Lying is justifiable if it's for the greater good: At first, I had this as a three, but I would change this to a four now, because even though lying is really bad, if you're are trying to kill the bugger race so they won't kill you, then it's probably more okay then if it only helps you. Or if it's to save someone's life so they won't do something that puts them in danger, then it's okay.
Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem: I put a three on this one last time, and I would keep it the same because I pretty much still agree with it, It makes sense for this to be true if someone is attacking you and you are defending yourself. Also, it would be true if you're in a war because two countries can't decide on something that you both want, and it's a big deal. On the other hand, people should mostly be able to talk it out in words, because most of a time, there's always a way to make peace.
It is okay to kill someone in self-defense: I put this as a four last time, and I still think that it should be that because if someone's trying to kill you, then you don't want to die! I think that it's kind of their fault if you kill them, because they were trying to kill first. If they didn't try to kill you, then they wouldn't be dead.
Words are stronger than fists: I had this as a three, and I still think it's true because, as I said before, it depends on the toughness of the person, or how strong the words are. Some people are tough and can
just let words bounce off their backs, or some are really hurt by mean words. Fists can't hurt people as easily as others, and some are knocked out on the first throw, kind of like Ender beating up Stilson and Bonzo.
Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem: I did have this as a four at first, but now I would change this to a three because Bonzo seemed to be a bully, but he did have a lot of pride, and I think that he just wanted Ender out of his way. This statement does seem to be true most of the time though, like in Stilson's case, I don't think he had very much self esteem.
Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leader: I still think that this should be a one, except if you're fighting a whole league of creatures. If you're not the brightest in school, then maybe you have other talents that qualify you? Or if your grade point average is like a 3.8, that's pretty close to being the brightest!
Revenge is never justified: I put a four before I read Ender's Game on this, and I'm still sticking with that because you should never fight fire with fire, as I said before! And as I said last time, if you can if it's something big, then go to court with them or something like that if it interferes with the law.
Crying is evidence of weakness: I still think that this should be a two because everyone has cried sometime in their life, so you shouldn't be mean about it! If you are hurt, sometimes you just have to! Don't judge people on what they do and why!
Any action is acceptable in war: I put this as a two, but now I would change it to a three, because if it's self defense, then any action would kind of be acceptable, or if you were fighting for your nation, then it kind of would. On the other hand, you shouldn't hurt somebody already on the ground, or hurt in some way already.
Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves: I put this as a two last time, and I definitely wouldn't change that because most teenagers can control themselves fine, and can behave well. Sometimes, we might get a little goofy, but we can still control ourselves and no when to stop. We can make our own rules and things.
Only through personal sacrifice can someone create positive change: I still think the same for this one, a one, because you don't have to sacrifice yourself to do good to the world! Making a positive change is just doing little things, like picking trash up in the community, planting trees, and more! That's what makes a difference.
Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace: I put a three on this one before I read the book, I would keep it the same because compassion isn't always the only way to create peace, because if you hate your enemy, you don't have to kill them, but you can bear with talking peacefully to them. As I said before, hold a white flag up and work it out with words.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Ender's Game Questions Chapters 12-15
Chapter 12 – Bonzo
1. Ender provoked Bonzo by insulting his honor. He said how Bonzo's father would be proud of him for trying to kill somebody smaller than him, and things like that. Bonzo responded by trying to kill him at the showers.
2. Stilson was the bully who tried to hurt Ender when he still was on Earth at the beginning of the book, but then Ender ended up killing him. Ender was thinking of him because when Bonzo was there with him at the showers, he was reminded of all his enemies and people who had tried to hurt him.
3. Ender still expects help from the teachers because he thinks that they care for him and want to make sure that no one gets hurt at the battle school because of liabilities, and he's only a kid so he doesn't realize that he has to care for himself.
4. I knew that Stilson and Bonzo were killed because of the clues in the chapter where the teachers were talking about how there was a death at the battle school, and it was the second one in history, and things like that. The teachers said "they didn't tell him about Stilson, either," so that's another clue.
5. Ender was justified because he was a kid, he didn't mean to kill them, and it was self defense. The teachers didn't tell him about the deaths because Ender didn't want to kill them, so if he knew he had, then he wouldn't do as good at the battle school and think that he was just like Peter, but worse.
Chapter 13 – Valentine
1. “Perhaps it is impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.” This quote means that you can't pretend to be somebody else and not naturally act like that. An example of this idea is when Valentine started acting like Demosthenes even though that's not who she was, because when she was asked a question, she would say something that Demosthenes would say without even thinking about it.
2. It kind of is a natural, “good” instinct for humans to be killers (survival of the fittest) because we want to keep thriving, and need this instinct to do that if another species is trying to kill us and fight us.
3. When Ender and Valentine were on the raft, they talked about the battle school and Peter. Ender reveals about himself and his enemies that he felt like a puppet and was being used by the teachers, and that he always won his battles because he knew what the enemies were thinking, but then he would like them, but still kill them.
4. Valentine’s conflicting thoughts about her brothers were how Peter had mellowed, but the battle school had made Ender into a killer. There roles have shifted because Ender doesn't want to kill anybody, but he does end up killing people, and Peter stopped being as aggressive. Valentine felt like they were two sides of the same coin, but she didn't always know which side was which.
5. Graff told Ender that the bugger war was inevitable, because it was true because they had ships flying to the bugger planets already that would land soon, so they would have to have a war.
Chapter 14 – Ender’s Teacher
1. What disturbs Ender about Eros is how it used to be a bugger planet, and he was living inside bugger tunnels. Ender figures out the truth about Eros by talking to Mazer Rackham, and asking him what evidence there was in Eros that buggers were smart creatures.
2. Mazer was going to be the only teacher Ender ever had because his other teachers never taught him anything. Mazer said to Ender "You have learned nothing. You have never had a teacher."
3. Mazer had been dishonest with Ender because he didn't want him to know he was going to kill all of the buggers, because he wouldn't have killed them if he'd known. I don't think Ender could've handled the truth.
4. I think that they pushed the children too far because Petra and some other people started to break and not do as well, but it was worth it because they beat the buggers.
5. Genocide, or in the case of Ender's Game where an entire alien race is annihilated, xenocide is justified because the queen of the buggers "thought" to Ender that she forgave the human race for killing them, if Ender would help her hatch her eggs. The xenocide of the Buggers was inevitable because the human race didn't know that the buggers didn't want to hurt them.
Chapter 15 – Speaker for the Dead
1. Valentine said, “Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given to you by good people, by people who love you.” After what has happened in Ender’s life, he would think about this that it was part way true, but it's very hard to fill the roles by good people, and not bad too.
2. Ender listens to the evidence about the deaths of Stilson and Bonzo. His opinion about the deaths are not good because he feels like he is Peter and he didn't want to kill them, just hurt them enough so that they wouldn't hurt him anymore.
3. Valentine made sure that Ender could never return to Earth because she didn't want him to be in the hands of Peter, who pretty much had control of Earth.
4. What's ironic about Valentine’s statement about Peter saving millions of lives is that he is a killer at heart, so saving people seems like the opposite of his personality.
5. The knowledge that Ender gained to enable him to write The Hive-Queen was from the queen herself, when she told Ender how the buggers didn't know that humans were intelligent life forms, so they tried to kill us, but then realized what we were and left us alone, but it was too late. So now they forgive us for killing them.
