What would you do if the last hope of the human race depended on the ones who were destroying life as we know it? The scenario stated above exactly depicts what happens throughout this exciting book. Kira, a sixteen year old nurse in training, is placed on the front lines of a battle. Human hybrid soldiers named Partials have released a devastating virus named RM that prevent newborns from surviving. With the human race slowly diminishing, Kira becomes the last hope for humanity as she races to find a cure for the virus RM. Dan Well's Partials thrilled me with suspense and kept me turning pages.
Dan Wells defies the stereo-type of having a male character as the hero of the story. By making Kira the teenage girl that becomes determined to find a cure, he puts on twist on typical gender roles. Early on readers can tell that Kira thinks different from the rest of her society and decides she will be a part of finding a cure. On page 90 Kira states, "One day we will have a survivor... It's inevitable. A child will live." Kira, depicted as a very strong character, does not become ignorant like others around her do. She knows a baby will never be born with immunity and determines at this point that a cure is needed and that she will do whatever it takes to find a cure.
Also, this book has a chilling setting. Human technology (Partials) becomes intelligent enough to turn against us. This theme comes up in many books we see published today. The Partials have a high-tech communication system called the "Link" which connects every Partial soldier's emotions and feelings to one another. When one Partial becomes endangered others nearby can sense what he feels. The "Link" makes it very hard to fight against or ambush Partial soldiers. Human technology designed to protect humanity, becomes the most dangerous force humanity has ever seen throughout this book, and depicts a very horrific scenario.
Although I admired Kira as a character from the beggining of the book, the medical experimenting Kira does throughout the book, tends to become a little unrealistic. Kira, being a sixteen year old " Medic-In-Training", more than likely would not have the medical background to find a cure to a disease like unto cancer; the RM virus has a "99.9% fatality rate." However, this book was in fact written as fiction so readers might need to use their imagination some throughout, especially when it comes to the medical perspective of the book.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys intense action and science fiction. The plot builds on itself continuously and leaves the reader hungry for more. Although this book was written more for a teenage audience, I believe many adults would enjoy this book as well. Partials is definitely worth 5 stars.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Current Connection 3.2
Throughout the the culinary industry, we see much attention and credibility given to male chefs as opposed to female chefs. In an article entitled, "Men or women: Who makes for a better chef?" readers learn more about the opinions people carry about gender roles in the kitchen.
There are many people who strongly believe men are more capable of being a successful chef. V. Ramdas states in this article "Men make better chefs..Most top chefs are men." Many people like Ramdas believe men are just much more physically capable of handling the endurance that comes along with being a chef. Being a chef includes many long hours of working, standing up, with limited breaks. This reason , to some restaurant owners, eliminates women from even being an option of hire for a restaurant chef.
On the other hand, there are also many people who think that women make better chefs. Athulya George shares with readers her belief that women have more enthusiasm for cooking, therefore they are better cooks overall. Women have always been the ones to cook meal for there families and have enjoyed cooking. Women are just as capable of preparing good high class cuisine.
We can conclude that men and women both make equally good cooks for various reasons. Men may be able to withstand harder shifts at work, but women have equal skill levels for cooking in restaurants. No one gender is better than the other whn it comes to the culinary industry.
There are many people who strongly believe men are more capable of being a successful chef. V. Ramdas states in this article "Men make better chefs..Most top chefs are men." Many people like Ramdas believe men are just much more physically capable of handling the endurance that comes along with being a chef. Being a chef includes many long hours of working, standing up, with limited breaks. This reason , to some restaurant owners, eliminates women from even being an option of hire for a restaurant chef.
On the other hand, there are also many people who think that women make better chefs. Athulya George shares with readers her belief that women have more enthusiasm for cooking, therefore they are better cooks overall. Women have always been the ones to cook meal for there families and have enjoyed cooking. Women are just as capable of preparing good high class cuisine.
We can conclude that men and women both make equally good cooks for various reasons. Men may be able to withstand harder shifts at work, but women have equal skill levels for cooking in restaurants. No one gender is better than the other whn it comes to the culinary industry.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Current Connection 3.1
In a recent webpage article entitled "Women Chefs Take Control" readers learn through personal interviews of female chefs of the recent rise in success of female chefs and female restaurant owners. In the past female chefs did not have as much credibility as male chefs and male restaurant owners, but as time has passed more and more women are becoming famous and highly respected in the culinary industry.
