Upon first thought of genocide, most people immediately think about the Holocaust. They think about the concentration camps, and the millions of people who were slaughtered just because of their race or religion. However, there is so much more than just the Holocaust, and there are genocides that are still going on today. Most of these horrible events go unnoticed, or are just completely ignored by the rest of the world. They all have one thing in common though; they're all about power. Everybody wants to be in charge, and that's how wars among religions happen. People think that they're religion is better, and they feel the need to slaughter any opposition in order to take control and try to prove superiority. All people have special connections with one another in more ways than many think. We all come from different backgrounds, and practice different religions, and have different nationalities. We all try to be successful, and some people take it to the extreme. Those are the ones who start the wars, and they start the genocides by trying to prove their religion/race's dominance. As long as these religious tensions keep happening, and people keep trying to be dominant, genocides will continue to happen, unless we can do something to change this.
Thanks to Nate Carter, Jon Winders, and Danny Justice for your views and information on modern genocides.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Genocide in Darfur
After The Holocaust, people hoped that genocide would never happen again. Many even assumed that it couldn’t happen again. However, as of 2012 we have had multiple genocides where hundreds of thousands and even millions of people have died. Other people and entire nations have sat back and avoided the problems that the world faces. Just one example of this is during the genocide in Darfur.
Many people know about the horrors that have occurred in Darfur during the genocide. People know, the other countries know, and they do nothing to stop it. Nobody has any problems talking about how horrible the genocide is, and the torture the victims go through. However, nobody does anything to help fix it. People are slaughtered by their own government because of their religion and beliefs. If anybody stands in their way, they are killed. Imagine if our government did this. Wouldn't you want someone to help?
The first thing everyone seems to do is point fingers at the United States. Because the U.S. helps other countries fight for freedom, they figure that they should be the ones to save the people in Darfur. However, why doesn't anybody look at any other countries? There are other nations with strong militaries that could easily help bring peace. Yes, the United States should help, but there are plenty of other capable countries that should help too. Since the genocide in Darfur, the U.S. has helped provide Haiti with food and other supplies for relief, while helping other nations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, fight for freedom and create democracy. The U.S. can't be the world police. Other countries have to help out as well.
During The Holocaust, people knew about the mass slaughter of millions of Jews. Companies like IBM sold computers and other hardware to the Nazis which helped organize and run the camps. Today, with modern satellites and other technology, the world knows about genocides when they occur. Some still talk about The Holocaust like it was the last genocide in our history. They don’t fully realize the impact of the genocides in Darfur, Rwanda, and others. The United States claims it has worked for peace not only in Darfur, but throughout Africa. However, there hasn’t actually been any noticeable action or attempt to stop the civil wars and genocides. Many of the other countries just stay to themselves and don’t do anything to stop the violence.
Even when violence and genocide breaks out in other countries, our world still cares more about oil and making money. A large part of the reason why nobody made any noticeable attempt to bring peace to Africa is because of the oil that Sudan trades. Nobody wanted to risk having them cut off their trades by interfering with the genocide and putting it to an end. The world needs to get their priorities in order, and realize what should be more important. Genocide should never be ignored, and needs to be put to a stop, and prevented in the future.
http://www.thenation.com/article/genocide-darfur
http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide-in-sudan.htm
http://www.darfurscores.org/darfur
Many people know about the horrors that have occurred in Darfur during the genocide. People know, the other countries know, and they do nothing to stop it. Nobody has any problems talking about how horrible the genocide is, and the torture the victims go through. However, nobody does anything to help fix it. People are slaughtered by their own government because of their religion and beliefs. If anybody stands in their way, they are killed. Imagine if our government did this. Wouldn't you want someone to help?
