ISU Blog Post #6

Not Gone

The journey has been long

Death is not an option

As I lead my sister

Out of doom and destruction.

The world I knew is now gone

My mother has passed on

My father swept away at sea

A sister died trying to do something noble for me.

I'm a failure at this hero thing

All I have is a gut renching will to live

I've tried my best to serve and protect.

This quarantined city is an albatross around my neck

Stifling, drowning and struggling 

Against nature's destruction

Is my case to bare.

Soon I will breathe air

Free from contagions and ash

I pray the sun to bake my back with its light of forgiveness and freedom.

The life I knew doesn't exist anymore

I must close and open a new door

I welcome normalcy once more.

     

ISU Blog Post #5- Loss

Through out my book "The Dead and the Gone" the main character Alex Morales experiences loss in many different ways. Alex's first experience with loss was when the apocalypse started. His employer was killed during the ongoing catastrophes and Alex was left with little money he saved up and his pay. Alex had to stretch his money and avoid wasting money. However, with supplies running low money was no longer the currency. Secondly, after coming home from work Alex realizes the world he once knew had changed. Alex came to terms with the reality of his mother and father missing. With Alex's father in Puerto Rico he knew his father's chances of surviving the mass flooding was slim. Alex figured his mother had the same fate as she went to work at the Hospital in the morning. Her means of transportation was the subway and they were flooded as well. Alex had no choice but to hope and pray for his parents survival. Lastly, on Alex's eighteenth birthday he lost his eldest sister Brianna. Alex was sick and bed bound by the flu. Brianna decide to light a candle for Alex and pray for his speedy recovery. However,  Brianna did not make the trip back to the apartment. She was killed in an elevator accident when the power went out in the apartment building. Alex as the leader and care taker of the family went through a lot of hardships. Alex tried his very best to be the hero and play protector but wasn't always successful. He learned that sometimes in life things can't always go your way.

ISU Blogpost #4- Family

My ISU book is called "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Pfeffer. My book is filled with death, sorrow and pain. Alex Morales is the main character. He is seventeen and attends a Catholic High School. He has plans of attending George Town but his whole world turns upside down. After work the moon is hit by an asteroid knocking closer to Earth causing floods, earthquakes and other catastrophes. With the loss of his parents Alex must learn to take care of his little sister become the man he needs to be to survive.

In my book a very common theme is Family and how important they can be. With their parents missing in a time of need Alex and his sisters must stay strong and look after each other. This family who wasn't all that close before, now stand side by side in trying to survive the apocalypse. Together they learn to treasure the little things they have such as food, water and shelter.They learned how to appreciate and to love each other. No one was ever left behind and no one decided to give up. They continued to believe and survive as one. Unfortunately, Alex's eldest sister does not make it through their final journey. Alex must now find a way out of New York city with his little sister and continue to survive in the name of their family.

ISU Blog Post #3

This Video is a fan made trailer of my ISU book, "The Dead and the Gone."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjio7_i7KLM

I chose this fan made trailer for several reasons. I felt that this trailer covered the more important topics in the book. Topics such as an asteroid hitting the moon causing catastrophes on earth, the life of the main character Alex and his two younger sisters fighting to survive, and the issue of them being alone in these dark and chaotic times because their parents have gone missing. These are key elements in the book that help shape the main character, Alex, as he is trying to protect and survive these catastrophic events. The trailer captures the dark and apocalyptic scene the book portrays. Even though the trailer is an amateur production of scenes put together from Discovery channel and "2012" the movie, the theme of adaptation and survival is very evident. The video is a great exemplar of the novel. 

What if we lost our Moon?

http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/moon-earth-wobble-tides-nemesis-130726.htm

Sub section: What if we lost our Moon?

