get on any object that would float in order to stay out of the freezing water and survive.
In The Call of the Wild, Buck fights to survive as a sled dog. In the beginning of his "career" he is ignorant on the ways of survival out in the cold, brumal land. The other dogs teach him and he learns quickly how to burrow into the ground for warmth and how to steal food from the humans in order to eat more. Then, later in the book Buck has a feeling of the wild calling him, and under a new owner he ventures out into the woods and wonders for many days. Buck happens upon a herd of moose and he fights for days in order to kill the leader of the herd. The moose fights for those four days until he literally cannot anymore, this survival instinct that pushed the moose farther than maybe another moose or a human in this situation would have been able to do just because the moose wanted to survive, but when the moose was too tired to fight back he accepted his fate as Buck killed him.
So, in a life or death situation, how would you react? Would you accept your fate, or would you go down fighting? Think of these two situations and imagine yourself in them, as a passenger on the Titanic, as Buck, and as the moose.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Power to Create Life
If given the power to create life as Frankenstein did, what choice would you make? Would you create such life? No?
If I was given the power to create life such as Dr. Frankenstein, I would not use it. There are several reasons why, and some can go very deep into personal beliefs or human rights, and there can also be consequences to that choice, such as the military or government becoming aware of what I was doing and getting arrested, or having the military use my creations for warfare.
My first reason: I would probably be too afraid to mess with life and death in such a manner. The military and government would most likely hear about what I have been doing, as I said above, and then my life would become very hard and the government would want to know my secrets about how I created that life.
My second reason: I do not want to "play God" as some people call it. I am no different than any human being on this world, and I as a human do not have a right to create other humans. I am not better, I do not deserve the right to make something that is, in a sense, equal to me. Also, the beings I created could turn against me, and that would probably be one of the worst things that could happen. After working hard, or not, depending on how difficult the process is, I would not want my work to turn against me and having me end up wounded or killed.
So no, I would not use this power at all, and these several reasons why are proof of that fact. In fact, I would probably try to forget I had that power in the first place, or get rid of the information that I had received in order to reduce the temptation to use it, as I most likely will have. I would not give this power to someone else, because I do not want to put that kind of pressure on the morals and values that someone else has, and all the hardships that will come with that power and responsibility.
If I was given the power to create life such as Dr. Frankenstein, I would not use it. There are several reasons why, and some can go very deep into personal beliefs or human rights, and there can also be consequences to that choice, such as the military or government becoming aware of what I was doing and getting arrested, or having the military use my creations for warfare.
My first reason: I would probably be too afraid to mess with life and death in such a manner. The military and government would most likely hear about what I have been doing, as I said above, and then my life would become very hard and the government would want to know my secrets about how I created that life.
My second reason: I do not want to "play God" as some people call it. I am no different than any human being on this world, and I as a human do not have a right to create other humans. I am not better, I do not deserve the right to make something that is, in a sense, equal to me. Also, the beings I created could turn against me, and that would probably be one of the worst things that could happen. After working hard, or not, depending on how difficult the process is, I would not want my work to turn against me and having me end up wounded or killed.
So no, I would not use this power at all, and these several reasons why are proof of that fact. In fact, I would probably try to forget I had that power in the first place, or get rid of the information that I had received in order to reduce the temptation to use it, as I most likely will have. I would not give this power to someone else, because I do not want to put that kind of pressure on the morals and values that someone else has, and all the hardships that will come with that power and responsibility.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Frankenstein
We are about to read the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in my English 11 class. I do not know what to expect, other than it is an older book and is a higher "reading level" than what we normally deal with. Also, it was a surprise to find out that a woman wrote this male dominated book. From what I have heard most of the characters in this book are male and therefore Shelley had to write from a male's point of view and try to determine how a male would react in different situations.
A few questions we were asked were: Can man create life? and, Does man have the right to create life?
Currently, we have technology to clone and therefore "create" life in a sense. So, the answer to that quesiton would be yes, we mankind can create life.The second question is a little more complicated. I do not think I have the power to determine what mankind's rights are, but I think that man should not clone or otherwise create life. Once mankind has that power, I am absolutely certain that a least one person will take that power and become extremely greedy and take it too far. Once we have the power to clone effectively, scientists will start to mess with genetics and altering, in order to make the animals we clone for food grow larger or produce more tasty meat, or try and clone humans to become war machines like in the popular video game series Metal Gear Solid.
