Final Post

All in all I found this class to be extremely helpful. Your methods seem spot on and I believe I got a good score on mine because of this class. You were an excellent teacher and your efforts to expand our diction to a higher level were phenomenal. I'm going to miss having you as a teacher and you taught me a lot.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

Huck wonders about the dead man, but Jim warns that it’s bad luck to think about such things. Huck has already incurred bad luck, according to Jim, by finding and handling a snake’s shed skin. Sure enough, bad luck comes: as a joke, Huck puts a dead rattlesnake near Jim’s sleeping place, and its mate comes and bites Jim. Jim’s leg swells but gets better after several days. A while later, Huck decides to go ashore to get information. Jim agrees, but has Huck disguise himself as a girl, using one of the dresses they took from the houseboat. Huck practices his girl impersonation and then sets out for the Illinois shore. In a formerly abandoned shack, he finds a woman who looks about forty years old and appears to be a newcomer to the town. Huck is relieved because, as a newcomer, the woman will not be able to recognize him. Still, he resolves to remember that he is pretending to be a girl.
Huck has not made the very best first impressions and according to Jim he's all bad luck. Huck is quite foolish to bring up the topic of the dead man with Jim he clearly is disturbed by it. All that aside the chapter has quite the weird ending with Huck trying to dress up like a girl. I thought his plan was pretty foolish none the less.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

In order to make a hiding place should visitors arrive on the island, Jim and Huck take the canoe and provisions into a large cave in the middle of the island. Jim predicts that it will rain, and soon a storm blows in. The two safely wait it out inside the cave. The river floods, and a washed-out house floats down the river past the island. Inside, Jim and Huck find the body of a man who has been shot in the back. Jim prevents Huck from looking at the “ghastly” face. Jim and Huck make off with some odds and ends from the houseboat. Huck has Jim hide in the bottom of the canoe so that he won’t be seen, and they make it back to the island safely.
I like the fact that they are trying to hide from everyone and everything on this island. I thought their little stow away attempt was pretty cool and made me chuckle a little.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

The next morning, a ferryboat passes Jackson Island, carrying Pap, Judge Thatcher and his daughter Bessie (known as Becky Thatcher in Tom Sawyer), Tom Sawyer, Tom’s aunt Polly, some of Huck’s young friends, and “plenty more” on board, all discussing Huck’s apparent murder. They shoot cannonballs over the water and float loaves of bread with mercury inside, in hopes of finding Huck’s corpse. Huck, still hiding carefully, catches one of the loaves and eats it. He is pleased that they are using such high-quality bread to search for him, but he feels guilty that his disappearance has upset the Widow Douglas and the others who care about him. Huck spends three peaceful, lonely days on the island, living on plentiful berries and fish and able to smoke whenever he wishes. He spends his nights counting ferryboats and stars on the tranquil river. On the fourth day, while exploring the island, Huck is delighted to find Jim, who at first thinks Huck is a ghost. Huck is pleased that he will not be alone on the island but shocked when Jim explains that he has run away. Jim says that he overheard Miss Watson discussing selling him for $800 to a slave trader who would take him to New Orleans, separating him from his family. Jim left before Miss Watson had a chance to decide whether or not to sell him. Jim and Huck discuss superstitions—in which Jim is well-versed—and Jim’s failed investments, most of which have been scams. Jim is not too disappointed by his failures, since he still has his hairy arms and chest, which, according to his superstitions, are a sign of future wealth
Huck makes me laugh a lot in this segment it feels as though he is trapped on the island even though clearly he isn't. He discovers almost the whole island and it seemed pretty cool. Jim seems like hes gonna be one of my all time favorite characters.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

Unaware of his earlier drunken rage, Pap wakes up and sends Huck out to check to see if any fish have been caught on the lines out in the river. Huck finds a canoe drifting in the river and hides it in the woods. When Pap leaves for the day, Huck finishes sawing his way out of the cabin. He puts food, cookware, and everything else of value from the cabin into the canoe. He then covers up the hole he cut in the wall and shoots a wild pig outside. Huck smashes the cabin door with an ax, cuts the pig’s throat so it bleeds onto the cabin’s dirt floor, and makes other preparations to make it seem as if robbers have broken into the cabin and killed him. Huck goes to the canoe and waits for the moon to rise, planning to paddle to Jackson’s Island out in the river. Huck falls asleep and wakes to see Pap rowing by. Once Pap has passed, Huck quietly sets out downriver. He pulls into Jackson’s Island, careful not to be seen.
This really heated up. I really liked how the whole heist felt like a prison breakout. Even though cool, i can't believe that Huck showed no remorse for even thinking about killing his father. Either Mark Twain is just lazy or he really has one messed up mind.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

