Die Zombie, Die!

Thousands of them swarmed around the jeep. Their craving for flesh attracted them to the only survivor in the area. The survivor started loading the gatling gun that was mounted on the jeep, since it was military issue. He was fumbling with the ammunition belt, trying to get it into the weapon. He finally got it in and aimed it at the zombies. Pulling the trigger, he unloaded hundreds of shots yelling out "die zombies, die!". One of the zombies managed to avoid the gunfire and crawled onto the jeep, right in front of the gun. The bullets tore through its body, getting blood, bones and body parts all over the gun and jamming it. Frustrated, he dropped the handles to the weapon and went for his rifle, which wasn’t there. He looked around, but couldn’t find it. The zombies started climbing up onto the jeep and overpowering the survivor. His screams could be heard from miles away.

The Lottery Response

In the story The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson,  the lottery is thought to be a good thing, but it turns out to be the complete opposite. The story has a few good examples of irony.

One example of irony is when people were all excited about the lottery. All the kids were playing and collecting rocks while they waited for the lottery. Everyone was saying that the lottery was such a good thing and that they should never get rid of it.

Another example was when ms Hutchinson was saying "its not fair!" and was then chosen to be killed. She also arrived late to the lottery. She acted excited and happy at the beginning because she thought she wasn’t going to be chosen.

Yin Yang

Yin Yang is the circle symbol with one side white with a black dot in it and the other side black with a white dot in it. It was created in China and used as an "ultimate diagram".  While it is a simple symbol, it has a lot of meaning

The black side with the white dot in it is Yin and Yang is the white side with the black dot. Yin represents slow, soft, diffuse, yielding and femininity while Yang means focused, aggressive, fast, and solid. They are supposed to be opposites, but the dot with the opposite color on each side means that there are similarities in differences.

While the two sides have many different meanings, they are mainly meant to represent dark and light. Dark and light also meant good and evil. The symbol was used to describe how  differences have similarities and that darkness can not exist without light and light cant exist without darkness.

The old yin yang symbol has been seen by many people because of its age. Although commonly seen in places everywhere, some people don’t know its actual meaning.

Crack in the Mirror

I am an imperfection. No one likes to see me.  I disorient their reflection when they look at the mirror, causing them to look weird. They try to fix the mirror and get rid of me, but no one cant get rid of me, for I am part of the mirror. If I leave, the mirror leaves to.
 

Cloning Research Paper

Cloning

Alex Vargo

Hour 4

Authors note: This is a research paper on the cloning process, advantages and disadvantages of cloning, and uses for cloning.

What if you could clone an exact copy of animal? Scientists are capable of doing that today. It is difficult process to clone, but use a common form of cloning called reproductive cloning which has good uses. Cloning does have it advantages, but it also has some disadvantages as well. Although cloning is a somewhat new technology, many scientists still study and test it. 

To start, reproductive cloning is a common form of cloning. “Scientists transfer the nucleus from an adult cell to an egg that had it its nucleus removed. The egg has to then be treated with chemicals or an electric current to stimulate cell division. Once the cloned embryo reaches a suitable stage, it is transferred to a uterus to develop until birth” (Cloning). This type of cloning creates animals that have the same DNA as another animal (Cloning).

Secondly, while many scientists choose to study further into it, cloning has its advantages and disadvantages. “Scientists hope that one day therapeutic cloning can be used to generate tissues and organs for transplants”  (Cloning). Although this would be very useful, “reproductive cloning is expensive and highly inefficient”  (Cloning). “More than 90% of cloning attempts fail to produce viable offspring” (Cloning). Cloned animals tend to have more compromised immune function and higher rates of infection, tumor growth, and other disorders and have been known to die mysteriously (Cloning).

Lastly, cloning technology has many other uses. Reproductive cloning can be used to develop animals with special qualities. “For example, drug-producing animals or animals that have been genetically altered to serve as models for studying human disease could be mass produced” (Cloning). Reproductive cloning also could be used to repopulate endangered animals or animals that are difficult to breed.

