Gizmodo

Alright so there are a lot of websites which I like to follow in my spare time. One of these websites, Gizmodo is really quite interesting. I follow it on a pretty regular basic. For those of you who don't know what Gizmodo is, it's a website similar to Engadget. This site primarily provides some of the most up to date information on almost any gadget that is currently being released or developed. I follow it frequently to make sure I am always on the cutting edge of technology. I have found so many useful facts and tid bits on the site which really had broadened my scope of electronics. I particularly like to follow their top applications for the android software smart phones. I have an android phone and am always up for trying new things with it. I have almost every app that they recommend, and I use each of them almost everyday. Anyways Gizmodo is definitely a great site which anyone can use to stay up to date with the technological world. The link is: http://gizmodo.com/

Leviathan Page1-15

I finished my last book The Road and began reading Leviathan. This book starts out with a child named Alek in his father's study. He is playing a war game, something which interests him. His family has ruled Austria for over 6 generations, so it must be in his blood. He shouldn't have been in his father's study, but the fencing trainer finds what hes up to. He doesn't seem mad though. He instead asks Alek to get out of bed for his first Walker driving lesson. A walker seems to be some kid of machine device that a driver can control. Its like a giant person with guns, similar to iron man. At first Alek is unsure if this is real. However he soon realizes that this is all real and that he is in control of a great weapon. The book has just started out so there is not too much that has happened yet. We just know that Alek is a wealthy child who will probably have to take on the responsibilities of the family by continuing his family's reign. We also learned though that his mother is of normal blood. Since Alek is their son, he is not pure blood and does not qualify to receive any land. So far the story seems interesting, and the time period is still unknown. They talk about horses and swords like it was a time before guns, however Alek is controlling a huge robot with multiple weapons.

The Road pg 242-287 (End)

We last left Child and the Father after they had found a ship with a number of valuables in them. One of these values included a flare gun, which they decided to fire off in celebration. Overnight however, a grave problem arose. The child threw up in the morning. The Father put his hand on the Child's forehead and felt that he was quite hot. Luckily the Father found a first aid kit on the boat. This first aid kit had a variety of things that could help the Child. It contained aspirin and other other medicines to bring down the symptoms. The boy most likely got sick because he decided to go swimming in the cold water.

The Father and the Child continued to search the beach everyday for more goods. They found a few more goods which allowed them to eat a decent amount of food every night. However one day on their way back to camp, they say bootprints in the sand. When they arrived at the campsite they found that all their valuables were taken. Their shoes, their food, their water, and their blankets. They knew they had to do something and so quickly set out for the man by using his footsteps as a guide. They reached a road and lost the tracks. However the Child was able to spot out some sand which most likely came form the thief. They quickly followed the tracks and found the man. The father threatened the man with his gun and the man slowly backed up. They took all of their belongings back, as well as anything the man had. They took the cart and went into a small town. Here they met more trouble when a man in a window began to shoot arrows at them. The first arrow missed but the second one pierced the Fathers leg. The Father quickly shot a flare at the man who screamed in pain. The Child and the Father quickly got away to safety. He then used the first aid kit to stitch his leg back together.

The Father and the Child continued to walk on for a while, however it was becoming quite apparent that the Father does not have the capability to live. They continued to walk for what seemed to be a week before they stopped. The Father knew that he was going to die and told the Child to keep going. He said that he will always be with him. With that he passed away. The next morning there was a man that came for the boy. He said that he was sorry for his fathers passing and that the Child could trust him. The Child reluctantly agreed to go with the man, who lead him to the rest of his family. They were in the mountains which had a number of trout in the river. The boy was safe, and he had made it.

Field Trip!

Haha today I went on my first field trip since elementary school. My team and placed third in the region in the stock market game. The top three teams in elementary school, middle school, and high school were all there. We first had a tour of the newspaper company and saw how newspapers were made. We even saw the actual printing press, which at one point was the fastest in the world. After this we were treated to some free pizza. They had over 10 different varieties. We were also lucky enough to get our pictures taken. These pictures will be put in the newspaper so that we can be recognized for our achievements. Overall it was a great experience and quite fun. If only there were more field trips to look forward to.

