Monday, December 31, 2012

49. Last Lecture by Randy Pausch



Randy has always recognized the importance of time management. What did you think of his
decision to work on the book while riding his bike?

I think it was marvelous. Time management is very important in I always look up to people who use their time wisely. It is important to know how precious every minute is in our lives.

Randy chose "Really achieving your childhood dreams" as a topic for his lecture. In what ways woud this allow him to tell the story of his life, and to enable the dreams of others?

Just by telling his quest to achieve his childhood dreams Randy is enabling others to achieve their dreams.  So often dreams seem impossible to reach.  Randy shows that anything is possible if you keep striving for your goals.


Randy decided to begin his talk in a specific way – showing his CT scans, introducing “the elephant in the room,” assuring everyone he’s not in denial, and doing push-ups. What made this effective? What were you thinking watching this for the first time via video?

 He wanted to be upfront with the his impending death.  He wanted to show everyone he was not in denial and he knew the gravity of the situation.  Also, he wanted to show them how he still was himself it could not stop him from being himself.  It also shows how scary cancer is he is dying but on the outside he looks so healthy.


Randy said he realized many of his dreams because he had terrific parents. What details from his childhood do you think led to the successes he had later in life? Are there lessons in Randy’s story for people who’ve had less-fulfilling childhoods, or absentee parents? What advice might you give to those who didn’t win “the parent lottery”?

It is clear he had loving parents who encouraged his creativity and worked hard to give him and his sister a good stable upbringing. If you didn't win the parent lottery you should use it as motivation to become all you can be and ensure your children that they will win the parent lottery.


What would you paint on your bedroom walls if you were given permission to do so? What 
other creative outlet would you like to pursue, if your parents gave the OK?

I would definitely paint my room with things to motivate me and probably put my dreams on the wall so I could see them everyday.

What’s the lesson to be learned from Randy’s attempts to get onto that “Vomit Comet”?

Never, Never, Never give up.  He had to jump through several hoops to achieve his goal but he never gave up.

I learned a lot from Randy's last lecture.  The importance of time management, not letting brick walls stop you, and working to achieve your life's ambitions before your time runs out.



Monday, December 24, 2012

48. Jasper Jones by Chris Silvey

Jasper Jones is about prejudice and fear. How people wrongly fear things they don't understand causing prejudice.

Questions:
Do you think that Charlie did the right thing in helping Jasper? Charlie did the right thing helping Jasper. Jasper would have been arrested for murder if Charlie didn't help him out no body understood Jasper. They blamed him for everything simply because he was different from the other townspeople. It was similar to how they treated Jeffrey Lu.

Which of the characters do you think is the most courageous? Jeffrey was most courageous he had to face prejudice from the members of the cricket team and also deal,with people disrespecting his family. Jasper was courageous for keeping his head up in dealing with ignorant people his whole life.

Who is the central character - Charlie or Jasper? I think Charlie is the central character the book is shown through his eyes and it talks about his views on the prejudice in the town.



Sunday, December 9, 2012

47. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

I like the sardonic and humorous voice of the character even during some very tense times. Daisy finds love on the brink of war. She finds a home with her distant cousins.

The book really makes you think about what would happen if a war broke out now. How casually things change. Horror and humor. The love story is disturbing and beautiful at the same time.

Daisy is a great character. Page turner which I love didn't have a moment when I wanted to stop reading.



46. Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers' Monster tells of a young men caught in a web of criminal activity. He is accused of being the look out in a robbery gone wrong. We are giving evidence that suggest that he might be guilty or not guilty but the author leaves the truth up I'm the air. Personally,I think he probably was guilty but there was just not enough evidence to convict him. A poignant moment happens when during the trial. Steve Harmon's lawyer says the most important thing they can do is try to make him appear different from the likes of the others on trial with him. Steve Harmon thinks about all the times he wanted to be just like them. Also after he is acquitted he tries to hug his attorney but she stiffens and he wonders if she sees him as a monster even though he was found not guilty.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

45. Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

1. In the first line of the novel John claims that he is “immune to emotion.” How has he changed by the end of the novel? What causes this transformation?
Meeting Marisol opens John up to feelings he tries to avoid. Loving Marisol forces him to deal with the pain his parents divorce caused him. At the end he is able to feel emotions and express himself to his parents.

2. Describe John’s relationship with his mother. What is odd about how she interacts with him? Can you imagine this trait in your own maternal relationship?
John's relationship with his mom is distant. She doesn't touch probably subconscious rejection of him because he looks so much like his father.

I learned about zines from this book. I never heard of them before they sound cool to make. A home mad e magazine that express your feelings in written form.

44. This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz


Diaz's stories are always engaging even if they are frustrating because of the Spanish slang. But this makes the novel more authentic. The story tells of love and how we lose it. So of course it is heavy on the cheating and it's affects. It is interesting but his stories never affect me deeply like authors do. I love his succinct writing and dialogue.

"I’m not a bad guy.... I’m like everybody else: weak, full of mistakes, but basically good." Do you agree with his self-assessment...or is he letting himself off the hook too easily? Isn't his description applicable to anyone? I think his assessment is correct we are all weak and make mistakes all the time. But we are stronger than our weaknesses. Our weaknesses should never define us and we should never use them as an excuse for our behavior.

A pattern of infidelity runs throughout the stories. Why is Yunior compulsively unfaithful to women? Consider the influences of his father and brother—are genetics destiny? Explore the idea of a deeper, metaphorical meaning of betrayal in these stories—a betrayal against the self? And why does Yunior leave a written record of his infidelities. Guys can't keep it in their pants. I don't think cheating is genetic. You always have a choice even if genes produce a proclivity to act a certain way.



Friday, November 23, 2012

43. Looking for Alaska by John Green



"I go to seek a great perhaps."

A young man who is obsessed with the last words of famous people. Goes off to boarding school seeking a more profound existence. There he meets the Cornel and Alaska two people who will impact his life for years to come. Looking for Alaska is a sad sweet story that will stay with you for a long time and make you think about how you live your life. How you deal with suffering and loss and still love the day to its fullest. I loved this book and its message will live with me for years to come