To The One I Love

Your back reminds me of the sheer black sky when no moon is shining

Your voice seems to always play the melody I desire to hear

The pictures we share together

I will cherish forever

Your thin smooth surface feels soft when I touch

Your amazingly smart brain can hold anything

I feel like you know me so well

Though we've only just met

We share a connection that will never be broken

I'll never let anything happen to you

I'll carry you with me until the end

I love you so much

Words can't even begin to describe

You are the light at the end of the tunnel

The only one I look forward to seeing after a long day at school

You are the apple of my eye

Don't ever think I'll leave you

I wouldn't last a day without you

It will always just be me and you

Madison and iPhone

iPhone and Madison.

The End 

Drones

I've read books about robots and sci-fi, I've seen all the movies and I've always wondered what it would be like to live in a futuristic world. But now having the drones I'm not so sure I want to know. My opinion on drones is completely controversial.  On one hand I think they are one of the coolest things I've heard about in a long time. And the other hand I think there a terrible monstrous weapon. It all depends on how there being used. For instance, I would love to own a drone just for fun. There not all used just for assassinating. Some can fly three miles into the air and take pictures since there's an HD camera hooked into it. Imagine being able to see the world from a different perspective. They can also help people promote peoples jobs. One male real estate agent used his drone to take pictures of the mansions he was selling so they could see the house from all different views.  Having a drone for those types of situations I think is fine. But the way some use them, is repulsing. Drones are controlled  by XBOX 360 remote controls. So you don't need to be inside the drone to control it. The government uses this to their advantage. They take drones and attach missals to them. Then they pilot the drones to where they want and drop the missals. They use them to kill people who were thought to be terrorists, and sometimes innocent people die in the process. Being able to kill people from a far is disturbing. I don't think people can fully grasp the thought that they murdered someone because their not even there. It wouldn't feel real, but more like a video game.

This relates to Enders Game because they both have the futuristic feel to them. But also the battle games. In school they make the soldiers play these games where they shoot the other team to win. It's practice for the war with the buggers. There not actually killing people but their using a game in order to prepare them, sort of like the drones. Also Ender was always being watched. He never got to be alone and I fear that that's what's going to happen when drones get more and more modified. People are already creating drones in the form of a hummingbird. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like if a drone was outside my window and I didn't know if it was a real bird or not. I'm not going to lie the thought of robots being used to kill people is scary, but if their used for good and not bad, then I think their a pretty cool invention.

Ender's Game Questions Chapters 6-8

Chapter 6

1) The Giants Game purpose is to test the kids strategy skills. It puts there characters in difficult situations where they need to think about how to overcome the challenge and think outside the box. He should be satisfied that he got past the giant and the wolves but it was a little gruesome climbing through its eye. I think Ender is not a murderer, is he capable of it? Yes. But will he do it, I don't think he'd be able to live with himself knowing he killed someone in cold blood.

Chapter 7

1) Alia said "Salaam".This exchange is important because Ender knows he has a friend and that he won't be alone. Alia showed a deeper side to him by saying that and kissing his cheek. It also showed that Alia trusts Ender because what he did was not allowed. It showed something about his religion and religion is supposed to be illegal.

2) The "just living" mentioned was Graff talking to Anderson about Ender not having a normal life. He is just a boy and he has never had the experience to just live and not to be put under pressure or not to be scared. He has always been watched and probably always will be. Ender wants to be liked at Battle School and he wants to be with his sister Valentine again. He want to be successful and to be the best he can be. But he does not want to be a murderer or to be like his brother Peter. If I was Ender I would feel sad that I couldn't be with the one person I loved. I would also wonder what it would be like to be a regular kid.

3)Pertra helped Ender by being his friend and helping him with his battle moves. She taught him how to keep his arm steady while shooting and they started spending a lot of time together.  Pertra showed Ender that not everyone at Battle School despised him and that not everyone was mean. She showed this by saying that they should be friends(79). This his a hinderance to Ender because Ender wants to fit in at Battle School and to be liked. But Perta isn't the most popular of people and is actually disliked. Yet Ender still wants to have a friendship with her.

4)Ender learns different things from Bonzo. One thing he learns is that Bonzo acts as if he knows what he's doing all the time so he earns respect from his soldiers. Ender however can see that his tactics don't always work. He also learns how to keep an army together from him. But Bonzo has his flaws. Ender sees that he pushes around the soldiers and abuses them so they know that he is in charge. He doesn't give Ender a chance to fight in the battles. He just makes him stay still and not shoot. Ender knows that he could help improve the army but he does as Bonzo says.

