Educational or Not?

On the internet there are so called educational websites. The thing is are they really educational? I decided to go on one of the best known website www.coolmath.com and my results were not surprising to me. What I found was that The games that were educational were really games that were considered strategy. That is one cheap move for the educational community.

College: Part #1

College isn’t easy or cheap and for best buds Cole and Josh they could afford it thanks to their parents. The thing was they both didn’t care or try; instead they thought it was more fun to party which is why both of them dropped out in a matter of months. Their parents were horrified and told each of them that if they did not man up and try they would not get any of the family fortune. The two didn’t take the stern threat seriously and thought it as a joke. They both were entered into new colleges where they flunked again but no wrongdoing had even occurred in their minds.

A year later Cole’s parents died in a freak car accident and when he went to their lawyer to receive his inheritance he was solemnly told that they left everything to charities for kids with autism. Cole who now realized his parents were not kidding and had thrown his life away.

The Pearl

The Pearl

Selfishness, greed, discrimination, prejudice, and classism these are all themes that could potentially fit under The Pearl but today I am talking about and explaining greed. In the beginning of the book the author explains that Kino is poor but happy. Near the end of the book he ironically is rich and miserable.

Kino and his wife Juana live in a brush house on the shoreline of the gulf.  They seem to be living the average life until their first and only child Coyotito. got stung by a scorpion. To get help for his child he goes out in search of a pearl which ends successful. Thankfully, his son recovered of naturally.  Soon after he soon is the talk of the town. Everyone around soon becomes jealous and wants his precious pearl.

Kino, overcome with greed becomes overprotective and soon murders a would-be attacker. He and his family fled the city and had to avoid a group of trackers. Kino who is completely transformed by the pearl lures the trackers into a trap.

I really cannot think of a book with this type of plot line but I remember a T.V. show called Body of Proof. In it, a generous man who wins the lottery gets driven mad with greed and gets murdered. 

In the end, Kino’s greed deprives him of a home, child, boat, and a happy life. Greed changes no matter who it is or what it is.

Being a famous celebrity is was over-rated. Running from vicious fans that will do anything to meet you in person, staying up till’ the early hours of the day. Then there is your manager….

“Are you crazy? It’s four o’ clock in the morning!” Bill screamed.

“What?” I asked in a raspy voice.   

“You start your tour tomorrow and you need your rest.” Sitting there on the hard barstool I knew he was right. I tried to stand but immediately stumbled. I had forgotten that I spent all day in the dreary bar.

                                      

                                                                    To be continued....

Milkweed Essay

The book Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli takes place in the time of the Holocaust, the (in my opinion) worst time in history. During that time period over 11 million people died from the Nazi’s reign of terror. Misha, the main character of Milkweed is an abandoned orphan living on the streets and stealing to survive. Misha changes his beliefs about the Jackboots.

The story is told from Misha’s point view. MIsha frequently misinterprets terrible events and situations. For example, he thought a march of Jews that were being sent to camps was a pretty little parade. Another example is that he thought the Jackboots looked cool because they had neat uniforms. He actually wanted to become a Jackboot. It never occurred to Misha that the Jackboots could be evil.

Misha changes his mind when he realizes the Jackboots are truly evil. Misha realizes the ghetto was a camp the Nazi’s sent Jews and later Gypsies to die. All of the boys were caught and then sent to it. Cut off from the outside world with the dwindling amount of food, Misha starts smuggling food inside of the ghetto. Some of the other boys started also but weren’t so lucky when they were hung from lampposts. After being sent there he truly sees who the Jackboots are.

Overall, Misha  is a dynamic character who is living in the time of the Holocaust and who has to learn what is really happening. His dream of becoming one of the shining Jackboots is diminished when he reaizes that things were too good to be true.

Olek

As I look down at my lifeless body hanging from the street lamp I know for sure that angels exist. The other boys may not have believed me but I knew it was true. I see the sign around my neck and read it, those Jackboots disgust me. I float up and up and up not stopping even in nothingness. Then a light surrounds me and then I feel nothing.

"If....."

If  there was no spoken or written language what would the world be like?

There would be no communication besides body language and that might be hard to interpret. It would be almost impossible to live or even exist. There would be no need for mail, phones, e-mails, or any IM service at all. Life would be boring without communication. What would we do during the time of our lives? Just think….. nothing at all. Nobody would trade, work, farm, learn, or speak. We would probably not survive from the lack of food and housing.