6. Ender publishes the book using the pseudonym “Speaker for the Dead” and not his own name because he doesn't want people to know that he wrote it because they wouldn't like him and think he cared about the buggers.
1. Ender provoked Bonzo by insulting his honor. He said how Bonzo's father would be proud of him for trying to kill somebody smaller than him, and things like that. Bonzo responded by trying to kill him at the showers.
2. Stilson was the bully who tried to hurt Ender when he still was on Earth at the beginning of the book, but then Ender ended up killing him. Ender was thinking of him because when Bonzo was there with him at the showers, he was reminded of all his enemies and people who had tried to hurt him.
3. Ender still expects help from the teachers because he thinks that they care for him and want to make sure that no one gets hurt at the battle school because of liabilities, and he's only a kid so he doesn't realize that he has to care for himself.
4. I knew that Stilson and Bonzo were killed because of the clues in the chapter where the teachers were talking about how there was a death at the battle school, and it was the second one in history, and things like that. The teachers said "they didn't tell him about Stilson, either," so that's another clue.
5. Ender was justified because he was a kid, he didn't mean to kill them, and it was self defense. The teachers didn't tell him about the deaths because Ender didn't want to kill them, so if he knew he had, then he wouldn't do as good at the battle school and think that he was just like Peter, but worse.
Chapter 13 – Valentine
1. “Perhaps it is impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.” This quote means that you can't pretend to be somebody else and not naturally act like that. An example of this idea is when Valentine started acting like Demosthenes even though that's not who she was, because when she was asked a question, she would say something that Demosthenes would say without even thinking about it.
2. It kind of is a natural, “good” instinct for humans to be killers (survival of the fittest) because we want to keep thriving, and need this instinct to do that if another species is trying to kill us and fight us.
3. When Ender and Valentine were on the raft, they talked about the battle school and Peter. Ender reveals about himself and his enemies that he felt like a puppet and was being used by the teachers, and that he always won his battles because he knew what the enemies were thinking, but then he would like them, but still kill them.
4. Valentine’s conflicting thoughts about her brothers were how Peter had mellowed, but the battle school had made Ender into a killer. There roles have shifted because Ender doesn't want to kill anybody, but he does end up killing people, and Peter stopped being as aggressive. Valentine felt like they were two sides of the same coin, but she didn't always know which side was which.
5. Graff told Ender that the bugger war was inevitable, because it was true because they had ships flying to the bugger planets already that would land soon, so they would have to have a war.
Chapter 14 – Ender’s Teacher
1. What disturbs Ender about Eros is how it used to be a bugger planet, and he was living inside bugger tunnels. Ender figures out the truth about Eros by talking to Mazer Rackham, and asking him what evidence there was in Eros that buggers were smart creatures.
2. Mazer was going to be the only teacher Ender ever had because his other teachers never taught him anything. Mazer said to Ender "You have learned nothing. You have never had a teacher."
3. Mazer had been dishonest with Ender because he didn't want him to know he was going to kill all of the buggers, because he wouldn't have killed them if he'd known. I don't think Ender could've handled the truth.
4. I think that they pushed the children too far because Petra and some other people started to break and not do as well, but it was worth it because they beat the buggers.
5. Genocide, or in the case of Ender's Game where an entire alien race is annihilated, xenocide is justified because the queen of the buggers "thought" to Ender that she forgave the human race for killing them, if Ender would help her hatch her eggs. The xenocide of the Buggers was inevitable because the human race didn't know that the buggers didn't want to hurt them.
Chapter 15 – Speaker for the Dead
1. Valentine said, “Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given to you by good people, by people who love you.” After what has happened in Ender’s life, he would think about this that it was part way true, but it's very hard to fill the roles by good people, and not bad too.
2. Ender listens to the evidence about the deaths of Stilson and Bonzo. His opinion about the deaths are not good because he feels like he is Peter and he didn't want to kill them, just hurt them enough so that they wouldn't hurt him anymore.
3. Valentine made sure that Ender could never return to Earth because she didn't want him to be in the hands of Peter, who pretty much had control of Earth.
4. What's ironic about Valentine’s statement about Peter saving millions of lives is that he is a killer at heart, so saving people seems like the opposite of his personality.
5. The knowledge that Ender gained to enable him to write The Hive-Queen was from the queen herself, when she told Ender how the buggers didn't know that humans were intelligent life forms, so they tried to kill us, but then realized what we were and left us alone, but it was too late. So now they forgive us for killing them.
6. Ender publishes the book using the pseudonym “Speaker for the Dead” and not his own name because he doesn't want people to know that he wrote it because they wouldn't like him and think he cared about the buggers.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Orson Scott Card Article Response
I think that Orson Scott Card's views on gay marriage don't affect my opinion of his book Ender's Game, because his personal opinions don't come up in the book, and personal life and careers should be separate. I do think, however, that many people will choose not to read this book, any of his other books, or see the movie, because of his views, because they don't have his opinions.
I don't think that Mr. Vack should take this book out of his class's reading curriculum, because even though he doesn't support gay marriage, Ender's Game is still a really well written book. And besides, if he hasn't taken it out yet, he probably won't ever.
The movie company trying to keep Orson "out of the limelight" is probably a good idea, because the more he is kept out of the public, the more people will watch the movie because they won't realize how much he had a part in it, see his views on gay marriage, and not watch the movie or read his books.
This movie shouldn't be boycotted. Just because Orson Scott Card is in it and all, it doesn't mean that you don't have to watch it. Say you didn't want it to be a popular movie and all, because of Orson Scott Card, but it seemed like a good movie to you, then watch it! It won't be unpopular just because you don't watch it. It's probably still going to be a great movie, so join in the fun!
I don't think that Mr. Vack should take this book out of his class's reading curriculum, because even though he doesn't support gay marriage, Ender's Game is still a really well written book. And besides, if he hasn't taken it out yet, he probably won't ever.
The movie company trying to keep Orson "out of the limelight" is probably a good idea, because the more he is kept out of the public, the more people will watch the movie because they won't realize how much he had a part in it, see his views on gay marriage, and not watch the movie or read his books.
This movie shouldn't be boycotted. Just because Orson Scott Card is in it and all, it doesn't mean that you don't have to watch it. Say you didn't want it to be a popular movie and all, because of Orson Scott Card, but it seemed like a good movie to you, then watch it! It won't be unpopular just because you don't watch it. It's probably still going to be a great movie, so join in the fun!
CEJ #5
Harris, Gardiner
2/25/13
New York Times
World
Children Toil in India’s Mines, Despite Legal Ban
Harris, Gardiner
2/25/13
2/25/13
New York Times
World
Children Toil in India’s Mines, Despite Legal Ban
This article is about how children in India, as young as five years old, are working in mines to earn money to survive. Most of these children are orphans, but some have families they work to feed. There is an estimated amount of 70,000 kids working in about 5,000 mines. Basically, what these kids do each day is go seventy feet down a bamboo staircase to a pit, crawl through a tunnel in mud about two feet high for about a hundred yards, and then start digging coal. They don’t wear hard hats or steel toed boots, and stuff their ears with cloth. A man named Kumar Subba watches over five mines in Meghalaya, in Northeast India. He has about 130 people working for him, says that his mines produce about thirty tons of coal per day!
