Who has “power” in your text? How does that power get shown?

            In the book Percy Jackson #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan I noticed that the book has a theme of Power into it. I noticed that some people have to work hard to achieve power, while others are just born with the given right to rule.

            In this book in particular Percy has to face many challenges because he is not royally given right. Percy is challenged for one reason… because Zeus who is the king of the gods “THINKS” Percy stole his lightning bolt. Zeus blackmails Percy by saying that his home and family will be separated if he refuses to return the lightning bolt.  Although, Percy did not steal the lightning bolt he had to rush through the world to find out who took Zeus’ lightning bolt.

            This book shows power because it represents the dangers and problems that “Power” can create. When people have power they seem to be full of themselves. They just have too much Pride to maintain. As you can see when people DO NOT have power they have to put all their effort to climb their way to the top.

            I also noticed that there is also a different kind of power. There is Good power. Good power is when a person uses his leadership not for personal gain, but benefits for their people in general. One example of this is Poseidon. Poseidon is maintaining the worlds balance with his soothing water abilities. He is also a ruler so he is using his “Power” to direct Zeus towards the right path.

            Therefore, Power can be expressed in many ways throughout a book. Power can be good. Power can be bad. Power is actually a very strong word and it relates on the characteristics of a person. People who use power to torture people to do their own bidding are using bad kind of power. Such as Zeus who is telling Percy to go get his Lightning Bolt. 

Social Issue:Critical Thinking DOAWK

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is one of the best book series I’ve ever read. It is the most unique book series because it’s also like a comic book. Jeff Kinney, the author of the books, is a genius. The books are hilarious and relatable most of the times. The first book in the series concentrates a lot on the relationship between Greg, the main character, and his best friend Rowley. 
           The books are from Greg Heffley’s perspective. Greg is a very flawed character. He is lazy, selfish, and always takes advantage of his friend. He hurts Rowley just to amuse himself. He gets Rowley in trouble, but never feels guilty about it. Greg always acts like the boss and never even considers any of Rowley’s suggestions. So I wonder how the books would be like if they were from Rowley’s perspective.

I understand why they are not from Rowley’s perspective. Rowley is a duller character than Greg. Also Rowley is too good a person to show the gray shades of a character.  So, reading from his perspective may not be as amusing. Although, I do wonder if he does or does not feel offended by the way Greg treats him. Is Rowley really comfortable of having a best friend that always takes advantage of him? I know I wouldn’t want a friendship that is so single-sided. Unfortunately, in real life there exist friendships that are not fairly balanced. Having a glimpse of Rowley’s inner thoughts could have shown the readers how the subordinate person in a relationship feels at difficult times.

Social Awareness Project

                                                                         Unfair Things

1          Bullying

2          Littering

3          Smoking

4         Global Warming

             Too much war

             Rise of Prices on Goods

7       Corrupted Government

8       SHSAT

          Carbon Pollution

           Lack of Jobs

             School/College Admissions (it is scary)

I can still remember the time when I used to buy an Ice Cream from the Softees’ Truck for 75 cents, today the price of an ice cream bar has increased to $1.75. I am just a kid who doesn’t need to worry about earning money, yet even I notice how in the last few years the prices of things have gone through the roof.  This is especially worrisome for my parents.  Every week while doing the groceries, they complain how much more they have to pay for each item.  This would be fine if their income also went up, but in reality that doesn’t happen. Their income stays same but the expenses go up continuously.

Luckily, my dad makes enough money to barely get by, but there are many families that I know where the parents don’t have a job and it is very difficult for them to survive. I think the government should definitely take actions. The government should raise minimum wage and provide better paying jobs so people can keep up with the economic situation!  If more and more people go into poverty it will just be bad for the country. Therefore this should be the president’s first priority

                                            
                                            Poem on Bullying

Some children are just not kind

We all don’t share the same state of mind

People who pick on others

Should be nice and treat you like brothers

We should all unite as one

So point away the bully gun

Bullying is not nice or fun

You should be sweet like a honeybun

Saying bad names will put you to shame

Won’t bring any respect or any fame

People are People

Like you and me

That’s the end of this poem

So Goodbye and Peace!

