Literary Essay R+J (For Real)

“Think before you act”, is an advice worth following.  In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo faces many unwanted consequences as a result of not following it.  This book is about two feuding families and how two lovers resolve the families’ argument and dispute through their own sacrifice. Romeo’s weakness caused the tragedy of the book, because he didn’t choose the right path. If Romeo wasn’t as reckless, the deaths of many could have been prevented and Romeo and Juliet could have been together without any mishaps.

During Act 2, after the Capulet’s masquerade, Romeo acts foolish and sneaks up to Juliet’s balcony even though he knows the consequences if he gets caught. “With love’s light wings did I o'erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, that dares love attempt.  Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.” (2.2.66-69) the quote shows how overwhelmed he became with his love.  So much so that he did not consider the repercussions. The situations between the 2 families are already very delicate, and him getting caught sneaking around could have made the situation a whole lot worse. Instead of taking the risk, he could have dealt with the manner in a more mature way.

On Act 3 Romeo is very temperamental and is driven by revenge.  “Alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain!  Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.-…..”  (3.1.126-135) This quote shows the intensity of his anger.  Anger had taken over his thought, clouding his ability to think rationally.  He does not think of the consequences before acting.  Seeking vengeance for his fallen friend Mercutio, he acts hasty. Conquered by evil feelings Romeo steps into battle with Tybalt and ends up slaying him. Since he didn’t think through all the options, the prince (leader) was committed to banish Romeo from Verona.

Once again Romeo acts reckless on Act 5 Scene 3. When learning that his wife has died, Romeo foolishly goes to the Capulet’s burial grounds. “Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide!  Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on- The Dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!  Here’s to my love.  O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick.  Thus with a kiss I die.”  (5.3.126-131) This quote show the grief that devoured him.  He was once again clouded by emotions and unable to stay patient and think through the situation.  Instead he was too quick to deal with his grief and commit suicide.  If Romeo hadn’t gone and killed himself along with Paris who is also deeply in love with Juliet and waited just a bit longer… Romeo and Juliet could have lived together. They could have led a peaceful and prosperous life.

            I can somewhat relate to Romeo, because there are times that I have been really angry towards my family and friends which I regret later. However I never go as far as Romeo and leave the option to be forgiven which in this case, Romeo can’t. I feel like that it is important to control ones anger, and not make bad decisions especially when you’re pissed off. Sometimes you take actions you can’t take back and might even regret it for the rest of your life….

Romeo's Recklessness - Essay

In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo faces many challenges throughout the book. This book is about 2 feuding families and how 2 lovers resolve the family’s argument and dispute through their own sacrifice. Romeo’s weakness has caused the tragedy of the book, because he didn’t choose the right path. If Romeo wasn’t as reckless, the deaths of many could have been prevented and Romeo and Juliet could have been together without any mishaps.

On Act 3 Scene 1 L126-135, Romeo is very temperamental and is driven by revenge. “Alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain!  Away to heaven, respective lenity,  And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.-…..”  He does not think of the consequences before acting. Seeking vengeance for his fallen friend Mercutio , he acts hasty. Conquered by evil feelings Romeo steps into battle with Tybalt and ends up slaying him. Since he didn’t think through all the options, the prince (leader) was committed to banish Romeo from Verona.

During Act 2, after the Capulet’s masquerade, Romeo acts foolish and sneaks up to Juliet’s balcony even though he knows the consequences if he gets caught. The situations between the 2 families are already very delicate, and him getting caught sneaking around could have made the situation a whole lot worse. Instead of taking the risk, he could have dealt with the manner in a more mature way.

Once again Romeo acts reckless on Act 5 Scene 3. When learning that his wife has died, Romeo foolishly goes to the Capulet’s burial grounds. “Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide!  Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on- The Dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!  Here’s to my love.  O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick.  Thus with a kiss I die.”  If Romeo hadn’t gone and killed himself along with Paris who is also deeply in love with Juliet and waited just a bit longer… Romeo and Juliet could have lived together. They could have led a peaceful and prosperous life.

            I can somewhat relate to Romeo, because there are times that I have been really angry towards my family and friends which I regret later. However I never go as far as Romeo and leave the option to be forgiven which in this case, Romeo can’t. I feel like that it is important to control ones anger, and not make bad decisions especially when you’re pissed off. Sometimes you take actions you can’t take back and might even regret it for the rest of your life….

