the real final book review

For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)  
If you've read other books by this same author, how does this one compare? (You don't need to decide which one is better, although you can.)
Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.         
        Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fictional book by J.K. Rowling. This novel follows a boy, Harry Potter, who discovers that he is a wizard. He enrolls in a school that teaches magic.There, he has mysteries to solve.
        Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is a book for children as well as teens. The simple explanation: it's about magic. However, I have to use CDs and CMs so here goes. "'He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.'" If adults read this quote, they would immediately think that this book is so immature and there are no such things as witches and wizards. That would be the end of it. Besides they have better things to do like do the taxes and watch news. However, younger people might have more interest in this magical world. It is easier for them to get sucked into this book. This novel helps youngsters get away from the cruel reality of the world and into a magical one.
        The cover wouldn't appeal to adults. People are told not to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. The cover shows a boy riding on a broomstick who is trying to catch a golden ball. In the background, there is a unicorn on a field and a three headed dog inside a gigantic castle. This type of illustration would appeal more to the younger generation.
        I would recommend this book to youth if I wasn't too lazy and uninterested to do so. It's useful if you want to pass time(whether it be in a waiting room or in a boring class). The beginning isn't slow and it doesn't have problems when introducing ideas. New ideas just blend into the plot and are not out of place. There is nothing that is too bloody to give children nightmares as this is not a horror book. In addition, the vocabulary is not overly advanced. A fifth grader could probably understand this book. The book is not too short or too long(only 309 pages). As a result, the plot is complete without dragging the story out too long to the point where a reader may fall asleep after reading several hundred pages. However if you are looking for action, this book would not satisfy you. The main character has not learned enough magic yet to engage in major duels. It is more of a detective novel because the main characters try to find a culprit.
The other books written by J.K. Rowling that I have read are all in the Harry Potter series.I believe this book is relatively short compared to all those other Harry Potter novels. However, this one is just as good if not better than most of the other books in the series. They have similar styles too. What makes the novels so alike?
        To provide an example, I will use a quote from the book. "It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls..."(Rowling, 307). In the whole series, Harry does crazy stuff that normal people don't do and goes on a lot of adventures. Obviously, Rowling designed this character to be like this. There is also a consistent style in the plot that the author utilizes. Before the school year, Harry stays with the Dudleys. Then the plot always starts with mysteries that are unlocked piece by piece as the year goes on. In the end, the action often involves the defense against the dark arts teacher who opposes Harry (it is said that the job is cursed). The old teacher is always gone the next year. Finally, Harry goes back to live with the Dudleys (except in the last book).
        Like I said before, this one is short compared to the other books in the series (only 309 pages). The fifth book in the series is over 700 pages long! There is not as much spell usage because the main character has not learned enough to use them. In later books, Harry will use more spells. This is the only book where house points are a big deal. Hogwarts is split into four houses and whichever house has the most points by the end of the year wins the trophy. However in later books, house points are not as significant. If I had to say which book was the best in the series, I would say it was the fourth one. That one was better than this one, but I still like the one I'm reading, not to take anything away from this one.
        A character I would like to look at is Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. To start with, his personality is very calm. He doesn't become angry and never panics in the face of danger. He seems like a very cheerful man from what Harry says. In addition, he is very knowledgable . He knows everything that is going on in his school as well as the world. He knows that Voldemort, the villian, will strike again. Dumbledore can also be very affirmative and threatening. He bluntly warns that a section of the school is forbidden and that absolutely no one can go there. He also is rumored to be the only one Voldemort fears. He is a powerful wizard and he is praised by supporters and students. Dumbledore is so famous that he has his own trading card and is offered a job as a minister. His relationship to Harry is a friendly one. He offers Harry a spot in Hogwarts. However there are few interactions between Dumbledore and Harry in the novel. He doesn't consciously look after Harry even though he knows he is the one who can defeat Voldemort. It seems like a one way relationship in which only Harry is interested in what Dumbledore is doing. This may be because he is so busy all the time.
        To recap, I think this book is good. I believe that it doesn't contain a whole lot of action, but it is just a precursor to the next books in the series. It's fictional so the intended audience are the children and teens. It's interesting to see how Dumbledore and Harry interact in  this and later books. You should read this novel.

