Blog #2 of Quarter 3

Summary:

The book I have been reading is Four written by Veronica Roth.  This book is the story behind Four or Tobias Eaton's how he became a initiate from Abnegation to Dauntless.  So far in the book Tobias is at home in his Abnegation faction living with his 'abusive' father thinking of his life.  He then takes the aptitude test getting his results and thinking of what faction to take in order to escape his father; away from him having a new life.  At the Choosing Ceremony Tobias is called up picking the faction Dauntless, finding his father motionless for Tobias not picking the faction Marcus ordered him to.  Now that Tobias has picked a different faction he faces new challenges.  He only wanted to escape his father not realizing he has to train as a fearless warrior.  Later on with a lot of his training he becomes a feared warrior from everyone, from having a little amount of fears which is a new record; able to beat everyone in training and sparring.  He is then asked to take the leadership role but meets a certain someone before becoming a leader.  Jeanine Matthews and other Erudite start to get suspicious of Four, since he's aware during simulations.  Tobias starts to get suspicious of what Max (the Dauntless leader) and Jeanine are planning.  The next year comes by and he meets Tris.

Conflict:

In the book Four the main conflict is that Tobias is now being under suspicion from the Erudite and he is suspicious of what Jeanine is planning on doing and why she is interested in Dauntless politics.  As I keep reading I notice that this goes to the first book "Divergent" since it foreshadows of what is going to happen.  To prove my claim in page 158-159 "Our city is changing, Tobias.' It's the same thing Max said yesterday. 'The factionless are coming together, and so are Dauntless and Erudite.  Sometime soon, everyone will have to choose a side, and I know which one you would rather me on.  I think you can really make a difference with us.' 'You know which one I'd rather be on.  Really,' I say.  'I'm not a faction traitor.  I chose Dauntless; that's where I belong.' 'You aren't one of those mindless, danger-seeking fools,' she snaps. 'Just like you weren't a suffocated Stiff drone.  You can be more than either, more than any faction.' 'You have no idea what I am or who I can be,' I say.  'I was the first-ranked initiate.  They want me to be a Dauntless leader.' 'Don't be naive," she says, narrowing her eyes at me. 'They don't want a new leader; they want a pawn they can manipulate.  That's why Jeanine Matthews frequents Dauntless headquarters, that's why she keeps planting minions in your faction to report on their behavior.  You haven't noticed that she seems to be aware of things she has no right to be aware of, that they keep shifting Dauntless training around, experimenting with it? As if the Dauntless would ever change something like that on their own.'  This piece of evidence is important because it shows that Jeanine is planning on something that the other initiates and dauntless born don't realize.  This event eventually starts to take effect in Divergent but it all starts in the book Four.  This foreshadows or reminds you that Four knew all about this and that Tris later comes up; depending if you're reading Four as the last book of the series.

Skink No Surrender - Blog #1

Summary

I have finished reading Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen during my winter break and finished it in three days.  The story takes places in Florida with a teenage boy named Richard who is walking around in beach where many turtles make nest and lay their eggs for example Loggerhead turtles.  He is walking around waiting for his cousin Malley who does show up.  While waiting he meets a man named named Clinton Tyree but calls himself Skink.  After Richard meets Skink he then receives news that Malley isn't home and find out himself that Malley lied to her parent's about an early orientation in a school Malley is forced to go.  Now reporting to the police that Malley left with someone online named Talbo Chock, Skink tells Richard that he is off to find Richard's cousin since it's been a month or so from her disappearance.  Now Richard is on a adventure to save her cousin with an unknown stranger who was once Florida's governor but faked his death.

SignPost

While I was reading Skink No Surrender I found an Aha-moment, that made me think how is it going to change the situation?  While Richard was in the car with Skink to find Malley he received a call from Malley.  She said to Richard that she spotted an Ivory-billed Woodpecker who are thought to be extinct.  Only Richard solved the reason behind the message.  They think Malley is trying to tell them where she's at and the lonesome part she says's is indicating she wants to go back home.

"The second call was from a blocked number.
"Sup, Ricardo!  Yours truly, checkin' in.  Everything here in paradise is just amazingly awesome.  Guess what I saw up in a tree this morning?  An Ivory-billed woodpecker!  It sounded so lonesome, it made me sad."
On the message, Malley was coughing and her voice sounded rough.  When I played it for Skink, he raised an eyebrow. "She calls you Ricardo?"
"First time ever.  Weird?"
"She wants you to pay attention."
"Also the Ivory-billed woodpeckers are extinct.  I did a project on them for science fair in sixth grade, and Malley helped with graphics.'
"I know where those birds live," Skink said.
"You mean lived."
"Only once place in Florida, Ricardo, and it's not an island."
"I know that."
"The girl's trying to tell you where she's at."
"And the 'lonesome' part-that means she wants to come home."

This was in page 72.  This is my evidence for Richard having an aha-moment finally realizing that Malley wasn't really enjoying her runaway with a stranger and instead was started to get scared.  Probably think the Talbo Chock was somewhat abusing her.

2015 goals

Academic goal:

For the New Year of 2015 one of my academic goals is trying to better understand and get better in mathematics.  Every time we get assigned homework I start to struggle on almost every subject.  I usually ask my mom if she can help me but she always says she doesn't remember or never says this but only when she has no clue.  " I was never taught that."  I do my best on understanding or finish my homework, but I know that I must've gotten it wrong.  Then there is the test I study for but I either fail or get a grade I am not satisfied like a C.  I don't want to fall behind in the rest of the world since it's mostly all about math and reading.  A therapist told my mother I'm suppose to be 6 months late from learning, everything else I'm fine but I think I am a few months late on math.  So when I think about it I keep a goal to myself.  Try to catch up and understand.  I don't have trouble on other subjects especially Science ( one of the subjects that I am exceeding) but math always seems to catch me and likes to interrogate me with questions I don't know how to answer.  So for this subject my steps will be focus in class and give all of my attention, jot down notes that can help me and study for everything to get ready in my test and ask for help.  I already been keeping up in the notes and studying I just need to focus more on how to solve each problem.


Personal Goal:

For my 2015 goal is to become a better digital artist.  For about 5 months I've been drawing in Photoshop and I was a little rusty on my first time but I have been progressing.  So now I want to use nearly every tool on PS CS6 to make my drawings more color and feeling.  All I've been using is opacity and other tools that are to easy to us and haven't really been go further.  So I usually go to youtube and watch Speedpaint where people draw in the computer and add effects along with many other things.  It does sometimes help but not many times.  So my steps are keep using Photoshop and try to use a new tool to see how it looks.  The other is draw in pencil and paper or mostly called traditional and work on the human anatomy and retrace it in the computer.  Maybe go to websites where professional digital artist are or artist who know how to use it well and take lessons.  last of all is try my best and hope it works.