The first thing everyone seems to do is point fingers at the United States. Because the U.S. helps other countries fight for freedom, they figure that they should be the ones to save the people in Darfur. However, why doesn't anybody look at any other countries? There are other nations with strong militaries that could easily help bring peace. Yes, the United States should help, but there are plenty of other capable countries that should help too. Since the genocide in Darfur, the U.S. has helped provide Haiti with food and other supplies for relief, while helping other nations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, fight for freedom and create democracy. The U.S. can't be the world police. Other countries have to help out as well.
During The Holocaust, people knew about the mass slaughter of millions of Jews. Companies like IBM sold computers and other hardware to the Nazis which helped organize and run the camps. Today, with modern satellites and other technology, the world knows about genocides when they occur. Some still talk about The Holocaust like it was the last genocide in our history. They don’t fully realize the impact of the genocides in Darfur, Rwanda, and others. The United States claims it has worked for peace not only in Darfur, but throughout Africa. However, there hasn’t actually been any noticeable action or attempt to stop the civil wars and genocides. Many of the other countries just stay to themselves and don’t do anything to stop the violence.
Even when violence and genocide breaks out in other countries, our world still cares more about oil and making money. A large part of the reason why nobody made any noticeable attempt to bring peace to Africa is because of the oil that Sudan trades. Nobody wanted to risk having them cut off their trades by interfering with the genocide and putting it to an end. The world needs to get their priorities in order, and realize what should be more important. Genocide should never be ignored, and needs to be put to a stop, and prevented in the future.
http://www.thenation.com/article/genocide-darfur
http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide-in-sudan.htm
http://www.darfurscores.org/darfur
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
World War Z
To begin, I believe a quick summary is needed for World War Z. Rather than just creating a simple zombie story, Max Brooks created an oral history of the zombie apocalypse. Different people from around the world were interviewed, as their views on the zombie infection were recorded. This is a very interesting way of telling a story that has been told so many times. Towards the beginning of the story, people are told to believe that the infection is merely “African rabies.” This was the government’s way of getting people to not panic. Eventually, even a group of doctors created a “cure” for African rabies, because that is what they were told it was. They knew it was much more than that, but they figured they could make a lot of money off of selling the medication for rabies.
This is where World War Z differs from other zombie stories. Most zombie apocalypse novels are about the last group of survivors, just fighting through their daily lives. The only thing that is of any importance is staying alive, and just trying to make it to tomorrow. However, in World War Z it is still very much a functioning society, even after Israel warns the world that it is more than rabies. There is still a government, and people still care about making money and going to work. And of course, when the people learned of a zombie infection, they blamed the CIA. It isn’t much like other zombie stories, because in this one the government actually does a decent job of quarantining the infected and keeping people safe.
The story even interviews a man who is considered a mercenary. He left his job, and began working to protect others. He knew how to kill if he had to, so he figured it was perfect to keep some rich people safe during “the war.” That’s another interesting part of the story, and a good way to explain society. It was like a zombie apocalypse. It was more like there was just a war going on. Government still existed, and people still threatened to sue each other to get more money, even though a zombie infection was spreading.
In my story, I want to create more than just a couple of people trying to survive and live off of the Earth’s resources. I want to still find a way to create some type of society, where the world can still function.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Interview with the author (Jon Winders)
You can read Jon Winders' blog here
1.)Q: What is your story about?
A: My story is about a cooling tray of brownies that mysteriously disappears, and an 8 year old aspiring detective named Dan is the only thing that stands between the crime of the century and justice.
2.)Q: What was the inspiration behind your story?
A: Being a camp counselor you meet a lot of kids who have impressionable personalities and there are a lot of mysterious that go on at my work from missing towels to missing underwear?... That and I watch a lot of CSI, Psych, and other crime shows and I love them. Oh and I am always up for a game of “Clue” or “Guess Who?”.
3.)Q: What is the title of your book?
A: Detective Dan: The Brownie Paradox. It is subject to change.
4.)Q: Who are your characters?