Chapter 8 

1)" Ender Wiggn is ten times smarter and stronger than I am" I think this quote means that Graff thinks Ender is stronger than him emotionally and physically. He can see that even as a 6 year old he can hide his emotions remarkably well. He left his family and everybody he knows to go to a school where he will be pushed to extremes. He can also see that Ender is incredibly smart and thinks of ways to get out of situations that nobody else would think of.

2) I think the significance to the quote, "So teach me" "So learn" is that Enders toon leader, Dink is basically telling him that he has to learn by watching because nobody will go out of their way to help. He is the underdog in the situation but in order to succeed he has to go above and beyond in order to be at the same level as everyone else.

3) His response to an attack is significant because no other army had ever seen anything like it. Nobody was expecting what Ender did because it was unique and he thought outside the box. It definitely proved to help. Ender doesn't think like everybody else he sees things and comes up with solutions that aren't necessarily, "normal". He thought up something on his own. He doesn't think of the battle room as up and down or left and right like most do because he knows that since there's no gravity everything changes. But most don't think like him so it limits what they can do.

4)I think the scene with the snake and Peter's reflection his Enders own thoughts. He grew up with Peter and he knew he didn't want to be like him, a cold blooded murderer. I think that when he saw himself as Peter he was sad and frightened that he found similarities between himself and his brother.

5) The game knows because it is created by the adults of the Battle School and the adults know that Ender has potential to be a great asset to them so they want to through things at him that make him think outside the box. They knew that Ender and Peter had problems and once he beat the game they wanted to make it difficult and see how he would deal with his problem.

6)The importance of the last paragraph is that Ender is realizing he doesn't like what he is becoming. He realizes that he is just a tool and is being used how they want him to be used. He's getting more and more depressed with what he is becoming and he can't help it. He feels as if he is a murderer like Peter if not better than him. He's losing the will to live as he said,"What difference does it make that when the little serpents killed me in the game, I agreed with them, and was glad." He doesn't care that he died he's happy that he was killed. Ender is falling into the deep dark state of depression.

Bad Gamer.

I was never really a big video game fanatic. I pretty much could only play Mario Cart and Super Mario Bros. I was kind of the odd one out in my family because all my brothers and sisters got the gift of being very talented at video games. That's how it was until my cousin showed me Call of Duty Black Ops 1. I was over at her house and we were hanging out with her younger brother ,Areo, when he called us boring and said he was going to play his XBOX.. We didn't having anything better to do so we followed him out into the living room. I saw him put is game in so we sat on the couch to watch him. I wasn't really paying attention considering my history with video games but I could hear his gun shooting something and my curiosity took over I looked up and what I saw was actually pretty cool. Areo was fighting off like 5 zombies while trying to fix the barricade that let them in. I had never seen a video game with zombies before so I was intrigued. He was doing some really cool stuff like switching from his pistol, to a rifle, to a knife. I was enjoying watching him when he challenged me to play. Of course I said yes, who backs down from a challenge that a younger cousin gives you? I mean how bad could I be? He handed over the controls and taught me how to move around. He told me to kill any zombies I saw. Piece of cake just kill them before they kill me. Right? Wrong. Lets just say I sucked. The zombie killed me before I could even figure out how to take my gun out. I felt like Ender. I was stuck just like him when he couldn't get past the giant that constantly killed him. But like Ender I didn't give up. I kept trying and eventually I actually killed a zombie before it killed me, like Ender finally killing the giant! However, Ender made more progress than I did. I couldn't even get past half of level one. Yup. My brothers and sisters were still the talented ones when it came to video games, I think I'll just stick to sports.

Ender's Game Anticipation Guide

1) "Lying is justifiable if it's for the greater good" I gave this a 3 because at times you may need to lie. It might be needed but over all I think that they backfire. Lies can be hurtful and harmful, and usually if when people tell a lie they have to tell more than one in order for the first lie to make sense. I suppose that the government lying would only make sense for the greater cause. They wouldn't want to cause a panic.

2)" Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem." I really don't agree with this. I think violence is one of the last solutions actually so I gave it a 2. When people use violence they not only hurt themselves but they hurt others as well. There's other solutions before violence like acting civil and talking it out. But if people had tried everything I think that it would be okay as a last resort.

