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The Strain
A settling peace envelops you with a body cradling, feel of refuge. It’s sensual and leaves your now prickled skin energized but content. It’s resounding with a need for sleep, it’s unknotting movement in your muscles. Most of all, it’s silence; empty, free of stress, silence. It’s the kind that invades your mind in the pause after not yet realizing you’ve completed something challenging, much like writing a book or finishing a marathon. This peace is followed with your regarding of black walls. Black walls that move till the end of time in every direction to horizons unknown. Then there’s the smell; awakening and entrancing to your senses.
Only, the smell is not one that is delightful. It’s the feverish smell of rotting corpse and stagnant fluids. The black walls are those of a 777 Boeing aircraft; huge, but not nearly till the end of time, huge. The invading silence in your mind is not of accomplishment but of rape. The resounding need for sleep and unknotting of your muscles is death quickly creeping up on you. Finally, the settling peace is not body cradling and it certainly isn’t a feel of refuge. It’s something darker than a long night’s unrest. What is before you is the scene of hundreds of undead passengers staring at you with full of life, lifeless eyes. They stand steadily, come hither, and fear sets in.
Luckily, you aren’t really here. You are somewhere genuinely safe reading here. What is here? Here is the riveting and nerve twanging novel created by the combined minds of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, The Strain. When an airport houses a flight of recently turned, contagious vampires and a zombie overlord with a mind to infect, the streets of Manhattan become a playground for chaos. A CDC agent, a computer hacker, an exterminator, and a Holocaust surviving, vampire slayer soon find themselves to be the last line of defense between the world and the end of the world. It is the only thing the reader can do but grip dearly to these characters’ lives as the pages go on to be evermore tumultuous to his or hers emotions. In short, it is absolutely terrifying and terrifyingly absolute with its purpose to make you turn the pages with eyes firmly shut.
Don’t let this stop you though since The Strain holds more for the reader looking for thought stimulating ideals that will either shed light on or make you struggle with your own moral compass than those looking for a horror flick. Del Toro and Hogan create unmaneuverable circumstances where their characters and readers alike must share in hackneyed, but unspeakable, quarrels of euthanasia. The two authors make cliché the new black with themes incorporating wedges of intense darkness, tear jerking moments, and insomnious death. You will question the dependability of your society, baffle with the idea of being dead, and learn more about the innards of yourself than imagined being one of a few novels that actually dig so deep into the sporadic and guarded human mind and heart.
What is truly fulfilling is a rare situation where the exterminator decides to spare those that are infected and search for a cure while the CDC agent loses hope on healing the human race and decides to rid the city of vampires. This change of identity becomes a rewarding read which has left me thinking about my own identity and how the world around me, when it changes, will affect myself. The novel continues to make the reader think this way where they will be forced to put down the book several times just to grapple with what their own interpretations and opinions are on the themes expressed.
Alternatively from writing, David Guillermo had conveyed his creativity in filmography before The Strain. Being the writer and director of several movies such as Pacific Rim, Hellboy, and Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro knew the risks and futility of converting what can easily be seen on screen in writing and projected into thousands of people’s minds. His style of writing successfully paints a vivid picture of his story in a way where a reader does not even notice they are reading. The second it takes for readers to switch written words into portraits is completely eliminated when words glide so easily into thoughts that reading a Guillermo Del Toro is like mindlessly watching television.
The Strain is the summoning of Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Richard Matheson, and Bram Stoker together for one purpose; to write a novelty epic in which you will revisit the days of under the bed monsters and moving shadows in the dark. There is no where to be protected other than being utterly lost in the pages of this book. Buy it at your local bookstore and begin to read for the experience is not only doubtlessly satisfying but surely worthwhile. The moral roads traveled within the pages are precisely ones you have not met before. After reading The Strain, if you were not before, you will find yourself thirsty for more in your own vampiric way.
The Strain
Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
William Morrow and Company
June 2, 2009
585 pages
HorrorMini-Capstone
Final Portfolio 2014
Presently, the systems that make up every government are based solely off of corruption, greed, and social gluttony. Racism no longer exists because of hatred for one another. Instead, it is brewed out of the struggle for a superior social class. People oppress the different groups of the world to gain an advantage in life. Evidence of this stems from the theory that the education system is purposely weak to send more lower class minorities into the grasp of the judicial system. It turns into a cycle where each new generation has no degree of acceptable education and must turn to a life of crime if they are to survive. Higher levels of education are granted only to those who are born into the superior social class. Our world segregates because of the need for power, not because of the need to hate.