A: Danny is a boy who is dreamer and someone who does not like to let things go unsolved. He is friendly and very curious. Along his journey to discover the truth he will meet a host of characters that range from his neighbors, to a policeman, a lost dog, and his family.
5.)Q: Who are the enemies/ villains?
A: The villain of the story is the one who took Dan’s brownies...
6.)Q: Are there special qualities about your main characters?
A: Dan has a knack for problem solving, he is intelligent and because he is at such a young age he see’s and observes things that the adults around him ignore. He pays attention to details and uses his humor and wit to come to his conclusions.
7.)Q: How is your story different from any other child detective story?
A: What separates my story from those done ahead of mine is the fact that the reader connects to Danny. They feel for him, they relate to him and believe in what he is trying to accomplish. Danny is such a compelling character because he captures the essence of innocence through is curiosity and endless hunt of discovery.
8.)Q: Does your story relate to your life?
A: I have had the terrible fate of brownies that have disappeared but not in the way that Dan will. If you read my book then you know what he and I went through. I guess this book is closure for never discovering what truly went on the day the brownies went missing.
9.)Q: What lessons does your story teach us?
A: My story teaches us to always ask questions. By asking questions we interact with the world and by interacting with the world around us we can change aspects of not just our lives but the lives around us. I also teaches us that honesty is the best policy and that curiosity is a blessing.
10.)Q: Do your characters have any flaws?
A: No, not really my characters are kinda one- dimensional because it is a kids book. But it is always subject to change like everything in the book.
11.)Q: What makes your story important?
A: What makes my story important is the fact that I wanted to write it. Like my English teacher told me “Write something you want to write about” I wanted to write a story that I could put my personality into and so that is what I did.
12.)Q: Did you have any struggles/writers block while writing the story?
A: I had a lot of set backs I have changed my topic three times and as the deadline for our rough drafts to be do the story I had I never really liked. Writing this story just came easy, it needs a lot of work still but I’m happy working on it.
13.)Q: Any twists in the plot?
A: It is a mystery, the whole point of the story is to have a twist but what that twist is, well you’ll have to read it to find out...
14.) Q: Tell me more about how your characters met?
A: Well as Dan goes through the motions of solving the crime he visits the people and places around him to help put the pieces of the puzzle back together.
15.) Q: How has writing this story affected you?
A: It has made me ask more questions about the world around me and not take anything for granted.
16.) Q: Do any of your characters have a moral compass?
A: Well Dan is a nice kid who likes to explore he doesn’t have a set compass but he is always looking for answers and exploring all options.
17.) Q: How does Sherlock Holmes affect your story?
A: Funny you ask that Jesse well, Mr. Holmes is portrayed as a witty, intelligent and I see Dan as miniature Sherlock Holmes and he see’s himself as that too.
18.)Q: Will there be murder in your story?
A: Probably not seeing as though the culprit took brownies but you never know in a mystery how things will unfold.
19.) Q: What is your character’s story before the story takes place?
A: Well its normal Saturday afternoon the weekend before school starts up again until this happens. So there is no real back story except that Dan likes playing detective and the brownies his mom was making are now gone...
20.) Q: Why pick Brownies?
A: I chose brownies to make my story stand out from others because missing cookies has been done too much.
1.)Q: What is your story about?
A: My story is about a cooling tray of brownies that mysteriously disappears, and an 8 year old aspiring detective named Dan is the only thing that stands between the crime of the century and justice.
2.)Q: What was the inspiration behind your story?
A: Being a camp counselor you meet a lot of kids who have impressionable personalities and there are a lot of mysterious that go on at my work from missing towels to missing underwear?... That and I watch a lot of CSI, Psych, and other crime shows and I love them. Oh and I am always up for a game of “Clue” or “Guess Who?”.
3.)Q: What is the title of your book?
A: Detective Dan: The Brownie Paradox. It is subject to change.
4.)Q: Who are your characters?