peer review comments

for cristian:
First off, the first sentence is a fragment. Other than that, I think this is fine. I would like you to explain what the other two ministries in 1984 do. Nice use of comparisons in par. 7.
for ebone:
I congratulate you for picking a challenging book for this assignment. I find it interesting that back then women sometimes held top jobs. I have to ask if the notes at the end of the book are useful?
for victor:
Can you post the questions at the top like the assignment says? I think that it's good to describe what autism is because the reader can understand why the character is doing all this stuff. I find it astounding that he knows immediately what 251 times 864.

final book review

For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)  
If you've read other books by this same author, how does this one compare? (You don't need to decide which one is better, although you can.)
Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.         Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fictional book by J.K. Rowling. This novel follows a boy, Harry Potter, who discovers that he is a wizard. He enrolls in a school that teaches magic.There, he has mysteries to solve.
        Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is a book for children as well as teens. The simple explanation: it's about magic. However, I have to use CDs and CMs so here goes. "'He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.'" If adults read this quote, they would immediately think that this book is so immature and there are no such things as witches and wizards. That would be the end of it. However, younger people might have more interest in this magical world. It is easier for them to get sucked into this book. This novel helps youngsters get away from the cruel reality of the world and into a magical one.
        The cover wouldn't appeal to adults. People are told not to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. The cover shows a boy riding on a broomstick who is trying to catch a golden ball. In the background, there is a unicorn on a field and a three headed dog inside a gigantic castle. This type of illustration would appeal more to the younger generation.
        I would recommend this book to youth if I wasn't too lazy and uninterested to do so. It's useful if you want to pass time(whether it be in a waiting room or in a boring class). The beginning isn't slow and it doesn't have problems when introducing ideas. New ideas just blend into the plot and are not out of place. There is nothing that is too bloody to give children nightmares as this is not a horror book. The vocabulary is not overly advanced. A fifth grader could probably understand this book. The book is not too short or too long(only 309 pages). As a result, the plot is complete without dragging the story out too long to the point where a reader may fall asleep after reading several hundred pages. However if you are looking for action, this book would not satisfy you. The main character has not learned enough magic yet to engage in major duels. It is more of a detective novel because the main characters try to find a culprit.
The other books written by J.K. Rowling that I have read are all in the Harry Potter series.I believe this book is relatively short compared to all those other Harry Potter novels. However, this one is just as good if not better than most of the other books in the series. They have similar styles too. What makes the novels so alike?
        To provide an example, I will use a quote from the book. "It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls..."(Rowling, 307). In the whole series, Harry does crazy stuff that normal people don't do and goes on a lot of adventures. Obviously, Rowling designed this character to be like this. There is also a consistent style in the plot that the author utilizes. Before the school year, Harry stays with the Dudleys. Then the plot always starts with mysteries that are unlocked piece by piece as the year goes on. In the end, the action often involves the defense against the dark arts teacher who opposes Harry (it is said that the job is cursed). The old teacher is always gone the next year. Finally, Harry goes back to live with the Dudleys (except in the last book).
        Like I said before, this one is short compared to the other books in the series (only 309 pages). The fifth book in the series is over 700 pages long! There is not as much spell usage because the main character has not learned enough to use them. In later books, Harry will use more spells. This is the only book where house points are a big deal. Hogwarts is split into four houses and whichever house has the most points by the end of the year wins the trophy. However in later books, house points are not as significant. If I had to say which book was the best in the series, I would say it was the fourth one. That one was better than this one, but I still like the one I'm reading, not to take anything away from this one.
        A character I would like to look at is Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. To start with, his personality is very calm. He doesn't become angry and never panics in the face of danger. He seems like a very cheerful man from what Harry says. In addition, he is very knowledgable . He knows everything that is going on in his school as well as the world. He knows that Voldemort, the villian, will strike again. Dumbledore can also be very affirmative and threatening. He bluntly warns that a section of the school is forbidden and that absolutely no one can go there. He also is rumored to be the only one Voldemort fears. He is a powerful wizard and he is praised by supporters and students. Dumbledore is so famous that he has his own trading card and is offered a job as a minister. His relationship to Harry is a friendly one. He offers Harry a spot in Hogwarts. However there are few interactions between Dumbledore and Harry in the novel. He doesn't consciously look after Harry even though he knows he is the one who can defeat Voldemort. It seems like a one way relationship in which only Harry is interested in what Dumbledore is doing. This may be because he is so busy all the time.
        To recap, I think this book is good. I believe that it doesn't contain a whole lot of action, but it is just a precursor to the next books in the series. It's fictional so the intended audience are the children and teens. It's interesting to see how Dumbledore and Harry interact in  this and later books. You should read this novel.