In past times women were not taken as serious as male chefs. Although now we see many respected woman chefs, running successful high class restaurants, this was not always so easy for women becoming culinary chefs. Nora Pouillon, a women interviewed for this article, states to readers "In the late '70s it was really difficult for a women to be a chef- we were not taken very seriously." She goes on to explain that it was near impossible for a woman to get a job as "the top executive in any of DC's premier kitchens." Sure women may have been able to get jobs in small diners or fast food joints, but as far as becoming the head chef of a high class, expensive restaurant, women were not considered a successful option for businesses.
Not only was the task difficult for women to obtain a job as a professional culinary chef, many restaurant owners would not even consider hiring a women. Ann Cashion may be used as a prime example of how difficult becoming a respected professional chef was for women even in the 80s. She states to readers in her interview for this article that when she attempted to acquire a job assessment for a Washington restaurant, the immediate response she received from the head chef was "Forget about it. They don't hire women." Many restaurants did not even consider a women as an option for hiring. Women are just as well capable as men to be chefs, but through the 70s to the 90s, male restaurant owners just did not want to accept that.
As the times have changed more and more women are taking on the culinary industry and proving their success as chefs. Rachel Harriman has a positive outlook on this situation stating "Forget about gender roles and stereotypes and just be the best you can be." Rachel, a prime example of how hard work and dedication pays off, also leaves readers with this statement "The one great thing about DC is that whether you're male or female, today there definitely is a great chef network here." Furthermore as the times have changed, the culinary industry to has changed, allowing more and more women to prove their skills and dedication to the culinary industry.
Nowadays we see everywhere the success of female culinary chefs. Whether we see them having a successful television show on the Food Network channel or we see them working in a top notch restaurant; the success of female chefs can be seen all around us as proof that dedication and hard work pays off even to the toughest of critics.
Finally, we see how women are having a positive effect on the culinary industry. We have seen examples above of how women have worked hard to make a name in the culinary industry and how their work has paid off. Being a chef, a job that loved by men and women alike, now allows every person equal opportunities for jobs as chefs. Employers no longer look at gender first, they assess an employee based solely on their performance.
In past times women were not taken as serious as male chefs. Although now we see many respected woman chefs, running successful high class restaurants, this was not always so easy for women becoming culinary chefs. Nora Pouillon, a women interviewed for this article, states to readers "In the late '70s it was really difficult for a women to be a chef- we were not taken very seriously." She goes on to explain that it was near impossible for a woman to get a job as "the top executive in any of DC's premier kitchens." Sure women may have been able to get jobs in small diners or fast food joints, but as far as becoming the head chef of a high class, expensive restaurant, women were not considered a successful option for businesses.
Not only was the task difficult for women to obtain a job as a professional culinary chef, many restaurant owners would not even consider hiring a women. Ann Cashion may be used as a prime example of how difficult becoming a respected professional chef was for women even in the 80s. She states to readers in her interview for this article that when she attempted to acquire a job assessment for a Washington restaurant, the immediate response she received from the head chef was "Forget about it. They don't hire women." Many restaurants did not even consider a women as an option for hiring. Women are just as well capable as men to be chefs, but through the 70s to the 90s, male restaurant owners just did not want to accept that.
As the times have changed more and more women are taking on the culinary industry and proving their success as chefs. Rachel Harriman has a positive outlook on this situation stating "Forget about gender roles and stereotypes and just be the best you can be." Rachel, a prime example of how hard work and dedication pays off, also leaves readers with this statement "The one great thing about DC is that whether you're male or female, today there definitely is a great chef network here." Furthermore as the times have changed, the culinary industry to has changed, allowing more and more women to prove their skills and dedication to the culinary industry.
Nowadays we see everywhere the success of female culinary chefs. Whether we see them having a successful television show on the Food Network channel or we see them working in a top notch restaurant; the success of female chefs can be seen all around us as proof that dedication and hard work pays off even to the toughest of critics.
Finally, we see how women are having a positive effect on the culinary industry. We have seen examples above of how women have worked hard to make a name in the culinary industry and how their work has paid off. Being a chef, a job that loved by men and women alike, now allows every person equal opportunities for jobs as chefs. Employers no longer look at gender first, they assess an employee based solely on their performance.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Current Connection 2:1
Recently at my school, Batesville High School, we had a speaker visit campus to talk the the student body about a young girl named Rachel Joy Scott. Rachel, along with many other students and one teacher, died on April 20, 1999 during the shooting at Columbine High School. Rachel left a legacy that we can learn about in an article entitled "About Rachel's Challenge." This article explains to readers the importance of decisions you make in your life and challenges readers to stand out among their peers.
