Thursday, April 11, 2013
Dog Description
The vanilla colored dog, splattered with swatches of mocha, wagging his tail excitedly when he saw his master, romped happily through the lush green grass, tongue hanging out of his mouth, to anticipate the daily pat on the head that he got every day when his master arrived home.
Narrative Techniques
My English teacher has assigned me to write a short story.
Creating the main character has been the easiest part of writing my short story so far. This is because I have already had some ideas in my head for this character for some time, and so all I really had to do was work out the details about how is supposed to look and act.
I think that coming up with the setting has been the most frustrating. I do not have much of an imagination, so it is really hard for me to think up imaginary settings, and I am not a very good writer to begin with.
My main character's name is Dani. With an elaborate tattoo of an octopus on his arm, partially obscured by the scars of an old life, he resembles one of those dangerous boys that look like they have just got done serving in the army; the ones that do not want to be messed with. However, his eyes, a peculiar shade of green, always shine brightly, disarming his intimidating looks.
Although writing some of my short story has been very frustrating, I am sure that in the end, it will be rewarding. I am hoping that maybe writing this will make me a better writer, and that I will become better at showing characters.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Book Review #2
"There were extenuating circumstances in their case--they were married, they had a child. Although it is not as if they reside in this outpost, far from home, by their own choice. We were banished here, the three of us--the four of us, I should say; Alec was just a squalling baby when we left the Glass City. They can return to Idris on official business only, and then only for short times. I can never return. I will never see the Glass City again."This is a quote from City Of Bones, book one of The Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare. This book captured me with its strong characters and continually twisting plot.
A theme of this book is to not believe everything you hear. Clary Fray spent all her life thinking that she was an average, normal teenage girl, but she was wrong. She finds out that she really is a Shadowhunter, which is a warrior that hunts demons. Her mother, who is also a Shadowhunter, lied to her all of her life so that she would never find out that they were Shadowhunters. Clary finds this out after meeting Jace, Alec, and Isabelle Lightwood at the Pandemonium Club, and it rocks her world. This book is full of lies and deceit. Clary's mother also lied to her about her father and her brother being dead. Another way that this book is full of deceit is that Alec is gay and in love with Jace, but he doesn't tell anyone, although Clary discovers the truth by the way he looked at Jace.
I really like Cassandra Clare's use of imagery and detail. It makes me want to continue reading the book and never put it down. An example of when she has used imagery when describing a character is "The girl was gorgeous, the kind of girl Clary would have liked to draw--tall and ribbon-slim, with a long spill of black hair." The girl being described is Isabelle another Shadowhunter. Another example of her use of imagery when describing characters is "The man blocking the doorway was as tall and thin as a rail, his hair a crown of dense black spikes. Clary guessed from the curve of his sleepy eyes and the gold tone of his evenly tanned skin that he was part Asian. He wore jeans and a black shirt covered with dozens of metal buckles. His eyes were crusted with a raccoon mask of charcoal glittter, his lips painted a dark shade of blue." This is a description of Magnus Bane, the eccentric, gay, High Warlock of Brooklyn. He does not do favors for people without charging them, and he can be a jerk. Another example of when Cassandra Clare used imagery and detail when describing the setting is "Colored lights played over the dance floor, turning it into a multicolored fairyland of blues and acid greens, hot pinks and golds."
The scene is New York, where Clary, her mother, and Luke, her mother's boyfriend, live. It is also where the Lightwoods live. The scene is important because if Clary, her mother, and Luke lived somewhere else, then Clary may never have realized that she was a Shadowhunter. Everything would be different. The book says "'No. I mean, if there were other people around, but you were the only one who could see something. As if it were invisible to everyone but you.'" If Clary and her family lived somewhere else, she may have never seen Jace, Isabelle, or Alec. Clary's mother would continue to lie to her, and Clary would be in danger her whole life, because she would not know how to protect herself from demons. On page twelve of the book, Jace says "A mundie girl. And she can see us." What he means by this is that Clary is a mundane, a human, yet she can see the Lightwoods. This is strange because they were using glamour, which makes them invisible to human eyes. If Clary had not gone to the Pandemonium Club in New York, she never would have seen them, and never would have realized that she had the Sight, which is something that only Shadowhunters have. The book says "'No!' Terror scraped Jocelyn's voice raw. 'Don't come home! Do you understand me, Clary? Don't you dare come home. Go to Simon's. Go straight to Simon's house and stay there until I can--' A noise in the background interrupted her: the sound of something falling, shattering, something heavy striking the floor--" in chapter three. If they had not been in New York, perhaps Jocelyn, Clary's mother, would not have been attacked. But she was, and this also led to Clary finding out that she and her mother are Shadowhunters, and that Luke used to be.