I think that this isn’t right for kids to be working in dangerous mines everyday, because there is even a law in India saying that all children, ages six through fourteen need to go to school, but it isn’t really enforced. There is about 28 million kids working in India instead! Kids shouldn’t have to do this, because without wearing hard hats or steel toed boots, you’re almost literally lying at death’s door. I think that India is not a very good place, because they don’t enforce their laws, and so many orphans are working there, so they probably don’t have orphanages. They should at least make the mines safer, rather than having children climbing down wobbly staircases that could collapse at any moment, and having them crawl through tunnels only two feet high! That’s really hard and unsafe. These kids working in mines is not a good idea.Monday, February 25, 2013
Ode to Chocolate
You're always there for me
Ready to fill my mouth
With your wonderful taste
You're a light in the dark
Something to look forward to
The one to cheer me up
You come in different kinds
Dark, like the night
Milk, like a flower
And White, like the snow
Your minty swirl is like a cloud
Your raspberry tang like a bright butterfly
Melted, you're a chocolate river
Ready for someone to jump into
Drink it up, slurp
Chocolate heaven
And I'm good for the day
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Ender's Game Questions Chapters 9-11
Chapter 9 – Locke and Demosthenes
1. There is a real battle, internally and unspoken, between Peter and Valentine. I think that Valentine is manipulating Peter, and has power over him because she doesn't show that she does, so he doesn't realize that she has power over him.
2. Ender is still angry because he doesn't have any fun at the battle school. It's just work, training for the games. The same thing over and over.
Chapter 10 – Dragon
1. Ender was the kind of leader that has much authority and power over everyone else. He was strict and treated Bean like Graff had treated him. He was this kind of leader because less instruction wouldn't work with an army, like it did with his practice group, or else they wouldn't follow him.
2. What Ender did to Bean was treated him like he was the only one who would make a good soldier, out of all his other soldiers. He did it because it was what Graff had done to him, in his launch group.
The teachers wanted him to do that.
3. Salaam means peace. This tells you how there were many different races at the battle school and that the power of religious identity was strong because the only thing keeping the world in peace was the problem of the buggers.
4. What's important about the end of this chapter is that Ender has started to grow tough and stop crying, and not trust anybody. Ender’s reaction wasn't a mistake by the teachers, because they wanted him to think that he couldn't trust anybody at the battleschool.
Chapter 11 – Veni Vidi Vici
1. The computer knows Ender well because it analyzes what he does in the game, and looks at his files from when he had the monitor. It really does.
2. “Yes. That’s the worst that could happen. I can’t lose any games. Because if I lose any--” (page 198). This quote means that if Ender loses any games, then the teachers will know that Ender isn't good enough to be a commander, and will lose hope in him.
3. The teachers are pushing Ender so hard because they want to break him so that he will make a good commander and be good in the battle against the buggers.
4. The importance of the last two sentences of the chapter is that it shows how Bean's ideas are stupid, but they are actually very clever if you know how to use them.
5. “Veni vidi vici” means, “I came; I saw; I conquered.” This is an appropriate chapter title because Dragon army came to the battle against rabbit army, saw what to do, and then conquered them.
1. There is a real battle, internally and unspoken, between Peter and Valentine. I think that Valentine is manipulating Peter, and has power over him because she doesn't show that she does, so he doesn't realize that she has power over him.
2. Ender is still angry because he doesn't have any fun at the battle school. It's just work, training for the games. The same thing over and over.
Chapter 10 – Dragon
1. Ender was the kind of leader that has much authority and power over everyone else. He was strict and treated Bean like Graff had treated him. He was this kind of leader because less instruction wouldn't work with an army, like it did with his practice group, or else they wouldn't follow him.
2. What Ender did to Bean was treated him like he was the only one who would make a good soldier, out of all his other soldiers. He did it because it was what Graff had done to him, in his launch group.
The teachers wanted him to do that.
3. Salaam means peace. This tells you how there were many different races at the battle school and that the power of religious identity was strong because the only thing keeping the world in peace was the problem of the buggers.
4. What's important about the end of this chapter is that Ender has started to grow tough and stop crying, and not trust anybody. Ender’s reaction wasn't a mistake by the teachers, because they wanted him to think that he couldn't trust anybody at the battleschool.
Chapter 11 – Veni Vidi Vici
1. The computer knows Ender well because it analyzes what he does in the game, and looks at his files from when he had the monitor. It really does.
2. “Yes. That’s the worst that could happen. I can’t lose any games. Because if I lose any--” (page 198). This quote means that if Ender loses any games, then the teachers will know that Ender isn't good enough to be a commander, and will lose hope in him.
3. The teachers are pushing Ender so hard because they want to break him so that he will make a good commander and be good in the battle against the buggers.
4. The importance of the last two sentences of the chapter is that it shows how Bean's ideas are stupid, but they are actually very clever if you know how to use them.
5. “Veni vidi vici” means, “I came; I saw; I conquered.” This is an appropriate chapter title because Dragon army came to the battle against rabbit army, saw what to do, and then conquered them.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Drones: For Evil or Good?
Deadly, flying machines
Used for spying
Picture taking
Watching traffic,
And murdering!
Good for some things,
Yes
But meant for death
What should we do about them?
What laws should there be about them?
We don't know,
But this is what we do know
Just one click of a button
Will end a life
These machines are good for war
But no deadly ones should be sold to an average person
There are different kinds:
The Hummingbird
Small, perching on a tree
Looking in on one inside
The MQ-1 Predator
Made for hitting ground targets
And there are many more
Lots of different types
But all of these
Are not made for good
So why do we have them?
What good do they do us?
We will see
And there are many more
Lots of different types
But all of these
Are not made for good
So why do we have them?
What good do they do us?
We will see
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
CEJ #4
Digital Tags Help Ensure the Price Is Right
Stross, Randall
New York Times
February 9
Technology
Have you ever wondered how times stores put a price on an item, and then there’s a different price on the screen for it when you go to check out? There is a lot. That’s why more and more stores are getting digital tags for their items, to ensure that customers get their things for the right price. Most stores put about 5000 items on sale per week and remove the sale prices from a different set of 5000. That’s what leads to mistakes, if you're changing 10,000 paper tags per week. A digital tag and sensor maker, in San Jose, called Altierre, is selling the most of these digital tags right now. They have a gray screen with black text, to save batteries, like calculators. However, stores aren't switching all at once to this new idea. The most probable answer is that they are afraid if they try it all at once, they will lose shoppers.I think that this is a good thing because with this new technology, stores are less likely to make mistakes with their prices, because they can change the prices on their items without having to print all the tiny price tags out and put them on the shelves; they just change it on the computer. Also, with these digital tags, less paper is wasted from changing 10,000 tags a week. There are roughly 1.5 million stores in the United States. That means that about 15 billion tags are produced per week. That wastes a lot of paper. So these digital tags are going to be really good.
