Post #5: February 24, 2009: You chose to read this blog. Skip to page 79

As I was sitting in English class, my fellow classmates were having a “discussion” with my teacher about how we don’t do any “fun” projects (apparently, FUN isn’t allowed in that class), and somehow the Choose Your Own Adventure game comes up. Well, my teacher said it was a great idea, but we all knew she would never let us do it as a project. Despite this, I decided to reminisce childhood memories by reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book about Mario, a Nintendo character.

When I did these, I always felt anxious and uncommitted to all of the options. Sometimes I felt that there would be other choices, but the stupid book didn’t have it as a choice. As a child, when reading those books, I always thought that there will always be only ONE right choice, so whenever the action I chose led to “my” death, I got frustrated a lot. How was I supposed to know if Mario should save his beloved Princess Peach or his dear brother, Luigi? Isn’t that something Mario should decide for himself? Why must I have to choose the tough decisions for him, while he gets the easier decisions? You chose to save Princess Peach! Skip from page 2 to page 147! So I guess I completely missed the point when reading these types of books! Haha

"If these books are to be exercises in decision-making . . . there should be
motivation for each choice offered, so that readers have to weigh factors in
favor of each choice.” -Edward Packard http://biography.jrank.org/pages/146/Packard-Edward-1931.html

The great thing about these books is that we are making the choices and discovering outcomes. We try and choose the best choice or action, and we consider the outcomes before we choose what page we turn too. We are assuming the role of the protagonist! We are getting involved into the story! It’s also a great literature experience if you want to get a break from all the intense reading you go through in school. These books involve the reader directly in choosing options through the course of the book about where to go next, which plot twist they desire to follow, and which action would be most logical for them, and thus provide millions of possible plot paths and endings in which the reader is the "author" of the story. Here is a quote by the creator of these kinds of books, Edward Packard, explaining how he actually got the idea of choosing your own adventure.

"If I were a better storyteller I wouldn't have come up with this idea," he once
recalled. "I'd have been able to devise the endings by myself. Sometimes while
telling my kids stories, I'd get stuck or feel too tired to go on. I would ask
the kids, 'What do you think Pete would do now?' To some extent I was
introducing the Socratic method of questioning for which law school training is
famous. The kids loved it. The storytelling became lively and, of course,
bedtime was often delayed while we worked out all the adventures the hero might
have enjoyed or suffered if he/she had made a different decision." -Edward Packard http://biography.jrank.org/pages/146/Packard-Edward-1931.html

Though not a book, here is a youtube video that is very similar to a Choose Your Own Adventure book, where YOU make the decisions! Good Luck! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lFfNDFDUuA

Post #4: February 17, 2009: I'm in it for the Money!

I must admit to you all, that the only reason I am blogging is for the money. I am planning on making this a business. I have high hopes for this blog, for it will be the only source of income i will be recieving once I quit my job. Easy money oh yeah! Although I may start at 5-10 views per week, I am hoping that the views will start increasing! Oh my gosh, I'm going to be so rich!

Okay, so I hope everyone knows I'm just kidding around. I'll admit to you all, I did have the idea, but after reading this article from Newsweek about a fellow blogger, Daniel Lyons, I'm pretty doubtful about it. This fellow blogger, determined to turn his blog into a business, posted several times a day on his site, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs. He even blogged in the middle of the night when he had an idea. This obcessed behavior was viewed by him as "worth it" by telling himself that "at the end of this rainbow I would find a huge pot of gold." Reading this quote, I think to myself, "What good will this blog do for me in the long run?" Man, Daniel Lyons, I somewhat feel your pain. My English teacher makes me write dreadful blogs every week about something educational or whatever.

Haha. So is blogging really worth it? Blogging may not be worth the "large" money you may possibly recieve, causing a lot of poor health, such as too much gained weight. Even with the many viewers we may have, some might stalk us, threaten us, or insult us. And if we really want a increase in audience, researchers say that advertisers want blogs that are less predictable and that attract a large audience. Only a very few make a decent living. I am certainly not going to be making millions with a blog. Neither will I be that advertiser who is also making millions by hoping and lucky guessing that "that" blog will rake up the dough. We all wish it would be true, but blogging just for the experience and enjoyment is the larger award. Psh, who needs money.

So what do you think? Is blogging really worth it? Could YOUR blog be the one that makes millions? Feel free to give me your opinions and your opinion on my blog.

Post #3: February 10, 2009: Did she really just say that?

Oh gosh. So I was watching the episode "The Drumhead" of Star Trek. Im not an intense Star Trek fan or anything, but this episode was very interesting, even though I know abosoluted nothing about the characters. Despite my lack of knowledge of these characters, this episode really displays the character and traits of the commanders, captains, and admirals. I also was curious about the word drumhead, and found out that a drumhead trial is an unfair, biased, or hasty judicial hearing that ends in a harsh punishment. What really caught my full attention is Admiral Satie, a special investigator asked to help with an investigation concerning a conspiracy.

At first, she appears as a just woman. But as we progress through this episode, it is clear what her true intentions are. Admiral Satie used her good reputation of discovering a conspiracy for her to "flourish" and what not. So you can say that her few good "deeds" and reputation were only a cover. She had already uncovered 2 persons who were lying, and was convinced that there were more spies on the ship. Doing this, she revealed herself and criticized the captain and the order in the ship. She criticized the captain's command style and even questioned his loyalty. She noted many wrong things the captain did, but always failed to see the certain circumstances and situations the captain was currently in. But as soon as the captain reminds her about her father and his thoughts and beliefs, she feels insulted and goes on this crazy rave about how the captain is insulting her. Now here, she kinda freaked me out. She probably even freaked herself out. At first, she seemed like a just person. But now...

Admiral Satie then responds by saying she will destroy him! Okay, is it me, or is she like a lot like Danforth? Way to put a crucible character i dislike into this episode. She thinks just because she has the most authority she is doing the right, most just thing. She immediately thinks that because there is some suspicion, someone is starts out guilty! She starts making groundless assumptions and accusations based on the captains past experiences.

There have been others in the past who doubted me. They came to regret it.
-Admiral Nora Sadie

Captain John Picard certainly did not regret it! Please, do not hesitate to express your thoughts about this. If you would want to view more quotes from this episode, go here.

Post #2: February 2, 2009: Clever, Arthur Miller, Very Clever

After reading the play "Crucible," I was pretty curious about why this play was called that. I had no idea that the word Crucible would have a large connection to the actual play. According to dictionary.com, the world crucible has two meanings that are very appropriate to the content of the play. The first meaning describes a crucible as "a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures" in order to gain the pure element. The second meaning is "a severe trial and test" of patience and belief.

In connection with the actual play, the crucible represents a severe trial and test of the accused persons personalities. For example, John Proctor's integrity, morals, beliefs, and honesty were tested. Like a chemistry crucible, the play is about ridding of the weak and false characteristics of a person and revealing his or her true "pure" identity. There is a transformation that takes place between the characters and as well as the changes of the town. There is a great deal of tension in the town, and things start to "heat up." The people, court, and town were "heated" and pressured with greed and fear. In the end, just like a crucible, the town is left with something that has been changed by the heat: disorder and chaos.

The Crucible can also represent the courtroom in the play. The judge used the heat of questioning and pressures upon the accused, so they burned away all the impurities (lies) to get to the purified truth. All the accused were the metals in the crucible. They were being tested if they could withstand the pressures and "heat" of the trials. In the end, only a few people were able to withstand the "heat" and keep their pride, dignity, and morals. Many people "melted," but I am doubtful if they could live their lives knowing they gave up their morals and dignity.