My best friend recommended City Of Bones to me, and I recommend the book for anyone who is interested in fantasy, romance, and suspense. The book is fantastic and leaves you wanting more and more.
A theme of this book is to not believe everything you hear. Clary Fray spent all her life thinking that she was an average, normal teenage girl, but she was wrong. She finds out that she really is a Shadowhunter, which is a warrior that hunts demons. Her mother, who is also a Shadowhunter, lied to her all of her life so that she would never find out that they were Shadowhunters. Clary finds this out after meeting Jace, Alec, and Isabelle Lightwood at the Pandemonium Club, and it rocks her world. This book is full of lies and deceit. Clary's mother also lied to her about her father and her brother being dead. Another way that this book is full of deceit is that Alec is gay and in love with Jace, but he doesn't tell anyone, although Clary discovers the truth by the way he looked at Jace.
I really like Cassandra Clare's use of imagery and detail. It makes me want to continue reading the book and never put it down. An example of when she has used imagery when describing a character is "The girl was gorgeous, the kind of girl Clary would have liked to draw--tall and ribbon-slim, with a long spill of black hair." The girl being described is Isabelle another Shadowhunter. Another example of her use of imagery when describing characters is "The man blocking the doorway was as tall and thin as a rail, his hair a crown of dense black spikes. Clary guessed from the curve of his sleepy eyes and the gold tone of his evenly tanned skin that he was part Asian. He wore jeans and a black shirt covered with dozens of metal buckles. His eyes were crusted with a raccoon mask of charcoal glittter, his lips painted a dark shade of blue." This is a description of Magnus Bane, the eccentric, gay, High Warlock of Brooklyn. He does not do favors for people without charging them, and he can be a jerk. Another example of when Cassandra Clare used imagery and detail when describing the setting is "Colored lights played over the dance floor, turning it into a multicolored fairyland of blues and acid greens, hot pinks and golds."
The scene is New York, where Clary, her mother, and Luke, her mother's boyfriend, live. It is also where the Lightwoods live. The scene is important because if Clary, her mother, and Luke lived somewhere else, then Clary may never have realized that she was a Shadowhunter. Everything would be different. The book says "'No. I mean, if there were other people around, but you were the only one who could see something. As if it were invisible to everyone but you.'" If Clary and her family lived somewhere else, she may have never seen Jace, Isabelle, or Alec. Clary's mother would continue to lie to her, and Clary would be in danger her whole life, because she would not know how to protect herself from demons. On page twelve of the book, Jace says "A mundie girl. And she can see us." What he means by this is that Clary is a mundane, a human, yet she can see the Lightwoods. This is strange because they were using glamour, which makes them invisible to human eyes. If Clary had not gone to the Pandemonium Club in New York, she never would have seen them, and never would have realized that she had the Sight, which is something that only Shadowhunters have. The book says "'No!' Terror scraped Jocelyn's voice raw. 'Don't come home! Do you understand me, Clary? Don't you dare come home. Go to Simon's. Go straight to Simon's house and stay there until I can--' A noise in the background interrupted her: the sound of something falling, shattering, something heavy striking the floor--" in chapter three. If they had not been in New York, perhaps Jocelyn, Clary's mother, would not have been attacked. But she was, and this also led to Clary finding out that she and her mother are Shadowhunters, and that Luke used to be.
My best friend recommended City Of Bones to me, and I recommend the book for anyone who is interested in fantasy, romance, and suspense. The book is fantastic and leaves you wanting more and more.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
CC#4: How Did Woman's Body Come To Be In L.A. Hotel Water Tank?
In a recent article by Alan Duke, titled "How Did Woman's Body Come To Be In L.A. Hotel Water Tank?", the author informs readers about a body that was found in a Los Angeles hotel water tank.