Pap sues Judge Thatcher for Huck’s fortune and continues to threaten Huck about attending school. Huck continues to attend, partly to spite his father. Pap goes on one drunken binge after another. One day, he kidnaps Huck, takes him deep into the woods to a secluded cabin on the Illinois shore, and locks Huck inside all day while he rambles outside. Eventually, Huck finds an old saw, makes a hole in the wall, and resolves to escape from both Pap and the Widow Douglas, but Pap returns as Huck is about to break free. Pap complains that Judge Thatcher has delayed the trial to prevent him from getting Huck’s wealth. He has heard that his chances of getting the money are good but that he will probably lose the fight for custody of Huck. Pap continues to rant about a mixed-race man in town; Pap is disgusted that the man is allowed to vote in his home state of Ohio, and that legally he cannot be sold into slavery until he has been in Missouri six months. Later, Pap wakes from a drunken sleep and chases after Huck with a knife, calling him the “Angel of Death” but stopping when he passes out. Huck holds a rifle pointed at his sleeping father and waits.
The feelings that must be going on in Huck's head must be astronomical. I can't imagine what might be going on in huck's head i think that we might soon find him running away and that is the turning point of this novel. Can't wait to see what happens next!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

Pap is a frightening sight. The nearly fifty-year-old man’s skin is a ghastly, disgusting white. Noticing Huck’s “starchy” clothes, Pap wonders out loud if Huck thinks himself better than his father and promises to take Huck “down a peg.” Pap promises to teach Widow Douglas not to “meddle” and is outraged that Huck has become the first person in his family to learn to read. Pap asks if Huck is really as rich as he has heard and calls his son a liar when Huck replies that he has no more money. Pap then takes the dollar that Huck got from Judge Thatcher and leaves to buy whiskey. The next day, Pap shows up drunk and demands Huck’s money from Judge Thatcher. The Judge and Widow Douglas try to get custody of Huck but give up after the new judge in town refuses to separate a father and son. Pap eventually lands in jail after a drunken spree. The new judge takes Pap into his home and tries to reform him, but the judge and his wife prove to be very weepy and moralizing. Pap tearfully repents his ways but soon gets drunk again, and the new judge decides that the only way to reform Pap is with a shotgun.
Huck has quite a problem with his father...he seems that he is an angry man that something within him is seriously wrong. We might not ever find out why but he is an alcoholic. Huck is terrified of his father and wants to get away from him at any cost. I can see why he would with a father coming home drunk and taking your son's money. Poor Huck.

Anthology

Theme: Disappointment & Death
Six Poems: The Funeral Sermon
BY ANDREW HUDGINS
Home Again, Home Again
BY MARILYN TAYLOR
Either
BY GLYN MAXWELL
At Sunset
BY JASON SHINDER
Easter
BY JILL ALEXANDER ESSBAUM
Some Sort of Truth
BY DOROTHEA LASKY


Video Poem: Easter

Osama Bin Laden

It's kinda funny how after years of searching for one of the most deadly men on the planet was caught through old techniques. For years we had searched for the man by the name Osama Bin Laden. We finally found him and killed him. The amount of relief for NATO must have been tremendous. The fact that we caught the deadliest man and biggest threat to America is almost unheard of. We spent astronomical amounts of money looking for one man responsible for the deaths of thousands on September 11, 2001.

Brown Sugar's Blog

Brown Sugar has good reading blogs in that he takes pride in all of his reading and is very consistent i really like his one personal posts about american idol: ..he also has good taste in what he reads in that "In Thin Air" is a great book. I really enjoy his book and i cant wait to see what he posts next.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Over the next few months, Huck begins to adjust to his new life and even makes some progress in school. One winter morning, he notices boot tracks in the snow near the house. Within one heel print is the shape of two nails crossed to ward off the devil. Huck immediately recognizes this mark and runs to Judge Thatcher. Huck sells his fortune (the money he and Tom recovered in Tom Sawyer, which the Judge has been managing for him) to the befuddled Judge for a dollar.That night, Huck goes to Jim, who claims to possess a giant, magical hairball from an ox’s stomach. Huck tells Jim that he has found Pap’s tracks in the snow and wants to know what his father wants. Jim says that the hairball needs money to talk, so Huck gives Jim a counterfeit quarter. Jim puts his ear to the hairball and relates that Huck’s father has two angels, one black and one white, one bad and one good. It is uncertain which angel will win out, but Huck is safe for now. He will have much happiness and sorrow in his life, he will marry a poor woman and then a rich woman, and he should stay clear of the water, since that is where he will die. That night, Huck finds Pap waiting for him in his bedroom.
This chapter interested me a lot. I never thought I'd see Huck begin to actually adjust to settling down and getting an education. Something is telling me that "just because you take the boy out of the jungle, you cant take the jungle out of the boy". Something is coming and I'm eager to see what awaits tom. I'm also surprised to see Huck sell ALL of his fortune...that could have made his whole life so much better with everything and he wouldn't have had to lift a finger.... I'm still a little baffled to be honest.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

