Project Reflection

From doing this book report I found more symbols and irony that I haven't noticed in the book before. It allowed me to visualize the book the way I want to, I had the chance to create bits and parts of the world of 1984 in my prospective. The book wasn't exactly a joyful read for me, it was a slow start and I didn't find it as appealing as other book that I have read before did. Therefore I didn't put as much effort into reading it as I could have, but I believe I put enough for me to understand the book. The project however I did put more effort into than reading the book. I collected materials from all over the place, brought it home, began to cut, and put the pieces together. I took two separate days to work on it and about a total of 2-3 hours of solid work. I believe that this is a good project to do, a better one compared to a normal book report. It is because it allows the students to use their creativity and to paint the book the way they want it to be, not just to themselves but to everyone else.

911

The 911 event has changed the world since it happened, especially the United States of America. The security level has rose up in the U.S.A. Also many racial stereotypes and discriminations against the Arabian race were created which greatly impacted the social classes of the U.S.A. But not only has it impacted these two things it has also impacted people's lives, those who lost their lives in the event, and those who lost ones they cared about because of the event. Their lives are greatly impacted and most of them would never forget what happen on 9/11. I believe the U.S.A responded correctly and incorrectly to the event. George Bush was the president at the time and he made some pretty bad decisions. The government as a whole made some great decisions, such as the creation of Homeland Security, as many people say the best offense is a good defense. Also trying to find out who was in charge of this terroristic act was also the right thing to do, because it gave the families that lost someone a answer. However the world is not a safer place because the Department of Homeland Security was created, new technology is being created each day and many are used for weapons that the terrorists can get. Having the recent news of Bin Laden being killed may have sent comfort into the hearts of ones who lost their family but it doesn't mean that it is the end.

Buried Alive

I believe that in such a situation I would first think about all the people I know and how I may not see them again. Then I would panic and begin to try to find a way out, by all means necessary. If I can't move at all and there was someone who could go out I would like him to send a message to my family and friends telling them that I love them and regreets that I have to leave early.  I would probably regret somethings that I have done in live and some that I haven't got the chance to. If there were others trapped with me, I believe we would work together and help each other out of the life threatening situation.  In such dramatic events people always find a way to help other either it being mental support or physical support. I do not believe in the phrase "every man for him self" because there are always someone in the world that would care for you and would help you. Only the most selfish people in the world would use the phrase "every man for himself" in such a situation.

Jargon

Jargon exist in any and all kinds of activities or jobs, each one is made up of words already known but combined together creates a new and different meanings. There are always new terms being created because of new innovations on the activity. Krakauer mentions several in Into Thin Air things such as short rope, rappelling, and etc. From skating I have learned a lot of Jargons for names of tricks, brands, and even directions. Things such as BS, FS, pop-shuv-it, kickflip, hardflip, heelflip, treflip, sticky, steezy, and ollie may not make sense to other people. However it makes perfect sense to me. The most basic of the skate boarding slangs would be ollie, BS, FS and pop. Ollie is the most basic trick on the skate board it is simply stepping down on the tail of the board and dragging the board up with your other feet making it look like the board is jumping with you into the air. Poping is the simple action of stepping down on the head or tail of the board making it pop up. Then BS is backside and FS is front side. BS trick are done in what ever direction you are facing and FS is to the back. Then the combination of terms create new names for different tricks. For example FS ollie or otherwise known as a FS 180 ollie is a trick of which you ollie and add a body viral which would then mean you jump and spin 180 degrees with the board. There are probably a million more terms and new ones being created each day for skating, there is always more to learn.

Risk for a reason

I believe that in most cases if a disaster is to occur people wouldn't risk their own lives to saving a stranger. It just not logical to give up your own life for someone you have never met before. However there are people that are at the two extremes. There is a type who would risk anything and everything to save another human being's life, and the other would to anything just to save him/herself. The majority would still be in the middle, these people would hesitate and take the risk into consideration. They may end up thinking that risks aren't that large and go for it and sometimes the risk is too much to be taken and they bail out. There are more stories about people being brave and risking their own life for saving another's. I believe that some save other because they see a the importance of the person surviving, or they may just be every open hearted. Yet some people are either too scared risks or jut to selfish to save another person. To me if the person trapped was the one who caused the disaster it still wouldn't change my choice of trying to help him/her out of the situation, because they could be punished afterwards. Not unless my closest friends or family dies because of him/her I would leave him/her there to die. On the other hand in natural disasters things would be different I would try to help as much people as I can, because there is no one to blame for the casualties, and the more that survive the better.

Why Take Risks?

Krakauer says that the mountain climbers take risks because of the thrill and also the experience they can tell others. His comment can also apply to other forms of risk taking because risk bring excitement to life and also may people like to tell stories about their risks. Many times in my own life I take risk just for the pure adrenalin rush. I also do it some times to prove worthy to myself and some times friends. Usually I take a couple of physical risks the challenge myself and also to get the feeling of achievement. Many times I have seen others take risk both mental and physical and most of them are to show others what they can do, what they are capable of. Even risk can be rewarded with a larger outcome compared to not taking the risk, but that is not why people like taking risks unless your a businessman. People like it because they don't know whats going to happen they like the excitement, they like the chance of losing. If there is no chance of losing something from taking the risk there would be no excitement and mot importantly it wouldn't really be considered  risk.