The Earth is like a giant plate on a performers pole. The slower the spin, the more extreme the wobble becomes on the Earth. This leads to more extreme tilt on the polar axis causing extreme weather conditions. It is likely humans of this day and age will survive this event with the help of technology. However, the planet's ecological system will not evolve fast enough because of the drastic change in weather. Earth would experience extremely hot summers and sub-arctic winters. This will cause shortages in resources and there will be limited amount of food worldwide. Fortunately, these events will not occur in our lifetime and won't in the next hundred years. Therefore, the moon and its ability is what keeps our Earth balanced.

Child Soldiers

Connections: Ishmael Beah and the 14 year old boy share similar characteristics. Both of these young males were taught kill at a young age. The difference between them is that Beah was a child soldier and the other male was influenced through video games and media. At age 12 Beah was forced into the army. He fled to the army in hopes of seeking safety but ended up being forced to kill. The commanders drugged Beah everyday to keep him sane and numb to his feelings so he could be a killing machine. Beah became numb to the world around him and began to think killing was normal. He felt what he was doing was the right thing. Like Beah, the 14 year old's influence to kill was violent video games and media. These forms of media were the boys commander and drug. The games and media numbed him to the world around him. He thought shooting or stabbing some one was normal and he began to accept it as a survival skill.

Challenges: In the "Brutalization" paragraph it states "Until they're six or seven years old they are developmentally, psychologically, physically unable to discern the difference between fantasy and reality. Thus, when a young child sees somebody on TV being shot, stabbed, raped, brutalized, degraded, or murdered, to them it is real..."This statement is not true to all cases. Most times young children can differentiate fake from real. Those who believe what they see on TV were not taught to not believe everything they see or hear. These children are very influential and should not be watching or experiencing these type of acts.

Concepts: A key concept to remember is that war can effect child soldiers and adult soldiers negatively. Children are forced to kill and take drugs in order to survive. Soldiers are forced to obey instructions and act like drones. They are striped of their individuality by wearing the same clothing, and haircut. Both are given a gun and are ordered to kill the enemy or those who could possibly be the enemy. Under the command of their superiors they act like drones waiting for an order. The violent images stay with them their whole life and scar their minds. The brutality the Soldiers and child soldiers endure will always be carried with them for the rest of their lives.

Changes: Ishmael Beah and his fellow child soldiers had to endure the biggest change of their lives. At age fifteen, Beah was rescued by UNICEF and was taken to a rehabilitation centre. The hardest part for Beah and the other children was returning back to normal human behaviour. Lashing out on doctors and nurses were normal in rehab because the children still had the violent mentality in them. Fighting his addiction for drugs was very hard. Being fed drugs everyday had a toll on him and it was hard for him to function during the first two months of his rehab. Beah felt deceived by his commanders because he felt as if  they were his family and now they abandoned him. Ishmael gradually came back to his senses after talking to the staff at the rehab centre. Once he was back to  his normal self he was able to go back to school and continue learning.  

War and Conflict

http://portlandtribune.com/bvt/16-opinion/110853-war-has-detrimental-effects-on-society

War can be beneficial to a country and stimulate the economy. However its effects on the politics, economy and society can be extreme. After WWII, United States and Soviet Union competed for world's superpower status. To gain the status, the two countries showed off their military power by creating weapons of mass destruction, in result scaring citizens of the other country. Weapons such as the Atomic Bomb and Sputnik had the capability of killing thousands which concerned citizens of the each country. The United States use of propaganda drove fear of communism into the minds of American citizens and caused fierce tension within the country. The United States was involved in the Korean War to keep communism from spreading. After a badly fought war, hysteria in the US began to rise as there was a possibility of infiltration in the United States government. The McCarran act, established in  1950, furthered paranoia of communism in the United States. Under the act, the Rosenbergs would be convicted and sentenced to death for relaying information to communists.