Two more questions asked were: Do you believe in the sorcerer's stone? Immortality?
No, I do not believe that the sorcerer's stone exists, can exist, and immortality cannot be gained. This, in my mind, is impossible. There is nothing that can stop the aging process, other than cryogenically freezing an organism, which I am not sure if that is possible now.
A few questions we were asked were: Can man create life? and, Does man have the right to create life?
Currently, we have technology to clone and therefore "create" life in a sense. So, the answer to that quesiton would be yes, we mankind can create life.The second question is a little more complicated. I do not think I have the power to determine what mankind's rights are, but I think that man should not clone or otherwise create life. Once mankind has that power, I am absolutely certain that a least one person will take that power and become extremely greedy and take it too far. Once we have the power to clone effectively, scientists will start to mess with genetics and altering, in order to make the animals we clone for food grow larger or produce more tasty meat, or try and clone humans to become war machines like in the popular video game series Metal Gear Solid.
Two more questions asked were: Do you believe in the sorcerer's stone? Immortality?
No, I do not believe that the sorcerer's stone exists, can exist, and immortality cannot be gained. This, in my mind, is impossible. There is nothing that can stop the aging process, other than cryogenically freezing an organism, which I am not sure if that is possible now.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Word of 2012 - Triumph
I chose this word because I have a few goals for 2012 that I want to overcome this year. Hopefully I can use this word as my theme for the year, keep it beside me as I accomplish my goals and, by the end of the year, say that I did triumph over everything I planned.
I want to pass from a senior NCO in CAP to become an officer. Right now I am a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant, and I have been for maybe 2 and a half months now. Hopefully by February I will be able to make my promotion and become a cadet officer.
I want to keep training on my physical fitness so that I can start riding my back the three miles to school in the morning and three miles back in the afternoon, and hopefully those six miles every day will help prepare me for the Marines later on in my life.
I want to pass from a senior NCO in CAP to become an officer. Right now I am a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant, and I have been for maybe 2 and a half months now. Hopefully by February I will be able to make my promotion and become a cadet officer.
I want to keep training on my physical fitness so that I can start riding my back the three miles to school in the morning and three miles back in the afternoon, and hopefully those six miles every day will help prepare me for the Marines later on in my life.
Monday, December 19, 2011
My Antonia
Willa Carter in her novel My Antonia offers her view of life during the pioneer time. The book is well written with very well thought out characters, in which all have their own personality and character traits that link to each other and make the novel flow easier to the reader.
I think that My Antonia would be very different if the book was written in Antonia's point of view. Mainly, the book would then focus on the struggle of the Shimerdas' as they come to America and start off in a small house, then grow more comfortable as Antonia and her younger daughter learn English and they can start communicating better. Also, instead of being in a masculine form, the book would be written more feminine (maybe) as it would be Antonia's thoughts (although, she is a tomboy).
All in all, I think that Willa Carter is very talented in writing from a man's point of view. She shows emotion in the way that a male would portray it, and the actions and thoughts of Jim are what I would expect in reading a book written by a male author. That earns bonus points in my book, to pass the gender boundary and write a story in the opposite sex's eyes.
I personally think that Jim changed the name from "Antonia" to "My Antonia" because of everything he went through with her. According to the novel, he "wrote down of herself and myself and other people Antonia's name recalls to me". So the book is written on his memories of Antonia, which could be a different person from who Antonia is at that moment, and so that is his personal Antonia.
The novel was a good one, well written and the characters were meticulously thought out. The flow from one thought to the next with the characters evolving as the story goes on makes it more realistic, and the old pioneer times gives an interesting setting as America is just being born.
I think that My Antonia would be very different if the book was written in Antonia's point of view. Mainly, the book would then focus on the struggle of the Shimerdas' as they come to America and start off in a small house, then grow more comfortable as Antonia and her younger daughter learn English and they can start communicating better. Also, instead of being in a masculine form, the book would be written more feminine (maybe) as it would be Antonia's thoughts (although, she is a tomboy).
All in all, I think that Willa Carter is very talented in writing from a man's point of view. She shows emotion in the way that a male would portray it, and the actions and thoughts of Jim are what I would expect in reading a book written by a male author. That earns bonus points in my book, to pass the gender boundary and write a story in the opposite sex's eyes.
