Danny- Lord of the Flies
Maia- Lord of the Flies chapters 1-2
Sunday, October 23, 2016
The Heir by Kiera Cass (spoilers)
The Heir is about Eadlyn, the first born of the King and Queen of Illea, Maxon and America Shreave. After declaring that the first born child, not son, will be the next ruler, Eadlyn is unwillingly the women who men will compete for in the upcoming Selection. The King decided to do a selection for Eadlyn because it had been years since the caste system was demolished, and they people of Illea still treated people based of their family's previous caste number. Something that I like about this book is that the author always finds a way to show that after over a decade, that the king and queen still love each other just as much as when they were married. Kiera Cass will put something in every chapter like Maxon gazing at America and in return has a wide grin on her face.
The Heir is the fourth book in the Selection series, and I am upset with the time lapse between the third and fourth books. In the end of the third book, Maxon and America were just getting married, and by the beginning of the fourth book, nearly twenty years had passed. I really liked hearing the story of Maxon and America, rather than the actual Selection. I'm not sure that I'll like this book and the next as much as the first three books in this series. I'm hopeful that Kierra Cass will write about some sort of flashbacks from before they had children or when their children were young. In this book, they are mainly only shown as working parents, rather than husband and wife.
The Heir is the fourth book in the Selection series, and I am upset with the time lapse between the third and fourth books. In the end of the third book, Maxon and America were just getting married, and by the beginning of the fourth book, nearly twenty years had passed. I really liked hearing the story of Maxon and America, rather than the actual Selection. I'm not sure that I'll like this book and the next as much as the first three books in this series. I'm hopeful that Kierra Cass will write about some sort of flashbacks from before they had children or when their children were young. In this book, they are mainly only shown as working parents, rather than husband and wife.
Lord of the Flies Human Nature
I believe that boys, by human nature, are more immature than girls. I think this due to experience. When I work on a group project comprised of both girls and boys, the boys seem to fool around while the girls are the most productive. Also, boys seem to be influenced by their friends, which is why I think that peer pressure affects boy's immaturity. Girls can able complete the job they are assigned to more efficiently and, as for peer pressure, I'm not sure why women aren't as heavily affected by their friends.
Another thing that all people do is covet, contrary to the tenth commandment. It is human nature to want things that other people have. As humans, we can't help but envy what someone is wearing, what kind of car they have, and even their personality traits. Envy is driven by people's needs to be perfect, but obviously, that will never happen. I think that humans covet less by realizing that they can never be perfect and have everything that they want.
Another thing that all people do is covet, contrary to the tenth commandment. It is human nature to want things that other people have. As humans, we can't help but envy what someone is wearing, what kind of car they have, and even their personality traits. Envy is driven by people's needs to be perfect, but obviously, that will never happen. I think that humans covet less by realizing that they can never be perfect and have everything that they want.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Supernatural (possible spoilers)
One of my favorite tv series is Supernatural, which I have been watching on Netflix for the past couple of months, and I'm already on season 9. It is one of the longest running television series in history, and that's because they always have a new conflict every season. Supernatural is about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who lost their mother when they were young due to a supernatural being. When their father, John Winchester, set out to figure out what had happened to his wife, he wrote many journals about the supernatural creatures he had killed along the way, deeming himself as a hunter. With Sam and Dean following in their father's footsteps, they find his journals when they are now in their twenties and they decide to help their dad find the supernatural creature that killed their mom.
One thing that I really like about this show is there are so many great characters other than the two main actors, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, who play Sam and Dean respectively. Some of my favorite supporting characters are Bobby, Sam and Dean's "second father." After their actual dad passes away, Bobby helps the brothers kill supernatural beings and save others. Another character that I really like is Crowley, who plays the king of hell. Although he doesn't have the best morals, being a demon, Mark Shepherd does a great job of playing his character and is very sarcastic in the show. I love Supernatural, which is full of lots of action and suspense, and I would recommend it to everyone.