In conclusion, cloning is done all over the world today, and has caused new discoveries. Although having disadvantages, reproductive cloning is a common form of cloning. Scientists continue to study and test cloning, even though it is a somewhat new technology.

Bibliography

"Cloning." ThinkQuest. 19 April 2012 <http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112600/cloning.htm#>.

"Cloning." 1 July 2011. National Human Genome Research Institute. 20 April 2012 <http://www.genome.gov/25020028>.

"Cloning Fact Sheet." 11 May 2009. Human Genome Project Information. 17 April 2012 <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml>.

World War Z Retelling

When a new virus that turns people into the walking dead is found, the world is taken by surprise. Suddenly everyone was running for their lives from this infection, and many were not smart enough to survive it. Only the bravest, toughest, and smartest people were able to survive "World War Z".

The Secret Crusade Character Development

What if you were sent on a mission and you made one mistake which made you lost all the respect from the people around you? In the story The Secret Crusade, by Oliver Bowden, the main character Altair changes the lives of many people around him.

First,  Altair was treated as if he was inferior to his fellow assassins because of a careless mistake he made, which had caused him to say "That he, the great Altair, had brought dishonor upon himself and the Order." His mistake had caused him to have to go through the long and hard process of reclaiming his honor and becoming the master assassin he once was.

Although he was able to reclaim his honor, others suffered because if his mistake. One of his trusted friends had been killed while another had been severely hurt and had o have his arm amputated. Some of his fellow assassins never trusted him again because of his careless mistake.

Altair had to go through a lot to get his honor back. He had made almost everyone dislike him, and then most of them liked him again, which shows how much of an effect he is on others lives.

Lee Harvey Oswald- Alone or Not?

A big argument in U.S history is about if the assassination of John F Kennedy. Some people believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was the only one that shot him, some believe more than one person was, some even believe that the whole thing was faked.

According to www.time.com, "Over 70% of Americans believe that Kennedy's death was the result of a broader plot", meaning the majority of Americans thought there was a second gunman. They believe that the bullet trajectory didn’t match up with Oswald's perch on the 6th story of a building and that there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll of the Daley Plaza. People also believe that Oswald's 3 shots in 5 to 6 seconds couldn’t be possible with his bolt-action rifle.

Only 30% of people believe Oswald was the only gunman. There were reports of him being seen with his rifle after 3 gunshots. People also found his rifle hidden in a paper bag hidden behind objects. Reports say that Oswald was also a marksman, so he was able to make the shot.

Some people think that the assassination of JFK was fake. They say that the car that Kennedy was in had made an unscheduled detour and just happened to drive right in front of where Oswald was waiting. The car had also slowed down in front of Oswald's perch and gave him enough time to fire his 3 shots. Kennedy's brain also just happened to be lost during the autopsy, losing any evidence involving his wound.

People today still make new theories about what might have actually occurred during JFK's assassination. Although there were reports of what happened, people said different things. No one will ever know for sure if there what happened because a major piece of evidence was lost.

Poems Response

The authors wrote the two poems to show that you shouldn’t take what you had before, such as nature, shouldn’t be taken for granted. Both of the poems tone is sad and regretful and the mood is sympathy. Although they both seem sad as just poems, only "Field Below" sounded sad in the song. "Big Yellow Taxi" sounded happy and energetic. I don’t like either of the songs, but they show that other people might view the poem's tone differently.

Paintball is a Sport

Teams competing from all over the country go against each other in this fast paced activity. Skill and physical ability are needed to play well against professionals. Many people believe that the game of paintball isn't a professional sport, but it actually is.

A sport requires competition to be called a sport. Paintball has professional teams compete in tournaments to win money and fame. People can sometimes become aggressive, just like any other sport, and freak out.

Skill is a big part of paintball. Players need to be able to hit the other team with paintballs without getting themselves hit. They also have to be skilled in working with their team and communicating with them. Some teams use code words, which need skill to remember and use in the right way otherwise everyone on the team is confused.