Huck feels especially restless because the Widow and Miss Watson constantly attempt to improve his behavior. When Miss Watson tells him about the “bad place”—hell—he blurts out that he would like to go there, for a change of scenery. This proclamation causes an uproar. Huck doesn’t see the point of going to the “good place” and resolves not to bother trying to get there. He keeps this sentiment a secret, however, because he doesn’t want to cause more trouble. When Huck asks, Miss Watson tells him that there is no chance that Tom Sawyer will end up in heaven. Huck is glad “because I wanted him and me to be together.” One night, after Miss Watson leads a prayer session with Huck and the household slaves, Huck goes to bed feeling “so lonesome I most wished I was dead.” He gets shivers hearing the sounds of nature through his window. Huck accidentally flicks a spider into a candle, and the bad omen frightens him. Just after midnight, Huck hears movement below the window and hears a “me-yow” sound, to which he responds with another “me-yow.” Climbing out the window onto the shed, Huck finds Tom Sawyer waiting for him in the yard.
Huck seems like he has a longing for adventure he is in no way ready to settle down in one spot he wants to see the south and have his adventures. Tom is what i believe to be Huck's hero and best friend. They seem to have awesome adventures and have a good time being friends whilst doing so. Huck in many ways is what i would have longed to do young as a child. Running away from home and finding treasure. Heh, I think im going to enjoy this book quite a bit.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Blog

First off, Mr. Hill, I have never read this book for school this is independent reading.Tom Sawyer ended with Tom and Huckleberry finding a stash of gold some robbers had hidden in a cave. The boys received $6,000 apiece, which the local judge, Judge Thatcher, put into a trust The money in the bank now accrues a dollar a day from interest. Then, the Widow Douglas adopted and tried to “sivilize” Huck. Huck couldn’t stand it, so he threw on his old rags and ran away. He has since returned because Tom Sawyer told him he could join his new band of robbers if he would return to the Widow “and be respectable.” The Widow frequently bemoans her failure to reform Huck. He particularly cringes at the fact that he has to “grumble” (i.e., pray) over the food before every meal. The Widow tries to teach Huck about Moses, but Huck loses interest when he realizes that Moses is dead. The Widow will not let Huck smoke but approves of snuff since she uses it herself. Her sister, Miss Watson, tries to give Huck spelling lessons. These efforts are not in vain, as Huck does in fact learn to read.

This book has a certain Southern charm to it and is extremely interesting in that the diction is very low and uneducated almost. But I get by, Huckleberry Finn seems awesome to follow and i cant wait to see where his adventures lead him next.

Tuesday Dicton Exercise 4/19

The intense and abstract sketch of Kanye West captivates his sick and twisted mind in that even though he seems calm, cool, and, collected on the outside, he's really pretty cracked and nutty on the inside. The contrasting lines demonstrate that imperfection makes up who Kanye is as a singer.

Dart League King Reading Blog

Much of the suspense of the novel is Hitchcockian, in the sense of the reader knowing something the characters are ignorant of, and not knowing what their choices are going to be. For example, Kelly Ashton finds herself a single mother relying on her own alcoholic mother to help raise her daughter, stuck in the same place where she grew up, with no prospects. She looks in the mirror, "afraid she has sold herself short," but her prospects are limited to hooking up either with Russell, a loser she has a soft spot for, or taking a chance with the more promising but unpredictable (and, as the reader knows, dangerously unstable) Tristan. Invited to the 123 Club by Tristan, she tries to make the best of her situation, but she has only limited control over it; the suspense here is whether she will choose the more dangerous option and go home with Tristan. This book has got me hooked and I Can't put it down its amazing and i can't wait till Vince reaches the 123 Club to teach Russel a lesson.
All in all this book is very good and compelling to read. It makes me nervous and even at times i had to put it down just because of all that was happening within the book.

The Da Vinci Code Reading Blog

Our hero Mr. Langstrom is within the Louvre working with French policemen. They are trying to decifer the clues around who killed the caretaker and how the Caretaker died. Mr. Langstrom had an appt. with the caretaker earlier that day but obviously he never showed up. Due to these complications the police turn to Langstrom in order to see if he cant help them in their search to find out just how he died. Meanwhile the organization plotting against the Caretaker and his society are busy trying to figure out just what their next move is in finding out the big "secret". This secret becomes more and more interesting as i read this book....
The Da Vinci Code is a very interesting book in that it shows just how a mystery book should bring their readers back for more. I find myself more interested in the book every time i read it.