A: Danny is a boy who is dreamer and someone who does not like to let things go unsolved. He is friendly and very curious. Along his journey to discover the truth he will meet a host of characters that range from his neighbors, to a policeman, a lost dog, and his family.
5.)Q: Who are the enemies/ villains?
A: The villain of the story is the one who took Dan’s brownies...
6.)Q: Are there special qualities about your main characters?
A: Dan has a knack for problem solving, he is intelligent and because he is at such a young age he see’s and observes things that the adults around him ignore. He pays attention to details and uses his humor and wit to come to his conclusions.
7.)Q: How is your story different from any other child detective story?
A: What separates my story from those done ahead of mine is the fact that the reader connects to Danny. They feel for him, they relate to him and believe in what he is trying to accomplish. Danny is such a compelling character because he captures the essence of innocence through is curiosity and endless hunt of discovery.
8.)Q: Does your story relate to your life?
A: I have had the terrible fate of brownies that have disappeared but not in the way that Dan will. If you read my book then you know what he and I went through. I guess this book is closure for never discovering what truly went on the day the brownies went missing.
9.)Q: What lessons does your story teach us?
A: My story teaches us to always ask questions. By asking questions we interact with the world and by interacting with the world around us we can change aspects of not just our lives but the lives around us. I also teaches us that honesty is the best policy and that curiosity is a blessing.
10.)Q: Do your characters have any flaws?
A: No, not really my characters are kinda one- dimensional because it is a kids book. But it is always subject to change like everything in the book.
11.)Q: What makes your story important?
A: What makes my story important is the fact that I wanted to write it. Like my English teacher told me “Write something you want to write about” I wanted to write a story that I could put my personality into and so that is what I did.
12.)Q: Did you have any struggles/writers block while writing the story?
A: I had a lot of set backs I have changed my topic three times and as the deadline for our rough drafts to be do the story I had I never really liked. Writing this story just came easy, it needs a lot of work still but I’m happy working on it.
13.)Q: Any twists in the plot?
A: It is a mystery, the whole point of the story is to have a twist but what that twist is, well you’ll have to read it to find out...
14.) Q: Tell me more about how your characters met?
A: Well as Dan goes through the motions of solving the crime he visits the people and places around him to help put the pieces of the puzzle back together.
15.) Q: How has writing this story affected you?
A: It has made me ask more questions about the world around me and not take anything for granted.
16.) Q: Do any of your characters have a moral compass?
A: Well Dan is a nice kid who likes to explore he doesn’t have a set compass but he is always looking for answers and exploring all options.
17.) Q: How does Sherlock Holmes affect your story?
A: Funny you ask that Jesse well, Mr. Holmes is portrayed as a witty, intelligent and I see Dan as miniature Sherlock Holmes and he see’s himself as that too.
18.)Q: Will there be murder in your story?
A: Probably not seeing as though the culprit took brownies but you never know in a mystery how things will unfold.
19.) Q: What is your character’s story before the story takes place?
A: Well its normal Saturday afternoon the weekend before school starts up again until this happens. So there is no real back story except that Dan likes playing detective and the brownies his mom was making are now gone...
20.) Q: Why pick Brownies?
A: I chose brownies to make my story stand out from others because missing cookies has been done too much.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Zombie Story Rought Draft
1
The sun began to rise above the trees, creating a warm glow in the quiet warehouse where there lay a man; a man who was just looking to visit his father in upstate New York. Frank Smith awoke with a look of pure exhaustion and mental pain. It’s not easy sleeping after what just happened the day before.
Everything was going fine. An attempt to drive through New York City didn’t work out so well. About two hours before his arrival, the United States government declared a state of emergency as a deadly infection began to grow in the Northeast. It turned people into mindless lunatics, AKA: zombies. When infected, it wasn’t long before your body shut down, waking up hours later without any thoughts or soul; only the desire to seek out food and attack any living creature.
