We built that presintation response

I listened and watched the PechaKucha presentation called, ‘We Made That’. The presenter had some very interesting photos and a great understanding of her topic. She was very good at explaining the effects of their program on the local community. The presenter could help herself by practicing public speaking. She had several moments were it was quite clear she had lost her train of thought, or got off track.

The presentation as a whole seemed a little unorganized. I wasn’t sure what exactly the purpose of it was. It was interesting and informative, but the speaker never really noted why what she was doing was important. I feel like that is an important idea that should always be explained when presenting.

I like big presentations and I cannot lie

Fighting for Freedom

one Chinese citizen on his way home from the market marches
in front of several tanks sparking one of the biggest
pro-democracy protest in world history.

China is one of the best known communist governments in the world. Despite the power, and wealth it has gained from this government system still many fight for it to change. Possibly the best known example of this is the Tiananmen square protests in 1989. During these protest a large group of pro-democracy Chinese citizens stood their ground in Tiananmen square in Beijing. The protest were met with extreme hostility, eventually leading to a violent government ordered end to the protests. afterwards  one brave individual refused to move out of the way of several military vehicles creating an iconic image of the Chinese struggle for democracy.

25 years later a new democracy movement has been sparked within China: The Umbrella Revolution.  At the beginning of September 2014, several college students in Hong Kong took to the streets demanding the right to vote for Hong Kong's next governor. These protest come after China's president, Xi Jing Ping, announced that there would be no vote despite previous promises. The protesters quickly gained publicity, and more numbers. The Chinese Government reacted towards the protest with quick and violent action. Within 24 hours of the protestors setting up camp in the center of Hong Kong, police and soldiers were using tear gas to drive the protestors back home. These efforts clearly back fired. Just two days after the protests started, what began with a couple hundred college students grew into several thousand citizens of all ages, sanding side by side united under one symbol, an umbrella.


The protestors used Umbrellas to shield themselves from the pepper spray the police were using. This tool quickly became an icon for the protest, and a rallying flag for supporters of democracy.

These protest caught my attention when I was doing research for an event I do in debate. I was surprised that there were individuals brave enough to challenge the Chinese government. I believe these protest are a good cause, but will likely be unsuccessful. These people should fight for what they believe in, but they must also be rational. China's government has faced this problem before, and has had no trouble stopping them.

Whether or not this newest protest movement will have any success has yet to be determined. What is known is that these protest will continue to make history, and alter the landscape of Chinese politics.

Sources:

Chan, kelvin. "Umbrella revolution protest spread in Hong Kong." Huffington Post. HPMG news, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/29/hong kong_n_5899116.html.

Chow, vivienne. "Umbrella Revolution: More designs on Hong Kong's protests ." SOuth CHina Morning Post. SCPM Group, 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1603858/umbrella-revolution-designers-come-logos-occupy-central-protests.

"Tank Man." WIkipidia. N.p., 9 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_Man.

Why cant we be friends?

 
 
 
 
 

Uh... Racism

 

             Alright I'm going to be honest this is an uncomfortable topic. I hate hearing about situations where people have been mistreated. I have always had a problem understanding how someone could act so cruel towards others.

             When looking at the history of Japanese interment camps, I am even more disgusted. The fact that the U.S. government could in act such a policy makes me incredibly angry. It is their responsibility to protect American citizens, and they did the exact opposite. In those sorts of times, I believe it is important to always try to keep a steady mind.

            Another example of  America not keeping a level head was during 9/11. The U.S. government did not react as horribly as American citizens did. People all through out the U.S started grouping together an entire culture and said they were all the same. It is this kind of thinking that holds back our society.

 

            The best way I think for us to prevent this problem of racism is to realizes that people who share a similar skin tone, or culture with these individuals, are just as angry about it as anyone. All throughout the Face to Face stories, it was quite clear that those individuals were disgusted by what the terrorist were doing. If we as a society would realize that, these situations of racism would become much more rare.

Happy Halloween!!!

 

now a happy Pug for all of us to smile with
#PugsPreventRacism



If they can get along so can we!