Players also need to be physically fit to play. There is a lot of running, diving to the ground, and dodging to avoid paintballs. They have to be able to keep moving without getting tired or having to stop. Just like in any other sport, if you aren't fit then you cant play the sport well. 

People believe that since paintball isn't usually on TV or that it isn't like any other sport that it isn't a sport at all. Sports require skill, physical fitness and some competition, which paintball also requires. So if anyone tells you it isn't a sport, they are wrong.

Blood Ninja Retelling

The book Blood Ninja, by Nick Lake, is about a boy named Taro. He lived a normal life until a group of ninjas invaded his home and killed his father. One of ninjas sent to save him kept him from dying by turning him into a vampire. He then takes Taro back to where he lives and shows him that his parent weren't who they thought they were and that his former lord, Lord Oda, was actually his enemy.

Taro Character Development

Many characters in the book Blood Ninja change from beginning to end, either by death or another character. The main character Taro had seemed to be an almost completely different person in the end because he was no longer innocent and he had changed so much.

In the beginning, Taro was just a normal  and innocent boy who was very talented with a bow and arrow. A group of ninjas soon changed that and caused Taro to have to become a vampire and leave his home forever. He was trained in the way of the ninja, already very different from his former self. When his mentor Shusaku dies, he had to become almost self dependant, making him an almost completely different character.

Taro had always wanted to follow "samurai honor" and be just like them, he soon realized that it was untrue. His need for revenge against his former lord, Lord Oda had made him into a different person.

Mother to Som Poem Parody

 Authors Note: This is a parody of the poem Mother to Son. It is for the novel Blood Ninja. Shusaku is speaking to Taro and the tone and mood is motivational.

Well Taro ill tell you:

Life for me hasn’t been an easy path

Its covered in blood,

And corpses,

And people who are scared

And places no one else wishes to go-

Rough

But all the time

I've kept following it

And reaching dead ends

And walking though the winding path

And always in the dark

Where no one else is

So don’t give up

Don’t stop on the path

You will find its harder

Don’t give up now

For I'm still going

Im still walking

And life for me hasn’t been an easy path.

 

Mother to Son Poem Response

Examples of figurative language are that life was not a crystal staircase and that life was a bare, rough staircase full of torn up boards and splinters. They used that figurative language to explain that life is not easy and that it will be full of obstacles. The mood and tone is motivational because it says to not give up, no matter how hard life is.

Shusaku Character Sketch

Authors Note: This is a character sketch for the character Shusaku in the book Blood Ninja by Nick Lake.

Moving silently like a shadow as if he was a part of the darkness. Possessing the speed, strength and agility that no man has. Using skills that he had been taught by others like him, he could move without anyone knowing he was there. His main goal being to protect a lords son with his life, which he does. Decapitation, a stab through the heart and the  sun are his only weakness, everything else is able to heal.

His body like a piece of paper with writing covering every part of him. Robes that seemed to be part of the darkness concealed every weapon he carried.  Sharp teeth capable of cutting through skin and drinking the blood of his victims. Floating eyes are all that can be seen by his kind when he is not wearing his dark robes.

Once a brave warrior who fought for his ruler before he had been turned. The love of his life had saved him from death by turning him into a sort of demon. He then had to become a kind of assassin, like others who had been turned. Still serving his lord, he was sent on a mission to protect his secret son from another lord.

Never wanting to use his inhuman abilities for a bad cause, he always does it for good.  He uses them to protect people and try to keep peace.

Shusaku

Moving silently like a shadow, Shusaku could slip by any enemy he came across. Possessing the speed, strength and agility of a vampire, he could take on multiple ninjas at a time. With his ninja skills, he could move silently and fight using shiriken and a sword. As protector of Taro, he must keep him safe from any ninja or other enemy.  His only weakness is decapitation, the sun, and a stab through the heart.

He had writing tattoos all over his body which kept him as invisible as air. His black ninja robes, that were a shadow the darkness, held all of his weapons without letting them be seen. Since he is a vampire, he has sharp teeth for drinking  blood. When seen by a ninja, his eyes appear to be the only thing there. If he is completely unclothed, he is almost completely invisible.