One thing that I really like about this show is there are so many great characters other than the two main actors, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, who play Sam and Dean respectively. Some of my favorite supporting characters are Bobby, Sam and Dean's "second father." After their actual dad passes away, Bobby helps the brothers kill supernatural beings and save others. Another character that I really like is Crowley, who plays the king of hell. Although he doesn't have the best morals, being a demon, Mark Shepherd does a great job of playing his character and is very sarcastic in the show. I love Supernatural, which is full of lots of action and suspense, and I would recommend it to everyone.
The One Post 2 (spoilers)
The One concluded with the most dramatic ending of all of the Selection books. As America decides whether or not to tell Maxon of her recent, but terminated, romantic relations with Aspen, Her father passes away suddenly. While America is away at her father's funeral, it is revealed to her entire family that she was romantically involved with Aspen for years and everyone is shocked because Aspen is a six and America is a five in the Illean caste system. When America returns, it is revealed that Maxon has eliminated two of the four remaining contestant, and his engagement will be revealed the next day, when many are murdered due to an undercover rebel attack killing the king and queen of Illea, amongst many others. One thing that I really liked about this book in the Selection series in particular, was the shocking rebel attack that I, as the reader, thought came out of nowhere. Prince Maxon was only moments away from announcing his fiancé, Kriss, (because of a major altercation with America causing her to no longer be considered as the next princess of Illea) the writer just changed the subject and said that one of the guards, who was a rebel dressed in a guard's uniform, shot Celeste, one of the final four contestants, in the head. This was probably the climax of the entire series and once I had stared reading about this major rebel attack, I couldn't put the book down.
Another thing that I really liked about this book was how America and Maxon finally got their happy ending. After Maxon had been shot by a rebel, they both confessed their love for one another and realized that they couldn't live without each other, in the case that they survived this attack. When the attack was over, Maxon proposed to America the next time he saw her, and they had the wedding that they had always dreamed of. Whoever reads this series will never know for sure that America will win the selection until the end of this book, but deep down inside, they will be rooting for her the entire duration of all three of these books in the Selection series and know that she will win. The reader can only hope that Maxon and America can survive all of the brutal attacks. Their happy ending ultimately including the one political issue they agreed on most, eliminating the caste system, so that everyone could be equal.
Another thing that I really liked about this book was how America and Maxon finally got their happy ending. After Maxon had been shot by a rebel, they both confessed their love for one another and realized that they couldn't live without each other, in the case that they survived this attack. When the attack was over, Maxon proposed to America the next time he saw her, and they had the wedding that they had always dreamed of. Whoever reads this series will never know for sure that America will win the selection until the end of this book, but deep down inside, they will be rooting for her the entire duration of all three of these books in the Selection series and know that she will win. The reader can only hope that Maxon and America can survive all of the brutal attacks. Their happy ending ultimately including the one political issue they agreed on most, eliminating the caste system, so that everyone could be equal.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Gerrymandering
I read an article about Gerrymandering by The Week Staff. Gerrymandering is the unequal distribution of voting districts based on the political party of the voters in the area. It is the redrawing of voting districts so that the ruling party in a state has the majority of voting districts voting in favor of the dominant political party. Although this is legal, I don’t think that it should be because it is unfair because it gives one political party an unfair advantage. I believe that we should have an unbiased cartographer redistrict every ten years and that cartographer should split up the voting districts based solely on population
Based on my reading of the article, gerrymandering is indeed a problem that needs to be solved because, for example, a state could be primarily Republican, but when redistricted, it could become primarily Democratic based on the way the districts are set up. I believe that the people are more important than the states which is why I believe that gerrymandering should be outlawed. The people’s political preference should come before anyone state representatives preference.
Although Gerrymandering has been around for nearly 200 years, I don’t understand why this method has still not been outlawed. I suppose that national representatives might value the states as a whole rather than the people themselves, contrary to my beliefs. I believe that gerrymandering should indeed be illegal due to unfair distribution of voting districts, unequal representation of each political party, and I believe that we should create a redistricting system that is unbiased.