second blog post prewrite 4/13

        The other books written by J.K. Rowling that I have read are all in the Harry Potter series.I believe this book is relatively short compared to all those other Harry Potter novels. However, this one is just as good if not better than most of the other books in the series. They have similar styles too. What makes the novels so alike?
        To provide an example, I will use a quote from the book. "It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls..."(Rowling, 307). In the whole series, Harry does crazy stuff that normal people don't do and goes on a lot of adventures. Obviously, Rowling designed this character to be like this. There is also a consistent style in the plot that the author utilizes. Before the school year, Harry stays with the Dudleys. Then the plot always starts with mysteries that are unlocked piece by piece as the year goes on. In the end, the action often involves the defense against the dark arts teacher who opposes Harry (it is said that the job is cursed). The old teacher is always gone the next year. Finally, Harry goes back to live with the Dudleys (except in the last book).
        Like I said before, this one is short compared to the other books in the series (only 309 pages). The fifth book in the series is over 700 pages long! There is not as much spell usage because the main character has not learned enough to use them. In later books, Harry will use more spells. This is the only book where house points are a big deal. Hogwarts is split into four houses and whichever house has the most points by the end of the year wins the trophy. However in later books, house points are not as significant. If I had to say which book was the best in the series, I would say it was the fourth one. That one was better than this one, but I still like the one I'm reading, not to take anything away from this one.

book review prewrite-1 question

        Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is a book for children as well as teens. The simple explanation: it's about magic. However, I have to use CDs and CMs so here goes. "'He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.'" If adults read this quote, they would immediately think that this book is so immature and there are no such things as witches and wizards. That would be the end of it. However, younger people might have more interest in this magical world. It is easier for them to get sucked into this book. This novel helps youngsters get away from the cruel reality of the world and into a magical one.
        The cover wouldn't appeal to adults. People are told not to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. The cover shows a boy riding on a broomstick who is trying to catch a golden ball. In the background, there is a unicorn on a field and a three headed dog inside a gigantic castle. This type of illustration would appeal more to the younger generation.
        I would recommend this book to youth if I wasn't too lazy and uninterested to do so. It's useful if you want to pass time(whether it be in a waiting room or in a boring class). The beginning isn't slow and it doesn't have problems when introducing ideas. New ideas just blend into the plot and are not out of place. There is nothing that is too bloody to give children nightmares as this is not a horror book. The vocabulary is not overly advanced. A fifth grader could probably understand this book. The book is not too short or too long(only 309 pages). As a result, the plot is complete without dragging the story out too long to the point where a reader may fall asleep after reading several hundred pages. However if you are looking for action, this book would not satisfy you. The main character has not learned enough magic yet to engage in major duels. It is more of a detective novel because the main characters try to find a culprit.

reading through students' vignettes and finding a symbol

        According to the American Century Dictionary, alcohol is a colorless volatile flammable liquid. Whenever I hear about alcohol, I think about beer, wine and drunk people. However, Alex, Meriam and Tony use alcohol in a different context. Nonetheless, all four of us (including me) cast alcohol in a negative light although the vignettes themselves do not necessarily have a sad ending.

        Alex writes a vignette about the time he had to save money for his trip to Washington D.C. He recalls of a particularly interesting can donor who gives Alex trouble by handing him recyclables as well as trash to recycle. He did manage to save enough money through this recycling work and in the process made a new friend in an alcoholic. "I would always wonder if he was ok when I heard him on the phone because he seemed to always be impaired due to alcohol." Alex is obviously worried about this man. Alcohol has taken a toll on the man as he seems to be a bit mental as he can't tell the difference between what can and can't be recycled. At this point, it is too early to tell what exactly alcohol is supposed to symbolize. Some possibilities are that alcohol is an obstacle, insanity, etc.

        This next vignette by Meriam is a little more intense (complete understatement). The main character tries to help Owen break his alcohol addiction. The last part gets confusing when some people named Witch and Troll fight the main character and Owen. "One night he gave me a black eye when I tried to help him because he had alcohol poisoning." Alcohol can make someone do crazy stuff when they are drunk. Violence can be an obvious side effect of drinking. By now, readers of this response should establish that alcohol can't be a good symbol. Possible answers for what alcohol might mean include insanity and chaos.