During the second quarter of my World History class I was assigned to write a play that emphasized the meaning of social struggle and change. I decided to base my play off of the idea that our society works in a pyramid structure of class that depends solely on somebody’s race. The play was about the different ethnicities of the world banning together to defeat a greater evil. At one point in the play, a character declares, "The oppression of a race has nothing to do with racism or hatred, it has to do with the struggle for superior social class" (Play, Brek Carlier). Brek hit an understanding here that people have to be taught to hate and are never born with hatred. What they are born with is a struggle to survive in a world where there is no social equality. This is what could drive people to oppress another race even when they know doing this is wrong. Of course, there are people born into ignorance and begin to oppress merely because that is what they know to be true.
At first I found it hard to believe that the entire world could operate in this way. After completing a worksheet called “Scientific Revolution” I realized that an idea, no matter how good or bad, can spread globally because of the amount of success it has. I wrote, “An idea works like a virus. It starts out in the deepest reaches of your mind and spreads like a framework until every last inch is infected by it. When corrupt views move like a ripple through socialism it is not very unlike an epidemic. When these views are accepted globally that is when it turns into a pandemic" (Scientific Revolution Worksheet). By this I mean that ideas are infinite and can control the minds of many if they fit people’s needs. When the world is separated by class it must have seemed appealing to be able to fight for your betterment even if it is out of corruption.
I researched further on how people segregate different social classes without seeming too openly racist. I even took it out of the World History class and into the English 10 class. I found out that our education and judicial systems co-align so that more people fill jails while less people with schools. On a worksheet I stated, "A country's crime rate is solely dictated by that country's education system. It works in a cycle where you can only invest in one. Investment in education leads to a more peaceful country while an investment in the amount of jails drastically drops the quality of education the citizens of such country receive” (Global Education Worksheet). Members of superior social classes want to keep the minorities at the bottom of the food chain so there is no sharing or equality. They do this by providing a poor education system which leads to high crime rates which then eventually leads into the incarceration of many.
As unfortunate as it is, our society works in oppression. In my opinion, the only way to fix this problem is to spread empathy and awareness amongst the public. Then and only then will we have the encouragement to try and make a difference. I wanted to focus solely on the idea above but below is some other quotes that lead me to different general understandings. I will not go into depth on them for the sake of keeping your attention. Instead, I’ll let you make what you want of them.
Additional Thoughts:
"Without the attention of the world the people of revolutions would be left unsupported. Social media can be the most effective and yet the least helpful way of communicating change globally." (History Digital Story Script)
"Religion is not a road to happiness for people. The sole purposes of religion are to lend structure and reassurance to lives." (Journal #10)
"There is never a right time to judge someone, no matter the past, the present, or the will be’s" (Journal #44)
Revolution Guidebook Project
Pipeline Monologue Project: Javier Peraza & Kevin Courtney
Key Facts about the Keystone Pipeline
large from Javier Peraza on Vimeo.
large from Javier Peraza on Vimeo.
Element Print
Independent Reading: Jurassic Park
E1 U9 Tú Casa
Random Acts Of Kindness
Since my last two blog posts, (which you may view here Blog 1 Blog 2), I have made my hollow and cavalier promises into things more concrete and worth of time. Many weeks have passed between what I write now and what you have last read of my experiences. During those weeks I took the opportunities given to me and went hands on the projects I wrote about. It’s extraordinary thought how much the human mind can accomplish when setting one’s goals. It is even more extraordinary though how much more the human mind can accomplish in numbers. I have put a great amount of care into all the stuff I did to get involved with the community. I wouldn't feel right however without including the people that aided me in my journey. Therefore before starting you readers, who have so graciously chosen to read my blogs, on inspiring events produced by your fellow members of society, I will first thank those who deserved to be thanked. For everyone who is mention in this blog I seriously could not have done any of this without you. All of you guys have proven just and have involved yourself in the campaign to human kindness more than I have.
My You And The World project revolved around human kindness. I wanted to do something deeper than helping an old lady cross the street or paying for someone’s food. I wanted to be kind to people’s emotions. Nowadays there are tons of problems in the teenage world merely because we are all too immature to be nice to one another. Part of my project gave people the occasion to change that. I created a Google-Doc page where people could go on and just give positive reviews about their friends. So far the whole thing has been a real success and I see smiles in the hallways all because of things I’ve said on the Doc. I encourage everyone to go on and say a couple of things for yourself. The link to it is right here.
Other things I did included unveiling everyday forbearance on people’s parts. You’d be surprise on how people strive to do good in this world. I feel that knowing you made someone happy that day is a gift in itself but I really wanted you guys to see how all of your classmates interacted with each other. It is seriously heartening knowing that we live in this community where we all take pride in helping one another. If you want to see the documented pictures/photos click here.