The article states "The decomposing body of Elisa Lam floated inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel while guests brushed their teeth, bathed, and drank with water from it for as long as 19 days." That is really disgusting. Just imagine drinking a glass of water and then later finding out that a dead body had been floating in it. That is sickening. And how someone could bring themselves to do something like that, I have no idea.
The article also states "A maintenance worker, checking on complaints about the hotel's water, found the 21-year-old Canadian tourist inside one of four water cisterns Tuesday morning, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Rudy Lopez said." It must have been quite a shock for the maintenance worker; when he woke up that morning, I bet he was not expecting to come across a dead body. That must have been terrible.
The article states "But for a week, they never complained. 'We never thought anything of it,' she said, 'We thought it was just the way it was here.'" That is what Sabina Baugh, who had been staying at the hotel, said. When she turned on the tap, the water would be black for the first few seconds, and then it would go back to normal. I would be worried if I saw black water coming out of the tap, and I would probably complain at the first sight of it, too.
I would say that the article connects to me. This is because I like books and movies that are about murders and mysteries. Do not get me wrong, I think what happened to this girl is awful. The police do not know who killed her, and say "Falling into a covered water tank behind a locked door on top of a roof would be an unusual accident."
Elisa Lam, a Canadian tourist staying in a Los Angeles hotel was murdered and her body was put into a water tank. The police are unsure as to what she died of and who killed her. It was an international case, and because of this, may have gotten more attention than most of the several thousand missing person reports made in Los Angeles each year.
The article states "The decomposing body of Elisa Lam floated inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel while guests brushed their teeth, bathed, and drank with water from it for as long as 19 days." That is really disgusting. Just imagine drinking a glass of water and then later finding out that a dead body had been floating in it. That is sickening. And how someone could bring themselves to do something like that, I have no idea.
The article also states "A maintenance worker, checking on complaints about the hotel's water, found the 21-year-old Canadian tourist inside one of four water cisterns Tuesday morning, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Rudy Lopez said." It must have been quite a shock for the maintenance worker; when he woke up that morning, I bet he was not expecting to come across a dead body. That must have been terrible.
The article states "But for a week, they never complained. 'We never thought anything of it,' she said, 'We thought it was just the way it was here.'" That is what Sabina Baugh, who had been staying at the hotel, said. When she turned on the tap, the water would be black for the first few seconds, and then it would go back to normal. I would be worried if I saw black water coming out of the tap, and I would probably complain at the first sight of it, too.
I would say that the article connects to me. This is because I like books and movies that are about murders and mysteries. Do not get me wrong, I think what happened to this girl is awful. The police do not know who killed her, and say "Falling into a covered water tank behind a locked door on top of a roof would be an unusual accident."
Elisa Lam, a Canadian tourist staying in a Los Angeles hotel was murdered and her body was put into a water tank. The police are unsure as to what she died of and who killed her. It was an international case, and because of this, may have gotten more attention than most of the several thousand missing person reports made in Los Angeles each year.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
I have always really liked to read. Books are adventures. I have read various books by various authors, including Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz, Bag of Bones by Stephen King, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. But I think my favorite books are the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
I do not know exactly when I first watched the movies, but it was when I was a little kid. They instantly became my favorite movies. They are still my favorite movies. I tried to read the books when I was in sixth grade, but I did not understand them, so I quit. This school year I decided that it was time for me to read them. I could not just start with The Fellowship Of The Ring, though, I wanted to read the two books that took place before it: The Silmarillion and The Hobbit.
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is about a gold ring. The ring is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron. The One Ring has immense power, and seems to have a mind of its own. Bilbo, a hobbit, found the ring in The Hobbit, and kept it for himself. In The Fellowship Of The Ring, he gave it to his nephew, Frodo. The trilogy chronicles the journey of the fellowship (Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, Samwise, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Boromir) to destroy the ring before Sauron can discover its whereabouts and reclaim it.
J.R.R. Tolkien used vivid imagery in these books, as well as beautiful metaphors and similies. A quote from The Two Towers that uses these is "Suddenly through a rent in the clouds behind them a shaft of sun stabbed down. The falling showers gleamed like silver, and far away the river glittered like a shimmering glass." I really like his writing style.