I personally think that Jim changed the name from "Antonia" to "My Antonia" because of everything he went through with her. According to the novel, he "wrote down of herself and myself and other people Antonia's name recalls to me". So the book is written on his memories of Antonia, which could be a different person from who Antonia is at that moment, and so that is his personal Antonia.
The novel was a good one, well written and the characters were meticulously thought out. The flow from one thought to the next with the characters evolving as the story goes on makes it more realistic, and the old pioneer times gives an interesting setting as America is just being born.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Author Willa Cather embedded literary devices, such as metaphors, similes, and personification, within her writing.
"As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine-stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion in it; the whole country seemed, somehow, to be running."
"The grave, with its tall red grass that was never mowed, was like a little island."
"Winter comes down savagely over a little town on the prairie. The wind that sweeps in from the open country strips away all the leafy screens that hide one yard from another in summer, and the houses seem to draw closer together. The roofs, that looked so far away across the green treetops, now stare you in the face, and they are so much uglier than when their angles were softened by vines and shrubs.
The use of setting on characters is important. Setting affects mood, if the area is dark and stormy then the mood will be dark, maybe suspenseful, and the characters will react accordingly. In books, if a character has to walk down a long, dark hallway then they are usually on their guard, nervous, and hesitant. Setting has a big effect on how characters react towards one another and their surroundings, adding depth into a novel and making it more enjoyable for people to read.
Walking around in the woods has always felt peaceful to me. Seeing the bright colors all around me, the sharp greens and browns and the huge expanse of the forest. If I am alone or with friends, I still feel like I am small in this world next to these huge trees. Sometimes I stand at the top of the hill and look down the clearing, taking in the expanse with the grass rolling and swaying like waves in the ocean. I feel peaceful, I feel calm. I am away from my troubles, nothing to think about but the feel of the breeze on my skin and the birds in the trees.
"As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine-stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion in it; the whole country seemed, somehow, to be running."
"The grave, with its tall red grass that was never mowed, was like a little island."
"Winter comes down savagely over a little town on the prairie. The wind that sweeps in from the open country strips away all the leafy screens that hide one yard from another in summer, and the houses seem to draw closer together. The roofs, that looked so far away across the green treetops, now stare you in the face, and they are so much uglier than when their angles were softened by vines and shrubs.
The use of setting on characters is important. Setting affects mood, if the area is dark and stormy then the mood will be dark, maybe suspenseful, and the characters will react accordingly. In books, if a character has to walk down a long, dark hallway then they are usually on their guard, nervous, and hesitant. Setting has a big effect on how characters react towards one another and their surroundings, adding depth into a novel and making it more enjoyable for people to read.
Walking around in the woods has always felt peaceful to me. Seeing the bright colors all around me, the sharp greens and browns and the huge expanse of the forest. If I am alone or with friends, I still feel like I am small in this world next to these huge trees. Sometimes I stand at the top of the hill and look down the clearing, taking in the expanse with the grass rolling and swaying like waves in the ocean. I feel peaceful, I feel calm. I am away from my troubles, nothing to think about but the feel of the breeze on my skin and the birds in the trees.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Argument: Switch from 9mm to .45
Assertion/Claim:
The military should switch the standard-issued 9mm back to the M1911 .45 ACP.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a larger caliber, therefore more stopping power than the smaller 9mm.
Commentary 1:
Men can get hit several times with a 9mm in the middle of combat and get up and continue to fight.
Commentary 2:
A shot with a .45 will completely knock someone down, and almost always is a one hit incapacitation.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a heavier weapon, so it is sturdy and reliable. The 9mm's slide can easily be taken off by an enemy in close quaters, making the weapon useless.
Commentary 1:
Heavier means steadier while aiming the weapon, and less recoil when fired. Also the weapon is more sturdy.
Commentary 2:
In a close quater situation, an enemy can easily charge the 9mm and take the slide off, making the weapon useless.
Opposing Claims/They Say:
All NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machineguns so they are not allowed to switch to .45. The .45 bullets are more expensive, less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that it is rumored to have.
My Rebuttal/I say
Although I agree with some of what they say, the higher expense should not have a big impact on manufacturing the weapons and ammunition. The higher caliber pistol would save more lives, and an increase in cost should be a small price to pay for the lives that are saved.