Everyday in our American Schools, kids just like us, are contemplating taking there own lives. " Each day 160,000 students do not go to school because they are bullied, teased, and harassed." This is a staggering statistic; explaining to readers that kids are breaking under social pressure at school. Schools need students to start a reaction, a challenge, to help extinguish bullying from schools, a common social torture students now must endure.
Rachel's Challenge encourages students across the nation to "start a chain reaction" throughout their school. This program challenges student to "create a culture of kindness and compassion." We must make decisions everyday to reach out to others, creating an atmosphere of kindness and acceptance. Many students feel like nobody cares or they feel isolated from the rest of their peers. How could someone not be hurting living day by day feeling this way? Looking around me, I pray that students will step out into the light of day and realize that there are people in need of kindness.
Shortly before Rachel's tragic death she wrote this statement in her journal, "I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go." Reaching out to others that are hurting is a light the diminishes the shadows in the hearts of all who witness or experience kindness. Smiling at another student in the hallway as you pass them, this very small act of kindness could change their entire day. Students must make the decision to reach out to others on a daily basis.
"More than 19 million people have been touched by Rachel's message, and they continue the legacy of making a difference in their communities." The chain reaction has begun and now the decision is up to us to help this chain reaction to continue. Reach out to those around you and see just how much it will mean to them. It is not a hard task to accomplish. We can impact the lives of our peers and make the school environment better for all.
. N.p.. Web. 12 Nov 2013. <http://www.rachelschallenge.org/big-picture/about-rachels-challenge/>.
Everyday in our American Schools, kids just like us, are contemplating taking there own lives. " Each day 160,000 students do not go to school because they are bullied, teased, and harassed." This is a staggering statistic; explaining to readers that kids are breaking under social pressure at school. Schools need students to start a reaction, a challenge, to help extinguish bullying from schools, a common social torture students now must endure.
Rachel's Challenge encourages students across the nation to "start a chain reaction" throughout their school. This program challenges student to "create a culture of kindness and compassion." We must make decisions everyday to reach out to others, creating an atmosphere of kindness and acceptance. Many students feel like nobody cares or they feel isolated from the rest of their peers. How could someone not be hurting living day by day feeling this way? Looking around me, I pray that students will step out into the light of day and realize that there are people in need of kindness.
Shortly before Rachel's tragic death she wrote this statement in her journal, "I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go." Reaching out to others that are hurting is a light the diminishes the shadows in the hearts of all who witness or experience kindness. Smiling at another student in the hallway as you pass them, this very small act of kindness could change their entire day. Students must make the decision to reach out to others on a daily basis.
"More than 19 million people have been touched by Rachel's message, and they continue the legacy of making a difference in their communities." The chain reaction has begun and now the decision is up to us to help this chain reaction to continue. Reach out to those around you and see just how much it will mean to them. It is not a hard task to accomplish. We can impact the lives of our peers and make the school environment better for all.
. N.p.. Web. 12 Nov 2013. <http://www.rachelschallenge.org/big-picture/about-rachels-challenge/>.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Current Connection 1:2
A current article posted on New York Times online entitled "Boston School-Bus Drivers Return To Work Amid Uncertainty" allows Katharine Q. Seelye to explain to her readers the crisis of Boston school-bus drivers going on strike and leaving numerous children stuck at home, absent from school, due to having no transportation. This was a huge deal to the city of Boston concerning the education of the youth; children need reliable and adequate transportation to and from school to be able to pursue their education.
Stated in this article, readers learn that "about 18% of students missed school Tuesday...about three times the average absentee rate." These drivers made immature decisions based on there feelings towards recent changes made to their salary administrations as well as health care changes. While people do have the right to go on strike, doing so should not effect the means of education to the students that rely on school/state provided education.
Readers also learn that the drivers decided to go on strike based on "a new GPS system that allows parents to track the location of their children's buses in real time through a smartphone app." These Boston school-bus drivers did not necessarily have adequate reasons for going on strike. In an economy like the one of today's, changes will have to be made to salaries and health care. These changes sometimes become necessary whether or not the bus drivers like said changes or not. These drivers were wrong to effect the education of the students based on there unreasonable emotions.
