In Animal Farm by George Orwell—which is the pen name for Eric Blair—the Russian Revolution is depicted in a comical manner. Many famous people in history are depicted as animals overthrowing the farmer Mr. Jones, who is portraying the czar Nicholas II.
Old Major, the old prize winning hog, held a meeting just before he died to tell of a dream he had the night before. In this dream he recalled the words to a song called The Beasts of England. This song put the thought of rebellion into his head and he passed this along to the other animals.
The pigs being the wisest took charge of the rebellion. I thought I was ironic how some big names in history are portrayed as swine. Once the pigs took control after Mr. Jones was removed, they all got power hungry and were beginning to turn corrupt.
It seems amazing that none of the animals rebelled against the pigs but that is how it happened in Russia. No one could really figure out what exactly was going on. They just worked because the more powerful people told them to.
Animal Farm is a relatively easy read if you can read a little bit deeper into the meanings the book is representing.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Techie Tools
Although I do not like blogs a whole lot I actually find them very useful when I am trying to communicate and collaberate with my fellow classmates.
I find that blogs are a very good way for students to do homework and such without having to actually turn in a finished paper to the teacher. We as a class can just post our blogs and have the teacher and other students grade and comment on them.
Also, blogs help students learn to use different kinds of internet tools. These tools are normally not easy to learn how to use, but once you figure out how to use them correctly the outcome is very rewarding.
I find that blogs are a very good way for students to do homework and such without having to actually turn in a finished paper to the teacher. We as a class can just post our blogs and have the teacher and other students grade and comment on them.
Also, blogs help students learn to use different kinds of internet tools. These tools are normally not easy to learn how to use, but once you figure out how to use them correctly the outcome is very rewarding.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Anthem Essay
The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is depicted to be a Utopia, but once the book has been read it seems more a Dystopia. Most of the residence of this society did not even live past the age of forty. Why, you may ask.
Everyone’s job was chosen for them by the Council of Vocations. Can you imagine living your whole life and not even getting to have a choice in the labor you are doing to support yourself. Almost every single job that was handed out had very long hours and few if any breaks.
Next there was no hope of any kind of change for the better because the government that was set up controlled every aspect of every single person’s life. If you know there is no hope then what is the point of trying to live.
Everyone was fed enough to sustain life, but no one was aloud to gorge themselves. The people that lived in this society were on average skinnier and shorter when compared to our modern day society. This could be attributed to the lack of nutrition.
Everyone’s job was chosen for them by the Council of Vocations. Can you imagine living your whole life and not even getting to have a choice in the labor you are doing to support yourself. Almost every single job that was handed out had very long hours and few if any breaks.
Next there was no hope of any kind of change for the better because the government that was set up controlled every aspect of every single person’s life. If you know there is no hope then what is the point of trying to live.
Everyone was fed enough to sustain life, but no one was aloud to gorge themselves. The people that lived in this society were on average skinnier and shorter when compared to our modern day society. This could be attributed to the lack of nutrition.
Spring Break Fever
Spring break was a blast. I went to Orlando Florida and the only thing that made it better was the fact that I got to go with all my friends. I went with mostly everyone in our high school band and everyone had a great time.
I went to Universal Studios where I rode many rides but my favorite by far was the Dueling Dragons rollercoaster. Being just as good as the extremely famous Hulk rollercoaster, I didn’t have to wait nearly as long. I waited an average of thirty minutes to ride one of the Dueling Dragons whereas I waited about two hours to ride the Hulk.
Disney World, the happiest place on Earth right? Well not when I was dehydrated and nauseas the last three hours I was there. I tried to drink enough water but who wants to buy a $2.50 bottle of water. Is Disney so obsessed with making money that they can not think a little more about the customer?
Anyway the ride home was atrocious. Eighteen hours on a bus with a bunch of grumpy smelly people is no drive in the park. Everyone was getting tired of each other. I was fortunate enough to be able to sleep in the isle where I could spread my legs.
Vacation with all my friends was extremely fun and I am glad I am fortunate enough to be able to afford such things but there were drawbacks.
I went to Universal Studios where I rode many rides but my favorite by far was the Dueling Dragons rollercoaster. Being just as good as the extremely famous Hulk rollercoaster, I didn’t have to wait nearly as long. I waited an average of thirty minutes to ride one of the Dueling Dragons whereas I waited about two hours to ride the Hulk.
Disney World, the happiest place on Earth right? Well not when I was dehydrated and nauseas the last three hours I was there. I tried to drink enough water but who wants to buy a $2.50 bottle of water. Is Disney so obsessed with making money that they can not think a little more about the customer?