        The last vignette is from Tony. On a more lighthearted note, it talks about how playing with fire is fun (don't really do this at home). "I used alcohol and a little Boric Acid to make green fire. I’ve burned myself many times too. One time I burned a piece of skin about a big as a penny off one of my fingers." This quote is different from the previous two in that it does not involve drinking it. However it still does damage. After reviewing the three quotes, I conclude that alcohol represents chaos. The problem arising from the chaos may range from tiny to large such as the recyclables being mixed with trash to someone receiving a punch in the eye.

rebuttal against Bianca's blog post

        Bianca's post suggests that teens above 16 should be able to vote. She says that teens know enough to make their own vote and that there are no such thing as wrong votes. In this quote, she demonstrates why teens know more than other people:

For example, with the parcel tax, teenagers who attend school and feel the effects of it not passing know full well what will happen. To some people, it would be just mean more taxes, but teenagers know that it is more than that.

I can surely say that not everyone who attends this school knows what is happening. This can be a combination of students not caring and others who just don't know what a parcel tax is. Not all adults are stupid. People such as the principal and teachers understand what the tax is going to mean too. Other people who don't attend this school probably don't know about it because they've never heard of it before.
        There is a such thing as a wrong vote. You can rate a president using their popularity and what they've done for the country economically, diplomatically, etc. If an individual voted for the candidate who was very unpopular and put the country into recession as well as plunge the country into wars then that person would've made a wrong vote. Let's use Bush as an example. His popularity is lets say not so good as seen in this CBS article. What has he done for our country? He made the American dollar weaker and did a bunch of other bad stuff that I will not go into detail with.
        I agree with her when she says that parents, teachers, etc. will have much influence on teens. Yes, they are entitled to their opinions and they make the final decision, but influence is still influence. It will always have weight on someone's decision and sometimes that weight may be heavy enough to make the decision for them. For example, there are teens that smoke. They could have been influenced by friends saying how cool it is to smoke or they could have watched the commercials and thought it would be a good idea to smoke. I would not count out influence as an important factor in voting.

Advancing technology

        Technology is always advancing as long as there is civilization. This is still true today as internet and computers become more advanced along with phones. Tony's article shows the positive and negative sides of technology:

Internet is growing rapidly. The variety of speeds and the amount of things you can do with the internet are endless. More and more daily tasks are now easier because of wireless technologies. You can start your car from hundreds of miles away, surf the internet without any cords, but is all of this actually safe.

Tony then goes on to list smart technology such as the iphone and TVs that can access the internet. He explains briefly how people can hack iphones and download a bunch of apps and how they can also aid in grand theft auto.
        All of this is definitely true as I've seen on TV that a GPS system can help robbers get into homes by opening gates. It's also true how people can hack iphones and use it. The same can be said for computers as new malware is constantly created to destroy computers. So I would say that not all technology is safe. Just make sure not everything in your life is controlled by technology.
        Technology alone is not evil. It's just how people use it makes it evil. The same can be said for nuclear fission. It can be used to create nuclear energy or it can be used to make a bomb. All this knowledge of technology is harmful if it falls into the wrong hands. We can blame the internet for this problem. As the internet expands and it becomes available to more people, more information is spread out. People become smarter and these people include evildoers too. The reason we still use the internet is because the pros outweigh the cons. The internet helps with communication and research as well as serve as entertainment.
        Going back to the main question which asks if the technology is safe, I would say not all of this is invulnerable. Don't rely on it too much. Other than that, technology can really make life easier.

This is Weird

        Bassam was talking about how people were ripping on Oakland and saying how bad it is. I don't think it's that bad. Reports tell how bad Oakland's crime rate is, but everyone just carries on with their daily lives. No one is hiding at home just because they are scared of getting shot. Our education system is horrible, but we have some companies headquartered in Oakland. This tells you how large and important this city is. The big idea isn't about Oakland though. I was reading along and I ran across this quote:

I bought my PlayStation 3 for only 50 dollars and it was in perfect condition i also buy things like iPhone's and other electronics. the reason that they have all that stuff is because they still from people and sell it then they still it again and sell it again. i am not aloud to go down there even though it is only 10 blocks away from my house, because my dad told me not to blend in with the crowd because he does not want me to steal things like they do.