As a christian I take self pride very seriously. In order to accomplish my goals in this project I had to actually go out and start doing acts of kindness. I don't believe in tooting your own horn or trying to make yourself look good. Pretentiousness is something I don't look fondly on. So instead, I decided to observe my neighborhood for good deeds that other people did. I even made a journal to keep track of things. On April 5, I witnessed my 4 year old sister let my brother use the TV in the livingroom even it was her turn to use it. On April 9, I saw a man drop his wallet while walking to the store. Before I could register to go and pick it up for him a stranger walked by and gave it to the man himself. So inspired by what happened I went home that day and talked to my older brother. He then turned around and followed in the stranger’s footsteps. On the 10th of April he came home and told me that he did his best to be a good samaritan in his school. On April 12th I saw my friend Brandon lend my other friend William a pen. It was all these little things that really made people’s day better.
My process hasn't ended yet for I am still trying to expose the generosity people have in their hearts. The distance that I have accumulated already though has been kind of great. At first there was a few problems but after I solved them everything went smoothly. One of the most pronounced problems that I had was trying to figure out what to do. It was hard trying to figure out the whole meaning of kindness. At many times I was trying too hard, but what I noticed was the whole point of being benevolent was not to be selfish. All I was doing was going out in the world and showing off all the good things I’ve accomplished. What I really needed to do was to show off all the good things other people accomplished. That is how I came out with such a community reflected project. It wasn't about me, it was about everyone.
I have a hard time controlling my emotions and mostly only the bad emotions come out. I haven’t been the most selfless person in the world and I am still not. The thing with this project though is that it helped me so much to be a better person. I wasn’t the only one impacted by all of this. The chain reaction of friendliness made tons of people’s days better I could really feel all the positive energy radiating from everyone.
I don’t see myself as a leader and I don't see myself as a follower. I don’t see myself as an observer and I don’t see myself as an unveiler. Samaritan is too high of a title and libertine is too low of a title. Instead I see myself as a vindicator. I do things for a purpose and only do things if they are worth it. I saw the chance to make people see how our world still had people who cared as worth it. I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing this. It starts chain reactions, that eventually when big enough, could really revolutionize the world in tranquillity. I encourage everyone everywhere to walk alongside me. If you recall my research on Pay It Forward in my last two blogs then you will be proud to know that I am trying to start a Pay It Forward Philadelphia. Please email me at jperaza@scienceleadership.org if you are interested.
Here is the link to my bibliography.
Javier Peraza: Negative Space Art
2. I have studied negative space before and therefore it was quite easy to find it. The simpleness is just the empty space around the subject.
3. Negative space strengthens an artist's perspective of things.
4. The enhancement of drawings and ext. because of negative space solely depend on the artist. Although, most likely seeing everything from different perceptions does increase knowledge and skill on that base term.
Final Perspective Drawing
One of the most salient things in life to know is that before you can fully understand something you must have equilibrium with all of its perspectives. For how can you truly know what a square is without seeing also the cube? How can you label a story character as a samaritan or a nefarious being without stepping into their shoes? The first stride in venturing into the world of equal empathy is to know that almost everything has infinite perspectives. This is foremost especially in the macrocosm of chaotic madness and rightful order we call art.
It could be said that you can never reach an infinite number of perspectives in art. That eventually every one of them would be discovered and taught in a classroom or studio. One aspect of looking at that is false. New perspectives are thought of every day even without the slightest of recognition. Therefore in an ultimate loophole of a herculean panorama, where anything is possible, it is quite hard not to say that art perspectives are infinite. Although, mathematically speaking, infiniteness is a line of continuum motion in which the destination or point never comes close to your term. This a very arguable topic and could easily be discussed in class.
Just as there is infinite amount of perspectives for art, there is an infinite amount of perspectives of one point perspective. The view I chose to take was one of the negative light. In one point perspective, everything is white on black instead of black on white. Javier Peraza thought that he could not fight the compelling feeling to dig deeper in the very meaning of perspective. That is why he wanted to complete the project in that way. Since it is onerous to make out detail in a negative version of one point perspective I blue printed the very heavenly cosmos that Javier's mind creates but in a positive view. If corrected, it would be wise to travel to a different perspective of one point perspective. Of course just for clarity on the infinite macrocosm theory.
A fountain of imagination and creativity, that is indeed itself inarguably an infinite, is my mind and also yours. You should never underestimate the power of the human mind for the whole concept of infinities and time comes from it. They breed to make dimensions and mathematics. It will always be your source for anything and everything for it was my source. Note though that you have OTHER minds just as capable of accomplishing as much as yourself so Javier recommends that you listen to your peers and authorities.