Non-Fiction RRE EXTRA CREDIT

The article “The Equine 'Adam' Lived Fairly Recently: Close Relationships among Modern Stallions”, discusses the new genetic revelations found from analyzing horse DNA.  Scientists in Vienna have sequenced and analyzed the Y chromosomes of horses.  In horses, just as in humans, Y chromosomes are passed from father to son.  On the other hand, the mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child.  So by analyzing mitochondrial DNA one can find the maternal line, while by analyzing the Y chromosomal DNA, one can find the paternal line.  Researchers have already analyzed the mitochondrial DNA of horses to figure out the lineage of domestic horses.  They found a lot of variation in the genetic sequences.  However after analyzing the Y chromosome, they found only six haplotypes.  Haplotypes are a group of genes that are inherited together from a single parent.  Since horse owners are very particular about their breeding, it may be that single stallion was used to impregnate multiple female horses.

            This article is interesting because it shows how a lineage can be traced.  There are ways to trace both maternal and paternal lineage.  It is obviously made simpler by advance in sequencing technology.  Selective breeding is also a beneficial strategy.  However I worry in the future it will be used to the extreme, which is never a good thing.

Work Cited

1.   
"The Equine 'Adam' Lived Fairly Recently: Close Relationships Among Modern Stallions."ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 04 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130404072920.htm>.

R+J Outline Essay

1.Introduction

a.         Lead: In the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by: William Shakespeare, Romeo faces many challenges throughout the book.

b.        Title + Author: Romeo and Julliet by: William Shakespeare, this book is about 2 feuding families and how 2 lovers connect the family’s argument and dispute.

c.         Thesis/Focus: Romeo’s weakness has caused the tragedy of the book, because he didn’t choose the right path. If Romeo wasn’t as reckless the deaths of many could have been prevented and Romeo and Juliet could have been together without any mishaps.

2.Body

            a. Romeo is very temperamental and is driven by revenge. He does not think of the consequences before acting. This expresses how Romeo’s recklessness contributes to the tragedy of the book. On Act 3 Scene 1 L126-135 Romeo acts reckless and doesn’t even think twice about his actions. Conquered by revenge he steps into battle with Tybalt.

            b. Act 5 Scene 3, Romeo acts reckless once again and doesn’t think a bout his options. Instead he kills Paris and commits suicide when he could have lived peacefully, and litte did he know Juliet actually was alive.

            c. Also, it was very reckless of him to sneak up to Juliet’s Balcony. The situations between the 2 families were already very delicate, and him getting caught sneaking around could have made the situation far worse, which could have been handled in a more mature way.

3. Conclusion

            I can somewhat relate to Romeo, because there are times that I have been really angry towards my family and friends which I regret later. However I never go as far as Romeo and leave the option to be forgiven which in this Romeo can’t.

            I feel like that it is important to control ones anger, and not make bad decisions especially when you’re pissed off. Sometimes you do stuff you can’t take back and might even regret it for the rest of your life….

Day of Doom Blog

In the book 39 Clues “Cahill’s vs. Vesper’s: Day of Doom” by David Baldacci, I think that the theme “Motherly Nature” is expressed very well. No matter how mad or cruel a mom is… she is still your mom. They will never forget the memories you share with them. This matter is stiffly stuck to the brain and painful when at loss.

In the book, Isabel Kabra who is a freakish butt who let her daughter become a hostage of Vesper 1. Natalie Kabra who is the hostage ends up being killed, is the daughter of Isabel.

            This is shown when Natalie tries to save the world by trying to destroy the Machina di Fundi which is a machine which reverses the Earth’s magnetic pull. Trying to destroy the machine Natalie is paralyzed and killed through electric charge. Isabel Kabra finding out that her daughter is dead seeks revenge for her and tries to destroy Vesper 1’s plan. She tried to destroy the machine and ends up also dying. This is the motherly nature that is expressed. Even though Isabel Kabra is on opposing sides with her daughter and would have been better off with her daughter dead she chose seeking vengeance for her daughter instead of absolute power over the world.

            For example, there have been times when my mom has been in a huge quarrel with me but later on she says sorry and gives me a hug or something

            Therefore, the mother and child bond is very special. This is because a parent can never forget the relation between their child. The memories you share when you are mother and child are unforgettable. 

Trust No One Blog

The fifth book in the Cahills vs. Vespers series “Trust No One” is the penultimate book of the series.  So naturally a lot of things happen in this book and it ends in a complete cliffhanger.  The main purpose of this novel is to set the stage for a grand finale.  Everything that could go wrong does go wrong in this story.  This leaves the readers drooling for the finale, which is the job of any good penultimate book of a series.