The Road. Pages pg. 204-242

We last left off with the Child spotting a house the distance. The Child and the Father debated weather they should go to the house. It was further then it seemed and would severely hurt their progress. They decided to go ahead and take the risk since they were so low on food. They arrive at the house and found that it indeed had some old food. Their were vegetables and fruits in some cans. The Child and the Father were unsure at first if they should have them. They seemed quite old and could almost be poisonous to them. They decided to go ahead and take the risk of eating them. They didn't have many other choices. Luckily for them, the food was still good enough for eating. They were saved....for the moment. They decided to stay at the house for 4 days. However they decided that they had to keep moving. The found another cart which would allow them to carry some more supplies. They also found some blankets in the house which were a great help in surviving the dark, cold nights.

The Father and the Child continued to move South. Eventually they started to feel the salty ocean air on their faces. Continuing on their journey they finally arrived at the beach. The beach was gray and covered with ash. TO their dismay, the ocean was not blue as the Father had last remembered it. The were no birds, or any other signs of life for that matter. In the end the Child was so anxious to go play in the water, that he decided to go ahead and go for it. While he was swimming the Father realized how skinny and weak he was. The child came back out of the water and was shivering for quite a while.

The Father then finds a boat the next morning after they wake up. They decided to become scavengers in hopes of finding anything of value. They were lucky that they found this boat. It was full of a great deal of goodies. The first and most important thing he found in the boat was cabinet of canned food. The Father quickly took this and began taking as much as he could. He also found some pair of shoes, which are always useful. Then there were some tools in the corner which can always come in handy. He also found a flare gun. This is quite a big find because they can use it to signal for people if they need to. The Father has the intention of using it as a gun to put people on fire though. Overall the boat that the Father found was a great find which saved their lives.

SAT Classes

Today I had my first SAT class. They run form 6 to 8 at Canterbury. It seemed really boring because their were about 50 people there. All of them went to Canterbury and already knew each other. The teachers seem decent and it looks like they know how to teach. Besides that the 2 hours are so boring.I don't have my actual SAT test until March, so I'm starting to study pretty early. Hopefully I do good on it so I wont have to take it again.

The Road. Pages pg. 166-203

Since the last entry, I have read a decent amount in the book. However not too many eventful things actually occurred. I last left off with the Father and the Child meeting and helping an elderly man on the side of the road. The Father was against the idea, but the bright conscious of the Child quickly swayed him. They provided the man with some food. He was quite old, claiming to be 90. The reason I say claiming is because we later find out that he lies about many things. He doesn't trust the Child and the Father, and rightly so. He said he told people that he was 90 so that they wouldn't hurt him. However when the Father asked him if people did hurt him, he sadly still replied yes. This apocalyptic world has many of the values we hold today skewed. Everyone is only working for themselves and their self interest. The man later leaves on his own without even thanking the Child for the kindness he showed the old man.

The bulk of this section involved the Father and the Child traveling on their way South, like always. According to the map they were 50 miles off of where they thought they should be. The Father estimates it will take them two to three weeks to finally reach the coast and their goal. However a few days later they run into some deep problems. The cart their carrying has a gas tank in with with valuable gas from the bunker they had lived in. The tanks is controlled by two valves. It turns out that the Child forgot to close the second valve, leaving them without any gas only after just a few days. The gas was to last them for weeks, more than enough until they get to the South. Secondly, they are beginning to run out of supplies. They have almost no food and they have little hopes of finding any in the old rotting towns they pass.

After a few days of uneventful walking, the Father and Child reach a road. Apparently there was a great fire that was so hot that it burned the tar on the road, which later resettled. There were imprints of people's footsteps and their belongings which had been looted by scavengers. Further down the road they saw many dead bodies, all blackened by the tar. The Father and the Child continue to walk a few days. They then had a feeling that someone was watching them, following them. They quickly decided to spend the night under a bridge in an attempt to catch a glimpse of their pursuers. The Father stayed up all night just to see them, and he was successful. The group of people contained 3 men and one woman. The woman was walking awkwardly, and the Father deduced that she was pregnant. The Father also noted with his keen eye that the men had guns. They could be a potential threat and danger. Who would stop them from shooting the Father and the Child for a free meal? In the end of this section the book is starting to build more suspense. Will the Father and the Child be able to reach the South coast? Who are these 4 strangers and what will happen with them? Will the be able to work together to reach the South? There are just so many questions at the moment,and its amazing.