3)"It is okay to kill someone in self-defense." I strongly agree with this so I gave it a 4. If someone is attacking you and attempting to kill you I absolutely think it's okay to do what it takes to keep yourself alive. However, if they don't have a deadly weapon and are only trying to hurt you or something then killing is not the answer, I'm sure you'd feel a great deal of guilt afterwards.

4)"Words are stronger than fists." I agree with this 100%. Words can be much more useful. Words can convince and persuade people to get their way. Fists can make people angry and want to attack back. So overall words seem to make a bigger difference that's why I gave it a 5.

5)" Bullies hurt others because of low self esteem." I think this can be true. Bullies can sometimes bully others because they don't have a good life at home, or they've been treated like that so they want to lash back. It might also be the only way they know how to deal with their feelings. But they might just do it for fun and think that picking on others makes you strong and cool. That's why I gave it a 3.

6)" Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nations leader." This one I was on the fence about because obviously not just the "brightest" students should get a good education. Everyone should have that opportunity to archive greatness. But on the other hand, not everyone could be a nations leader. That's a huge responsibility so maybe only the "brightest" should have the chance because they would understand the consequence of what there training for. I gave this a 3.

7)" Revenge is never justified." I want to disagree with this because I like getting revenge. I think if people do something horrible than they should be held accountable for there actions. I give this a 2.

8)" Crying is evidence of weakness" This I think isn't true. Crying should never be a sign of weakness it should be a sign that you're human and that you actually have feelings. That's why I gave this a 1.

9)" Any action is acceptable in war" I gave this a 4 because if people are already in war it means they weren't getting along to begin with.  They put out hundreds of soldiers out to fight and there fighting to win. So I think that it would be okay to do anything to make sure that they do. Except like explode the whole enemy's country that wouldn't be cool.

10)"Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves." I guess I agree with this except I do think we can control ourselves. I just think we don't have as much experience as adults and we sometimes make mistakes. We do need rules and discipline because that way we can learn, that's why I gave it a 3.

11) "Only through personal sacrifice can someone create positive change." This is true but I don't think it's the only way to create positive change. Anyone can make a change in the world you don't need to go through something difficult to do it. I gave this a 2.

12)"Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace." Yeah to create peace for someone you don't get along with you would have to think about them differently. Imagining being in your enemies shoes would help you understand why they do what they do. So I think that generating compassion for them is a really nice way to create peace. So I gave it a 4.

My Learning Styles.

You Are a Bodily-Kinesthetic Learner

Your mantra: Movement is fun-damental.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence means you think in movements. The fundamental ability to use movements for either self-expression or precision to achieve a goal is crucial for surgeons, athletes, mimes, choreographers, and directors.
The best way for you to retain information is to associate it with an activity. Dance, acting, and sports are easy for you to master. Relate what you are trying to learn to one of these activities, and you will retain information and gain understanding.

I agree with this 100%. I love to be active and move around. I feel like when I sit for to long my brain shuts off. Having came from an athletic family it makes sense. My dad was an athlete all the way through college and he's now a personal trainer. I like to learn things through movements. It helps my brain stay active.  So this does not come as a surprise to me



You Are a Logical-Mathematical Learner

Your mantra: Why? Well, because it's logical.

Logical-mathematical intelligence is often what we refer to when we call someone -- such as a mathematician or an engineer -- smart. You possess the ability to understand complex problems, both logical and mathematical. This intelligence asks questions, finds solutions, and reflects on the problem-solving process.   

It only makes sense that I got 25%. I am not a math person what so ever. Math is the hardest subject for me, it takes me longer to understand the concepts. But in the end I still understand it so thats good.

You Are a Musical Learner

Your mantra: That sounds good to me!

You probably sing to yourself while walking down the street. Keep it up! Musical intelligence is associated with enjoying music, singing (vocalists), making music (composers), and playing an instrument (instrumentalists). You are sensitive to sounds and the emotions music conveys. You have a unique ability to know when something is off key.

I was actually surprised I got 63% for music. I mean I love music! I always sing to myself and I love performing, I mean sure I get a little stage fright but once I start I love it. I also played the flute for 3 years. I love everything about music so I was surprised I didn't score higher.