Monday, February 11, 2013
CEJ #3
Cancer still kills more African-Americans than whites
Reuters, Andrew
Google News
2/5/13
Health
This article is about how even though there has been drops in smoking with black men, cancer death rates for blacks are still higher than that for whites. Some studies show that about 288 black men out of 100,000 die of cancer, and for white men it is only 217. Researchers think that this is because they are less likely to get lung cancer, but have a better chance of dying from it if they do get it. For black women, it’s about 181 per 100,000 and 155 for whites. The numbers are more even, but black women still have a better chance of dying from lung or breast cancer than whites. Carol DeSantis, from the American Cancer Society in Atlantis said "Unfortunately, as treatments improve and newer treatments are coming out, we will see a widening disparity if people don't have equal access.”Health
I think that it’s horrible how black people are more likely to die from cancer that other races are. Hopefully this will change soon, but it might not. At least blacks have stopped smoking as much. Why they get cancer, is they get lung cancer from being addicted to smoking. So they shouldn't smoke in the first place. Maybe since all races have different things they’re good at, maybe blacks don’t have as good immune systems as whites and other races? So if they smoke they get cancer faster than others. I think that doctors can, or will, develop ways to stop cancer in the years to come.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Ender's Game Questions Chapters 6-8
Chapter 6 – The Giant’s Drink
1. The purpose of the Giant's Game is that the game wants to see what Ender would do in a situation like that. He evaluated his success by thinking he was like Peter and was a murderer, but he should've thought that he just was trying to survive in his fantasy game. He is not a murderer because he killed the giant in self defense, and it was just a game!
Chapter 7 – Salamander
1. Alai said to Ender "Salaam." It is important because it shows that races didn't matter then. Also, it shows that there was world peace because of the buggers.
2. The "just living" mentioned in this chapter means that your living, without anything to do. No objectives in life, and you're at peace with yourself. It's true that Ender has never done this because he always has to train hard in the battleroom, and before that defend himself from Peter. What Ender wants out of his life is to be happy. If I was him I would want to just live and be happy, and also wouldn't want to be at the battle school.
3. Petra helped Ender by practicing in the battleroom with him during free time and training him. Their friendship is a hindrance to Ender because she was a girl and it split Salamander Army apart, and also Petra is an outcast, so if Ender is working with her, then he is more likely to be an outcast too.
4. What Ender learned about leadership and tactics from Bonzo is that if you're strict, people follow you easier, and they fear you. Also, he learned how the well-rehearsed formations they had were a mistake because it made them predictable, and they wouldn't know what to do when the enemy attacked the formations.
Chapter 8 – Rat
1. Graff's quote, “Ender Wiggin is ten times smarter and stronger than I am.”means that Ender knew how to use his cleverness and could easily outsmart people. Graff was saying he wasn't smart in battle, but he was pretty smart in bringing out Ender Wiggin's clever side. Also, Ender was stronger than he knew, and Graff wanted to see that.
2. What is significant about the quote “So teach me.” “So learn,” is that you can't learn battle skills from other people, you have to figure it out yourself so you can think up better formations and things to do in battle, and also you won't be trusting somebody to be there for you, and then they're not.
3. Ender’s response to an attack is significant because he would make a good commander because of how he tells the boys in his class what to do to get away safely, and he is really good without gravity because of how he can reorient himself. Also, this is just a test by teachers to see if he should be a commander and I think he passed.
4. The scene with the snake and Peter's reflection represented that Ender thought he was like Peter, but didn't want to be like him.
5. The game knows because it follows Ender's actions around the Battle School, has access to when Ender had his monitor, when Peter tortured him, and so figured out that Ender didn't want to be like Peter.
6. The importance of the last paragraph of this chapter is that it showed how Ender didn't want to do this, and he hated how every time he hurt somebody, he felt like Peter. Also, he felt like he was just a tool, and wasn't important to anybody, just a tool they would use to fix something, like a hammer.
1. The purpose of the Giant's Game is that the game wants to see what Ender would do in a situation like that. He evaluated his success by thinking he was like Peter and was a murderer, but he should've thought that he just was trying to survive in his fantasy game. He is not a murderer because he killed the giant in self defense, and it was just a game!
Chapter 7 – Salamander
1. Alai said to Ender "Salaam." It is important because it shows that races didn't matter then. Also, it shows that there was world peace because of the buggers.
2. The "just living" mentioned in this chapter means that your living, without anything to do. No objectives in life, and you're at peace with yourself. It's true that Ender has never done this because he always has to train hard in the battleroom, and before that defend himself from Peter. What Ender wants out of his life is to be happy. If I was him I would want to just live and be happy, and also wouldn't want to be at the battle school.
3. Petra helped Ender by practicing in the battleroom with him during free time and training him. Their friendship is a hindrance to Ender because she was a girl and it split Salamander Army apart, and also Petra is an outcast, so if Ender is working with her, then he is more likely to be an outcast too.
4. What Ender learned about leadership and tactics from Bonzo is that if you're strict, people follow you easier, and they fear you. Also, he learned how the well-rehearsed formations they had were a mistake because it made them predictable, and they wouldn't know what to do when the enemy attacked the formations.
Chapter 8 – Rat
1. Graff's quote, “Ender Wiggin is ten times smarter and stronger than I am.”means that Ender knew how to use his cleverness and could easily outsmart people. Graff was saying he wasn't smart in battle, but he was pretty smart in bringing out Ender Wiggin's clever side. Also, Ender was stronger than he knew, and Graff wanted to see that.
2. What is significant about the quote “So teach me.” “So learn,” is that you can't learn battle skills from other people, you have to figure it out yourself so you can think up better formations and things to do in battle, and also you won't be trusting somebody to be there for you, and then they're not.
3. Ender’s response to an attack is significant because he would make a good commander because of how he tells the boys in his class what to do to get away safely, and he is really good without gravity because of how he can reorient himself. Also, this is just a test by teachers to see if he should be a commander and I think he passed.
4. The scene with the snake and Peter's reflection represented that Ender thought he was like Peter, but didn't want to be like him.
5. The game knows because it follows Ender's actions around the Battle School, has access to when Ender had his monitor, when Peter tortured him, and so figured out that Ender didn't want to be like Peter.
6. The importance of the last paragraph of this chapter is that it showed how Ender didn't want to do this, and he hated how every time he hurt somebody, he felt like Peter. Also, he felt like he was just a tool, and wasn't important to anybody, just a tool they would use to fix something, like a hammer.
My Video Game Design
If I could design a video game, I would make it so you could be any character you wanted. It would be a game different from any others. If a bunch of people were playing, it would be the same game for each person, but on different levels you're doing different things. So say you decided that you wanted your character to be a zebra, then the game would be more safari like, and at the end of each level you would change into a different character that you pick and go into a new scene. The computer, or whatever your playing the game on, makes the game do things based on your actions in it.
You have to complete objectives in the game and the computer would take away the mini-games you don't like, and replace it with something you like better. Again if your a zebra, you would maybe start out chasing an animal, and then run away from a human trying to catch you. Then you would go through an obstacle course or something or other, and after that, you start a new level with a new character you pick, and the game is a little harder in a new scene. If you don't complete the level, at different points there's checkpoints that you pass, and you can start from those, or the beginning of the level.
Also, you try to collect coins throughout the game, as you do in many others, and you can use the coins to buy clothing, accessories, power-ups, and utilities. The power-ups would include a coin magnet, a boost where you go so many feet in the game without having to do anything, or a mega coin boost, where you get a lot of coins at once. You can use these power-ups during the game where there is a symbol on the ground and you run over it to use it. You can upgrade them with coins so that they last longer, or you get more coins. The utilities you could get would be headstarts, or a resurrection button (one use only or a certain number of times in a game).