Although I agree that Oakland is not that bad, Bassam does a really bad job of proving it. There are many things wrong with this quote. First off, why would anyone go down to a bunch of thiefs and buy something from them. They might betray you and mug you. Then they can take all your money. I think Bassam is taking a huge risk by buying merchandise from strangers.
         Secondly, why would you buy stuff that you know is stolen. The stolen items are evidence to whatever case the police are working on. If they manage to track the item to you, you could be arrested because the evidence is in your hands. It wouldn't matter who actually stole it.
         Lastly, why would you post online that you bought stolen items on the streets. You just made it public and now the police can track you to your address using your ip address. Overall, it is not a good idea to tell people that you do this stuff.

The Oakland Raiders Season So Far

        The Raiders are surprising this season at 6-6 and 2nd in the AFC West behind the Chiefs. I am very optimistic about the results because I found out about this fact from Camal's blog:

So, this year has been a breakout year for the Oakland Raiders. Their current record is at 4-4 (four wins and four losses) and its been a LOOOONG time since I have seen them with four wins this early in the season. Considering there are sixteen games in one NFL season, the Oakland Raiders are one win away from tying the most wins that they have had in the last seven seasons after they went to the Superbowl in 2002.

Although the record is outdated, the Raiders are currently still at .500. This is how the season went. Season opener started out at Tennessee and Oakland loses there. Not a big deal since it's only the first game, but I thought the team was going to have another losing season. Oakland next played St. Louis at home and beat them by a two point margin. At Arizona, Oakland loses by one point after Janikowski misses a 31 yard field goal. I was pretty frustrated at the result and that one game could be the difference between making the playoffs or getting second place in the division. The next week they play Houston and lose again. The team gains some momentum by upsetting the Chargers. Up next was the winless San Francicso 49ers and I thought Oakland was going to win, but it was the opposite. The next two weeks the Raiders crushed Denver and Seattle. It looked like the silver and black were back.The game vs the Chiefs was the center of attention. It was a fight for first. Oakland won in OT by a field goal. The Raiders started sliding again after losing to Pittsburgh and Miami, the latter of which should've been won. Last week, the Raiders faced the Chargers in a rematch. Oakland not only upset them. The Raiders crushed them by 15 points. As of now, Oakland is two games behind the Chiefs.

wade phillips being fired

        With all the troubles the Dallas Cowboys have been having this season, someone's got to be blamed for their woes. This someone is Wade Phillips, the Cowboys head coach. He was fired in midseason after collecting one win through eight games. That's a 1-7 record. I disagree somewhat with what Colin says here:

They had the chance to be in the superbowl in their own home stadium but they messed it up. I think they could have done this earlier and kept their chance at getting to the playoffs. I think that having an offensive coordinator as a head coach will benefit them because their offense is not very good and they will get more work if the head coach is an oc. I think the dallas coybows are going through the season like the 49ers.

Colin says that they had a chance to be in the super bowl. I believe they had a minimal chance of making the super bowl. They have to contend with the Giants and Eagles in their own divisions. Neither are pushovers. In the NFC, the Saints and Packers are at large and one of them is 2010 super bowl champion so there's a lot of competition. I have never considered the Cowboys to be the best team in the NFC.
        I agree that having an oc as head coach helps the offense, but the problem is finding a replacement. Even if they manage to do that, the offense still has to adjust to the new oc's coaching style. They have to reestablish rhythm. The defense isn't exactly stellar either and appointing an oc as head coach doesn't help that problem.
        The Dallas Cowboys are indeed going through a season like the 49ers. They were thought to be good teams, but they disappointed their fans. Before the season, analysts said that the Cowboys were supposed to be contenders and not cellar dwellers. There have been rumors that the team have not been trying hard in games and losses crushed their morale. The injury to Tony Romo also hurt the team. As of today, the Cowboys are 3-7 and two wins are under Jason Garrett.

kite runner section 3

        The book has ended and  although I am not a fan of books, I have discovered that this is not such a bad novel. It was boring at first and I thought the book was bulky, but then the author picked it up in the middle and end. Although a lot has changed since the beginning, I still find comparisons in the third section of the book.
        Assef returns in this section and once again becomes Amir's enemy. This is shown when Assef puts on brass knuckles and decides to fight him for Sohrab. Amir's dependence on Hassan is replaced by his dependence on Sohrab, Hassan's son. When he was a child, Hassan defended Amir from Assef. In the fight, Sohrab defeats Assef with a slingshot. After the fight, Amir gets a cut on his lip that resembles Hassan's harelip. Not everything is the same though. The story began in the Afghan city of Kabul. The novel ends in America.
        The ending has loose strings. The author never tells when Sohrab starts speaking after he arrives in America. The fate of Assef is never known as well as that of Rahim Khan's. I decided to try to answer the questions myself. I don't have an answer for the first question, but I think that Assef survives the fight, but is blinded in one eye. Rahim Khan dies as a hermit.
        I did not get the hospital part where Amir wakes up and fades out after brief moments of consciousness. He starts talking about the hospital staff and what their names were. What does it have to do with the story or plot? What is the importance of this and what would it symbolize? I believe those moments aren't relevant to the story. They do explain that Amir is not crazy after taking the beating because his brain is able to remember the names of the staff at the hospital.
        Now that the book is over, I would rate it an eight out of ten. Not spectacular, but worth your time. Eight is a high score because reading is not my favorite hobby.