The Mayor of Boston stated that these school-bus drivers "agreed to a contract, a very good contract, and now they don't want to live up to that contract." This is a ridiculous and outrageous way for these drivers to protest. They are effecting not only students, but the parents of the students as well. Many parents, relying on their children to be able to attend school, had to skip going to work in order to stay with their kids. Adults should act responsibly toward situations like these and not make decisions that will hinder students; situations become hard but adults should not handle these situations like children.
This protest also inconvenienced parents that were unaware the the strike was even taking place. Myisha Johniken stated to reporters that she "waited with her autistic son for a half hour at the special bus stop in front of her home...unaware of the strike." She was upset by the fact that she had to resort to using public bus transportation to take her son to school; which in turn, highly distressed her autistic son. Situations like these should not be happening and it has outraged many people despite the fact that the drivers did reluctantly return back to work.
What are we to do when the public school bus-drivers do not even show concern about the education of our youth in America? Bus drivers play a very important part in our nation's education system, and should be responsible enough to understand the importance of their job! Hopefully, these drivers can find other, more responsible means, to work through the problems they have with the system they work for.
Stated in this article, readers learn that "about 18% of students missed school Tuesday...about three times the average absentee rate." These drivers made immature decisions based on there feelings towards recent changes made to their salary administrations as well as health care changes. While people do have the right to go on strike, doing so should not effect the means of education to the students that rely on school/state provided education.
Readers also learn that the drivers decided to go on strike based on "a new GPS system that allows parents to track the location of their children's buses in real time through a smartphone app." These Boston school-bus drivers did not necessarily have adequate reasons for going on strike. In an economy like the one of today's, changes will have to be made to salaries and health care. These changes sometimes become necessary whether or not the bus drivers like said changes or not. These drivers were wrong to effect the education of the students based on there unreasonable emotions.
The Mayor of Boston stated that these school-bus drivers "agreed to a contract, a very good contract, and now they don't want to live up to that contract." This is a ridiculous and outrageous way for these drivers to protest. They are effecting not only students, but the parents of the students as well. Many parents, relying on their children to be able to attend school, had to skip going to work in order to stay with their kids. Adults should act responsibly toward situations like these and not make decisions that will hinder students; situations become hard but adults should not handle these situations like children.
This protest also inconvenienced parents that were unaware the the strike was even taking place. Myisha Johniken stated to reporters that she "waited with her autistic son for a half hour at the special bus stop in front of her home...unaware of the strike." She was upset by the fact that she had to resort to using public bus transportation to take her son to school; which in turn, highly distressed her autistic son. Situations like these should not be happening and it has outraged many people despite the fact that the drivers did reluctantly return back to work.
What are we to do when the public school bus-drivers do not even show concern about the education of our youth in America? Bus drivers play a very important part in our nation's education system, and should be responsible enough to understand the importance of their job! Hopefully, these drivers can find other, more responsible means, to work through the problems they have with the system they work for.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Current Connection 1:1
In a recently updated article by Kathleen Osborn on NBCNEWS.com entitled, "In Some Southern Districts, Segregation Lives On"; Osborn informs her readers on the matter of southern schools slowly becoming more and more segregated. Osborn clearly talks about two very important aspects of her article: 1) Some southern schools are more racially segregated than that of the the civil rights era and 2) why this has slowly and in more recent times come about in the southern districts.
Stated in this article "parts of the American south are are undergoing an area of perpetuated segregation." Perpetuated segregation basically means that southern school districts not only tend to not be integrated but that southern districts stably remain segregated. The United states made a Supreme Court decision to end public segregation for a reason. Reasons include it remains ethically and morally right in the aspect of "all men are created equal", it serves students and other people active in the education system a wide range of social learning abilities, and the United States of America has been and was founded by a melting pot of many different races and different groups of ethnicity. America has always been a land of opportunities for all walks of life.
Also stated in this article we read that, "our schools are more racially segregated than that of the civil rights era." Osborn seems to imply that many communities have found ways around integration by establishing "segregation academics." Segregation academics were established by finding a loop-hole in the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court appeal. This movement was an easy way for white families to abandon their local schools and leave investment in public schools to dwindle. Doing so, families have found ways to resist integration. Why is this so and why is this still accepted in American culture?
Let us not be too quick to adopt the idea that segregation remains strictly in the South. Osborn reports that "sustained segregation is an issue across the country. In fact, a recent study showed that in the way northern Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis racial segregation is increasing." It is pure ignorance to allow segregation to creep back into our society. While the South has seemed, in the past, to be more prone to the ideas of segregation, segregation increases throughout the entirety of the United States. This can highly affect our nations fundamentals and education negatively.