Super Sprayer

Tuesday 4/12 diction response

The Martensen's house has a very simplistic yet artistic look to it. The house itself has many elements to it and the wood varnish has a really interesting look. Their kitchen has a homely style of creating an environment that i could even call home. They seem to have a fulfilling life in what they do and seem to still be very young.

The Da Vinci Code Reading Blog

The Da Vinci code has progressed pretty fast. I have just found out about the organization that leads against all of the people trying to hide "the secret" from them. They have been battling for what seems like centuries and i cant wait to see the book progress. The leaders of the organization are worldwide and are a "christian" religion. Their methods are for a lack of a better word strange. They have been labeled as a cult because of some of the things that have been uncovered about the group. One includes a man brainwashing all of the followers with drugs to make them think they have seen a divine spirit of some kind. The secret is still unclear but its a pretty big one according to everything going around. We find the caretaker sprawled out all over the floor with symbols and a hidden message within his corpse.
The book has a certian twisted view on life and everything that goes on within the organization. Along with that this secret that everyone seems to be after is very interesting in that Leonardo Da Vinci knew something that everyone else didnt. It has an almost eerie feeling to it and im excited to see what else is in store for the organization.

Online Pokers Big Winner

this is one of the coolest things I've heard about in quite a while because he struck gold playing a card game. Most people cant even imagine doings something that good for themselves their entire lives. He even has a super cool way of going about the game saying “That’s right, spew monkey, spew all those chips over here.” He enjoys playing this and he makes a lot of money in doing so. He plays on over 3 screens at once and multiple games which i think is awesome it even goes on to say "Cates had just won more than $30,000, but his attention had already shifted over to Table 3". This means that 30,000 seems to be small game to him. That is literally crazy i couldn't imagine myself making that much in all of my high school career.

High School Seniors

I see myself most like the kid who wanted to be an E.M.T. he says that he is very friendly and that we don't need much to get by. This is very true and i agree with him a lot. with him having a definite goal at this point with a solid job that leaves a lot of room for success and i have a lot of respect for him.

The DaVinci Code

The book begins with a opener that sort of shocked me. I begin the book inside the Louvre where the caretaker is being chased by a man named Saul. Why he is chasing him i have no idea but he eventually catches up to him. To say the least he kills him but slowly with a bullet to the stomach. After that we find ourselves in the hotel room of a famous religious symbolic de-cryptor of some kind. His name is Robert Langdon and he is in Paris to give a very important speech for some college kids. He doesn't seem to happy with what he is doing though but i guess ill find out more later. Well after all of that the cops show up at his hotel room at what i believe late in the night for it wakes him up. He finds out that the Louvre caretaker had been murdered by an unknown assailant (Saul). So we will see how this whole thing will unfold i suppose even though i just started the book it is extremely interesting and there is definitely a mystery here.

Dart League King Reading Blog

Vince Thomas is one pissed off guy. Russel owes him a lot of money for all the drugs he hustled Vince out of. Hes not happy. It goes on to explain how Vince was eventually going to kill Russel by the end of the night. Vince was one of those military brats you see in the movies but trust me hes one guy you wouldn't think to end up in the drug game. His father was a big (pardon my french) asshole and nobody really liked him. Ironically Russel's father was pretty good drinking buddies with Vince's father. Vince's father also seemed to be a pretty big cheap skate and would never buy Vince much of anything. He goes on to talk about the rusty old bike he would ride around on for years. His father wouldn't buy him a new bike until the bike completely fell apart which is almost unthinkable. For an 11 year old kid to have a rusty old bike shows a lot about his father and how much he cared about Vince. So throw all of that on top of him getting kicked out of his apartment hes pretty damn pissed off and hes about to take it out on Russel and it does not look pretty. All in all it looks like this is gonna be one crazy night for the dart league and everything that is going to happen with Vince and what not.

A Long Way Gone Final Blog

The book has ended and Ishmael has found himself a grown man. He still thinks about times from the war but for the most part he finds himself at peace. This book i can truely say influenced me in a major way. The things that Ishmael experienced while in the war against the rebels and living in that war zone are just amazing. He seems to be one of the greatest heroes of our generation and should be recognized for all of his hardships. His drive to want more and question what is right and wrong in this world is just amazing. He also had to dig himself out of a drug addiction that honestly most people do not come out of even with the best therapy available. I can honestly say this is one of the best books Ive ever read. Its a eye opener for sure and If there is anything i can take from this book its that you should never ever give up there is always good in this world even if we tend to think the other way. It also taught me the horrible side of war and civil war for that matter. I'm glad that i chose this book to read over most of the others.