The books really spoke to me. They were wonderfully well written. I immersed myself in these books, and when I finished reading the last book, The Return Of The King, I wasn't sure what to do next. I recommend you read The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. And if you want to explore the creation of Middle-earth (where the books take place) and its inhabitants, you should also read The Silmarillion.
For more information on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, click here.
Yellow = Personification
Blue = Metaphor
Red = Alliteration
I do not know exactly when I first watched the movies, but it was when I was a little kid. They instantly became my favorite movies. They are still my favorite movies. I tried to read the books when I was in sixth grade, but I did not understand them, so I quit. This school year I decided that it was time for me to read them. I could not just start with The Fellowship Of The Ring, though, I wanted to read the two books that took place before it: The Silmarillion and The Hobbit.
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is about a gold ring. The ring is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron. The One Ring has immense power, and seems to have a mind of its own. Bilbo, a hobbit, found the ring in The Hobbit, and kept it for himself. In The Fellowship Of The Ring, he gave it to his nephew, Frodo. The trilogy chronicles the journey of the fellowship (Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, Samwise, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Boromir) to destroy the ring before Sauron can discover its whereabouts and reclaim it.
J.R.R. Tolkien used vivid imagery in these books, as well as beautiful metaphors and similies. A quote from The Two Towers that uses these is "Suddenly through a rent in the clouds behind them a shaft of sun stabbed down. The falling showers gleamed like silver, and far away the river glittered like a shimmering glass." I really like his writing style.
The books really spoke to me. They were wonderfully well written. I immersed myself in these books, and when I finished reading the last book, The Return Of The King, I wasn't sure what to do next. I recommend you read The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. And if you want to explore the creation of Middle-earth (where the books take place) and its inhabitants, you should also read The Silmarillion.
For more information on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, click here.
Yellow = Personification
Blue = Metaphor
Red = Alliteration
Friday, February 8, 2013
CC#3: Boy Scout Leaders Put Off Vote On Gay Membership
In a recent article by Casey Wian and Michael Pearson titled "Boy Scout Leaders Put Off Vote On Gay Membership," the authors inform readers that the vote on lifting the Boy Scouts' ban on openly gay scouts and troop leaders will be postponed until their annual meeting in May.
The article states, "The decision disappointed critics who had hoped to see the organization end its ban despite a 2000 Supreme Court ruling saying it had the right to keep it." In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, have the right to exclude a person from membership when "the presence of that person affects in a significant way the group's ability to advocate public or private viewpoints." Banning openly gay boy scouts and troop leaders is discrimination, plain and simple, and that's wrong. Homosexuals are human beings, just like heterosexuals are. Everyone should be treated equally, no matter what their race, religion, or sexual preference is.
The article also states, "The Boy Scouts announced last month that the organization would consider changing the policy, a sharp reversal of its previous support for excluding openly gay members and scout leaders." The organization should change this policy; gay children are discriminated against enough as it is. Straight children shouldn't be raised to hate homosexuals, and homosexuals shouldn't have to worry about not being accepted.
The article states, "Brandy Pryde, a troop leader who participated in a prayer vigil outside the Boy Scouts headquarters Wednesday, said her church would pull support from scouting if the change goes through." The Bible does state "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination," which is probably why she said that her church would pull support from scouting. But the Bible also says "love your neighbor as yourself." They should accept everyone with loving arms instead of being quick to judge them.
This article connects to the world. Gay people, among others, are discriminated against every day because others are uncomfortable with their differences. Some people discriminate against others because they want to feel better about themselves. But discrimination against anyone is wrong, whatever the excuse may be.
The Boy Scouts' executive Board will not vote on Wednesday on a proposal to let local groups set their own policies, as had been planned. It will instead be voted on at the organization's annual board meeting in May, because it needs more time to get comment on the issue from its members.
The article also states, "The Boy Scouts announced last month that the organization would consider changing the policy, a sharp reversal of its previous support for excluding openly gay members and scout leaders." The organization should change this policy; gay children are discriminated against enough as it is. Straight children shouldn't be raised to hate homosexuals, and homosexuals shouldn't have to worry about not being accepted.