Text to self:  As seen in the text, war can cause damage to society. In America in the 1950's, fear of communism was everywhere. If you were expected to be a communist you would be told on to the FBI and you an your family would be investigated. Fear of communism drove friendships and families apart. People lost their jobs because they were a suspected communist and employers didn't want to take any chances employing a communist. Citizens were alienated just because people thought they were a communist. The fear of communism ruined the American society in the 50's and effected many who were accused of being one.

The Sniper News Article

     A warm night on June of 1920 left a gory scene. Three people were found dead in Dublin. All victims were apart of Free Staters group fighting for Ireland’s independence. It is believed that the suspect was seen on foot running from the scene after taking the life of the third person around early morning. The suspect has not been found but it is believed he is a Republican sniper. Witnesses believe the suspect sniper had ties to the young male he had killed.  Reports say the Republican seemed struck with shock and immense grief looking at the body of deceased young male.

     Witnesses say shots rang out around midnight. Investigators and Free Staters officers believe the Republican sniper was positioned on a rooftop near the O’Connell Bridge. Two of the victims, a Free Stater soldier and an informant, were shot and killed by a sniper rifle. The third victim was shot by a smaller gun as a different bullet was used to assassinate the deceased. An autopsy reports that the young male was shot and fell from the rooftop where he was positioned. He was said to be shot forty-five meters on the rooftop opposite of him.

We were able to talk to a witness who had heard the continuous gun battle. A person remaining anonymous said “I heard gunshots all night; Snipers, pistols and machine guns. I could hear armoured trucks as they patrolled the streets and the footsteps of soldiers. It has become normal for me to hear this stuff all hours of the day." The bodies of the deceased were moved out quickly as Free Stater defence troops cleared out the area in search of the suspect.

      The raging battle between the Free Staters and Republicans continue to take the lives of others. Death, casualties and fear have become normal for the people of Ireland during the civil war. Men and women have all fallen to the grips of this war

ISU blog post #2

Not Another Day

It was just another day

A normal day

We thought

But something higher had plans for us

An asteroid hit the moon and turned our world upside down

An Apocalypse is upon us now.

Mother nowhere in sight

Father in a distant land stranded on a island

Brother deployed to save another.

And I Alex have to become a man

And take my sisters by the hand.

Death and devastation all about

I hear sirens screeching and people shouting in fear

Silence is what I want to bare

But death and its stench is way too near.

  

ISU Blog Post #1

My ISU book is The Dead & The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. This book is about an apocalyptic story about a boy named Alex Morales who needs to survive and protect his family from natural abnormalities. In result of the Moon being knocked out of orbit; blackouts, high tides, floods and chaos are the scene in Downtown New York and across the world. Alex needs to learn how to cope with the uncertainty of his parents safety as well as protecting and taking care of his younger sisters.

http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/moon-earth-wobble-tides-nemesis-130726.htm

In today's case the Moon is actually moving farther away from us unlike it being closer in "The Dead and The Gone." The Moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 3.78 centimeters each year. The Moon has a slight pull on the tides in the ocean, however with the moon moving further away it slows the Earth's rotation by 4 hours every billion years. 

In my ISU book "The Dead and The Gone," the Moon is knocked out of orbit causing it to travel closer to the Earth. In the book's case the moon has a great effect on life and nature on earth. Coastal cities and mainland cities worldwide experience Ten-foot waves causing floods, blackouts and drowning leaving wastelands and catastrophic scenes of disaster. Food and aid are decreasing and the feeling of isolation, uncertainty and death are increasing. 

The Moon has a vital role in our solar system and has a great impact on Earth as well. The Moon helps Earth keep balance as it is set on a 23 and a half degree tilt. Without the moon the Earth would wobble and cause unstable temperatures around the world.  The Moon also provides light for humans and animals as it reflects the Sun's rays onto Earth. 

Therefore, the moon is a very powerful force and moderates life on Earth. In "The Dead and The Gone," we learn the dangerous effects the change of the moons orbit has on the world and what it is capable of doing. In our modern society many would not be able to cope with these natural disasters and act upon survival instinct.