The city grew into a mosh-pit, as people fought each other over food supplies and other items, before packing up with their families and fleeing. Frank was caught right in the middle of it, not being able to drive through the traffic. He ditched the car, and ran outside the city, taking shelter in a warehouse. He made sure to lock it up well, and not let anyone else in. He couldn’t take the risk of getting infected.
Frank didn’t sleep well, maybe only getting an hour or so of real rest. He wasn’t sure what to expect of the next morning. When he awoke, he scavenged through the warehouse, finding large boxes full of soda. As he dug deeper, packages of crackers revealed themselves. He didn’t have much of an appetite because of fear just leaving him mostly motionless. He ate in silence, just wondering what outside the warehouse was like, and what had become of the city. Frank wasn’t sure whether he should flee to somewhere safer, or stay put not knowing how many undead monsters might be feasting out there.
Eventually after sitting motionless for an hour, Frank decided to look around and see what he could find. Hidden in a corner was a small little tube television, plugged into a cable outlet behind it. He motioned his hand toward the power button, and used what force he could to turn it on. The T.V. was already on the news, and he couldn’t believe what he saw. The government was continuing to issue warnings for people to leave the cities. Many were infected, and would eventually wake up sometime today as mindless zombies. Air footage was shown of places like Providence, Pittsburgh, and even New York City which was just outside the building Frank was taking shelter in. The footage was mostly silent. A zombie was seen here and there, but most were left motionless, waiting to awake later on in the day with no thoughts or heart. They would attack any living thing, which would turn them into a zombie.
Frank had to act fast; he had to leave now before all of those monsters woke up. He searched around the room for anything to keep him safe. Frank Smith had fought in Afghanistan for almost two years. He wasn’t sure how his military training paid off, and if it could save him from a zombie apocalypse.
Eventually he found a beat up crow bar, and some bolt cutters, which he knew would help him with his survival. Frank came across a large backpack in a corner of the room, and stored the bolt cutters for later. He armed himself for whatever he might find outside. Frank unlocked the large garage door, and threw it open, shocked at what he saw.
2
Yes, there were the dead on the streets, awaiting their return to life as an undead zombie. However, there were other people just like him. They scavenged every store the could before the undead rose up and attacked the living. Hundreds of people smashed store windows, later returning with bags full of supplies and weapons. Buildings were burnt as riots broke out, and people fought each other over the last can of soup, or the last baseball bat at the sporting goods store.
Frank joined in on the violent looting, coming away from it with a backpack full of bandages, baked beans, soda, matches, soup, and a small hockey stick poking out of the opening in the bag. He knew he couldn’t return to the warehouse and lock himself up in a death trap. He had to leave the city, before thousands of zombies rose from their quiet sleep.
He darted through the city as his bag swung side to side with every step. He ran through the alleys in order to avoid the mobs of violent people on the main road.
After an hour of non-stop running, Frank stopped as he had left the city. He was still close, with massive skyscrapers poking through the clouds in the background. He was in a fairly small town now, with local restaurants and general stores left untouched. When people heard of a nearing zombie apocalypse, they just panicked and left. No store windows were smashes, and hardly anything was stolen.
Frank made his way down the road, with crowbar in hand, and a bag on his back. He moved into a nearby general store, locking the door behind him. He figured it was a safe place to stay for a while, but he had to board-up the windows for safety. As he searched in the back room, he found multiple wooden storage crates. He savored the nails, and found a small doorway in the dark corner. It hid well, camouflaging with the gray walls. He turned the knob, slowly opening the unknown.
There sat a staircase; a pathway to the second floor. As he ventured up, he was pleased with what he saw: a couch, small television, refrigerator, and everything he needed to have a small, comfortable home. Two small windows let light brighten the upstairs. There were, of course, lights in the ceiling as well, but it wouldn’t be long before the electricity gets shut off due to the zombie infection.