When you play, there would be things you have to jump over, slide under, or go to the left or right. You slide your finger down to slide, slide it up to jump, and slide to the left and right to go in either of those directions (in the game, you have to follow a path, and have to turn, and to go to the left or right sides of the paths you slide your finger the sames ways.
So, in my game, it's almost like do it yourself because for everybody playing it, it will be almost like a different game. I would try to make it sort of addicting, so people would play it a lot, but I think it would be everyone's favorite anyway.
You have to complete objectives in the game and the computer would take away the mini-games you don't like, and replace it with something you like better. Again if your a zebra, you would maybe start out chasing an animal, and then run away from a human trying to catch you. Then you would go through an obstacle course or something or other, and after that, you start a new level with a new character you pick, and the game is a little harder in a new scene. If you don't complete the level, at different points there's checkpoints that you pass, and you can start from those, or the beginning of the level.
Also, you try to collect coins throughout the game, as you do in many others, and you can use the coins to buy clothing, accessories, power-ups, and utilities. The power-ups would include a coin magnet, a boost where you go so many feet in the game without having to do anything, or a mega coin boost, where you get a lot of coins at once. You can use these power-ups during the game where there is a symbol on the ground and you run over it to use it. You can upgrade them with coins so that they last longer, or you get more coins. The utilities you could get would be headstarts, or a resurrection button (one use only or a certain number of times in a game).
When you play, there would be things you have to jump over, slide under, or go to the left or right. You slide your finger down to slide, slide it up to jump, and slide to the left and right to go in either of those directions (in the game, you have to follow a path, and have to turn, and to go to the left or right sides of the paths you slide your finger the sames ways.
So, in my game, it's almost like do it yourself because for everybody playing it, it will be almost like a different game. I would try to make it sort of addicting, so people would play it a lot, but I think it would be everyone's favorite anyway.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
CEJ #2
Astronauts Will Watch Super Bowl from Space
Malik, Tariq
Google News
2/2/13
Science
The international space station's Expedition 34 team is made up of
six men: two American astronauts, flight engineer Tom Marshburn and
commander Kevin Ford, Russian cosmonauts Evgeny Tarelkin, Oleg
Novitskiy, and Roman Romanenko, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
Last Sunday, they all watched the Super Bowl from space! NASA's mission control at the Johnson space station in Houston beamed the Super Bowl XLVII live to the international space station, so the astronauts could watch something (the TV options weren't too good up there). "Yes, they are going to watch it this weekend," NASA spokesman Josh Byerly had emailed Space.com days earlier.
I think that actually, it’s kind of a waste of energy to beam the Super Bowl XLVII all the way up to the international space station because it’s only for the Americans probably, because I don’t think Chris Hadfield, Evgeny Tarelkin, and Roman Romanenko needed to watch it because they’re Russian and Canadian. Also, couldn’t somebody record it for them?
On the other hand, it is pretty cool that we have the power and technology to do that though. And a cool fact the article said was that the International Space Station was about the same length as a football stadium! Maybe they played a game up there?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Ender's Game Questions Chapters 1-5
Chapter 1 – Third
1. What attitude motivates the adults to lie to Ender?
When adults always say it won't hurt when it is going to hurt, you know it will hurt so you will be prepared.
2. Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third". Show whether this is a negative or positive fact to:
- his parents: For his parents it is negative and positive because they love him and are proud to have have, but they are also embarrassed by him.
- his brother, Peter: It is very negative because Peter knows that Ender is living proof that he wasn't good enough.
- his sister, Valentine: For Valentine it is positive because she loves him very much and doesn't care that he's a third.
- his classmates: For his classmates it's negative and positive because they seem to pick on him because they're jealous, but they also have someone to taunt.
Chapter 2 – Peter
1. Was Peter joking when he threatened Ender and Valentine? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
He was kidding because he said "Not a joke, a game. I can make you guys believe anything." And later when he thinks Ender's asleep, he says "Ender, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know how it feels, I'm sorry, I'm your brother, I love you."
2. Why is Peter’s behavior at the end of the chapter so completely different from the rest of the chapter?
Because he realizes that since Ender's monitor was taken out, the battle school didn't want him. That meant that Ender wasn't better than Peter, so Peter didn't need to be mean to Ender.
3. How do you feel about each of these characters (Ender, Valentine, Peter)? What did the author do to help create these feelings? Give examples.
I think Ender is a boy still trying to figure out who he is. He seems nice, but sometimes he's like Peter, and can hurt somebody. An example is when he fought Stilson. Other times he keeps to himself, and is kind of scared, like when he was on the launch.
Valentine is a really nice person, and very caring. An example is when she protects Ender from Peter and talks Peter out of his "killing them" idea. Another is when Graff is saying how Peter wasn't mild enough, Ender was just right, and Valentine was too mild.
Peter seems really tough, and mean. He also seems jealous of Ender because he thinks he isn't good enough. Some examples are when he says "They might have realized I was the best of the lot after all." Then the author said, Peter's feelings were hurt, and so he was being a snot, as usual. Another one is when the author said, Peter is a murderer at heart.
Chapter 3 – Graff
1. What did Graff mean about evolution working against girls?
He meant that girls didn't want to go, because they weren't as willing to fight in battle, and they were milder and nicer so it would be harder for them to fight.
2. Ender is leaving to learn how to fight a war, yet he takes Graff’s hand. Why does Orson Scott Card (OSC) include this action?
Because he was scared and wanted reassurance because he just made a big decision, and he was only six.
Chapter 4 – Launch
1. Explain the meaning of the following statement: “Individual human beings are tools that the others use to help us all survive.”
This statement means that humans fight better when they are alone and can't depend on anybody, because then they won't depend on someone else to rescue them if they are in tight situation and things like that.
2. Explain the following quote: "Isolate him enough that he remains creative -
otherwise he'll adopt the system here and we'll lose him." Your answer should
include the terms: isolation, creative, adopt, lose.
This quote means that with isolation, people will think of creative ways to help themselves in a battle and adopt techniques that only work with one person, and if they fight with somebody else, they will lose that creativeness.
3. Did Ender mean to break the other boy’s arm? What does this incident tell us about Ender? Is it acceptable to do despicable things for survival? Why or why not? No, he didn't mean to break the other boy's arm, he just wanted him to stop poking him, but in zero gravity, he was stronger that he thought. It tells us that Ender is a very powerful person and sometimes, it is acceptable to do despicable things for survival if somebody is trying to hurt you because it's considered self defense.
Chapter 5 – Games
1. Ender works hard to express his feelings in private and not show homesickness in front of any other person. Is it healthy for him or not? What is positive and what is negative about showing feelings? What is positive and what is negative about not showing feelings?
It's not healthy for him because if you let your feelings show, sometimes it will help you get over them. It's positive for the same reason, but it's negative because people might tease him about it. What's positive for not showing feelings is that you won't get teased and you can just push them away sometimes, and what's negative is that it will be harder and harder to not show them.
2. How did Ender beat Bernard? Is this an unusual solution to his problem?
He beat Bernard by sending messages to everyone on their desks. The first one said "Cover your butt. Bernard is watching. -God," because Bernard had been saying how Shen's butt wiggled, and the second one said "I love your butt. Let me kiss it. -Bernard," so it made Bernard humiliated. It's an unusual solution because it's very clever and nobody else would've thought of it.
3. List the different coping mechanisms (ways of dealing with difficulties) Ender
shows. For each one describe whether the overall result of each is helpful or
harmful to Ender.