In this novel we find the main characters Dan and Amy reaching the limit of their strength.  Amy begins to get tired of taking such difficult tasks and making decisions that affects the lives of many others.  So she starts to go into a shell and becomes disconnected from rest of the world.  Dan on the other hand realizes he must take charge.  The only way he knows to do that is by taking the master serum made by his ancestor Gideon Cahill.  He knows that eventhough the serum gives immense power; it is also unstable and can even kill him.

At the end of the book Amy must give Gideon Cahill’s ring to Vesper One.  Cahills had been protecting the ring for five centuries, but Amy gave in to save the lives of seven kidnapped Cahills.  They then realize Vesper’s plan is to end the world by putting together a machine that can cause natural disasters all over the world.  And it was Dan and Amy that handed Vesper One all the materials needed for the machine.  This makes Amy become completely unresponsive, and compels Dan to take the serum. 

This is where the novel ends, leaving the readers craving for more.  What effect will the serum have on Dan?  Will Amy recover from the depression?  Will anyone be able to stop Vesper One?  And the most intriguing of all, who is Vesper One?  The book serves its purpose of guaranteeing that readers will be eagerly awaiting the final book of the Cahills vs. Vespers series.  

Non-Fiction RRE (Parasite Disease)

The article Vector-Borne disease in 2012 discusses the transmission of diseases in the year 2012.  It focuses on diseases spread by vectors such as mosquitoes.  The Europe Center for Diseases Protection and Control (ECDC) has done research over the past year and found that there is an increase in vector borne diseases.  They found several reasons for this.  One is climate change.  The transmission season lasts from spring to late fall.  But due to increase in temperature, mosquitoes stay around longer spreading more diseases.  Globalization is also another reason.  People are traveling all over the world, so diseases are spread more easily.  Also there are more and more microbes that are resistant to anti-microbial medicines.  All these reasons are contributing to spread of diseases like West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and Malaria.

          This article shows another reason why we should try and stop climate change.  If temperature increases like this, we will soon have mosquitoes flying around all year long.  We can’t stop globalization.  However we should still find other ways to contain people who are carrying certain diseases.  We also need to work on finding more antibiotics to replace the ones that have stopped working.  With more globalization we have to work harder to stop the spread of diseases.

Work Cited

Unknown. "Vector-borne Disease Transmission in 2012." - Public Service Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. <http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2884/vector-borne-disease-transmission-in-2012>.

Poetry Slam!

Krishna Roy 812                                                                                                                   

Magical Horses

Body of a horse and the horn in its head

The touch of its horn makes anything gold

BANG! BOOM! For this creature the world has the bread

The unicorn is magical and bold

Wings on its back and fur on its wing

Soars through the sun and prances in the moonlight

As Hercules rides on it, it goes Bling-Bling

Pegasus is the mighty Zeus’s might

Superior of all magical horse

It has both wings and unicorn Horn

Like a hurricane it has very strong force.

If you are wondering its alicorn

Watch My Little Pony you’ll find all three

Let your imagination wander freely

BY: KRISHNA ROY 

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

Nonfiction RRE (Genes)

            The article, New tool identifies drug resistant genes, drug targets discusses a new technique designed to find mutations in genes.  Genes are sequences of DNA.  They code for proteins.  Proteins carry out majority of cell functions.  Drugs are designed to target certain genes.  However mutations in the genes can cause a person to become resistant to the drug.  Sometimes scientists just create drugs through trial and error without knowing the exact target of the drug.  Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine came up with a tool called “variomics”.  This not only allows researchers to find the gene target of a drug, but also find mutations in it.  This experiment was carried out in yeast cells and gave very good results.  Now scientists are looking forward to testing it in human cells.

            This article was interesting because it could completely change the use of medicine in this country.  Doctors, I feel, prescribe too many medicines to patients.  I think this is because many drug targets are unknown.  Also many times, the patient ends up being resistant to the drug.  If we know details about genes and the target of drugs, doctors can be more specific about the medicines they prescribe.  The improvement of technology will make life better for all of us.

Work Cited

1. Gutierraz, Graciela. "New Tool Identifies Drug Resistant Genes, Drug Targets." - Baylor College of Medicine. BCM, 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bcm.edu/news/item.cfm?newsID=6823>.

Ocean of Blood Post

            In the book The Ocean of Blood by Darren Shan, Larten Crepsley faces a terrible concept that goes on through life. The concept that takes place is something that you can never forget but only destroy. The concept is……guilt! Guilt is a very strong emotion and unfortunately it is something that everyone has been through one time or another. The only way to not be guilty is not to do something guilty.