Macbeth BM Creative
The creative portion of the project had to reflect on our quotes and our thesis. In my project I really wanted to show the evidence on how my quotes proved my thesis correct. My thesis revolved around the idea that Macbeth had healthy ambition and curiosity his whole life but when his fate was made known it all became quite nefarious. To do that I needed to incorporate every stage of downfall into the creative portion presented by the quotes.
I soon came up with the idea of making a clay Macbeth and quote weights. As the story progressed, each quote weight would be added to Macbeth to show the struggle he endears on his journey. By the final quote Macbeth is no longer able to hold up the weights and therefore falls. This is supposed to show how in the end all of Macbeth's choices finally kill him.
It did not get better from there unfortunately. I had to use clay for my project and because of that I went to the store and bought clay. Simple enough but I was terribly wrong. The amount of clay balls I had to create for different combinations of quote weights were in the fifties. There was only one right combination of sized balls where the statue of Macbeth would fall on the last quote and not the others. The process even got more tiresome after cooking the balls and seeing that it didn't work when cooked. Inevitably I had to go buy more clay and do it again. Crafting the Macbeth dolls was a pain for he never stood up on his own which lead to toothpick supports. During the whole thing I was constantly thinking about how this makes sense compared to my written portion of the project. I would stop and plan out everything. Most of the times the plans did not go so well and I had to go back and just plan something different.
I am seriously proud of my dexterity, endurance, and effort. I never gave up and multiple times tried to do better. After hours of tiresome work I did not go for the B but went up and beyond to get the A. I fought my own "furies" and pillaged on through lack of sleep and tired, clay filled hands. In short, it was all kind of amazing.
In thinking about it now I honestly don't know what I would change in this project. If given time then I would have hundreds of answers. If I could change the project maybe I would spend more time on brainstorming and decision making. I want the best ideas possible and the greatest decision made. Although I see perfection as an infinity, making it impossible to reach. You can always approach perfection but when you try to grab it then it will just ran miles away with harder possibilities trailing away. It is this idea though that pushes you to do better each time. Which makes a college student generally better than a high school student, which makes a C student into an A student.
If I could acknowledge anyone it would be Ms. Dunn for teaching me well, my friends for listening to my presentations and presenting fantastic projects themselves, and my family for putting up with all the clay in the house.
Nuestras actividades
No sé el cumpleaños de mi padre. Mi padre trabaja todos los días. Es por eso que cuando tiene tiempo libre relaja. De vez en cuando ve la tele. También a veces el es muy, muy bobo. Mi padre odio videojuegos. Por lo tanto juga videojuegos. Mi padre encanta deportes. Así que ve la ESPN.
E1 U4 SLA es mejor escuela del mundo!
Mis clases son divertidas! Tengo Inglés, Drama, Español, Matemáticas, Tecnología, Arte, Historia, y Almuerzo. Mi favorita es Literatura y Historia porque es muy fácil. No me gusta mucho La Tecnología porque es aburrida. En la clase de Literatura nosotros actuamos escenas y leemos libros. Y en la clase de Historia nosotros escribimos ensayos y participamos en actividades. En todas mis clases que necesito una computadora, unas plumas, unos lápices, una carpeta, mi bata de laboratorio, unas hojas de papel, y una mochila. Para tener éxito en mi clases tenemos que ser trabajadora. Tenemos que también tenemos que trabajar con lo mejor de nuestras habilidades. Necesitamos tomar apuntes y hace toda la tarea. Tenemos que estar preparado. Es importante ser entusiasta!
Mis profesores son bastante genial! La Señorita Manuel es mi profesora de Español. Ella es divertida y su clase es fácil. Definitivamente mi clase favorita! El Señor Sanchez es mi profesor de Historia. Él es cómico y tranquilo. Tú puede ser genial en su clase. La Señora Dunn es mi profesora de Inglés. Ella nos da libros interesantes para leer. Su clase es creativa. La Señor Bey es mi tutor. Él habla español y él es impresionante.SLA es una gran escuela. Me encantan todos los estudiantes y profesores. Todos ellos son increíbles. Odio que la escuela es tan pequeña. Todo el mundo debería ser capaz de la experiencia de SLA . Lo que más me gusta de SLA es tenemos independencia. SLA es bastante asombroso y muy fabuloso. Me encanta el estilo de aprendizaje aquí, es increíble. SLA es la mejor escuela. Todo el mundo debería ir a la entrevista.