billy's choice for an ipaaadddddd

        Billy posted a blog about the features of the ipad. It's basically a tablet computer developed by Apple. He seems to praise it as he does in the following quote:

An iPad is portable and a lot bigger than the Ipod touch or the Iphone, but it does mostly the same task like them. A iPad's starting price is 499 US dollars, a lot more compared to the Ipod touch, but also a lot better in many ways.The iPad has a multitouch surface, allowing you to touch the surface with two fingers and both fingers will work finely. The battery is said to last up to 10 hours of video...

I don't think the ipad is that portable as I heard it is big. It doesn't fit in your pocket. The ipod and iphone are more portable as they are smaller in size. The multitouch feature isn't that exciting and I could use one finger and it works fine. There is no need to use two fingers. The battery is surprising and impressive as it can last up to 10 hrs of video. I believe the ipod does not have that much in its battery. This comes in handy when you travel or go outdoors where you can't charge the phone.
        Billy explains the ibook feature and I'm not enthusiastic about that becomes I don't love books. So my reaction to this is ehh. The videos feature is a little more exciting, but not mind blowing. There is youtube on it, but the ipod also has it. The bigger screen is an upside as you can see the video better. This is great for watching movies. I agree with Billy that the ipad is like a computer because it can surf the web as well as send email and play games.
        Overall, I'm not as enthusiastic as Billy is about the ipad. It's not going to change the whole market of phones like the ipod did. I think it's just another touchscreen device that people will forget about in a year. I personally think that the ipod is better because it is lighter and does what the ipad does.

Response to the kite runner-clip 2

        I believe that a lot has changed between section one and section two. This is due to the flash forward on page 125. However, this manipulation of time has raised many questions for me. It also introduces some changes in the setting of the story.
        The first question I have is how did Amir and Baba get to America from Pakistan in the first place? The two countries are half a world away. The only feasible way they could've left for America was by boat. They probably traveled across the Pacific to the Bay Area. Another question is how exactly did they get their American passports? Did they come to America as illegal immigrants? How did they get someone to help them find a place to live and a job if they are illegals? My ultimate question is why would Khaled Hosseini put a flash forward if it raises so many questions? I would assume he would elaborate on that time period later on in the book.
        Some radical changes are introduced in the second section. First off, the time period has changed from the 1970s to the 1980s due to the flash forward. Another big change is the setting of the story. It now takes place in America, but then reverts back to Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Amir wrote short stories. When he travels to America, he is poised to write novels.He is more independent of his father than before. He can drive and he goes to school. He has a job and later on, a wife. In the part where Baba explodes on the store owner, Amir apologizes for him. In fact, it seems like Baba is dependent on Amir.
        With the death of many characters like Baba, Ali, and Hassan, it seems like a whole new story than the first section. When Amir returnsto Afghanistan, he goes alone and finds that Rahim Khan is the only pre-Soviet occupation era friend alive there and he too is almost dying. Afghanistan is also in ruins due to about a decade of war. There is a clear difference between Kabul in the beginning and the same city about ten years later. I believe the city is an analogy of how Amir's life has been.

facebook is distracting

        Facebook is an addicting website and I have to admit it's distracting when I do my homework. There are a ton of stuff to do on that site. You can make friends, take quizzes, like random pages and chat which is mentioned in the upcoming quote from Bassam's blog:

Then when I'm on the Internet I all of a sudden log on to facebook and I see all my friends are on line so I talk to them and most of them are trying to get away from there homework. So I talk to them and one thing leads to the other and next thing you know I am gossiping about every one and I look at the time and I have been on the Internet for at least two hours then in the end I am two hours behind and try to make up all the work in a hour. 