The Green Hornet

So I was home today and decided to watch the new Green Hornet movie. I thought it was pretty epic for the most part. There was quite a deal of action in the movie. Their was also a decent amount of humor, even in scenes of intense action. Overall the story and plot were interesting. The main character is left with his fathers empire and decides to go rampant around the city for fun. This "fun" becomes much more serious and the story begins to focus on the mysterious death of the characters father and his plans to carry on his legacy. I definitely suggest all of you to see this awesome movie, preferably in 3D.

The Road. Pages pg. 151-165

There wasn't anything greatly important that happened within these few pages. The Child and the Father have been living in a trapdoor sanctuary for what seems to be a week. However, they know they have to move on and will not be able to stay forever. They lost their last cart and have to find a new method for carrying their valuables. They set out on an journey to find a cart, and arrive at a supermarket. Lo and behold there were 3 rusted carts in the supermarket lobby. Of course the supermarket was completely ransacked itself at this point. The Father and Child return to the trapdoor bunker and were able to fill the cart with a wide array of valuables that would last them a while.

On the journey south, the Child and the Father notice another man walking on the road. He looks quite weary and old. They follow him at first, unsure if he is part of a trap. The Child, known throughout the book as being very caring, asks his Father to share their valuable food with this stranger. They meet with him and provide him with some food which he quickly gulps down.

I am almost half way done with the book and there are still no names mentioned at all! I continue to find this extremely annoying. Also their are many images of dead people and horrendous bloody scenes. I have noticed that the child is always innocent and looks forward to assist anyone and everyone. However the Father attempts to be much more tactical and very cautious. These two characters, related, are almost complete opposites of each other. So far this distinct differentiation has worked well to express the world in which the story is set.

The Road. Pages pg. 101-151

The beginning of this section has the Father and his Son in quite a predicament. It is snowing constantly, nightly temperatures drop below freezing, and their cart with supplies has been stolen. Within the first few pages, I can see that both the Father and his Son are losing hope. However, against all odds they continue to push on.

For some reason these pages are also obsessed with trapdoors. There are three different instances in where trapdoors appear. The first one is rather gruesome. The Child and the Father stumble upon a house in which they are searching for food. Within the house they saw a padlocked trapdoor in the ground. Desperate for food, they quickly find a shovel and attempt to pry open the door. They succeed only to find true horror underneath. In the room they find many naked people living in horrible conditions. The smell is unbearable and they are all lightly whispering "Help me". The Father and the Child quickly leave, knowing that if they stay too long they will be caught too. Just as they leave the trap door they find that the owners of the house is back. The Father and the child quickly get away into the woods. I believe the owner eats those that he keeps prisoner, sadly. The boy is constantly asking what happened to those people throughout the rest of this section.

The second trapdoor that appeared was a bit more fortunate. This trapdoor contained no dead bodies. There was not much of value in there, but the author was able to find a water source. Not only was it water, but it was CLEAN water. This obviously was a great find, and the Father quickly filled two canisters full of the water. He was also able to find some apple trees near by which provided him with some food.

The third trapdoor that the Father and Child found was the best. It was a lifesaver and a definite blessing. Within this trapdoor was a storeroom. This room contained everything needed for long term survival. There were canned goods, a can opener, batteries, ammunition, and even a toilet. This was quite the discovery. The Child and the Father stayed in this trapdoor for a number of days, filling up on supplies and eating as much as they could. This was definitely the beacon of light in a dark adventure. At the end of this section, the Child and Father were still in this bunker. They are getting ready to set out once again to brave the elements in an attempt to move South.

Awesome random facts

So I was searching the internet because I was bored, and I found this list of about 30 amazing facts. My personal favorites are numbers 4, 20, and 30. The link is http://hubpages.com/hub/Simply-Awesome-Facts Check it out!