Frank quickly dashed toward the sink, turning the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ knobs. A smile sprang from his face as the feel of hot water made him feel a little better about the near future. He splashed the water on his face; somewhat hoping it would wake him from this nightmare. Frank rummaged through his bag, grabbing at a bottle of soda. He poured it down the drain, and began filling it with water. It wasn’t as satisfying as cold bottled water, but the one thing everybody stole was fresh water from the stores before their panic made them flee.
In preparation for the night, Frank knew he had to board-up the windows. Those wooden planks from the storage crates wouldn’t be enough. He left the store, taking his bag of supplies with him.
He slowly walked down the road, until he found something that seemed too good to be true. A huge white pickup truck just sat there on the side of the road, staring him in the eyes as he approached. He walked up to it steadily, inspecting the massive tires, and steel brush guard on the front. He attempted to open the doors; of course it was locked. He could just break the window, but the possibility of the alarm going off was really risky. For all he knew, it might be someone’s truck who is in the store right next to him. He did it anyways. He pulled his arm back with the crowbar, and smashed the truck windows. It took a couple swings, but eventually they shattered into a thousand pieces. There was no alarm. Frank reached his arm through, and unlocked the doors. As he crawled in, he noticed something perfect. The key was in the ignition. It’s as if someone left it there on purpose, leaving it behind for him. No alarm, keys in the truck. It was too perfect. Or maybe someone just ditched it, choosing to move on foot and take shelter in a nearby store, deciding never to return to the four-wheel drive beast.
Frank turned the key, as the engine roared, as if it was showing off its strength and dominance of the road. The gas gauge needle barely moved from empty. He prayed it had enough gas to drive away. Frank put the car in ‘drive’ and slowly crawled down the road in order to not waste any gasoline. He saw signs for a gas station down the road, and eventually reached his destination a couple of minutes later. After filling the truck with gas, he ventured into the small store there, looking for gas containers that he could use later. As he put his hand on the door, he saw something move in the background. Frank slowly opened the door, preparing his crowbar for what was to come. A man showed himself from behind the counter, holding a 12-gauge shotgun. He was a large African-American man in a police uniform. He lowered the gun, with a look of relief on his face. “Don’t be sneakin’ up on me man. I thought you were one of those flesh eating freaks.” His voice was loud and booming, as if being fired from a cannon.
Frank looked relieved as well. “Sorry. I thought the same thing when I saw something movin’. The name’s Frank.”
“I’m Chris. I was just looking around for some food and water.”
“Don’t waste your time doing that! I got plenty. I can take you to a small store in town that I set-up at.”
“I don’t know. I ditched my truck there yesterday ‘cus everyone was panicking and leaving. You sure there are no zombies there?”
“Not that I’ve seen. And what type of truck was it?”
“Big white truck, massive tires, brush guard. Almost out of gas though. I couldn’t risk sitting in traffic while people were freaking out, so I got out and ran. Spent the night here.”
“I found it. I got your truck outside. I came here for gas. I gotta find some gas cans. Let’s find some. I can take you back to where I’m staying. Gotta find some wood and nails to board up the windows though.”
“My baby! So glad my truck’s back! I got some 2X4s here along with nails. I found them at a hardware store earlier and figured they’d come in handy.”
Frank and Chris found eight gas cans, and filled them all up. They hopped in the truck and drove toward the general store. Chris chose to let Frank have the truck since he was giving him food and water. When they arrived, they immediately boarded up the windows, and locked the door behind them as they entered the store.
Chris was amazed by the rows of snacks, candy, jerky, and canned food. The refrigerators were full of soda, juice, and milk, with all of the spring water missing.
Frank walked over and tapped him on the back. “It’s all yours,” he said. “You can stay here if you want. We got enough food and drinks to last a while. The upstairs has blankets and couches along with running water and a toilet. I think this is safe for a while.”
“Thanks man. I’ll definitely stay here. I saw on the t.v. this morning though that we should cover the windows with blankets. I guess the zombies are attracted by light and sound. We can’t be walking around here at night with the lights on unless we cover the windows.”