Through Jonas's Eyes

Authors Note: I would like this graded for point of view.

What if you lived in a world where everything was plain, then you had to all of a sudden see all the good and bad things that aren't part of life? In the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry, we see Jonas's point of view, which is an important part of the story.

In the story, we see what happens though the main character Jonas's eyes. We see the good and bad memories that he receives from The Giver. The plain and simple world that Jonas has to live in is shown as a bad thing and as something that should be avoided.

If the story had been told from a different characters point of view, it would be very different. Asher's point of view would show the opposite of Jonas's. We wouldn’t see a different view of the world or the memories of pain and happiness that Jonas receives. At the end we could have seen what it could have been like when the community had to get all the memories Jonas had.

Jonas's point of view is an important part of the book. If the story had been told from a different person's point of view, like Asher's, the book would be boring like Jonas's community. 

Conflict of The Giver

 Authors Note: I would like this to be graded for conflict.

What would you do if you had to have all the memories of pain and happiness that no one else was allowed to have? Would you want to leave that place and find somewhere where it was? In the story The Giver, by Lois Lowery, the main character does want to get away from his community ,which doesn’t allow anyone but the receiver to know the memories of pain and happiness, and find out if there is an Elsewhere.

Jonas wants to get away from his plain life because he had made a plan with The Giver to run away to Elsewhere. Although part of that plan was to make the community have to receive all the memories Jonas had, he had wanted to escape and live a different life with Gabriel.

The conflict starts to become more and more of a problem because Jonas receives more of the memories and doesn’t want to live his plain life. He wants to run away from it and find out if there is another place that is like the good memories he has.

The conflict doesn’t quite get resolved in the end. When it says "Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was just an echo." at the end, it doesn't show that he made it to Elsewhere. He could have died or he could have made it but didn’t say it in the text.

Although the conflict may or may not have been solved, it is still a very important to the book. If Jonas had not wanted to leave his community or was never the receiver at all, the ending of the story wouldn’t have gone the way it had.

Loss of Innocence

Authors Note: This is an essay about the theme in The Giver by Lois Lowry. The purpose is to explain one of the major themes.

What if one day you were living like everyone else, a plain and simple life, and then you had to be one of the only ones who felt pain? One of the major themes in the story The Giver by Lois Lowery is loss of innocence; it shows this in several ways.

    

One theme of the story is loss of innocence. Jonas loses his innocence when he becomes the new receiver. He has to keep all the secrets and memories that no one else knows. Everyone else gets to live a plain life while Jonas has to keep all the memories of pain and loss.

Jonas also loses his innocence when he leaves his home. People started searching for him so they could bring him back to the community. He left to force the people to have the memories that he had been holding the entire time he was the receiver.

Jonas's dad also loses his innocence. When he kills the twin, even though that was what he was taught. He never knew that what he was doing was actually killing it, he just thought it was "release". Jonas was horrified when he learned what release was, and he knew that no one in the community was innocent anymore.

Jonas and the rest of the community had lost their innocence. If the theme had been different, it would be a different story.

The Giver Alternate Ending

Authors Note: This is a piece that I would like graded in prediction.

The heavy snow fell from all directions. Jonas dragged his feet though the thick piles of it on the ground as he carried Gabriel. They both shivered uncontrollably to the point where the memory of sunshine could not help them anymore.  More and more snow fell, making it harder and harder for Jonas and Gabriel.

Suddenly, Jonas tripped and both of them landed in the cold snow. Jonas rushed to Gabriel, hoping to keep him from getting any colder. When Jonas picked up Gabriel, he noticed he was not shivering anymore and his body had become limp. Jonas knew that Gabriel had froze to death.

Tears ran down his numb face as he laid back in the snow, not able to feel anything anymore. He had been unable to keep Gabriel from dying. Jonas let himself get colder and colder, knowing he was going to share the same fate.

He started to feel tired, but he knew that it was actually death that was coming. Closing his eyes, he waited for his death. As his shivering stopped, his body went limp, and he died just like Gabriel.