First, he started counting doubles when he was sad so he wouldn't start crying, and that was helpful because he didn't start crying. Then, that night, he cried silently so that nobody would know. That helped him because if he showed his sadness, then other kids might tease him. Next, when he wanted to play a game in the game room and the boys wouldn't let him, he said he guessed that they were scared they wouldn't beat him, so he did play, and beat them two out of three, so it was helpful for his satisfaction. Lastly, Ender sent messages to everyone on his desk so that Bernard wouldn't be the ruler of the class any longer, and it was helpful because it worked.
1. What attitude motivates the adults to lie to Ender?
When adults always say it won't hurt when it is going to hurt, you know it will hurt so you will be prepared.
2. Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third". Show whether this is a negative or positive fact to:
- his parents: For his parents it is negative and positive because they love him and are proud to have have, but they are also embarrassed by him.
- his brother, Peter: It is very negative because Peter knows that Ender is living proof that he wasn't good enough.
- his sister, Valentine: For Valentine it is positive because she loves him very much and doesn't care that he's a third.
- his classmates: For his classmates it's negative and positive because they seem to pick on him because they're jealous, but they also have someone to taunt.
Chapter 2 – Peter
1. Was Peter joking when he threatened Ender and Valentine? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
He was kidding because he said "Not a joke, a game. I can make you guys believe anything." And later when he thinks Ender's asleep, he says "Ender, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know how it feels, I'm sorry, I'm your brother, I love you."
2. Why is Peter’s behavior at the end of the chapter so completely different from the rest of the chapter?
Because he realizes that since Ender's monitor was taken out, the battle school didn't want him. That meant that Ender wasn't better than Peter, so Peter didn't need to be mean to Ender.
3. How do you feel about each of these characters (Ender, Valentine, Peter)? What did the author do to help create these feelings? Give examples.
I think Ender is a boy still trying to figure out who he is. He seems nice, but sometimes he's like Peter, and can hurt somebody. An example is when he fought Stilson. Other times he keeps to himself, and is kind of scared, like when he was on the launch.
Valentine is a really nice person, and very caring. An example is when she protects Ender from Peter and talks Peter out of his "killing them" idea. Another is when Graff is saying how Peter wasn't mild enough, Ender was just right, and Valentine was too mild.
Peter seems really tough, and mean. He also seems jealous of Ender because he thinks he isn't good enough. Some examples are when he says "They might have realized I was the best of the lot after all." Then the author said, Peter's feelings were hurt, and so he was being a snot, as usual. Another one is when the author said, Peter is a murderer at heart.
Chapter 3 – Graff
1. What did Graff mean about evolution working against girls?
He meant that girls didn't want to go, because they weren't as willing to fight in battle, and they were milder and nicer so it would be harder for them to fight.
2. Ender is leaving to learn how to fight a war, yet he takes Graff’s hand. Why does Orson Scott Card (OSC) include this action?
Because he was scared and wanted reassurance because he just made a big decision, and he was only six.
Chapter 4 – Launch
1. Explain the meaning of the following statement: “Individual human beings are tools that the others use to help us all survive.”
This statement means that humans fight better when they are alone and can't depend on anybody, because then they won't depend on someone else to rescue them if they are in tight situation and things like that.
2. Explain the following quote: "Isolate him enough that he remains creative -
otherwise he'll adopt the system here and we'll lose him." Your answer should
include the terms: isolation, creative, adopt, lose.
This quote means that with isolation, people will think of creative ways to help themselves in a battle and adopt techniques that only work with one person, and if they fight with somebody else, they will lose that creativeness.
3. Did Ender mean to break the other boy’s arm? What does this incident tell us about Ender? Is it acceptable to do despicable things for survival? Why or why not? No, he didn't mean to break the other boy's arm, he just wanted him to stop poking him, but in zero gravity, he was stronger that he thought. It tells us that Ender is a very powerful person and sometimes, it is acceptable to do despicable things for survival if somebody is trying to hurt you because it's considered self defense.
Chapter 5 – Games
1. Ender works hard to express his feelings in private and not show homesickness in front of any other person. Is it healthy for him or not? What is positive and what is negative about showing feelings? What is positive and what is negative about not showing feelings?
It's not healthy for him because if you let your feelings show, sometimes it will help you get over them. It's positive for the same reason, but it's negative because people might tease him about it. What's positive for not showing feelings is that you won't get teased and you can just push them away sometimes, and what's negative is that it will be harder and harder to not show them.
2. How did Ender beat Bernard? Is this an unusual solution to his problem?
He beat Bernard by sending messages to everyone on their desks. The first one said "Cover your butt. Bernard is watching. -God," because Bernard had been saying how Shen's butt wiggled, and the second one said "I love your butt. Let me kiss it. -Bernard," so it made Bernard humiliated. It's an unusual solution because it's very clever and nobody else would've thought of it.
3. List the different coping mechanisms (ways of dealing with difficulties) Ender
shows. For each one describe whether the overall result of each is helpful or
harmful to Ender.
First, he started counting doubles when he was sad so he wouldn't start crying, and that was helpful because he didn't start crying. Then, that night, he cried silently so that nobody would know. That helped him because if he showed his sadness, then other kids might tease him. Next, when he wanted to play a game in the game room and the boys wouldn't let him, he said he guessed that they were scared they wouldn't beat him, so he did play, and beat them two out of three, so it was helpful for his satisfaction. Lastly, Ender sent messages to everyone on his desk so that Bernard wouldn't be the ruler of the class any longer, and it was helpful because it worked.
Monday, January 28, 2013
CEJ #1
Talking, Walking Objects
Diana Carla
The New York Times
January 26
Opinion
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/opinion/sunday/our-talking-walking-objects.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=technology
This article is about the robots we already have made and what our future will have to do with them in a few years. The author thinks that in our near future, we will have things like a sink that scrubs dishes on it’s own, a lamp that bends to follow your paper, a fork that vibrates when you eat too fast, things you can interact with, and more. This is already starting to happen because Simon, a humanoid robot is being developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
I think that this is what’s going to happen in the future too, because people want work done for them instead of having to do it themselves, manually. I want things being done for me, but this article reminded me of the story we read in class, There Will Come Soft Rains. If we have all these appliances, and somehow the human race dies off, will these robotic machines still keep working? I think that they would lose power eventually, but let’s just hope the human race doesn’t die off! So, I think that in the near future, we will probably have a lot of appliances that we can interact with.Thursday, January 24, 2013
Ender's Game Anticipation Guide
Lying is justifiable if it's for the greater good.
I put a 3 on this one because if your lying to save somebody's life, and it works, then yes, it would be justifiable, but say you lied to help yourself, and it wasn't that important, then that's not right. Or if you are lying, but your plan doesn't work, then it wouldn't really be justifiable.
Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem.
I put a 3 on this one because if you're in a situation when someone is attacking you, then you want to create violence to defend yourself, or if your in a war because two countries can't decide on something then you kind of have to use violence to help your country. But on the other hand, you should be able to talk it out in words.
It is okay to kill someone in self-defense.
I put a 4 on this because, sort of like I was saying in the last question, if someone is attacking you, you want to live of course and they kind of deserve to die almost because they're trying to kill you! So yes, I think it's okay to kill someone in self-defense.
Words are stronger than fists.