Compare Disasters

The two events; the Titanic and Krakauer's journey are similar in both being great lost for the people who been through it. Also in both events people died of a tragic death. However what happened is different and they are also written with a different style. Krakauer has a closer view at the event since he was there to witness it and he put more narrative into the story than the Titanic story which was more informational. However both are written to make the event more interesting to read about and not just data and information. The Titanic story is using all firsthand and secondhand evidence and is told by putting the evidence together making it flow like a story. Yet Krakauer's story is a really narrative, he pretty much rights a memoir of the event into a book. The Titanic story is told from a third person point of view and is in the past tense since the event happen before the story was published. Krakauer's story is told in a first person point of view so there is less information in total but it more detailed on certain events and also has a more personal feeling to it. One is like looking at the after math and one is a flash back where you are right there with Krakauer.

participation

I believe that the job of a journalist should be reporting; reporting the truth and not adding bias opinions if they could avoid it. However when writing or talking about a event that is tragic or life changing, it is hard for a person no matter who it is to hold back emotions, especially if they were there to witness it. The line of which a journalist becomes a participant is vague and it difficult to decide what side he/she is one. To be 100% journalist you can not do anything that would affect the out come of the event, but if there was a person dying right in front of you and you could save him/her, wouldn't you do it. Yet if you do help and write a story of the main event some may say you are more of a participant in the event. However a lot of times news is presented best when the reporter or journalist was there and acquired first hand information. Events such as a natural disaster or war, its hard not to get emotional when wittnessing it. Therefore there should be a different amount of tolrance for different events due to the different emotional levels that the journalist will receive.

Risk

Some people in the world are drawn to danger because it give them excitement and some do it because they feel a sense of achievement afterwards. In life risks and danger may not be a thing that most would want however to achieve something great you are going to have to take risks. I my self take risk a lot, I love the feeling when I take a risk and I achieve the goal I wanted. Also when you take a risk you feel a rush of some sort and to me it just feels so good, it is almost impossible to put into words. I can recall a risk I took during a basketball game of mine in the 8th grade. We were losing by a few points and it seemed like we didn't have much of a chance of winning. As the opposite team stole the ball out of our point guards hands, and pushed us back to our side of the court, I broke formation risking that the opponent can run straight through the whole I created. I ran straight to their point guard who had the ball and took him by surprise. I knocked the ball out of his hands and darted down the basketball court to the other side just in time to make a lay up and even out the score. This was a risk that made me proud of my self, even though it could have gone terribly wrong and I could have singlehandedly lost the game for my team.

Free Write

Music has been around us ever since the beginning of time. It started out as a way of communication and telling stories to what it is today entertainment and an art form. Music can be expressed in many different ways; vocals, instruments, etc. Just the human body can be used in many different ways to produce sounds and to sing songs to create music. As the technology developed new sounds are able to be made by using the computer and voice's can also be altered on the computer. It is still music but it has lost its originality, hardly any new singers today still sing it the old fashion way; a set of vocals, a band, and a recording studio or live audience. I haven't had the privilege to live back 30-40 years ago when music was still like that and all the artists could really sing. I believe that the music industry has changed to the worse over the years. Artist aren't in it for entertaining the audience they do it for the money. Also new artists that come out are just like a replica of the one that came out 2 months before them. I am only 16 and yet my I Tunes library is made up of more than 70% of songs that are even older than I am. I follow bands and artists who started out in the 1970s just because their music is better than modern music. However there are still modern bands and artists out there that do it the way I like, but they are some how not getting as much attention as the computer generated sounds and altered voices. All the special effects added into a song just makes it seem like a messy circus; its noisy and unpleasant. The society and technology has improved but the music seems to have taken the way down hill, and yet there are artists out there who are trying to bring it back onto its upward climb.

A Challenge

Challenges occur in life all the time however not all challenges occur because of accidents, most challenges exist because people want them to. Everyone likes a little challenge in their lives, I specifically like challenges on a day to day basis. I challenge myself both mentally and physically but most of the time they are physical challenges. I like physical challenges such as skating because once I learn a new trick or land a big jump I feel fantastic. Compared to mental challenges I don't just feel a sense of accomplishment, I feel like I just won a million dollars! For example when I first started to skate I knew nothing but to ride around on my deck. Then I learned how to turn and how to Ollie ("Jump") but they didn't seem like such a big challenge or accomplishment so I wasn't too proud of myself. Then after a few months of practicing I could Ollie higher and also I began to learn a new trick called the Pop-Shuv-It. THe Pop-Shuv-It is a trick where you spin the board 180 degrees under your feet while you jump forward and catch the board after it made is rotation. It was very difficult at first to spin the board and may time I failed to land it properly and the board would snap back and hit my sheen. Practice after practice I finally land the trick successfully and it was consecutive. I felt so good and went on skating for a long time. Now I skate for the challenge of learning new tricks and also for the fun of it.

Highwayman

After hearing Seamus recited the poem from memory, Frankie found a connection between him and the Highwayman. They were both a lone and the one they loved was pretty much forbidden to love. The Highwayman was in love with Bess and Frankie was in love with Patricia. The Bess's father didn't allow the Highwayman to see her because he believed the Highwayman to be a and and evil person which his daughter shouldn't learn from or love. As for Frankie the nuns were like the parent who refused to allowed him and Patricia be together because they both have serious illnesses. Frankie can feel what the Highwayman is feeling for Bess the love and the want, and also the disappointment when he can no longer talk to Patricia. He feels the loneness that the Highwayman experiences. Also to add to the similarity both of the girl died and the boys lived with the pain of knowing that their loved one was dead. This is a very sad similarity to have and I believe that no one should have to suffer this; separation from love and also to receive information that the one you loved is dead.