By: Krishna Roy 812

In the process of making this stunningly well prepared poem, I found it difficult to figure out what rhyming words to use. Also I required some ideas and research, so I can create a somewhat fun poem. My best friend Brian and I worked on finding rhymes and poem consistency. I think this was a good experience because I talked about a serious subject in a concise and entertaining manner. I think people will not only enjoy reading it but get something out of it!

Response to Poem on Global Warming by Al Gore

One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun

Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea
Neptune's bones dissolve

Snow glides from the mountain
Ice fathers floods for a season
A hard rain comes quickly

Then dirt is parched
Kindling is placed in the forest
For the lightning's celebration

Unknown creatures
Take their leave, unmourned
Horsemen ready their stirrups

Passion seeks heroes and friends
The bell of the city
On the hill is rung

The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived                                                                                                                                                             Here are your tools

            This poem was written by former vice-president Al Gore in his book “Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis” in 2009.  It shows the dire consequences of Global Warming.  This was written three years ago, and it is unfortunate that enough actions still hasn’t been taken.  As a result, the situation has deteriorated.   Extreme weather patterns, such as longer droughts, heavier rainfall, more frequent and powerful hurricanes, record high temperatures, are all indications of a rapidly changing climate.  It is the harsh reality faced by today’s civilization.  Though there is a certain part of the population that does not believe humans are the cause of global warming, there is no denying the existence of it as we see record amount of Arctic ice sheets melting each year.  Therefore the time has come where humans need to take serious action if we are to prevent the direst outcomes of global warming.

            The fossil fuel industry likes to argue that humans are not the cause of global warming.  As cutting down on use of gasoline and coal would cut into their profits, these companies would like people to believe that this is just a natural cycle of weather patterns.  However data collected by scientists of Earth’s conditions for millions of years clearly disputes these money hungry people.  Never in Earth’s history has the Earth’s climate changed so rapidly.  Whenever it did occur due to events like an asteroid impact, there have been mass extinctions.  This is what we also face, which is also pointed out by Al Gore in the sentences “Unknown creatures, Take their leave, unmourned”.  It is not fair for humans to be so selfish that it doesn’t care for wiping out millions of species.

            However humans won’t take actions until it affects them directly.  This is already starting to happen.  As scientists had warned, the arctic ice is melting at an alarming rate, which is leading to sea level rise.  This means, within a few decades, parts of New York City, parts of Florida, India, China, will all be under water.  This year massive amounts of crops were lost due to unprecedented droughts.  July 2012 had the highest temperature in recorded history.  Two years in a row a major city like New York had to come to a complete halt due to hurricanes Irene and Sandy.  Sandy was a freak storm occurring very late in the season, flooding much of the infrastructure of NYC.  The estimated damage in New York alone is $33 billion.  There is both monetary damage and livelihoods destroyed. 

            Therefore it is time to stop holding our planet hostage to the fossil fuel industry.  In the past the

 tobacco industry attempted a similar propaganda by trying to hide the adverse effects of tobacco smoking. 

 The earth is reaching a tipping point, after which the most devastating effects of global warming will occur

.  If action is not taken immediately, we will reach a point of no return.  At the end of the poem Al Gore

 writes, “Here are your tools.”  By investing in clean renewable energy like wind and solar, we can not only

 build a strong economy, but also a habitable planet.  This is our only home, so it is ridiculous to even 

consider putting temporary profit over the existence of human civilization.  It is our duty to the future 

generations to leave behind a planet as habitable as the one our an

Blog 8 Mark of Athena!

         In the book The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, I noticed that it is very hard for Romans and Greeks to get along together. At the beginning of the book the oracle tells a prophecy. “Seven Demigods Shall Go Forth to Save Rome”. This is where the problem begins… Since Romans and Greeks hate each other the beginning of their mission was a little bumpy. They always despised each other until Percy and Jason ends up saving each other’s lives. The Romans realize that the other group still lies under the same god but with a different name. For example Dianosys (Greek god of Wine) is also Bacchus (Roman god of Wine). 