Pay It Forward Blog #2
Advancing from my last blog, (The link to the blog is posted here http://www.scienceleadership.org/blog/You_And_The_World-YATW-Pay-It-Forward) I have been exigent to get more involved in the Pay it Forward movement while still keeping you guys versed on what is milestoning. I surmise that if I indubitably strive to make a difference then there is nothing out there desisting me from my goal. I wish to achieve global cognizance on how philanthropy and magnanimity can really shape our world for the better. I hope to be some spark that ignites the flame of truly good moral amongst the human race. To invigorate the honorableness in peoples’ hearts which will set in motion a path towards peace. Before I can even work to becoming this spark I must investigate whether or not humanity is capable of such a change. Also if I am to be confident in myself I must dive into creative research. This inquisition can help give me an idea on where I stand in my plan. Maybe if I find out where everyone else poses in this predicament I will be apt to come out stronger in my campaign. Like everything big, I must start out small. I should inaugurate in my community first. The only problem that arises is what can I possibly do?
Humility, generosity, chastity, meekness, temperance, kindness, and diligence are the seven main virtues that are instituted to students in Catholic schools everywhere. They are responsible for building teens’ personalities into righteous and forthright good samaritans. If you live your life by these seven virtues I am confident that you could really make a difference in your hometown or city. As a result I felt that my journey to making this world a better place should start around here. I attended Catholic elementary school for eleven years and each day was being educated that everything Pay it Forward stood for was the way to live, in an indirect sense. In this environment we had to constantly be kind, generous and forgiving. My friends that I knew in elementary school were the exact image of eleemosynary samaritans. They treated everyone, including strangers, like a friend. Always being willing to pay for another kid’s lunch, these people are the perfect model of exactly who you're suppose you be if you join Pay it Forward. To find out more on what it means to truly be a good person I interviewed my brother Vincent. Vince is in his freshman year at Roman Catholic High School and always has a story to tell on how teens at his school enact deeds of kindness. Roman Catholic High School is filled with courteous and debonair children who are always ready to learn. Here is the link to Roman Catholic’s website if you want to learn more about them http://www.romancatholichs.com.Thus when I conducted my interview with my brother I had the utmost confidence that he would for sure tell me tales of how students in his school love to act like christians. The interview between him and I is written down below.
Me: Vincent, Pay It Forward is the organization who performs acts of kindness that is sweeping the nation. So far Pay it Forward is responsible for influencing thousands of people to perform good deeds in the world. Soup kitchens have been donated generous amounts of money and stolen items everywhere are being returned all because of Pay It Forward. Nice isn’t it, to have people out there who actually care? Especially today where there is so much evil out in the world. Tell me, how does what the people of Pay It Forward are doing make you feel?
Vincent: It’s heartwarming to see so much compassion and generosity in our society. This is proof that there are still genuine people in the world today who actually care for others.
Me: It’s good to know that this affects you so. I’m glad to have someone like you in our community who takes the time to think about this. Now I believe that you attend a Catholic school and from past experiences I understand that Catholic schools pressure their students to be good samaritans. Some say that Christians are more felicitous to exhibit acts of goodwill in the world because of their teachings of being kind to everyone. Do you see a lot of this displayed in your school?
Vincent: I have often noticed acts of kindness shown in my school. It would seem that there is some connection between students and teachers alike because they all care for each other as if they were family. Whether it is something little like holding the door for someone in the morning or helping someone with a huge task, it is the thought that always counts.
Me: That is very inspiring, I am even more happy to see that kids our age are really trying to get out in the world and spread honorable deeds like that. I think for the most part that growing up in an environment as such can have a huge impact on one’s personality. For example, you have shown that teens being taught good samaritanism not only try to make a difference for the better, but also enjoy it. Do you agree, that if you are born surrounded by other humanitarians that you are prone to lead a life of good doing?
Vincent: If you grow up in a healthy and supportive Christian environment, there is no doubt that you will grow up to be a helpful and successful person. I myself find it satisfying to give to others in need. It is such a great feeling when you know you are truly helping someone.
Me: After thinking about this more do you think you’ll try to get out in the world, maybe? The whole point of Pay It Forward is to make a chain reaction of kindness among the world. Later in the year when I start to pursue making an actual change will you join me and move on to spread beneficence in your own school?
Vincent: I’ll do anything it takes to secure a brighter and better future.
Me: Thank you Vince for allowing me to take some of your time. I hope that talking to you has inspired you to really start thinking about making a difference. I hope you have a nice day my friend.
The interview between Vincent and I gave me hope that this world is ready for a change. Although thinking through the situation made me have an altered view on things. Here was a kid who lived his whole life being educated that you should be a prime person. Was there any doubts that his response would be nothing less than “A savior of humanity’s moral good”? I became concerned that what if normal people living normal lives could be the same. I needed to conduct an experiment to see how willing everyone is to put away their selfishness and actually care about someone else. After much thought I decided to transact a survey. Walking around my neighborhood seeking friends and family I depicted a situation where they supposedly found a clip of one hundred dollars lying in the street. I then asked them if they would try to bring the money to its rightful owner. The amount of persons I asked totaled to thirty. Using a pie chart to record results, I saw that the denouement was quite disturbing.