Based on my reading of the article, gerrymandering is indeed a problem that needs to be solved because, for example, a state could be primarily Republican, but when redistricted, it could become primarily Democratic based on the way the districts are set up. I believe that the people are more important than the states which is why I believe that gerrymandering should be outlawed. The people’s political preference should come before anyone state representatives preference.
Although Gerrymandering has been around for nearly 200 years, I don’t understand why this method has still not been outlawed. I suppose that national representatives might value the states as a whole rather than the people themselves, contrary to my beliefs. I believe that gerrymandering should indeed be illegal due to unfair distribution of voting districts, unequal representation of each political party, and I believe that we should create a redistricting system that is unbiased.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
My Brother's First (Flag) Football Game
Last weekend by brother had his first football game. Will Thomas plays center which is an offensive position that has a main goal of snapping the ball to the quarterback. My brother was more excited than words could explain, but I was kind of nervous, to be honest. I hadn't see Will Thomas play a sport since he was five when he played tee ball and "everybody wins". This was a real sport that required athletic ability and I was scared that my brother wouldn't have what it takes to perform. After driving for an hour to get to his first game, we had finally arrived at The Christian Academy. With only thirty minutes until Will's first game began, my family began to realize that if my brother's team was going to win the game, they would have to work hard, because the boys that they were about to play looked bigger and stronger.
When the game began, the Knights got off to a rough start, thanks to my brother. In the beginning of the game he managed to throw two bad snaps that resulted in a five yard penalty. Once the game got moving, Will Thomas starting doing a better job at snapping. That's when our opponent managed to score a touchdown, and it seemed like there would be no way that the Knights would be able to score. When Will Thomas managed to snap the ball perfectly, the quarterback got a great pass off into the in-zone, scoring a touchdown. I was so happy that I screamed at the top of my lungs "Go Knights!" After the game, I told my brother how proud I was of him and that he had exceeded my expectations.
When the game began, the Knights got off to a rough start, thanks to my brother. In the beginning of the game he managed to throw two bad snaps that resulted in a five yard penalty. Once the game got moving, Will Thomas starting doing a better job at snapping. That's when our opponent managed to score a touchdown, and it seemed like there would be no way that the Knights would be able to score. When Will Thomas managed to snap the ball perfectly, the quarterback got a great pass off into the in-zone, scoring a touchdown. I was so happy that I screamed at the top of my lungs "Go Knights!" After the game, I told my brother how proud I was of him and that he had exceeded my expectations.
The One (spoilers)
The One is the third book in the Selection series and the amount of drama is rapidly increasing. The main character, America Singer, has fallen in love with Prince Maxon, leaving her first love, Aspen, with a broken heart. To make things worse, she is on bad terms with the king, Maxon's father, and is barely able to remain in the competition due to the king's hatred towards her. One thing that I love about this book is that the author made a good choice by making America finally choose who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with more, Maxon or Aspen. I think that the author didn't want to depict America as someone who was being unfaithful to prince Maxon, which is why she had to make that decision. I like how the author depicts the one sided feelings between Aspen, who still loves America, and America, who has moved on from her first love.
Another thing that makes this series one of the best that I've ever read is the amount of dialogue and vivid detail that is used. Kierra Cass always uses dialogue when it is needed, but doesn't use it excessively. The vivid detail helps the reader to feel like they are part of the story. Every time America enters a new place, inside or outside of the Illean palace, she explains who is present in this new settings, what the settings looks like, what the people are doing in this new settings, and other things about the setting that help the reader become consumed into the story. What Cass explains in the largest amount of vivid detail is the relationship between America and Maxon and how their love for one another continues to grow throughout the process of the Selection.
Another thing that makes this series one of the best that I've ever read is the amount of dialogue and vivid detail that is used. Kierra Cass always uses dialogue when it is needed, but doesn't use it excessively. The vivid detail helps the reader to feel like they are part of the story. Every time America enters a new place, inside or outside of the Illean palace, she explains who is present in this new settings, what the settings looks like, what the people are doing in this new settings, and other things about the setting that help the reader become consumed into the story. What Cass explains in the largest amount of vivid detail is the relationship between America and Maxon and how their love for one another continues to grow throughout the process of the Selection.
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