         I also noticed there is a dramatic change in Annabeth. The prophecy also claims “Wisdoms Daughter Walks Alone”. Annabeth must complete an extra mission given my Minerva (who is Athena in Roman form). She has to find a way to avenge her mother. Annabeth is sad that she will have to leave Percy and the rest of the group. It’s hard to be without the ones that care for you and you care for. Annabeth realizes that the quicker she finishes this mission the quicker she can go back with her loved ones.

Blog Post 7 (SANDY GOT MAD)

The article “Lessons Learned From Hurricane Sandy and How We Need to Apply Them Everyday,” discusses what we learned from the experiences of Hurricane Sandy.  It also proposes what we can do to better prepare for such a situation in the future.  The first lesson is that most people are good hearted.  In times of trouble, people in the Tri-state area come together to help each other.  Strangers opened their doors to people who lost their homes and volunteered their time.  Also politicians from different political parties forget their differences and come together.  President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie worked together to help the people and forgot about their political disagreements.  Additionally, New Yorkers have finally accepted that they too are vulnerable to natural disasters.  New Yorkers never had to deal with such extreme weather, but now they have a firsthand experience on what it is like lose it all.  The final important lesson learned from the storm is that the infrastructure of the city is not up to the mark.  Buildings, bridges, subways and roads suffered significant damages from Sandy causing the entire city to come to a halt.  This showed that the city needs to invest more is strengthening its infrastructure.

          This article does an excellent job of looking retrospectively at the disaster.  It is very important to reflect on such a situation and take lessons from it before beginning to rebuild.  Due to global warming, I feel this type of extreme weather events will become more frequent.  Therefore it is essential for us to make our infrastructure much stronger so they can withstand the force of nature.   We should also reconsider building so close to the coast.  The government also needs to learn to better deal to with such situations so people can receive aid at a quicker pace.  This is the second year in a row that the city had to come to a standstill because of a hurricane.  This year we get a hurricane and a Nor’easter within two weeks of each other.  It’s hard to argue against climate change after such unusual weather patterns.  Therefore we need to reflect on the situation and take lessons from it just as it is suggested by the article.

Blog 6 (Blog 3 Shatterproof Theme Revised)

Shatterproof by Ronald Smith is the 4^th book in the Cahill’s vs. Vespers series.  One theme that runs through the entire series is the loss of innocence.  The young Cahill’s in this series faces so many challenges and witnesses so many unthinkable events that they begin to see the world in a whole different way.  They realize there are many evil people and situations in this world, which leads them to distrust everyone and even break laws to complete the task on hand.

            After seven members of the Cahill family were kidnapped in Book 1 of Cahill’s vs. Vespers, Dan became completely disillusioned.  Vesper 1 kept sending Dan and Amy impossible tasks to complete in exchange for keeping the Cahill’s alive.  Dan realized they could never outsmart Vesper 1 and decides to gather all the ingredients to create the master serum.  It is well known that even though the master serum gives immense power, it is also very dangerous.  Dan however doesn’t care anymore and thinks that’s his only option.  Dan is a complete different person from the boy he was in the first series of books.  He was a carefree boy who enjoyed life and liked to have a good laugh.  However after going through all the terrible experiences he has become serious and lost his innocence.  He learns to accept death as an ordinary event, “Everybody dies.  Why do we run away so hard and so fast, when it’s always there?” His older sister Amy even starts worrying about Dan not having a proper childhood, and growing up too fast by experiencing such horrible events.

            This situation is not unique to this novel. In the real world such situations occur all the time. Recently, I read about the Civil Wars that break out in Africa. In such cases, young boys are recruited and turned into child soldiers….They lose their innocence very early in life and begin to think of murder as an everyday event. This is a very tragic thing for society.  A society where children are forced to face atrocious behaviors and lifestyles can never go on to prosper in life.