1000 Awesome Things

I think my favorite awesome thing was definitely knowing the newest joke before any of your friends. This always makes me cool to talk about something funny especially if i am first to tell anyone about it. The one i think id want onto my personal list would be during the holidays when the only light in the room is the Christmas tree. That has definitely been one of my 1000 awesome things in my life.

Action List 3.15.2011

Answering the prompt whether or not we could create our own curriculum i believe we could. We have more than enough students that would be more than willing to be able to study what we would want to, like in college. We as high school students should be able to pick and choose what we want to learn rather than being stuck to a curriculum. Homestead high school is full of honor students that would want to at least experience this opportunity. If this opportunity were to come to homestead i would definitely take the time to be a part of that experience if that came at homestead.

A Long Way Gone Reading Blog

The boys are found now in their first fight. Creeping through the jungle and they are scared to say the least. They are just now feeling the first effects of the drugs they took an hour before at camp. But they had now set themselves up for an ambush against the enemy and are waiting in the bush. Once upon them they opened fire explosions and gun fire going off in every direction which was terrifying for the boys. Ishamel begins to explain how he is unable to shoot and is in a state of paralysis but slowly comes back to reality also he watches on of his friends blow up and die on a tree stump. At that point the lieutenant yell to him to shoot and so he does. At this point he has now gotten his first taste of battle. They go on fighting for a couple hours and eventually drive them back. Then they gather ammo and weapons but leave the bodies which seems like an eerie thought. But now the boys have gotten their real first taste of war and are ready for more. Every battle from then on out seemed nonchalant and easier for the boys to execute and all they talked about was war. Its a sick society these boys have been thrown into and its a very scary thought that this still goes on in our world today
The book is at its climax where the boys are now fighting and actually in war. They dont care about anything else but drugs and killing now thats all they know and thats all they are going to know unless they get out...

A Long Way Gone Reading Blog

The boys are finally in training for war and it is looking like this could get ugly. I don't think they are going to get away from the war this time...They have begun training and are drilling every single day very hard and trying to get ready for war and the fighting that is coming up. They are drilling and while they drill they think about how badly they want to kill the rebels because of the lieutenant's lectures, which are very powerful, but that's an understatement. The army did not differentiate between age within the army which was a scary thought at the time. they also did a multitude of drugs after drilling and such. They took a white capsule for which they did not know the name of...they also took some kind of a drug they called 'Brown Brown' which consists of cocaine and black powder from the guns. Reading this was difficult for me to picture little boys doing hard drugs and sitting around smoking marijuana and other powerful drugs. They apparently took the edge off but made them very angry and wanted to get in the fight right then and there. The drugs gave them a sense of illusion like they weren't actually in the war this was very hard as i had said before to read. One of the boys was actually too small to even carry his own gun. Just to get a sense for that this means these boys were still very small much smaller than I or any of my friends.
The book is really heating up...the climax is near and i can feel it the boys are now soldiers and are just a shadow or a ghost of what they really used to be. Its scary if i were to see all of these boys doing drugs and all that was on their mind was killing. It sickens me and makes me nauseous to really think about just all of these things that really happened just happened not to long ago...

2.28 Diction Excercise

Words: Rise; Blowing; Heavens; Desolation; extinguished; Remember, Nothing; Alone

Level Of Formality: Pretentious; Ornate

Connotation: They are chosen definitely for their suggestiveness when they are talking about the sun i do not think they literally mean the people are suns and that their flame is the love being extinguished

Concreteness: Very Concrete: with feeling and sound along with sight.

Claim: Love & Death creates a kind of Pretentious Diction with a wonderful mix of Concrete words that beautifully play with your senses and create a kind of emotional purging.