I wasn't sure about this one, so I put a 3. It kind of depends on the person you're saying mean words to, or punching. Some people are tough and ignore words meant to hurt, but other people can be hurt easily. It's the same with fists. Some people are tougher than others.
Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem.
I put this as a 4 because why do bullies hurt people? The best answer seems to be that they hurt other people to make themselves feel better about themselves. If everyone had a high self esteem then there would be no bullies probably.
Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leaders.
I put a 1 on this one because even though you may not be the brightest, maybe you have other talents that you need to become a nation's leader. Also, what if you get B's? That's still pretty smart, I think.
Revenge is never justified.
I gave this one a 4 because just because somebody did something to hurt you or somebody else, don't fight fire with fire! That will just make the person who started it hurt people again! Also, if what they did was something big, like against the law, then you could just go to court or something.
Crying is evidence of weakness.
I put a 2 on this one because sometimes, if you are hurt or something, you just have to. That doesn't mean you are weak. Everyone has cried at some point in their lives, so why judge people on it?
Any action is acceptable in war.
I put a 2 on this one because just because your in war, you shouldn't hurt someone already on the ground, or don't just go crazy and make stupid mistakes because your in war, and you think it won't really matter, because it will.
Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves.
I gave this one a 2 because most teenagers can make their own rules for themselves and not need grownups to make them for them. Also, we can control ourselves. Sometimes it seems like we can't, but we still are.
Only though personal sacrifice can someone create positive change.
I put a 1 on this because you can create a positive change in the world by doing little things, like being nice to people, making a stand, planting trees, helping a cause, and more! You don't need to sacrifice your life for this! It's the little things that count.
Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace.
I couldn't really decide on this one so I put it as a 3 because yes, if you have compassion towards your enemies then you could make peace because you could show them that you don't want to kill them, but also, you could hold a white flag and talk it out with them even if you don't like them, but there won't be any wars and you can create peace still.
I put a 3 on this one because if your lying to save somebody's life, and it works, then yes, it would be justifiable, but say you lied to help yourself, and it wasn't that important, then that's not right. Or if you are lying, but your plan doesn't work, then it wouldn't really be justifiable.
Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem.
I put a 3 on this one because if you're in a situation when someone is attacking you, then you want to create violence to defend yourself, or if your in a war because two countries can't decide on something then you kind of have to use violence to help your country. But on the other hand, you should be able to talk it out in words.
It is okay to kill someone in self-defense.
I put a 4 on this because, sort of like I was saying in the last question, if someone is attacking you, you want to live of course and they kind of deserve to die almost because they're trying to kill you! So yes, I think it's okay to kill someone in self-defense.
Words are stronger than fists.
I wasn't sure about this one, so I put a 3. It kind of depends on the person you're saying mean words to, or punching. Some people are tough and ignore words meant to hurt, but other people can be hurt easily. It's the same with fists. Some people are tougher than others.
Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem.
I put this as a 4 because why do bullies hurt people? The best answer seems to be that they hurt other people to make themselves feel better about themselves. If everyone had a high self esteem then there would be no bullies probably.
Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leaders.
I put a 1 on this one because even though you may not be the brightest, maybe you have other talents that you need to become a nation's leader. Also, what if you get B's? That's still pretty smart, I think.
Revenge is never justified.
I gave this one a 4 because just because somebody did something to hurt you or somebody else, don't fight fire with fire! That will just make the person who started it hurt people again! Also, if what they did was something big, like against the law, then you could just go to court or something.
Crying is evidence of weakness.
I put a 2 on this one because sometimes, if you are hurt or something, you just have to. That doesn't mean you are weak. Everyone has cried at some point in their lives, so why judge people on it?
Any action is acceptable in war.
I put a 2 on this one because just because your in war, you shouldn't hurt someone already on the ground, or don't just go crazy and make stupid mistakes because your in war, and you think it won't really matter, because it will.
Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves.
I gave this one a 2 because most teenagers can make their own rules for themselves and not need grownups to make them for them. Also, we can control ourselves. Sometimes it seems like we can't, but we still are.
Only though personal sacrifice can someone create positive change.
I put a 1 on this because you can create a positive change in the world by doing little things, like being nice to people, making a stand, planting trees, helping a cause, and more! You don't need to sacrifice your life for this! It's the little things that count.
Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace.
I couldn't really decide on this one so I put it as a 3 because yes, if you have compassion towards your enemies then you could make peace because you could show them that you don't want to kill them, but also, you could hold a white flag and talk it out with them even if you don't like them, but there won't be any wars and you can create peace still.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
My Learning Styles
I am a Verbal-Linguistic Learner (58%)
Your mantra: Tell me in words -- written or spoken -- and I will understand.
Verbal-linguistic intelligence (along with logical-mathematical intelligence) is often associated with doing well in school. You have the ability to use words effectively for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.
I think that this explains how I learn pretty well because I do well in school, and I have the ability to use words effectively. I also like to write poems, and in the last sentence it says the poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.
I am a Bodily-Kinesthetic Learner (58%)
Your mantra: Movement is fun-damental.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence means you think in movements. The fundamental ability to use movements for either self-expression or precision to achieve a goal is crucial for surgeons, athletes, mimes, choreographers, and directors.
The best way for you to retain information is to associate it with an activity. Dance, acting, and sports are easy for you to master. Relate what you are trying to learn to one of these activities, and you will retain information and gain understanding.
I don't think this is right because I don't really think in movements, but it could be because maybe "the best way for me to retain information is to associate it with an activity." Also, dance, acting, and sports are easy for me to master so maybe it actually is correct.
I am an Interpersonal Learner (31%)
Your mantra: I understand what you mean.
Interpersonal learners thrive on social interaction. Friends often ask you for advice because you are understanding and in tune with the people around you and their motives, emotions, perspectives, and moods.
Your ability to manage relationships helps you understand situations and take a leadership role when necessary. You enjoy teaching and sharing your thoughts.
Careers that require insight and the ability to read what someone else is thinking or feeling -- such as teaching, psychology, or sales -- would be a great match for those with interpersonal intelligence.
I think that I am sort of like this because friends ask me for advice in math and other subjects, and I can understand situations pretty well. I don't know if I'd be good at teaching, psychology, or sales, but I enjoy sharing my thoughts.
Your mantra: Tell me in words -- written or spoken -- and I will understand.
Verbal-linguistic intelligence (along with logical-mathematical intelligence) is often associated with doing well in school. You have the ability to use words effectively for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.
I think that this explains how I learn pretty well because I do well in school, and I have the ability to use words effectively. I also like to write poems, and in the last sentence it says the poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.
I am a Bodily-Kinesthetic Learner (58%)
Your mantra: Movement is fun-damental.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence means you think in movements. The fundamental ability to use movements for either self-expression or precision to achieve a goal is crucial for surgeons, athletes, mimes, choreographers, and directors.
The best way for you to retain information is to associate it with an activity. Dance, acting, and sports are easy for you to master. Relate what you are trying to learn to one of these activities, and you will retain information and gain understanding.
I don't think this is right because I don't really think in movements, but it could be because maybe "the best way for me to retain information is to associate it with an activity." Also, dance, acting, and sports are easy for me to master so maybe it actually is correct.
I am an Interpersonal Learner (31%)
Your mantra: I understand what you mean.
Interpersonal learners thrive on social interaction. Friends often ask you for advice because you are understanding and in tune with the people around you and their motives, emotions, perspectives, and moods.