            In this novel, another Cahill family member who completely loses his innocence is Dan and Amy’s cousin Jonah Wizard.  In the heat of a confrontation he shoots Luna Amato, a Vesper agent.  Immediately he realized that for the first time in his life he has murdered someone, and that leaves him in complete shock.  “Jonah stared in horror at her – at what he had done to her. He was no longer Jonah Wizard, platinum-selling recording artist and movie star.  He was Jonah Wizard, murderer.”  He becomes unable to talk or communicate further.  Being born in the Cahill family means you’re part of something great, but taking a life made him realize there are also evils involved.  Additionally, to accomplish something for the greater good, a person needs to take sometimes terrible actions, whether theft, or in this case murder.

            The loss of innocence is an important theme in the novels. It has significance because of its impact on the characters. This theme ends up determining the actions of each character which influences the overall plot.  A child full of innocence would never dream of committing murder, or taking in a chemical that might alter him for the worse. The fact that Dan and Jonah are doing such things shows the mercilessness of reality.

            After the first series in the 39 clues, the five branches of the Cahill family stop their feud and come together.  However their troubles only get worse as they a more terrible enemy.  The young Cahill’s learn they have to lie, steal, and even murder to stay ahead of the Vespers and save their own family.  They end up losing their innocence too early which makes them look as the world from a completely different perspective.

Harry Potter: Nostalgia

             Recently I finished reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Book 7 of the Harry Potter series) by J.K. Rowling.  I was left with a bittersweet feeling.  It is the same feeling I had the first time I completed the final Harry Potter novel.  It was hard to believe it’s really over, and all I felt like doing was restarting the series all over again.

            While reading the epilogue I could tell this was one of J.K. Rowling’s earlier writings.  It resembled the writings of The Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1) and The Chamber of Secrets (Book 2).  It seemed a bit more amateurish than the writings in her later novels.  There’s a sense of whimsy and childishness in her writing in The Sorcerer’s Stone.  Of course that could be because of the content. 

            The Sorcerer’s Stone is all about an eleven year old wizard discovering a whole new world, discovering his true destiny.  Along with Harry we journey into Hogwarts and learn about all the magic within it.  What I found most surprising is while re-reading The Sorcerer’s Stone, not once did I feel bored.  It was just as engaging as the first time I read it.  Full credit to J.K. Rowling for creating such a work.  Even though I knew of the dark turns Harry’s life would take in the future, I still couldn’t help but wonder along with Harry.

            Reading the first novel made me realize all over again what makes Harry Potter such a wonderful series.  No matter how many times I read it, I discover something new along with Harry.  The world J.K. Rowling created might be fantasy, but the emotions the characters go through are very real.  This is why it has connected with millions of readers across many generations.

Thoughts on The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

Hey Readers! Today’s post is on The Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury.

“You, boy,” said the general quietly. “You are the heart of the army the army. Think about that. You are the heart of the army. Listen to me, now.” In this passage the General of the Army is guiding Joby (The Drummer Boy) by explaining that what his role is. What his importance is in the battle.

To clear things out, Joby is a boy who is scared because in anytime there is going to be war. He is going to have to face the challenge and be the DRUMMERBOY. In my opinion I think that the General is kind of like a father figure. Joby feels like his job has no meaning to it. “I got only a drum, two sticks to beat it.” This proves that Joby dislikes his job.

 Ok then, onto the father figure part.  I think the general is the father figure because he is helping Joby and guiding him. In the passage he says “here’s a soldier crying before the fight. Good get it over, won’t be time when it all starts.” He also says “you want to cry some more, go on ahead. I did the same last night.” The general also proclaims that a drummer boy is very important. If the general is missing it will be the drummer boy who will be taking over and guiding the soldiers. The general would shout the orders and Joby would set the pace. “I was the drummer boy at Shiloh. Who will ever hear those words and not know you”

In Conclusion, I think that the general is the father figure because he is just like my father. If I ever fall into a problem, my father will be there to help me. And that’s case with Joby and the general.

Theme on Shatterproof!

Shatterproof by Ronald Smith is the 4^th book in the Cahills vs Vespers series.  One theme that runs through the entire series is the loss of innocence.  The young Cahills in this series faces so many challenges and witnesses so many unthinkable events that they begin to see the world in a whole different way.  They realize there are many evil people and situations in this world, which leads to distrust everyone and even break laws to complete the task on hand.