A Long Way Gone Reading Blog

This is where the book is really starting to heat up we find our boys to a village where they are told their parents are located. This makes them happy and are on their way to the said village which has no name. When they reach the village they are coming over the hill when gunfire breaks and the boys wait for a long time. Later on they enter the village to find out that the rebels had killed everyone there. This made Ishmael very angry and sad all at the same time. While they waited rebels showed up and began smoking marijuana and playing cards. After a while the boys made some noise and they began to open fire. The boys began to run for hours and when they stopped one of the boys named Silas began to cry and flung himself on the ground. He was bleeding and they were all watching and trying to stop the bleeding but were unable to. This was very sad as Ishmael had the blood of one of his friends all over his hands. He had just lost another friend earlier from some unknown illness and that had already left the boys in a very vulnerable state. These boys have gone through hell and back and they still have quite a ways to go till they are close to freedom. After that they came to the village of Yele where the military has occupied the village using it as a forward HQ. The village was filled with laughter soldiers and a false sense of safety. After awhile the soldiers began returning with little survivors and began requesting people to bring up arms which means that the boys are going to have to start fighting and this is just the beginning

This book is really starting to heat up and i cant wait to see how Ishmael handles himself in battle where as the rest of the boys seem to be much more eager to kill the rebels. They have seen more death than anyone I've ever known and they haven't even seen battle yet. Ishmael is a strong young man and he has potential I'm just scared that his friends aren't going to make it out of battle.

2/23 Diction Exercise/ Catcher In The Rye

words: Lousy, Crap, bores, pretty, hell, touchy, dough(money), terrific

Level of Formality: Very low/abstain

Connotation: they mean what they say very straight forward/ Graspable

Concreteness: abstract/non-senses

Claim: The Abstain formality of 'The Catcher In The Rye' leaves a very graspable diction along with the transcendental connotation of the book for anyone to understand and read with ease.

The Dart League King pgs. 1-36

The dart league king is a scumbag. plain and simple. He has a certain way about him, Russel, his name, is addicted to cocaine and works for his friends logging company. If you can even call Matt his 'Friend'. Every Friday there is a dart league game and Russel is the champion three years running. He is out of high school and is just going with the flow. He lives in the here-and-now. He owes his drug dealer over 1,000 dollars in drugs and he is not happy to say the least. It is now Friday night and he is playing for the championship and for the title of Dart League King. He also plays a terrible game one of the worst he has ever played in fact. There are a number of things that are knocking him off his 'Equilibrium'. (his idea of enough beer and cocaine to play a smooth game of darts). Russel is every high school washouts image from the time acid came on the scene. He has problems but this Friday night those are the least of his worries. His old drug dealer is looking for Russel's head on a platter. There is also a tale of Sex, Drugs, and rock and roll. The book is only beginning and im excited to see how the night is going to go.
In my opinion this is, so far, my favorite book it has a very interesting feel to it and yet a very easy read. I cannot wait to see what happens to this loser and all of his Dart Game endeavors. Russel is a scumbag. Plain and simple.

Facebook

The coolest thing that happened as a result of facebook was when all of my friends planned my surprise party for my birthday last year. It was really cool to see how my friends planned it out they had me go over to a friends for the day and just hang out and have pizza and play video games. Then while i was at my friends all day they went out and bought party supplies and what not for the party that day. This had all been planned the day before and they did a phenomenal job at it. After i spent the day at my friends i was taken home to my surprise that a surprise party had been thrown for me. The party turned out to be one of the best parties i had ever had.

A Long way gone pgs. 120-150

We now find our heroes traveling along the road once again. Traveling to find what I'm guessing to be a village that has not been war torn and abandoned. At this point though i do not think it matters though being that all of Sierra Leone knows of all the boy soldiers now fighting for the rebels. The boys being the exact age of most boy soldiers they find almost no hospitality no where they go. Either they are chased out of villages by men with weapons and sticks or are forced out by fear of the village being attacked. Either way things are not looking good for the boys. Also the boys have tried hard not to be recruited as they were almost before. Although Sierra Leone is somewhat a small country they lack in what seems to be villages and cities. Not only that but they travel on foot with very little food and water in the heat of Africa during summer.
We take what we have in America for granite such as water, food, and shelter. Millions of people all around the world have virtually nothing and we have everything for ourselves. That is upsetting to think about just how much we really do have. We as a country virtually know nothing of war anymore. We may read about it yes, but when was the last time you heard about the invasion of America? 1796? I feel very compelled to reading this book it provides such a provocative image of war in the eyes of a young civilian boy gone bad and very far from home.

The Road Reading Blog Valentines day

The man and the boy have a connection that is unheard of. Valentines day is not just about love between a man or a woman, no, the road is not only an amazing example of love but i felt inclined to write a detailed reflection over such a reflection. The father shows love in so many ways one being that he does not show the boy weakness. I know that in some situations that is a bad choice to make but within the book it works very well. The boy looks to the father for everything, food, shelter, a shoulder to cry on, and just a friend. This means that the father is everything to that boy. He is also all the boy knows. The connection is very simple and elegant its a simple love story of a father and his boy just trying to survive through this post apocalyptic cold world. I think that the man tries very hard to make sure the boy sees as little as possible of the cruel world he was born into. Even without the sun the very essence of love metaphors love goes on. Love is eternal. We as a society think love is dead but, I don't think that...its all around us and even In the apocalypse love is there