The article states, "Brandy Pryde, a troop leader who participated in a prayer vigil outside the Boy Scouts headquarters Wednesday, said her church would pull support from scouting if the change goes through." The Bible does state "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination," which is probably why she said that her church would pull support from scouting. But the Bible also says "love your neighbor as yourself." They should accept everyone with loving arms instead of being quick to judge them.
This article connects to the world. Gay people, among others, are discriminated against every day because others are uncomfortable with their differences. Some people discriminate against others because they want to feel better about themselves. But discrimination against anyone is wrong, whatever the excuse may be.
The Boy Scouts' executive Board will not vote on Wednesday on a proposal to let local groups set their own policies, as had been planned. It will instead be voted on at the organization's annual board meeting in May, because it needs more time to get comment on the issue from its members.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Book Review #1
“For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.” This is a quote from the book "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book inspired me with its courageous characters.
A theme of this book is that you should never give up, even when all things seem bleak. In the book, Legolas said "Oft hope is born when all is forlorn." What he meant by this is that a lot of the time people begin to be hopeful when things aren't going well. He said this to Gimli, and it made Gimli hopeful of the future. On page 232, the book says “And yet their wills did not yield, and they struggled on.” Frodo and Sam were at the last stage of their journey; to go to Mount Doom and destroy the one ring. By this point in the story, they were incredibly weary, and had no hope of returning home. But still they had hope that they would destroy the one ring, at least, and save Middle-earth. On page 195, when Sam is in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, feeling defeated because he still could not find Frodo, he sang
“Above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.”
A theme of this book is that you should never give up, even when all things seem bleak. In the book, Legolas said "Oft hope is born when all is forlorn." What he meant by this is that a lot of the time people begin to be hopeful when things aren't going well. He said this to Gimli, and it made Gimli hopeful of the future. On page 232, the book says “And yet their wills did not yield, and they struggled on.” Frodo and Sam were at the last stage of their journey; to go to Mount Doom and destroy the one ring. By this point in the story, they were incredibly weary, and had no hope of returning home. But still they had hope that they would destroy the one ring, at least, and save Middle-earth. On page 195, when Sam is in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, feeling defeated because he still could not find Frodo, he sang
“Above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.”
These words suddenly came to him, and he felt new strength. This gave him hope.
The author makes me believe in the characters as people. I like the characters in the book. Liking the characters is one of the reasons I like the book so much. Liking them made me want to continue reading to see if they were going to make it to the end of the book, and it made me feel connected to them. Frodo, the ring-bearer, and Sam, his faithful companion, are determined hobbits. When Samwise asked Frodo if he could manage the rest of the journey, Frodo said "I can manage it. I must," and went on. As Frodo was sleeping, Sam thought to himself "So that was the job I felt I had to do when I started, to help Mr. Frodo to the last step and then die with him? Well, if that is the job then I must do it." Sam went with Frodo until the end of his journey. "...Sam struggled on as best he could, having no guidance but the will to climb as high as might be before his strength gave out and his will broke." Sam, always put Frodo ahead of himself. He knew that Frodo couldn't make it up Mount Doom himself, so he carried him. Sam didn't care if they didn't survive the journey, as long as they accomplished what they set out to do: to destroy the ring of power.
I recommend that you read this book, because it has a good message, an interesting plot, and it is written well.
The author makes me believe in the characters as people. I like the characters in the book. Liking the characters is one of the reasons I like the book so much. Liking them made me want to continue reading to see if they were going to make it to the end of the book, and it made me feel connected to them. Frodo, the ring-bearer, and Sam, his faithful companion, are determined hobbits. When Samwise asked Frodo if he could manage the rest of the journey, Frodo said "I can manage it. I must," and went on. As Frodo was sleeping, Sam thought to himself "So that was the job I felt I had to do when I started, to help Mr. Frodo to the last step and then die with him? Well, if that is the job then I must do it." Sam went with Frodo until the end of his journey. "...Sam struggled on as best he could, having no guidance but the will to climb as high as might be before his strength gave out and his will broke." Sam, always put Frodo ahead of himself. He knew that Frodo couldn't make it up Mount Doom himself, so he carried him. Sam didn't care if they didn't survive the journey, as long as they accomplished what they set out to do: to destroy the ring of power.
I recommend that you read this book, because it has a good message, an interesting plot, and it is written well.
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