The Road. Pages 66-101

I continue to read "The Road", which seems to be picking up in pace. I last left off with the child and his father experiencing a horrific event. The father had just pulled the trigger on a man that was threatening to harm the child. The child was covered in gore and the remains of the dead mans viscera. The man and the child had no choice but to run, generating as much distance between the dead body and themselves. They managed to escape the truckers and were finally able to take a breather. The child was terrified and hadn't uttered a word for days because he was in such a state of shock. The next day the father and the child had to make an attempt to get back the cart they had left behind which held are their valuables. After hours of searching and finally finding their cart, they were disheartened to find that it had been looted for anything and everything of value. The child and the father now had to start from scratch again by actively looking for any supplies they could. The mixture of snow and ash falling from the sky does not help their progress in the slightest. Once they are on their way, they find a few old abandoned houses with some usable supplies, which they take. However they are very low on food and need to find some quick. They are continuing their journey to the south, when the child spots smoking coming from what seems to be a makeshift camp. This is probably one of their only hopes left for survival, so they continue towards the camp. Throughout the the journey, I have realized that the child continually asks his father if they will die or not. The father always replies with the same optimistic answer that they will survive. I have also noticed that throughout the book, the author shares many images of dead humans in the abandoned building. The father and the son are relatively unaffected by this dilemma, and continue on their merry way. I also find it somewhat annoying that both the father and the child are still unnamed, as well as anything and anyone else in the book. It promotes a feeling of disconnection with the characters.

Every 4 Year Olds Dream

So I was on the internet, and I found this awesome tricycle. What I would have given to be the kid with this beast machine, rolling down the sidewalks like I own them.

The Road. Pages 34-65

This section of my reading start out slowly like it has been. Both the child and the father (both STILL unnamed) are continuing their journey south. However they are already starting to lose time because they experienced their first snow. They are both trying to cross a mountain, and have very difficult terrain to cover. It is a huge hassle to carry the cart up the mountain, and the snow doesn't help either.

An interesting scene happened when both the child and the father saw another man. He was limping and he was obviously hurt. The characters came to the conclusion that he had been struck by lightning. The child, innocent as he was, wanted to help the man. However the father said that there was nothing they could do, and he decided to leave the man. The man most likely died and the child was quite disappointed and sad.

The other interesting scene that caught my attention was when the child and the father heard a truck coming behind them. This was quite unusual because it was probably one of the few working vehicles. After they went into hiding, they saw that the truck carried men with suits and guns. One of the men had to go to the bathroom, and the father decided to hold him at gun point for some information. The man being held hostage tries to calm the father down and bring him back to the truck, but the father knows its a trap. The man was quick and quickly seized the child. The man thought the father wouldn't pull the trigger with his son so close. He was wrong. The bullet went straight into his forehead and the father and child began to run. Overall the story has started to pick up pace, I can't wait to read again.

Collar Bone X-Ray

So its been 8 weeks since I first had to go see the doctor because of my clavicle that I broke while playing football with some friends. After a long 8 weeks I go into see the doctor, and I wait. After almost forever, I finally get called in for my X-Ray to be taken. After waiting some more, we see the doctor. He looks happy and I'm glad to figure out that my collar bone is almost completely healed. I'm not a cripple any more! I can finally go back to the normal stuff I was doing before I broke it. Today is a great day. And we already have a 2 hour delay announced for tomorrow. Hope we get a cancellation!

The Road. Pages 1 - 33

The beginning of this book, The Road written by Cormac McCarty, seems pretty slow. Not much information is given about the main characters, their names, or even who they are. The story takes place in a desolate part of the world after a cataclysmic event. Their is constant reference to ash in the air that continually falls from the sky with no signs of stopping.

Their seem to be two main characters so far, a boy and a man. The man seems to be the father of the boy. There are many references and reasons that point to the fact that the boy is what is keeping the father alive. However, the father has an aside during these few pages and is asking himself if he will "be able to do it when the time comes". Its unsure at this time what this means, but overall the father seems very loving of his son. He offers him as much as he can, even providing him with a Coca Cola that they find while rummaging through some trash.

The Father and their son are on a journey to go south. They do not have enough supplies or the ability to survive another cold winter in the north. Unless they move south quickly, they will die. At their disposal they only have 2 sacks which they carry over their back, and one cart which they push. The cart stores many supplies. Supplies such as food and shoes are considered the most valuable to the father. They constantly stop and find many old abandoned buildings in which they delicately try to shift through all their contents in hopes of finding some small item of use.

People are Truly Awesome