Reading Response number 4:

Oblivion

by Anthony Horowitz

 

Oblivion is the fifth and final book in the Gatekeeper series, a series I have been emotionally invested in a very long time!!! I started reading it at the beginning of sophomore year, read about a third of it, and then stopped. I again picked it up Junior year and read another third of it, only to put it down again. Now I am hopping to pick it up for the final time.

 

the other gatekeepers because they do not know their fate

Why did I not finish the book? Well the answer is I don't want the story to end! I have loved these books for so long that I feel like if I don't know how it ends, it cant be over. on top of that I just know it will end horribly, because the book itself tells you it will!

 

But before I get in to that I will need to sum up four books worth of information in a couple of sentences. The Gatekeeper series is about a group of five teenagers destined to save the world. Each of these kids has a special power they can use. The problem is there is a group of bad guys called the old ones bent on destroying the world. For these next few responses I will try and focus on just one character so as to not have to do to much back story (side effect of jumping in after laying the book aside for a while).

 

Alright so now that that basic information is out of the way the main thing I want to focus on to day is the idea of fate. This idea, and primarily of knowing your fate is something extremely prevalent in this book. The question Horowitz really poses is, "If you knew your fate would you try and change it, and if you knew someone else's would you tell them?"

 

much like how Matt did not have a choice in his fate,
neither did this pug.

 Matt, who could be considered the main character, is the leader of the gatekeepers. He is the oldest, the most powerful, British and all around just a one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about. In the book Matt finds him self in what they call the dream world, a place where the five can meet up and talk even if they are hundreds of miles apart. While there he finds a library and reads a book about his life.

 

Now needless to say this would be kind of a scary thing. After all this means Matt knows how he will die! (this is not a spoiler, the book spoils it self!) When Matt is done reading he must decide what he will do, go down the path that is written, or try to avoid it.

 

Chapter 25

 

Nobody could be expected to go through that. I mean, nobody would do it if they knew how it was going to be.

 

(and then later when the librarian is asking if matt wants him to go get the others matt says)

 

"It doesn't matter whether I'd like it or not. It's what happens. You leave me here. You climb up the tower and ring the bell. The others arrive. We meet outside. And as for you and me, we never see each other again."

 

 

This quote shows just how demoralized Matt becomes after realizing his fate. He eventually decides to go through with what ever will happen to him, simply because he understands there is no out running fate. Matt isn't just left knowing his own fat though.

 



Chapter 25

 

Matt tried to force what he had read out of his thoughts. He wasn't the only one with problems. This adventure was going to hurt them all.

 

 

Matt makes the decision later on, to not tell the others about reading his own story. He believes that the truth would only make things worse for the other four. This brings up yet another interesting question. If you knew someone else's fate, would you tell them? Is that your right? Is that your responsibility? 

 

 

 

Matt thinking about his life after reading the book

 

 

 



All of the cops in this book

Reading Response #3

Don't Blink by James Patterson

Me when I finished the book

I finished this book a couple of days ago and must say i would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery thrillers. 

Just to catch up anyone who has not been following these Responses, the book is about a reporter named Nick Daniels trying to find out who murdered a Mob Lawyer. Through out the story Nicks life is put in danger as well as those he loves. 

One of the most interesting parts of this book is the different types of characters Patterson puts in the story. they are the usual charaters you see in a murder mystery, but with their own personal twist. One of the best examples is Bruno Torenzi.

page339

Finally, it came. The bomb, the echo, the birds... everything. Almost exactly as he'd imagined it would be. But Torenzi didn't stop and look back, not for a second. He had no intrest in taking it all in. He didn't feel the need.

He didn't feel anything.

This is one of those charters people love to hate. Torenzi is one of the most important characters throughout the book, working as a hit man for the highest bidder. Patterson provides little background on Torenzi, and it is because of this that he seems like a ghost. I cannot imagine an actual human being that would be as cold as he is. That is what makes this character so amazing. The fact that Patterson was capable of making such an intriguing character with little background yet a major role shows how talented he truly is.

Another character that Patterson does this with is David Sorren a rising political start.

page 355

"This GUY SHOULD be fitted for a cape!" raved the NY post. David Sorren's timing remained just about perfect two days later when he walked up to the podium on the top sep of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse and, with the sunlight of beautiful day beaming down on him, looked out at a huge, enthusuastic crowd and announced his candidacy for mayor of New York.