Ender's Game Chapters 1-5

Chapter 1
1) The adults lie to Ender because they think he is capable of great things but they don't want to freak out or scare him away. But even though they lied Ender could tell, but he went with it anyways. 

2) Well in that society it seems that you are only allowed to have two children. But they government sometimes allows families to have three if the first two did not meet there expectations. So for his parents I think it was both positive and negative that they had a third child. Positive because who wouldn't be happy to have another child. Negative because they were/are religious and it went against what they believed. Their piers also thought differently of them. For Peter I believe it was a negative because Ender was just living proof that he didn't meet the expectations to attend Battle School. For Valentine I think Ender being born was a positive because they get along so well. She loves Ender and doesn't care that he is a "third". As for his classmates I don't see why they couldn't look past him being a "third' but obviously they couldn't because they resolved to making fun of him instead. 

Chapter 2
 1) I honestly thought Peter wasn't joking at first. He seemed so serious It was kind of scary. Especially when he said that Valentine wouldn't always be there for him, and that she couldn't forget this conversation because he wouldn't. " You'll think that I forgot. And years will pass and there will be a terrible accident"(pg13) He was referring to Ender "accidentally" dying and it being Valentines fault because she thought he wasn't serious and that he forgot.

2) They entire chapter Peter was a complete bully towards Ender. It really didn't even seem like they were brothers by the way he treated him. But when he said sorry he seemed like a completely different person. He took down his mean big brother facade and sincerely apologized. To say the least I was surprised. I think his attitude changed because he wasn't being watched. He thought that everyone was asleep and he didn't need to keep is act up.

3) Ender seems very smart to be six year old boy and I really like him. The author proves this by when Ender's getting bullied. He thinks that since he doesn't have anything nice to say he should just keep it to himself. " Anything I say will just make it worse. So say nothing.(pg6) 
Valentine seems intelligent and caring. She protects Ender like an older sister should even though her big brother is the one being mean." You're all talk. You don't mean any of it"(pg13)
Now Peter seems like a very sad and cruel person. How he treats his brother and sister is appalling. But for the books purpose I like him. I like him because I can't quite figure him out. He adds mystery and excitement to the story. 

Chapter 3
1) Graff meant that evolution is working against girls because the girls weren't born to be fighters. It seems that their purpose is to birth the children and take care of them. They are meant to be kind and giving people and to take care of others.

2) I think OSC includes this because Ender is just a six year old child. From the way he starts it it could seem as if Ender was a teenager. But this shows he's just a young boy. I also think it shows how Ender has a long way to go before he becomes an officer or any other position.

Chapter 4
1) When Graff says "Individual human beings are tools that others use to help us all survive" I think he means that every person is just a small piece that helps build the final outcome. That everyone needs to have there part and not worry about one thing because everything will fall apart.

2) They think Ender is a genius and creative. But in order to stay creative he has to think outside the box. So they think the best way is to isolate him so he has no friends and won't lose his creativity. But if he were to adapt to the systems then he would start to think like everybody else.

Chapter 5
1) I don't really think it's healthy to hold all of those feelings inside of you. Because they'll just keep pilling up and one day you might just explode because you never let anything out. The positive to showing feelings is it lets people know that he is just a child and what he's doing isn't easy. The negative is that some might think he's weak. People will think he's not strong enough for Battle School.
The positive to not showing his feelings is that people will respect him and assume he is a strong child. But not showing feelings as I said before could be bad because keeping things inside for to long isn't healthy.
2) Ender beat Bernard by taking away his respect that the others had for him. He wasn't the leader anymore he was the laughing stock. Ender made jokes and sent them to everybody's desk saying it was from Bernard. It made it so all of his followers didn't take him seriously. This is an unusual solution because usually Ender fixes his problems with violence but this time he used a smarter solution. He used his brain to outsmart Bernard.

3) Three coping mechanisms are
His brain: He uses his brain to get himself out of sticky situations. This is helpful because it helps him think about things and use his creativity to help him.
Violence: He fights to solve his issues. In the end this is harmful to him because it makes him second guess himself and he starts to think he's just like Peter. Also the people he fights will want to fight back
Observing: He uses his patience to watch and learn before doing difficult things. This is helpful. Some people jump into situations to fast and don't have a plan and don't think ahead. But Ender does he observes others like in the game room when he watches the older boys and when Bonzo doesn't let him practice with the others he watches instead.