Unlike Vincent’s inspirational account on what it means to be a good samaritan, this pie chart shows that not everyone can have a truly generous heart. Out of all thirty people I used in this survey only 7% said they would try to return the clip. That is only two people! I was upset, discouraged, driven to the point of nihilism. Surely this couldn't be real. It was inconceivable for this to be real. I went over the results over and over again but to no avail. It seemed that greed persisted in people’s souls no matter what. It was time for me to change offense. Pay it Forward is routinely educating people around the world about the seven virtues and how to live by them. Did they ever think to mention the seven vices and talk about how not to live by them? Greed, lust, sloth, wrath, pride, envy, and gluttony. The tools of the devil; the 7 notorious archenemies of Pay It Forward. The ones that prevent us to fulfil our lives as right and just people. To raise knowledge on how to avoid these deadly offenders I created a chart on what to do when evil is on your doorstep.
VICE | WHAT IT IS | WHAT YOU CAN DO TO AVOID IT |
Pride | Pride is an inflated look on yourself and your achievements. If you are very prideful you might have a big ego. | It’s always good to be happy for yourself and to keep your head high;sometimes too much of that is a bad thing. To avoid pride you might not just want to be enthusiastic about your pros, but about other people’s too. |
Wrath | Most definitely the most violent of the seven vices, wrath is an over amount of explosive anger towards a person or thing. | Wrath can be really dangerous to the people around you and that is why it is important to try and sidestep it. A good way to make sure you never are responsible for horrible deeds caused by anger is to think things out. If you try to put things in a different perspective, then you might see there is no real reason to be that mad. Try to see the outcome of a situation before you do anything you’ll regret. |
Gluttony | Gluttony is the overindulgence of food or drink just for spite. If you and your friends ordered pizza and you eat the last piece not because you're hungry but because you did not want your friend to have it then that is gluttony. | Never look at food as a luxury but as nourishment. Once you feel that you eat just for pleasure then that is the first step towards gluttony. Try to only consume in an amount of food necessary to keep you alive. Remember there is people out there that don’t have the money to buy food. |
Greed | Greed, I personally feel, is one of the worst of the seven vices. Greed is accountable for hundreds of atrocious deeds committed in history. It has started many wars and domination in the world. Greed is the need for wealth. | If you realize that you do not need money to enjoy life then you will be walking farther away from greed than you know it. See money not as a necessity but as an asset. You might not believe me but the goal to happiness does not involve wealth what-so-ever. |
Envy | Assassinations and broken friendship can all be found in history caused by the evil of being envious. Envy is jealousy of another person’s possessions or status in life. | Envy is tremendously evil and you should always approach cautiously if you ever feel jealous of another person. If you are unable to avoid jealousy then here is a simple tip to make sure it doesn’t brew into envy. No matter who a person is and what they own you can always fulfill your dreams if you set your mind to it. |
Sloth | Sloth is emotional, physical, and spiritual apathy. Sloth can be something as facile as not getting up to get the TV remote because you're lazy or even neglecting to socialize with people because you don't want to waste a breath. | A good way to maneuver sloth is to try to get active in the world. Make it a habit so it sticks. If you join a sports team or repeatedly do simple tasks such as holding the door for someone then you will be less tempted not to do something in the future. |
Lust | Lust is a strong emotion of intense desire in your body. Lust takes many forms such as lust for knowledge , lust for power, and or lust for sex. | Lust is always knocking on everyone’s door. The temptation to do, say, or have whatever you want is not something you take lightly. To counteract lust you can try to think about other things when your desire for something comes up. Starting a hobby or hanging with your friends can help distract you from any desires. |
I hope you guys can take the time to look over these deadly vices and see if you are under danger of being corrupted by anyone of them. Going back Pay It Forward I wanted to see how much the organization influenced people around the world. Reading articles and consulting people I finally found out that this global phenomenon actually inspired a director to make a movie called “Pay It Forward”. The movie involves a young boy who is given the chance to do good in the world. I watched the movie and introspected it as tremendously heartening. I'm not going to say anymore ( You can learn more here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223897/)but the point is that if this movement that is sweeping the world can be strong enough to have a movie made about it then why can’t it do better? After watching the movie I felt better despite the horrible events of my money clip survey. It looks like some people seriously want some vicissitude for the greater good of the human race.
Pay It Forward movie cover.