“Thank God I found you. I’d probably be a goner if I didn’t cover ‘em up.” Frank went upstairs and found ten blankets. They needed eight of them to cover windows, so at least they still had one left for each of them to sleep with. After they finished, they started getting themselves ready for the night. Chris also came across three keys for the front door so they didn’t have to leave it unlocked while they were gone.
“We’ll have heat and electricity for a little while,” Frank said. “When it gets colder though we’ll need to be ready. Eventually the electricity and oil will run out, and we won’t have any running water.”
We should look for batteries and warm clothing tomorrow. Getting’ too late to do that today. Almost dark out.”
“Sounds good.” Frank paused for a moment, wondering if he should ask the question. “What’s the story? Any family?”
“Not now. I’d rather not talk about it.” Chris’ voice lowered, no longer sounding like the brave, full of energy man that he was. At six feet tall, and at least 250 pounds, it was strange hearing such a small voice come from his mouth. “Yesterday seemed so normal at first. I woke up, went to work, and then everything just flipped around. It was so crazy I can barely remember it.” A small tear fell from his right eye, slowly travelling down his cheek until it fell to the ground.
“You a cop?”
“Yeah. It isn’t just for show. I work at the police station in New York City. I wonder what happened to the place.”
“We should go see tomorrow.” Frank looked excited for what the police station could have.”
“No! There’s probably thousands of undead swarming the streets. That’s a suicide mission.”
“We’ll come up with a plan. Maybe it isn’t that bad.”
“Trust me, it probably is. There were thousands of people killed and infected yesterday. They’re all walking the streets by now. I’m still surprised I haven’t seen one here yet.”
“Well we can’t just sit here Chris. We’re gonna need more supplies, especially weapons to defend ourselves.”
“We can do that later. We just can’t head into the city empty handed. We’ll think about it tomorrow. I’m going to bed.”
Chris went upstairs, with Frank following behind. They both got comfortable on their couches, quickly dozing off with the fear of what tomorrow would bring.
3
The sun broke through the clouds, as Frank and Chris awoke after a calm sleep. Frank went through the store taking some of the blankets down so they could get some sunlight. He ventured back upstairs, as he head into the bathroom to splash his face with water.
There was nothing.
He turned the knobs, both hot and cold, and nothing came out. This was happening sooner that he had expected. The electricity was still working, but the lack of running water was a problem.
“Chris, get up! The water’s not workin’.”
He jumped up from the couch, immediately letting panic set in. Without running water, they would need to venture outside and find water somewhere. The store had milk, juice, and soda, but they would need water to stay hydrated.
To calm himself, Chris walked over to the window, looking out at the horizon. He stood motionless, unable to react to what he saw.
It was a disfigured man, walking slowly through the street. Every step looked painful as he limped. He showed no emotion, or any signs of thought. He looked lost, not physically, but mentally. He was a zombie.
Frank walked over to the window to see what Chris was amazed at.
He looked so harmless, so innocent. His eyes were colored white and gray, nothing else. The zombie just continued limping along, without a fear or thought; no expression on his face.
“I feel bad for him.” Chris broke the silence, still staring at the helpless creature. “He looks so innocent. Is this what people are afraid of?”
“Guess so. Don’t be fooled though. They’ll attack anything that moves.”
Chris ran downstairs, and got a better look at the helpless monster. Frank followed, warning Chris not to let him see them. He didn’t move, Chris just stared at him through the windows.
That undead disfigured man suddenly stopped, and turned to look at the store. He caught sight of Frank and Chris. They made eye contact, just staring each other down for about ten seconds. His mouth slowly opened, letting out a wicked growl. He darted toward the door, smashing his body into the barricaded windows. He kept throwing himself at it, just trying to get at the two survivors.