My Paragraph:
The military should switch back from the standard 9mm pistol to the M1911 .45. The 1911 has more stopping power than the smaller 9mm pistol. In a combat situation, a man can get hit several times with a 9mm and get up and continue fighting although he is wounded. On the other hand, if a man is hit with a .45 they will completely get knocked over and it is almost always a one hit incapacitation due to the larger caliber, weight, and higher grain. The 1911 is heavier, so it is able to be held steadier than a lighter 9mm, and is more sturdy due to the weight. In a close quarter situation where the pistol is needed, if an enemy is able to charge the soldier carrying the 9mm, he can easily take the slide off due to how the weapon is manufactured for easy cleaning, and such would render the weapon useless. Not everyone agrees, as they say all NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machine guns and therefore cannot switch the pistol back to the .45. Also, they say the .45 is more expensive, has less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that the .45 is rumored to have. Although this is true up to a point, the higher expense should be a smaller price to pay since the .45 will give our soldiers a boost in the battlefield and save lives.
My Thinking:
Inductive. Due to my argument and reasoning, it is likely that this is true but not certain. This cannot be proven without prior combat experience with both weapons.
Sources:
http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/smallarms/m1911a1.htm .45 weapon statistics
The military should switch the standard-issued 9mm back to the M1911 .45 ACP.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a larger caliber, therefore more stopping power than the smaller 9mm.
Commentary 1:
Men can get hit several times with a 9mm in the middle of combat and get up and continue to fight.
Commentary 2:
A shot with a .45 will completely knock someone down, and almost always is a one hit incapacitation.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a heavier weapon, so it is sturdy and reliable. The 9mm's slide can easily be taken off by an enemy in close quaters, making the weapon useless.
Commentary 1:
Heavier means steadier while aiming the weapon, and less recoil when fired. Also the weapon is more sturdy.
Commentary 2:
In a close quater situation, an enemy can easily charge the 9mm and take the slide off, making the weapon useless.
Opposing Claims/They Say:
All NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machineguns so they are not allowed to switch to .45. The .45 bullets are more expensive, less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that it is rumored to have.
My Rebuttal/I say
Although I agree with some of what they say, the higher expense should not have a big impact on manufacturing the weapons and ammunition. The higher caliber pistol would save more lives, and an increase in cost should be a small price to pay for the lives that are saved.
My Paragraph:
The military should switch back from the standard 9mm pistol to the M1911 .45. The 1911 has more stopping power than the smaller 9mm pistol. In a combat situation, a man can get hit several times with a 9mm and get up and continue fighting although he is wounded. On the other hand, if a man is hit with a .45 they will completely get knocked over and it is almost always a one hit incapacitation due to the larger caliber, weight, and higher grain. The 1911 is heavier, so it is able to be held steadier than a lighter 9mm, and is more sturdy due to the weight. In a close quarter situation where the pistol is needed, if an enemy is able to charge the soldier carrying the 9mm, he can easily take the slide off due to how the weapon is manufactured for easy cleaning, and such would render the weapon useless. Not everyone agrees, as they say all NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machine guns and therefore cannot switch the pistol back to the .45. Also, they say the .45 is more expensive, has less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that the .45 is rumored to have. Although this is true up to a point, the higher expense should be a smaller price to pay since the .45 will give our soldiers a boost in the battlefield and save lives.
My Thinking:
Inductive. Due to my argument and reasoning, it is likely that this is true but not certain. This cannot be proven without prior combat experience with both weapons.
Sources:
http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/smallarms/m1911a1.htm .45 weapon statistics
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Book Review: Firestorm
David Klass's book, Firestorm, thrilled me with edge-of-your-seat action scenes throughout the whole book. Once I picked it up, I did not want to put it down. In fact, I read about half the book the first day I checked it out from the library.
One main reason I really enjoyed the book was the style of writing. The book is written in a high school senior's point of view, an 18 year old teenager. The book is full of sarcasm and witty one-liners, which really gives you the feeling of being there with the main character. The writing style adds depth, and also gives you a feeling of connection, as I myself am a teenager, and I feel like I would react about the same if I was in his shoes.
The characters are very in depth, each having their own personality. Klass makes a very big distinction between the characters he has and one he is introducing, while Jack might be a strong, witty teenager, his companion is a smart, critical thinker that gets them out of some tough spots. This adds a variety to the book, which is refreshing as some I have read have almost cut-out characters, hardly varying on the writing and persona of the characters. This adds a realism, making the characters seem more real instead of just fiction heroes.