It is hard to sleep at night knowing that humanity might be growing mature from some its old and ridiculous ways of life. The ways of life where people have to filch and murder to get by. You wonder why it is hard? It is hard to sit back and not join the cause. I have such a strong opinion about helping everyone around the planet that I have been boiling with enthusiasm ever since day one. The pullulating eagerness I feel to get my hands on some project that could inevitably make another person smile is inconceivable in amount. I am willing to put gargantuan volumes of devotion in my crusade to embodiment true values of justice in our country. Unfortunately reviewing the steps leading up to this second blog I realize that my research was pointless. I'm still left wondering whether or not even Philadelphia is ready for something like this. I am timorous that support might be problematic to acquire. It unsettles me not to be confident that I’ll receive reinforcement in what seems to me an epic battle of good and evil. Although I know that history repeats itself and I'm aware that throughout history it was always the will of one person that breaks and bends the turn of events. Anyone can make a difference own their own and I am determined to have my voice heard. I can’t help still being candidly moronic on what Im doing to do for my agent of change. Everytime I think of an idea it feels like it isn’t enough to create a spark herculean enough to wake people up. I will strive forward in my research until I find the ‘treasure’ of real enlightenment. If you have any ideas or are interested in service to the world then you can email me at jperaza@scienceleadership.org
This is the link to my annotated bibliography: https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1WHe41_DlnlJDnn1ULc7fNqNr9Tp8edR8O7Unbr8mIsU/edit
Mis Seres Queridos en Mi Vida
Introduction
Bienvenidos ami video. Por favor disfrute.
Yo
Mi nombre es Javier. Tengo catorce años. Mi cumpleanños es el ocho de febrero. Me gusta dormir y leer. Soy BASTANTE artístico y MUCHO deportista. Yo tambien soy ITALIANO.
Él
Se llama Vincent Capitolo. Tiene catorce años. Tiene el pelo corto y negro. Tiene los ojos cafés. Él INCREIBLEMENTE inteligente. Es importante para mi porque ES MI MEJOR AMIGO.
Ellos
Son Lucas Capitolo y Delaney Capitolo. Son MUCHO cómicos y bobos. Les gusta descansar. Tienen un pez y una familia grande. Que so importantes para mí porque es mi HERMANO y HERMANA.
Ellas
Son Isabella Mezzaroba y Brittney Cooper. Son BASTANTE extrañas y MUCHO habladoras. Les MUCHO gusta escuchar música y hablar por teléfono. Ellas son MUCHO molestas. Son importantes para mí porque son mis amigas.
Nosotros
Se llama Brandon. Somos MUCHO deportistas y BASTANTE talentosos. Nosotros los do tenemos una hermana más joven. Nos gusta practicar deportes y pasar un rato con amigos. Es importante importante para mi porque ES MI MEJOR AMIGO.
Conclusion
Muchas gracias por viendo.
The Storm of the Century
The Storm of the Century
Adivina
Bella
Vincent
Pizza Guy
Javier Peraza Q2 Media Fluency
Looking back at the critique I began to matriculate that the cinched, lucid, and unambiguous slide design is more often aggrandized by the monotonous audience. A monumental confabulation inscribed on a slide show is paroxysm to the benighted, and perhaps even moronic, musters. Not only that, but it distracts them from the real picture which is what transpires from the vocal cords in your throat. The persisting sound during phonation is no amalgamation with culminating knowledge. You want your assemblage to be completely ken to what you are saying; therefore your slide should have as little as possible along with the most meaning. This alone can be vindicating enough, so the elementary way to do this might be challenging. The idea is to have your point unequivocal to give the onlookers the topic in diminutive amount of time. Maybe more importantly, it is salient to have the slide visually appealing. You don't want to lose your 'people' just because you are too intwined into sloth to care. These articulations have a perfect panorama on why I changed my slide to a mild but tenacious introduction to 'ME'.
Una Carta para Ti.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Javier. Estoy tranquilo. ¿Qué tal? Tengo catorce años. ¿Y tú? ¿De dónde eres tú? Soy de Filadelfia. ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? Hace mucho frío aquí. ¿Cómo es en España? Es muy bueno para vivir en Filadelfia. ¿Alguna vez has visitado América? Nunca he visitado un país de habla española.
Soy alto y delgado. Soy lindo y moreno. También soy bastante cómico, increiblemente atlético y muy inteligente. Soy italiano, irlandés, y cubano. ¿Y tú? ¿Cómo eres? Me encanta practicar deportes. Mis deportes favoritos son el baloncesto, el fútbol y el béisbol. Los fines de semana me gusta dormir y pasar un rato con amigos. También me gusta ir al cine y escuchar música. Sin embargo Odio ir a la escuela y detesto estudiar. ¿Y a ti? ¿Qué te gusta hacer?