As you can see above, chat seems to be the main culprit. Who wouldn't get sucked into that? After spending hours on homework, anyone can get lonely. Facebook is the solution to that and soon, the victim will be doing other stuff other than chatting.
        Chatting leads to other activities. For example when someone logs on, they see a wall full of people who have commented. This drives curiosity and the next thing you know, you're checking out what your friend or friends' friends said. Sometimes there are links to quizzes and you feel like taking that quiz just to say how you rank or what you are. See how a simple chat leads to so much time wasting. This is called the snowball effect.
        I combat this addiction by closing the Facebook tab like I am doing as I type this. And now I have logged back on. You could also do your homework while chatting on facebook. This task requires the ability to multitask. If you're homework involves typing, you could minimize both the typing program and browser so they share the screen. This way, you could type while seeing what your friends are saying. If you don't have Facebook, I would recommend it if you could make up for the time you are distracted.
       

response to leon liang's post about america

        Before the quote, Leon was talking about how England came to the New World and established a colony known as the thirteen colonies. The colonists however did not escape the grasp of the English government at first and the laws still applied to the colonies. The parliament passed unfair laws such as the townshend act and the proclamation of 1763. The colonists then decided to fight a war and they won. Thus the united states was born. I will explain in detail about the American Revolutionary War which was a civil war. Here's the quote:

After the war, the colonist was free from the control of the British. They create their own laws that were righteous. That was how the United State of American began. This was all Thanks to the most important leader, George Washington.

The war started with the battles of Lexington and Concord. The British were ordered to seize ammunition supplies and stop the rebellion. The minutemen however had other ideas and defeated the British and forced a retreat back to England. After that, King George sent a whole fleet to invade the colonies. They were headed toward New York City and ended up taking the city. The British had overwhelming firepower and Washington was forced to retreat.
        It wasn't all bad in the North. At the Battle of Saratoga, the Americans routed the British and forced a whole army to surrender because they were cut off. The Battle of Bunker Hill was a victory for the British, but caused heavy casualties for them. The war was going much better in the South. Although the British took Charleston, the British had trouble winning wars inland due to southern terrain. There are many forests and swamps that hinder the British. Their bright red uniforms didn't blend in with the landscape and were easy targets.
        Washington's army camped out at Valley Forge and were whipped into shape. They reemerged in the spring and heard that Cornwallis's army was camped out at Yorktown. the circumstance was right. The French agreed to trap the British by destroying the British navy. Washington and the French army decided to trap the British on land. Bombardments began on Yorktown and Cornwallis called for reinforcements. The reinforcements were too late because the British surrenderd at Yorktown. That marked the end of major events in the war.

repsonse to Luis's post about college ready

        Viewer's discretion is advised

        Luis explains before this quote that college ready can mean a lot. For him, it means being responsible and tolerant of others. Tolerance makes the time at college peaceful and parents aren't around, so you have to be responsible. Independence is valued in college because you'll have to live near college. This is all what Luis said. Here's the link to his quote:

For example, maybe in high school you hated Biology. In college you can easily change your mind. In college you get to learn more depending on what class you’re in. Some great things about college are that you only have classes some days and you get to choose what classes and what time. Another great thing about college is that you only have to apply for about 2 semesters which is half a year compared to high school and middle school which are about three fourths of a year.

I believe that Luis is right about college being fun. He is correct about being able to choose classes and what time to take them. Being able to choose classes is brilliant because personally, I don't like writing essays and I will explain about that in my next blog post. Having the power to choose what time to go to class is a big plus. If you are not a morning person, you can pick classes in the afternoon or at night and vice versa. Also, the option to do that enables you to attend class around your schedule.
        I would like to elaborate on Luis's thoughts about independence. Being in college means you get to live away from parents. Wouldn't that be nice because they can only nag you over the phone and I'm not using myself as an example. You can stay up as late as you desire. This means more partying and less sleeping. This sounds a lot like a corporate retreat.
        Applying for two semesters also means that the year will be shorter and that is a plus too. No more 180 days school year. This also means more free time. How you want to spend it is up to you. Think of it as an extra long summer break.

response to The Dinosaurs by Italo Calvino

        In The Dinosaurs by Italo Calvino, all the dinosaurs except Q are extinct. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth fifty million years ago. Then out of nowhere, the dinosaurs die out. Q is an exception and he notices that a new species is growing up on Earth. Based on the story, I can see that Q is paranoid and dumb.