This book really relates with the current issues on the economy. The book makes points on wildlife, and how important it is to preserve what we have now before it is too late, adding detail on commercial fishing, which reduces not only the fish population, but the very ecosystem they live in, destroying giant reefs that are a very large part of ocean life, without reefs there would not be as many different species as there are today. The book almost has a doomsday quality on the preservation, believing that if we humans keep doing what we are doing to the planet, we are going to ruin it to the point of no return, to where we cannot fix the problems we have caused, making life on Earth very hard on us.
If I would recommend this book to anyone, I would choose Phoenix, a close friend of mine who would most likely enjoy the book. The pace is fast, there is a lot of action and some very steamy parts, which adds some relief to all the fingernail biting. Overall, the book was a great one, and I currently am reading the second in this trilogy.
One main reason I really enjoyed the book was the style of writing. The book is written in a high school senior's point of view, an 18 year old teenager. The book is full of sarcasm and witty one-liners, which really gives you the feeling of being there with the main character. The writing style adds depth, and also gives you a feeling of connection, as I myself am a teenager, and I feel like I would react about the same if I was in his shoes.
The characters are very in depth, each having their own personality. Klass makes a very big distinction between the characters he has and one he is introducing, while Jack might be a strong, witty teenager, his companion is a smart, critical thinker that gets them out of some tough spots. This adds a variety to the book, which is refreshing as some I have read have almost cut-out characters, hardly varying on the writing and persona of the characters. This adds a realism, making the characters seem more real instead of just fiction heroes.
This book really relates with the current issues on the economy. The book makes points on wildlife, and how important it is to preserve what we have now before it is too late, adding detail on commercial fishing, which reduces not only the fish population, but the very ecosystem they live in, destroying giant reefs that are a very large part of ocean life, without reefs there would not be as many different species as there are today. The book almost has a doomsday quality on the preservation, believing that if we humans keep doing what we are doing to the planet, we are going to ruin it to the point of no return, to where we cannot fix the problems we have caused, making life on Earth very hard on us.
If I would recommend this book to anyone, I would choose Phoenix, a close friend of mine who would most likely enjoy the book. The pace is fast, there is a lot of action and some very steamy parts, which adds some relief to all the fingernail biting. Overall, the book was a great one, and I currently am reading the second in this trilogy.
Monday, September 26, 2011
War Is...
War is needed, protecting our rights.
War is hell, scarring hearts and minds.
War is death, losing lives and friends.
War is honor, fighting to write our names in stone.
War is money, circling around armaments and soldiers.
War is strength, trusting the people you fight with.
War is pain, lasting wounds that do not go away.
War is hard, causing many to become shells of what they once were.
War is cold, caring not about who fights or gets hurt.
War is change, ending lives and nations.
War is hell, scarring hearts and minds.
War is death, losing lives and friends.
War is honor, fighting to write our names in stone.
War is money, circling around armaments and soldiers.
War is strength, trusting the people you fight with.
War is pain, lasting wounds that do not go away.
War is hard, causing many to become shells of what they once were.
War is cold, caring not about who fights or gets hurt.
War is change, ending lives and nations.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Remembering 9/11
I cannot really remember what happened on September 11, 2001. I was only 6. What I can guess though, is that I stayed home from school, and was celebrating my birthday, when my parents saw on the news that the attacks had happened on the World Trade Center. I was probably not told exactly what happened, just bits and pieces to keep my curious mind at bay. Later, now that I know what happened, I remember it as an attack on the United States of America, and I know that I will not forget it.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Unknown Soldier
Show me what it's like
to dream in black and white
So I can leave this world tonight
A soldier, fighting for his country, knows he is never alone, for he has brothers fighting with him.
Shown from the eyes of a soldier, who has started to lose all emotion, just fighting mindlessly, and he gets wounded. He is sitting there writing this song from the hospital bed, wanting to die.
This song connects with me deeply, I know one day I will be fighting also, and he is just feeling like he let his people down, just another uniform. But he doesn’t seem to know that he has others that care about him, who don’t want him to die even if he feels differently.
I’ve had the dream of being a soldier for 8 years, and I’ve had people tell me I will never make it, and I’ve had people that say if I try hard enough, I can. And I am sure that one day I will be on the front lines.
Ive had that feeling that I was alone, that no one cared, but lately I’ve found people that do, and I have the motivation to be able to pursue my dreams.
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