Si usted no sabe, Filadelfia es una ciudad entre la ciudad de Nueva York y la capital. Es una ciudad grande. Aquí se conoce como “ La Ciudad de Amor Fraternal.” ¿Cuál es tú equipo de fútbol favorito, Real Madrid o Barcelona? Bueno, me voy porque tengo que salvar a mi amigo, panqueques gigantes que comen hombres están atacando. Responde cuando puedas.
Javier
P.S.
Disfruten de las fotos.
Mis favoritos
You And The World (YATW) Pay-It-Forward
For those of you that do not know what the Pay-It-Forward movement is, its doing good deeds not because someone has done one for you but because you want to out of the kindness of your heart. The point of Pay-It-Forward is to start a chain reaction of good deeds by inspiring people to find kindness in their hearts and be generous. Pay-It-Forward has tons of members worldwide that go around performing acts of good to make the world a better place. A Pay It Forward act of kindness could be helping pay the bill for a customer at a store or even just helping an elderly woman cross the street. It can also be returning lost items to their rightful owner and donating money to people in need. Any act deemed kind is a Pay It Forward deed. Click here for the Pay-It-Forward official website http://www.pifexperience.org
There has been accounts of many generous Pay-It-Forward stories but one I find extremely influential is that of a good samaritan asking of nothing but to see people happy. In Sherwood, Oregon a Target cashier bears witness to one of the most inspirational things that could go on in a local store. At register 11, Debora Durral had just saw that family’s credit card was denied. They didn’t have enough money for the bill so a kind good samaritan quietly paid the bill. When the family found out what had happened they were so taken back from joy that there is people in this world that are compassionate that they gave what little money they did have to pay for the people’s bill behind them. Inspired by the family, the next customer did the same for the people behind them. Debora Durral witness as each person in line contributed money to other people in line. Finally when the last person in line had no one else to contribute to, that person gave money to Debora who then went on to do the same in other local stores. I cried all the way home and just thanked the Lord," she said. This is one of a kind story that shows what Pay-It-Forward is really about. To read more about Debora Durral click here http://www.katu.com/news/local/Kindness-really-is-contagious-Customers-at-Target-pay-it-forward-175036691.html
Debora Durral accounting her story of what happened that day.
Another story that I found influential enough to share with you is the birth of the Karma Seed. On April 25, 2010 a man named Christopher Lo lost his camera outside of his university’s library. Although he doubted he would find it there, he check the university’s lost and found website and to his surprise found his camera. When he retrieved it he found a video on there that he definitely had not taken. The video was of the person who had found his camera returning it. Click here to see the video http://thekarmaseed.org/about# . Inspired by the kindness that some people have in the world helped Christopher create the Karma Seed. The Karma Seed, which you go on The Karma Seed.com to get, is a small gift card in the shape of a seed which you put money on. You carry the Karma Seed around in your purse or wallet and when the opportunity comes to be generous you use it to pay for someone’s bill. After you pay for their bill you give them the Karma Seed to go out in the world and do the same. Each person with the Karma Seed can add more money to it online and if you visit the website you can track your seed as it goes around the world doing good deeds. You can also upload stories of what you used the Karma Seed for and read other stories of what different people used it for. Pretty soon your very own Karma Seed has gone on a huge adventure spreading joy and generosity.
Karma Seed website page.
As I continue researching about the Pay-It-Forward movement throughout the year I ask myself how I can make a difference in the world. Although knowing what a good deed is could be said as easy, thinking of something original and yet strong enough to make an impact on the nation might not be so easy. While the project progresses I will try to at least once a week go out publicly and perform an act of kindness. My hopes and goals are to inspire people to do the same, maybe creating a chain reaction like the one that Debora Durral witnessed. I ponder the question “Can one person really make a difference.” After investigating the news I see that most of the Pay-It-Forward stories only occur because of one person’s doing. So the answer to my question is, yes. If you are someone who has always wanted to make a difference but never got out there because you thought that you alone couldn’t do it, then please take this blog literally. The power of someone’s will is extremely strong and can be proven in history for the many accounts of change that one person has made. So, get out there and make a difference because you can do it. Join many others in the Pay-It-Forward movement and make a change now!
Click here for Annotated Bibliography https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1WHe41_DlnlJDnn1ULc7fNqNr9Tp8edR8O7Unbr8mIsU/edit
Vincent Capitolo
To Kill A Mockingbird Editorial
Cómo está? Buen Gracias GREETINGS
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Peraza, Javier, LucidNetwork, Newtwork
Gracias Courtesies
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