Sorren is such an interesting character because throughout the story his motives ch

ange, and Patterson never really tells you his plans for Nick until, BAMMM, it's over. Patterson makes the connection of Dacid Sorren to a superhero, a characteristic assigned to a lot of charismatic people. whether they be politicians, friends, or business owners, if you do something good you are instantly a superhero. Throughout the story though Patterson questions just how just this justices seeker is.

 In the end nothing in this novel is resolved, especially characters goals, until the very last page. Every character seems to be caught in a starring contest with the others and they all are waiting for the other to blink before ending the story. So read this book and find out who blinks, and who wins!

Nick when everything goes wrong

James Patterson: Don't Blink

I have been reading this book slowly for a little over a month and have enjoyed every second of it. I assume my next post will either be about me finishing the book, or me starting a new one.

 For a brief recap for all of those who did not read my last post: 

The book don't blink is about a journalist named Nick Daniels, searching to find out who murdered a mob lawyer. Throughout the book Nick struggles with trust. Unsure of who he can put his faith into and who will stab him in the back, Nick decides to handle the investigation for the most part by himself (not a really good idea). he quickly starts to find out that anyone who gets close to finding out the truth about the murder winds up dead, and if Nick is not careful he will too.

One of the most interesting parts of this book is the different relationships Nick has. One of the most important ones is with his niece Elizabeth. She is a fourteen year old blind girl. There is no one Nick cares about more in the world. Her father, and Nicks brother-in-law, died when she was nine. Despite all of the pain Elizabeth has gone through she is still the bravest person Nick knows.

Page: 157

Then she did what she always did. She broke away from my grasp so she could walk on her own, her foldout white cane leading the way.

tap-tap-tap...

That's my niece, Elizabeth.

The bravest anybody I know.

The perfect antidote for everything that had happened this week. 

Nick loves Elizabeth, I can understand that exact feeling. I would do anything for my niece Michaela, she has me wrapped around her little finger. Nick has taken over the place of the father figure for Elizabeth, and I like to believe I too have done that for Michaela while my brother is deployed by the military. 

As Nick tries to find out the truth behind the murder he relies on Elizabeth to be a distraction, although that can only last so long and soon Nick must get back to work. The question is can Nick protect himself, those he loves, and find out the truth?

Page: 309

"That's a smart little niece you have there, Nick. But we all know her daddy's dead." he said. "And unless you com alone to Grand Central Station in one hour, this little girl will be dead, too. And remember this, Nick. I have no reason to hurt her. She hasn't seen a thing."

I don't even know what Nick will do to solve this problem. I  better not blink or I might miss the detail that helps Nick solve this seemingly endless puzzle. 

Reading response 1

Book: Don't Blink

By: James Patterson

Don't Blink is a mystery novel. I bought it at a used book store in Soldotna Alaska during a missions trip. It has been suspenseful, action-packed, and mysterious full of twist and turns that I love trying to predicting.

The book is told in the first person view of Journalist Nick Daniels as he tries to find out who murdered a mafia lawyer. He quickly realizes he cannot trust anyone when investigating this horrendous crime. Nick was in the restaurant when the crime occurred and witnessed not only the lawyer killed but also two police men. After several days of his own investigation he finds himself visited in another restaurant by a stranger.

Page:143

"I don't know yet," I said, "But for sure the cops sitting at the other end of the counter might. Would you like me to call them over?"

I have to admit I felt pretty smug pointing out the two policemen in uniform saddled up to the counter with their coffees about a dozen stools away.

 But the stranger-Doug?- didn't even bother to look. He kept his eyes trained on mine.

"The last time you were in a restaurant with two cops- that didn't work out too well, did it? I don't think so."

I suddenly didn't feel so smug, or protected, either.

Nick is a bit of a wild card.  In many ways he reminds me of my brother. they are both not afraid of anything, quick witted, and love being the hero. That mentality obviously isn't the safest way to deal with situations and gets Nick in trouble through out the book.