Teenagers, Friends and Bad Decisions

I thought this article was very accurate even though i'd hate to admit it. But I thought that the experiment was very interesting to see how teenagers acted around friends while driving through the simulation. The game was that they had to get to the finish as fast as possible without crashing and obeying road rules. The results were that teenagers had a higher rate of crashes and racing through yellow lights. In fact they were 60% higher than adults. I feel like this is an eye opener to us teen drivers and adults to show that we need to drive much safer and probably without friends. The teenagers however were offered cash prizes for winning which makes it biased because assuming that the teenagers did not have jobs they would have tried to get to the finish faster. But still I believe that the teenagers would still have acted out in the same fashion that they did. The article was very interesting overall and was very cool to read

A Long Way Gone Pgs. 101-120

This part of the book was very interesting to me in that the main character is only reflecting what is going on in his mind here. They are all still at that small village where they are staying. In this part the boy is thinking about his life back in Mattru Jong. He explained what life was like back in school and things like that. He explains how easy life was and how good at school he was. Even though now due to all the destruction and such he has no memory of anything he has learned he only remembers destruction. He also brings up how little sleep he has gotten lately. I believe that this is the early onset of post-par tam depression. The condition that soldiers get when returning from war. But who knows he also explains how close Junior and him were before all of this began. They were in a 'dance crew' of some kind at was quite amusing to see they were doing the same dance moves as I do when i'm bored. :)
These twenty pages were very powerful regardless to the length. They were very detailed and it was a lot to take in. I learned much about Ishmael and his former life. It was very moving for me as I felt sad and sympathetic towards him.

I thought this picture was very abstract and cool. It seemed to be twisting and turning making it seem almost like the city is being sucked into the light. But at the same time the city is on its side. Very cool opptical illusion.

The Road pgs. 101-150

The boy and his Father are now past the mountains and are in the valley below. They are continuing their long journey south to find warmer climates. They have just been getting pummeled by snow as they continue onward and it doesn't look to good as they continue onward. The father had to use one of the bullets in his gun as well. He had to kill a man because he tried to hurt the boy. It was a very climactic part of the book and I enjoyed reading it. But it went into such detail for that short time after he shot him just to show how gruesome the kill was. Before the kill was made the man and the father were talking along with the boy. This made it very difficult to follow along and make out just who was talking.

In my opinion the book is getting very intense they are running into more people along the journey and the battle for survival is getting heightened. It gives me a sense of almost blindness when i try to picture this place because of the heavy impression of gray dull light. But I digress...the plot is starting to thicken whatever that may be im not sure but i can start to see more of who these two are through their actions not so much what they say. I have also learned that their was a mother but she abandoned the boy and the father a while back. All in all this book is definitely in my top five favorite books and i cannot wait to see how it ends.

The Road detailed reflection

As i read the book The Road it shows me just how good if a job it does being really simple in all of its details. The book is very eerie also it makes me feel very alone and very vulnerable as i read. The book itself is very easy to read and yet it seems so fantastic and detailed all at the same time. The only problem i really have with this book is that it does not put quotation marks around the speech lines. This is confusing especially when there can be three people talking at the same time. All in all this book makes me feel like humanity has no audacity for what is coming in the future even though this is eons from now. The book offers a setting of almost grayish dull faint light constantly as the sun is beginning to burn out for all of earth. Then when i put the book down im so grateful to see just everything is okay and it isn't just two people left alive in this world.

The Road pgs. 51-101

This adventure thickens with every turn of the page as we now find the boy and his father traveling through the mountains. The father realizes that another winter in the north of what used to be north America would be their last. We now find them traveling past the fathers home town as he showed him his old house. I think that he wanted him and the boy to share a moment but that was shattered when the boy became coy and scared. This must have hurt the father...knowing that even his sanctum was now dead and gone. But now they are moving toward the mountain with their shopping cart and all their supplies.
The only problem with the shopping cart is that it might be too heavy to carry throughout the mountain while dealing with snow and other environmental problems. That first night they hear 4 or 5 trees fall and the boy begins to get scared. But the father reassures them that a tree will not fall on them. I'm thinking that this is foreshadowing but i cant tell with this strange style of writing. As they move up the summit snow becomes more and more present along with the with the weight of the shopping cart.
In my opinion the book is getting better and better as they travel south for salvation and survival. I am not sure how this is going to turn out for them and what is in store for them next but every time i open this book i cant help but feel sad and excited at the same time. I guess you could say I'm looking for that light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.