Anyway the ride home was atrocious. Eighteen hours on a bus with a bunch of grumpy smelly people is no drive in the park. Everyone was getting tired of each other. I was fortunate enough to be able to sleep in the isle where I could spread my legs.
Vacation with all my friends was extremely fun and I am glad I am fortunate enough to be able to afford such things but there were drawbacks.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Broker review
The Broker by John Grisham is an action packed novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Scandals, espionage, and mystery what more could you want in a book.
The main character in the book Joel Backman has recently been pardoned from jail. A former D.C. power broker, Backman had everything he had ever wanted; cars, money, expensive houses, he had them all. Then he went to deep and got himself into trouble. He ran off to jail to save his life because he got mixed up with the wrong type of people, the type that will kill if they do not get their way.
After the pardon the CIA initiated, the feds fly Backman around the world to a European country. There they leave him. Backman thinks he is there for hiding. The CIA has different plans.
Based in the modern age The Broker is very easily comprehended by people of all ages. Though it can be read by all ages I believe read more by teens and adults. This is one John Grisham book you will not want to miss.
The main character in the book Joel Backman has recently been pardoned from jail. A former D.C. power broker, Backman had everything he had ever wanted; cars, money, expensive houses, he had them all. Then he went to deep and got himself into trouble. He ran off to jail to save his life because he got mixed up with the wrong type of people, the type that will kill if they do not get their way.
After the pardon the CIA initiated, the feds fly Backman around the world to a European country. There they leave him. Backman thinks he is there for hiding. The CIA has different plans.
Based in the modern age The Broker is very easily comprehended by people of all ages. Though it can be read by all ages I believe read more by teens and adults. This is one John Grisham book you will not want to miss.
Time Machine review
For many years time travel has been the leading topic in the Sci-Fi\Fantasy genre. The book The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is dominated by the thought of travelling forward through time.
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like in the year 802701? Well the main character in The Time Machine, the time traveler, got to experience it first hand. Many of his questions about the future were answered, but he left with even more questions than he had come with.
Would there be human life? Is the earth still intact? What animals have become extinct, and what new kinds of life forms are there? These questions and many more were answered, but new ones arose. How did this come to be? How had the world changed? What is left of the human race?
When talking about time travel controversy is always near by. Is time travel possible, we may never know. Have there been visitors from the future? What impacts on the future would there be if you did something in the past? All of these questions and many more arise on the topic of time travel.
Being a relatively short and easy read I would recommend the book to anyone with a sense of adventure. H.G. Wells is a resounding author and wrote some of the best Sci-Fi novels ever.
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like in the year 802701? Well the main character in The Time Machine, the time traveler, got to experience it first hand. Many of his questions about the future were answered, but he left with even more questions than he had come with.
Would there be human life? Is the earth still intact? What animals have become extinct, and what new kinds of life forms are there? These questions and many more were answered, but new ones arose. How did this come to be? How had the world changed? What is left of the human race?
When talking about time travel controversy is always near by. Is time travel possible, we may never know. Have there been visitors from the future? What impacts on the future would there be if you did something in the past? All of these questions and many more arise on the topic of time travel.
Being a relatively short and easy read I would recommend the book to anyone with a sense of adventure. H.G. Wells is a resounding author and wrote some of the best Sci-Fi novels ever.
Anthem review
The future; when thinking about it most people see hover crafts, lasers, and many other major technological advancements. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem however that is not true. Though Anthem is based in the future you would not be able to tell that by the plot of the novel.
The main character Equality7-2521—yes every character in the book is named by this system—is different from everyone else. He is physically and mentally different.
In Anthem there is a sacred word that no one knows of. The society everyone lives in is based on a “we not me” mentality. This is where Equality is different. He lives more for himself rather than his “brother” (fellow mankind), but he does not really know that he is living this lifestyle.
I would recommend this book any more advanced readers because it stirs your thinking with its similes and metaphors. It is a short book and easy to comprehend what the novel is saying literally but not quite as easy to comprehend it analytically=
The main character Equality7-2521—yes every character in the book is named by this system—is different from everyone else. He is physically and mentally different.
In Anthem there is a sacred word that no one knows of. The society everyone lives in is based on a “we not me” mentality. This is where Equality is different. He lives more for himself rather than his “brother” (fellow mankind), but he does not really know that he is living this lifestyle.
I would recommend this book any more advanced readers because it stirs your thinking with its similes and metaphors. It is a short book and easy to comprehend what the novel is saying literally but not quite as easy to comprehend it analytically=
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