Your ability to manage relationships helps you understand situations and take a leadership role when necessary. You enjoy teaching and sharing your thoughts.
Careers that require insight and the ability to read what someone else is thinking or feeling -- such as teaching, psychology, or sales -- would be a great match for those with interpersonal intelligence.
I think that I am sort of like this because friends ask me for advice in math and other subjects, and I can understand situations pretty well. I don't know if I'd be good at teaching, psychology, or sales, but I enjoy sharing my thoughts.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Scared to Death
We
were sliding down the mountainside, the edge getting nearer and nearer.
“Aaaaahhh!” West and I screamed loudly. The sharp wind cut through
our snow jackets, and whipped past our faces. We both had brown hair
flying behind us. My hazel eyes were wide with terror. We’re going to die, I thought. We’re going to slide into the lake and die! I don’t want to die! Not like this!
Back
then I was ten years old. In the Summer of 2011, me, my mom, dad, and
brother, West, who was eight years old at the time, were camping in the
Marble Mountain Wilderness, a bunch of mountains in Northern California.
We had set up our tent close to a lake, and the mountain Castle Rock
was on the opposite side of the lake. We had decided to climb up the
steep mountain (and managed), and then wanted to get back down, so we
were going to slide down on our butts part of the way and stay close
together by holding onto a rope. The only problem was that the lake,
with really cold water in it, was right below the mountain, and that’s
right where we were needing to slide down. It seemed as if we were
certain to slide into the lake if we slid down the mountain.
“Sierra,
you slide down in front,” my mom, with her curly brown hair, had said
to me, carefully balancing and standing on the ice in her snow pants
and snow jacket, trying not to slip. Actually, we were all wearing snow
pants and snow jackets. We looked very funny. “No way!” I replied.
“We’re all going to slide right into the lake!” “Don’t worry honey,
we’ll turn to the right before we slide to the edge of the mountain,” my
short-haired and tall dad reassured me. “No, Sierra’s gonna fall into
the lake, but we’ll be fine,” West remarked even though I knew he was
scared too. I didn’t listen to what he had said, but was still afraid.
I was not looking
forward to getting even more wet and freezing then I already was from
sinking into the snow and slipping so many times before, not even
stating the possibility that we could drown if we were to fall in! The
lake would be like a giant monster who swallowed it’s prey alive in one
big gulp, which would not be fun. Also, I had to ride in front, meaning
that I would hit the water first. Ouch! But, we all got situated, and
started sliding down. Our hair was flying behind us because of the
wind. That was when me and West started screaming “Aaaaaahhh!”
Lean
to the right,” my dad suddenly ordered, in a bold voice. We all did as
we were told. I was leaning so far I was about to fall over. “Now,
slow us down a little, Sierra, I need you to push your feet into the
snow!” my mom yelled. I did that as best I could, and gradually, we
were losing speed. Suddenly, we were almost to the edge. But then we
were turning right! We weren’t falling into the lake! We slowed down,
stopped sliding, and hiked the rest of the way down Castle Rock on
foot. I was so glad that I wanted to dance, but I knew if I did that I
would probably slip and then fall into the lake after all of what had
just happened!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Alchemist and The Secret of Kells: Similar or Not?
How can a film and a book about two different things be similar? Well, if one were to dig deep enough, they would find that the parable characteristics of certain stories can be very similar. A parable is a story that includes a hero who goes on a quest. Also, there are wise masters who help the heroes out along the way. Specifically, The Alchemist is a fiction book, and parable, that was written by Paulo Coelho in 1988. To summarize, it is about a boy named Santiago who goes out to the Pyramids, following his personal legend. He learns a lot about the “Soul of the World”, love, and many other things during his journey. In the end, he finds the treasure that he was looking for, and goes back to an oasis in the middle of the desert to marry Fatima, his true love. This book received many awards. Another story, The Secret of Kells, which is also a parable, is an animated feature film made in 2009 about a boy named Brendan who wants to become an illuminator and write in the Book of Iona, a celtic book, with the help of his friends, Brother Aidan and Aisling. It is an award winning movie. Even though there are many differences between the book and film, there are quite a few similarities between them because both stories contain similar elements of a parable and have many themes in common.
First of all, The Alchemist and The Secret of Kells are similar parables, which, again, is a story including a hero who has a quest, and a wise master. The two heroes, Santiago and Brendan, are a lot alike because they are both alone in the world. Santiago traveled by himself most of the time when he was a shepherd and also during his journey, and Brendan is an orphan. They both have personal legends, or quests. Santiago’s is to find his treasure, and Brendan’s is to become an illuminator. The wise masters they have are the king who tells Santiago that a personal legend is “what you’ve always wanted to accomplish” (21), the alchemist, who helps Santiago out a lot during his journey, and Brother Aiden, who taught Brendan how to write in the book and become an illuminator. So the book and movie are similar because of their parable characteristics.
One theme in the book and film was that love should never hold us back from pursuing personal dreams. Santiago had to leave people he loved, and Brendon did too. Santiago left Fatima to continue to the pyramids saying “I’m going away, and I want you to know that I’m coming back” (121), and left his family so that he could become a shepherd and see the beauty of the world. Brendan left Abbot Cellach to continue with Brother Aiden to become an illuminator. He also left the abbey after the vikings came when there were people falling off the burning path to the tower, because he needed to escape to write in the Book of Iona and follow his personal legend.
Another theme the book and film share is that “the secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on one’s spoon” (32). The king talked about this during his story about the man who needed to be responsible, but have fun too, in The Alchemist. Basically, the king is saying that one should see the beauty of the world, but not forget about their responsibilities. Santiago fulfilled his personal legend, and then went back to Fatima, so he followed the metaphor by following his personal legend and being responsible, but having fun too. Brendan fulfilled his personal legend, and then went back to the abbey to see who was left alive, so he followed it also. However, Abbot Cellach was too responsible and cared more for building the wall around the abbey to protect the abbey than following his personal legend to become an illuminator; he wasn’t as happy that way.
This last theme that both of the stories share is that people who follow their dreams are more likely to achieve great happiness. Paulo Coelho acknowledged this throughout The Alchemist. It relates to both the book and film, because some people were happy because they followed their dreams, but some people weren’t. Santiago was happy when Coelho wrote “The boy stood up shakily, and looked once more at the Pyramids. They seemed to laugh at him, and he laughed back, his heart bursting with joy. Because now he knew where his treasure was” (167). He was also happy when he realized where his treasure was, on page 163 in The Alchemist. Brendan was happy when he wrote in the book, when he finally became an illuminator, and when he came back to the abbey to find that Abbot Cellach was still alive. Next, the crystal merchant was not happy because he didn’t go to Mecca, thus not following his personal legend. Finally, the Abbot wasn’t happy either because he didn’t follow his personal legend and become an illuminator; he stayed too responsible and built the wall instead.
My conclusion, then, is that there are many similarities between the two parables, The Alchemist and The Secret of Kells. I liked both of the stories, though the book a little better, but they have really similar themes because Santiago and Brendan are both following their personal legends, or dreams. Some other books similar to these are Harry Potter, the Percy Jackson series, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, because Brother Aiden said “Finish what you start,” and all of these books have a hero who has finished what they started. So, it is proven that a movie and film can have many similarities between them.
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