 "Then the situation changed-I don't have to tell you all the details-and all sorts of trouble began, defeats, errors, doubts, treachery, pestilences. A new population was growing up on the Earth, hostile to us. Thay attacked us on all sides; there was no dealing with them."(97)

Q is paranoid. He thinks that creatures tinier than him are attacking his species. Based on the story's descriptions, the new species seem to be weaker and shorter than Q. It would take a great number of these small creatures that Q describes to be able to subdue him. Even if they attack, they would need to be tall enough to get to his head to kill him. There are no mentions of weapons or humans, so they do not have the technology or aid to hunt a dinosaur.
        Q believes they are invincible, but they aren't according to this quote that follows.

"It was as if the New Ones wanted at the same time to defend themselves, to flee........."(105)

This tells they fear attacks and are perfectly vincible. At the end of the first quote, he says that there was no way to deal with them. This is certainly wrong as many factors can kill life forms. Disease and famine are two common causes. Natural disasters such as asteroid collisions can wipe out whole species. Q obviously hasn't observed what actually killed his kind.
        The dinosaurs were not killed by the small creatures if Earth. A recent article concluded that the only reasonable cause of the dinosaurs' extinction is an asteroid striking the planet. Q should have known something was wrong when there was a massive earthquake and when the planet cools because the sun is blocked out. He lists defeats, errors, etc. as the causes of extinction. These are all wrong and that is why I believe Q is a dumb creature.

response to tony's post about obama's mad face

Here's a quote from tony's blog:

In this picture President Obama is angry. Notice how his eyebrows are lowered and brought in together making a reflection of the letter C. His eyelids are tensed, therefore making him look like he is squinting. His lips are pressed together creating those two curves that look like parenthesis ( ). As you can see he is very pissed off at something. This is what true anger looks like. Hope that clears everything up.

        Tony's statement is indeed true. Obama is quite angry in the picture. If you click on the link in the quote, you will see the picture. There are many aspects to feature. First off, his eyes signal an evil eye glare. He is staring intensely at something, maybe another person. It may be mistaken for some people that he is only squinting to see an object in the distance because he has no glasses on. This will be proved wrong as we examine more clues.
        His mouth displays an L shape. It is a straight line, hence his face displays seriousness. If he was happy, he would smile and the mouth would display more of a curve. Sadness would cause the mouth to bend into a C curve opposite of a smile. Here's a man with a smiley face.
        The eyebrows are very close to his eyes. That means he is straining them. In popular culture, \ / would represent angry eyebrows. If he got angrier, his and any angry people's eyebrows would definitely slant into the angle I described above with slashes.
        His suit makes him look serious. It tells he is all business. He looks very professional and his red tie is dark and gives a non-playful feeling. If he was happy, then he might wear some pajamas with a yellow tie or something like that. It looks like he is at an important event displaying more evidence of why he is serious and mad. I see a microphone near him which means he is speaking at some public event. If he goofed around a lot, then the audience would think he is crazy and didn't prepare for the speech.

Response to Luis's blog about graffiti

Here's a quote from Luis's blog:

Some people might say that urban art or “graffiti” is bad for the community and for people. I do not think that urban art is bad for any reason. Urban art is not necessarily destruction of property, I think of it as more of coloring or decorating the city. Most of the property being painted is not even being used. I agree that urban art should not be done on important places such as religious places, cemeteries, and so on. In urban art, there are some rules.

        Luis is right about this controlled version of graffiti in that it is not violent and abusive as long as the people who are drawing follow the rules. Graffiti on unused property is legit because no one is using it so why waste it. If the graffiti harms valuable property then it becomes illegal because it would fit into the category of vandalism. Vandalism is not considered urban art because it does not decorate the city. Clearly, there is a difference between urban art and graffiti.
        The rules separating urban art and graffiti are important. That’s what makes them two totally separate things. It is explained not in this quote, but later in the essay that the writer can not draw on cars, religious places, houses, memorials, murals and of course schools. All of these are property belonging to organizations, the government, and regular civilians. They would not like it if they received a nasty surprise in the form of ink and color.
        I would just like to add to the rules that obscene pictures should not be allowed if you are an urban artist. It isn’t really decorating the city if there are nasty drawings on the walls. People and tourists visiting would think the city is full of bad people. Kids would be influenced as they grow up because they would see these everyday. Adding this rule will ensure strictness and still maintain fun for artists. I see Luis’s view on the subject and agree this stereotype does exist.