Charity: Water

Really awesome stuff that this guy has done

Hipsters

I didn't think I'd find myself doing just As mr. Hill said I wouldn't and that would be in Starbucks drinking coffee and writing down poetry.

A Long Way Gone Reading Blog pgs. 51-100

   As i continue to read this book I feel myself more and more connected as i follow Ishmael and his companions through the long and dangerous road toward safety and redemption. As I continue to read i see myself getting nervous with every run in with the rebels and praying that Ishmael is not captured and forced to become a boy soldier as once before. But that point has not come yet and the anticipation is killing me.
 They are still on the run as i have said before but now they know where it is that they are going to. They are on their way to the small village of Yele east of where they are now. As they continue they are now at what appears to be a small abandoned village with no name. They spend the night there and awake the next morning to a dog eating what is left of the small amount of food they have carried with them. After the dog carried away what was left of the mangled food the boys began to fight amongst each other in the anger they were feeling. But one of the boys eventually calms them down with another one of his funny and informative fables. This time it is the tale of why spiders have such long legs. It has a good punch line and a pretty good plot. Just goes to show how much different life is without television or other modern distractions.
  It is funny how even after the amount of time i can put in a book it still surprises me with every page. I still think i know what is going next and the next thing i know there is a new twist or a new character comes into play. The one main character i can really count on is Ishmael. The first group he was with scattered and separated among the bush as i had said before until he finally came into human contact with anyone.

The Road Reading Blog pgs. 1-50

   As I began to read this book I was not sure how to take this book in. It stars out with this father and his young boy in what I'm guessing post-apocalyptic America. It does not really give that to much for an introduction but as the book begins it gives you a very simple yet detailed description of where you are. What I mean is that its simple enough to the point where you can form your own picture but not detailed to the point where the book forms where you are just within the words. It is also a very simple read from what I can tell.
   I digress... as I have said before the book is in what seems to be post apocalyptic America. The sun is blotted out or is in the dwarf stage before the sun goes into supernova. This means the earth is very dim and pitch black at night. This daytime light gives the book that hopeless feeling throughout the readings. But as the book progresses it forms its own plot which starts in what is October getting closer to winter. The boy is sick with some kind of chronic sickness that is slowly taking over him as the book progresses. The father understands that if they stay one more winter up north they will surely die. But to travel in this apocalyptic world is very dangerous as there are many new threats in the world than there are today.
  As they continue to travel I cant help but think about video games I've played that remind me of such a world and how their actions resemble the actions I take within the games. Such as searching every nook and cranny for the littlest bite of healthy food or usable parts that would come in handy later on. These actions take place throughout the book and it still follows that simple yet detailed feeling to it which makes it that much more enjoyable to read.
 In my opinion the book brings a lot to the table in a very simple way. This book brings to the light most authors are scared to research and write about. It has a certain writing style that keeps you interested without too much detail. I think this book  is extremely interesting and i can't wait to see what else this book has to offer.

eiffel tower

Hope i get to visit it someday :D

A Long Way Gone Reading Journal Pgs. 1-50

     As the book begins you find yourself seeing through the eyes of Ishmael Beah. He speaks of the times he remembers the first time he was ever "touched" by war. He describes how life was good for him prior to the rebels reaching his small village of Mattru Jong in Sierra Leone. He describes how much he admires his older brother Junior and all that he has done for him in his life.
     When the actual invasion of his village takes place you see some of humans most basic instincts take over the 13 year old boys. Their first instincts was to run as fast as they could and as far as they could quickly as possible. They move village to village along their long journey. It describes how many people were afraid of these small boys because of all the boy soldiers now being recruited to sack and pillage villages. This was unfortunate for the boys for they were innocent at heart and meant no harm to anyone.
    In one of the chapters it describes how Ishmael loses his brother Junior in a village raid. This was a very emotional part of the book for Ishmael looks up to Junior in so many ways. He never does see his brother again and i can only imagine how hard that must have been. Now after that village raid he ran into a jungle by himself. This as you can imagine for a 13 year old boy is terrifying. It describes how for a total of six days Ishmael was lost within the jungle. He encountered wild pigs, deer, and many other native animals. He later found a path and after six days made human contact. He surprisingly ran into a group of five boys he knew from the school he had went to and they carried on together.
  In my opinion this is an excellent book so far. I've never read a book so detailed about the pain and the strife that a boy during a time of war must be and feel like. Life over in Africa is extremely different from that in America or anywhere for that matter but i feel so connected to Ishmael in all of his adventures. They are learning more about life than anything I could possibly come to know any time soon. I'm excited to continue reading this amazing book and the secrets I am yet to find.

Football

Ya colts are out of it but i love people walking around with their heads down about it. :)