This "New Age Segregation" can highly effect the lives of our students in America. Being an active student in the public school system I accept the opportunities to learn from others despite race. I firmly support the idea that all people are created equal. By accepting these ideas of segregation and allowing it back into society we are teaching students ignorance and keeping from them the important aspects of social, mental, and educational growth. There may always be something to learn from every person around you and school should be all about learning. By being taught a good education, students are being trained to be successful in their life after school. These ideas highly affect students across the country, including myself.
In conclusion, we can clearly see a growing problem in our nations education system. I lack the understanding as to why we can so easily sit back, watch segregation take place, and not care to do anything about it, some even not even form opinions on the topic at all. Americans need to again stand up for the values our nation was founded on. We need to find ways to unite and help our county grow and prosper. Segregation does not support prosperity.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50694523/t/some-southern-districts-segregation-schools-lives/
Stated in this article "parts of the American south are are undergoing an area of perpetuated segregation." Perpetuated segregation basically means that southern school districts not only tend to not be integrated but that southern districts stably remain segregated. The United states made a Supreme Court decision to end public segregation for a reason. Reasons include it remains ethically and morally right in the aspect of "all men are created equal", it serves students and other people active in the education system a wide range of social learning abilities, and the United States of America has been and was founded by a melting pot of many different races and different groups of ethnicity. America has always been a land of opportunities for all walks of life.
Also stated in this article we read that, "our schools are more racially segregated than that of the civil rights era." Osborn seems to imply that many communities have found ways around integration by establishing "segregation academics." Segregation academics were established by finding a loop-hole in the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court appeal. This movement was an easy way for white families to abandon their local schools and leave investment in public schools to dwindle. Doing so, families have found ways to resist integration. Why is this so and why is this still accepted in American culture?
Let us not be too quick to adopt the idea that segregation remains strictly in the South. Osborn reports that "sustained segregation is an issue across the country. In fact, a recent study showed that in the way northern Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis racial segregation is increasing." It is pure ignorance to allow segregation to creep back into our society. While the South has seemed, in the past, to be more prone to the ideas of segregation, segregation increases throughout the entirety of the United States. This can highly affect our nations fundamentals and education negatively.
This "New Age Segregation" can highly effect the lives of our students in America. Being an active student in the public school system I accept the opportunities to learn from others despite race. I firmly support the idea that all people are created equal. By accepting these ideas of segregation and allowing it back into society we are teaching students ignorance and keeping from them the important aspects of social, mental, and educational growth. There may always be something to learn from every person around you and school should be all about learning. By being taught a good education, students are being trained to be successful in their life after school. These ideas highly affect students across the country, including myself.
In conclusion, we can clearly see a growing problem in our nations education system. I lack the understanding as to why we can so easily sit back, watch segregation take place, and not care to do anything about it, some even not even form opinions on the topic at all. Americans need to again stand up for the values our nation was founded on. We need to find ways to unite and help our county grow and prosper. Segregation does not support prosperity.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50694523/t/some-southern-districts-segregation-schools-lives/
Monday, May 6, 2013
In a recent article posted by Fox News titled "Justin Bieber fan runs on stage, tries to grab star during show", I read about how sometimes music fans can go too far. It was stated in this article that the man "interrupted the concert." This man literally made a scene big enough to completely interrupt an ongoing concert. He made such a scene that the entire concert had to stop to control him. It also stated that the man "stormed the stage and tried to grab the pop star." Fans like this get too way out of hand when it comes to their music idols. Actions like these are too extreme and happen too often.
In my opinion fans get way to obsessed with music artists. It is one thing to to enjoy their music and another to go to extremes to get their attention. In other stories I have heard about fans and paparazzi, people have literally lost their lives trying to take pictures of celebs or trying to follow them. This is ridiculous. While I do have many music artists that I favor, I realize that they are not idols, they are regular human beings. I would never go so far to jump on stage and try to "kidnap" a musician. That is just insane. While it can be fun to keep up with the lives of celebs, many people just take it too far.
In my opinion fans get way to obsessed with music artists. It is one thing to to enjoy their music and another to go to extremes to get their attention. In other stories I have heard about fans and paparazzi, people have literally lost their lives trying to take pictures of celebs or trying to follow them. This is ridiculous. While I do have many music artists that I favor, I realize that they are not idols, they are regular human beings. I would never go so far to jump on stage and try to "kidnap" a musician. That is just insane. While it can be fun to keep up with the lives of celebs, many people just take it too far.
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