            Guilt is an emotion that lives on forever and Larten faces this problem because of his childhood. Before Larten Crepsley became a vampire he had murdered a man. In the book Tanish who is one of the Upper Vampires asks Larten “have you ever killed before” and Larten answered looking sad “not before I got blooded”. Larten is definitely not proud of his actions nor regrets his action but he does feel guilt.

            I know I have guilt and stuff that I am not proud of doing and I know you do too. A few days back my tutor was telling me about how she yelled at her sister for clogging the toilet and when she found out it actually wasn’t her fault she felt VERY guilty.

            Therefore Guilt is a terrible thing and it is a concept that is amazingly shown throughout the book. 

My Response to Naomi's Blog (Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Woah!!!! Great Reading Response! I love how deep you were and how well u were able to respond to the book with such heart and emotion. That Spoiler Alert thing was cool and your focus and lead on the book is very precise and demanding. You are able to relate the book to real life very well. Good Self to text connection and you make the reader feel like the same while reading the book. (Maybe i will read the book now?)

3 Reasons why Plagiarism is Bad!

1. Dont Plagiarize because when you finally finish the response you have nothing to be proud of. All the hard work really isnt your hard work it is somebody else's.
2. Instead of Plagiarizing you should paraphrase and at the end put the cite so you give Credit where credit is DUE!
3. Read books that interest you so you wont be encourages or tempted to plagiarize! REMEMBER MS GALANG KNOWS ALL!!! 0 for plagiarizing!

Binge Drinking....Not Good!

          The article “Binge drinking raises diabetes risk by damaging the brain: study” discusses a new study done in Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  It found that binge drinking can raise the risk of diabetes later in life.  Binge drinking is defined as 4 drinks within 2 hours for a woman, and 5 drinks within 2 hours for a man.  The study was done on a group of rats.  One group of rats was given alcohol for 3 days and the other group, which was the control, was given only sugar calories.  The group of rats that were given had higher level of plasma insulin.  Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood sugar by helping cells take in glucose.  Higher level of plasma insulin is a sign of diabetes, because it shows the insulin is not being processed.  Not only that, they rats also had inflammation in their brain.  This proved that binge drinking caused diabetes by messing with the brain.  The part of the brain that it affects is the hypothalamus, which is a major endocrine organ.  It controls metabolism, and helps the body process insulin.  When the brain is swollen, the body becomes insulin resistant.  When the researchers blocked the protein that caused the inflammation, the rats were able to process insulin again.  Initially scientists thought insulin resistance in binge drinkers were due to liver damage, but this study proved them wrong.

          This article proves yet another way that alcohol is harmful to the body.  Alcohol is already known to contribute to obesity and liver damage.  There are also many accidents due to drunk drivers.  Now it causes brain inflammation and diabetes.  Why would any individual want to put themselves through so much torture?  Diabetes is already a huge problem in today’s society, and alcohol is contributing further to the problem.  I think bars should have more limits in alcohol consumption to at least try and limit the problem.  Also individuals need to think and behave more responsibly.  

Work  Cited

Miller, Tracy. "Binge Drinking Raises Diabetes Risk by Damaging the Brain: Study ." NY Daily News. Perle Vision, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/binge-drinking-ups-diabetes-risk-damaging-brain-article-1.1251457>.

The Concept of Teamwork (Hobbit)

            In the book The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien I thought the theme of always working together was very important. I also agree that in real life it is teamwork that makes a person who he or she is.

            Throughout the book Bilbo and his friends all face many troubles. When Thorin was captured by the spider demon, Bilbo and the other dwarves went to save him. Teamwork is what allowed them to save Thorin and defeat the demon. While some dwarves were holding the net the others were stabilizing the bridge, so their leader could make it back safely. If the bridge wasn’t being held up then I am pretty sure everybody would have died right there on the spot.

            I can also connect teamwork to real-world connections. People may think teamwork is just a way to get things completed in shorter amounts of time, but it is more than that. Teamwork is very special because if the cooperation of one person or thing can really make a difference. If there was no teamwork in the world then the world will start collapsing one by one with the domino effect. People will continue to become independent and wouldn’t need anybody in their lives. When I was back in Kindergarten and 1^st grade I had HORRIBLE English. Thanks to the “teamwork” of my friends and teacher I speak English much more fluently than my own language, and one day I will probably be fluent with my own language.

            Therefore, teamwork is a very big deal. Without it life wouldn’t be right and Bilbo expresses that in The Hobbit by protecting his friends. 

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.