            After seven members of the Cahill family were kidnapped in Book 1 of Cahills vs Vespers, Dan became completely disillusioned.  Vesper 1 kept sending Dan and Amy impossible tasks to complete in exchange for keeping the Cahills alive.  Dan realized they could never outsmart Vesper 1 and decides to gather all the ingredients to create the master serum.  It is well known that even though the master serum gives immense power, it is also very dangerous.  Dan however doesn’t care anymore and thinks that’s his only option.  Dan is a complete different person from the boy he was in the first series of books.  He was a carefree boy who enjoyed life and liked have a good laugh.  However after going through all the terrible experiences he has become serious and lost his innocence.  His older sister Amy even starts worrying about Dan not having a proper childhood, and growing up too fast by experiencing such horrible events.

            In this novel, another Cahill family member who completely loses his innocence is Dan and Amy’s cousin Jonah Wizard.  In the heat of a confrontation he shoots Luna Amato, a vesper agent.  Immediately he realized that for the first time in his life he has murdered someone, and that leaves him in complete shock.  He becomes unable to talk or communicate further.  Being born in the Cahill family means you’re part of something great, but taking a life made him realize there are also evils involved.  Additionally, to accomplish something for the greater good, a person needs to take sometimes terrible actions, whether theft, or in this case murder.

            After the first series in the 39 clues, the five branches of the Cahill family stop their feud and come together.  However their troubles only get worse as they a more terrible enemy.  The young Cahills learn they have to lie, steal, and even murder to stay ahead of the Vespers and save their own family.  They end up losing their innocence too early which makes them look as the world from a completely different perspective.

My Response to William's and Zozi's Posts

Hey Guys! Today I am responding to William’s Reading Response. In it he responds to the book UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand. William shows a great response to the emotional feelings and hardships that Louis Zamperini. I honestly did NOT read this book but William shows the ability to say what happens in the book perfectly. Although his response is 50% summary his thoughts meld into his writing which is a technique find fascinating. I will make sure to take note of that next time. Now that I am been rambling on his technique……I will talk about the data. I understand how bad Louis feels after all the hardships because I know how it feels when you are THIS close to achieving something but something comes in the way and stops you. In Louis’s case he prepares for the Olympics but it gets canceled due to a war. After the war was over Louis ends up being a alcoholic for not being able achieve that goal. He does see the light in the future of the book. So, I say that I can totally relate to William’s book about being super close to achieve something.

I also responded to Zozi’s Post. Zozi shows great potential on emotions as well. He talks about 3 sisters who go through emotional problems . He writes about sad problems. I focus into this topic_______PROBLEMS! I know that everyone has had problems throughout their lives. Zozi says that he is able to connect with problems at times with the book. I wish I knew what problems they were so maybe I can relate and write a little longer.  Allthough I do know that Zozi’s connection with the book is completely true. Therefore these are the reasons to my responses to my classmates post! Until next time……..

STEVE JOBS THE MAN WHO THOUGHT DIFFERENT!

Steve Jobs is my Inspiration for technology. The reason he is my inspiration is because he is what showed me that you can be a technologist from any hardships through your life. Steve Jobs was a man who worked through severe hardships. He was abnormally born when his parents were still in high school.  He was inspired by a Buddhist. The Buddhist that he trained with inspired him and taught him that no matter what happens, you can learn to be open about anything that happens in life. Life can change! Steve Jobs was a very poor man but in due time he was able become one of the richest men in the world.  Along with his partner Steve Wanzniak he was able to make the first Macintosh computer. He was so famous that anything he made, people wanted to buy it. He was a great man. After years, his cancer finally acted up and he had to leave the world with great despair and sorrow. Although he did leave plans for 2 more items, the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5. He evolved the Walkman to the amazing iPod. When he was little he was a hobo, literally. He barely ate and couldn’t do anything. His mind is what changed him. Thus concludes that due to his showcase of mind development it has inspired me to become a great man like him and work with technology.