Page 130

"Shut up!" he barked at the poor girl. " You're fired." 

Fired? You've got to be kidding.

"what are you doing? she was only trying to help me," I said, dumbfounded. "I was a customer here, too. actually, I am a customer. I was about to have a steak."

My new best friend, Jason, gave me a drop-dead stare. "was I talking to you?"

"You are now."

This is a great example of Nick jumping into a situation that might not be the best to get involved in. In fact he gets beat up because of it. He is like any other hero in any other story. to be honest James Patterson wasn't exactly original with this character. nothing about him screams unique. Nick isn't the only character who makes me suffer from deja vu, but he is definitely the most predictable. 

I must say that I am impressed with Patterson's writing. although i may be a little board by the characters, the plot keeps you on edge. he in fact gives off the idea that you should not trust anyone! every person Nick talks to either winds up dead, or turns on him. It truly makes the reader feel a little paranoid themselves. the best example of this is when Nick is kiddnapped by Eddie Pinero a mafia boss.

page 118

So this is it. I couldn't help thinking, this is how i die. what a joke.

Not while fleeing an attack by the Janjaweed militia in Darfur, or by catching typhoid fever, as I did a couple of years back in India while doing a piece on the prime minister, Manmohan Singh.

No I go down in my own backyard, New York City. All because of a recording I had never intended to make.

Christ, how did Eddie Pinero find out about me so fast then again, am I really that surprised? he probably has more people on his payroll than the NYPD.

Nick drives off to what could possibly be his death, but in true hero fashion he proves he won't die because he is sarcastic. No one can die while being sarcastic (it is a rule of writing)! He escapes this dangerous scene but soon realizes he may never be safe again. It leaves a question though how many chances does nick have before he runs out of luck.

51 things about me

1. I hate cats, and LOVE PUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. I am the financial commissioner at PV
3. I love older music i.e. Billy Joel, The Beatles, Louis Armstrong
4. I listen to all types of music
5. My favorite song is David by Elton John
6. I was born in Dallas Texas, Raised in San Antonio Texas
7. I am proudly a fan of the San Antonio Spurs
8. I am sadly a fan of the Dallas Cowboys

9. I enjoy playing soccer
10. the sport I am the worst at is probably tennis, or volleyball
11. I am a national qualifier in speech and debate
12. The coolest place I've been to is Alaska
13. my favorite food is chicken fried steak
14. my favorite show of all time is Psych
15. I ran cross country for two years
16. I played soccer for 6 years
17. I played football for half a season before breaking my leg
18. A broken leg ended my football career
19. I have ran 400 miles in one summer
20. I want to be a Judge when I am older
21. I have a bone that sticks out of my chest
22. I have extremely long feet for my height (size 14)
23. I am terrible at spelling
24. my favorite book is Elephant Run by: Roland Smith
25. I hate the ACT with a burning passion
26. I come from 3 generations of pastors
27. my favorite color is blue
28. I want to move back to San Antonio when ever I can
29. I am an assistant children's pastor at my church the Chapel
30. I hold the record for the largest baby to need to go to the Dallas NICU
31. I collect those pennies that you put in the machine and they flatten them a put a design on them
32. one of my favorite cities I ever visited was Minneapolis
33. My favorite basketball players are Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry
34. I do not have a favorite football or baseball player
35. I enjoy playing golf, but i'm really bad
36. I think that humans need to protect the environment more
37. My favorite subject is History
38. my favorite subject in history is the Middle East, specifically Persia
39. My favorite movie series is the Dark Knight Trilogy

40. my favorite movie is The Dark Night
41. my favorite quote is, "Some men just want to watch the world burn."
42 my second favorite quote is, "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
43. my favorite actor is Robert Downey Jr.
44. my favorite stand up comedian is Robin Williams (R.I.P)
45. my favorite super hero is Batman, but I like Marvel way more than DC comics
46. The number one place i want to go to right now is NYC
47. my favorite golfer is Adam Scott
48. I've been to more hockey games than any other sport, but i have never really cared about hockey
49. My favorite cars are Lincolns because I'm old fashion
50. I am very superstitious
51. I have several good luck charms, including a Pug Clip!