“We have to kill him!” Frank kicked open the door without any fear, and began pulverizing him with the crowbar, until that flesh-eating freak stopped moving. Frank stopped. Taking deep breaths, he just looked at his bloody hands and began crying. Thoughts raced through his mind. Thoughts of the future, memories of his family, and fear of having to savagely kill more undead beasts terrorized his mind.(To Be Continued)
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Growing Up With the War
For the last decade, many people have grown up with the thought of a war going on as a normal occasion. Adults have seen otherwise, growing up in quieter times, and going through their fair share of “ups and downs.” However, teenagers and younger children do not know what it would be like any other way. For the majority of our lives, we have lived in a country fighting two wars. Since 2001, we turn on the television, hearing about the new number of casualties over in the Middle East . Troops are continuously sent in by our government, without any knowledge going out to the public about an objective. Saddam Hussein was executed, Osama Bin Laden is dead, and we have helped both Iraq and Afghanistan
After successfully eliminating powerful terrorist leaders and helping those two countries rebuild and get a taste of freedom, we continue to send in more troops. What is the objective, what is our goal there? As more soldiers lose lives, and spend years without seeing loved ones, this country’s youth can only sit around and watch. We watch the wars that have been dragged out beyond their meaning. The purpose was to fight back against terrorism after the horrible attacks of 9-11. After the execution of Bin Laden and Hussein, why can’t our country just call it a victory? We’ve helped them rebuild, and we’ve proven the strength and courage of America
After a decade-long war, this country’s youth is growing up. Those who have been forced to sit back and watch can now make a difference. Many high school graduates have chosen to enlist in the military, and try to help end this war as fast as possible. College students are protesting everywhere against the government which chooses to sit back, and watch families go broke, while losing loved ones overseas. Are all of the protests and increase in military enlistment a product of the war and how it affects our youth? Is it because we’ve grown up with a war that has lasted far too long, and decided to speak out now that we are becoming adults? I think so. Our country’s youth has had to sit back for the last ten years, and do nothing while family members die overseas. We’ve seen the news about the execution of Saddam Hussein, and the recent elimination of Osama Bin Laden. Now that our country has accomplished important goals in the war, our government decides to keep fighting. Now is the time that children are growing up, and becoming adults in the real world. They’ve decided to speak out, and put an end to all of the problems they have grown up with. Can you blame them?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Walking Dead (Season 2)
The Walking Dead creates an atmosphere that forces viewers to tune in every week to catch the newest episode. It sets the perfect example for what a great zombie story should be.
As I work on my zombie story, I have been watching every episode of the most popular zombie television show ever. Throughout the first season, the most important aspect of every episode was the shift in emotion and hope. The story was constantly on a cycle, first giving the survivors a a ray of hope, and then taking that away and making the worst of the situation happen. There was never any happy ending, and there was never anything so bad that it ended everything. It just kept cycling.
However, in the first and second episode of Season 2, this cycle has been non-existent. In the season premier, the survivors spend all of their time searching for Sophia, a small 12 year old girl who was lost in the forest after being chased by two 'walkers.' The viewer is expecting something good to happen throughout the whole episode, but it never happens. The survivors are merely teased. First they come across a tent, which only has the corpse of a suicidal man. Next, they hear church bells, only to find out they're being played through a speaker on an automatic timer. The church has no sign of Sophia, only a couple of zombies sitting in a church service after death. All hope is lost. After being teased, the viewer doesn't know what to expect. There hasn't been anything that the survivors can look forward to. Nothing good has happened, only more pain and suffering.
If the viewer thought things couldn't get any worse, they were wrong. When Shane and Rick agree to let Carl join them in the hunt for Sophia, you know things aren't going to be good. There is one small glimmer of hope; another tease that is quickly snatched away as Carl is shot after finding a deer.
Season 1 was such a perfect zombie story. Whenever something good happened, the viewers had to expect something bad; something devastating and painful. This was different. The writers of The Walking Dead completely changed things up. There were no rays of hope, they were just merely teases that led to something painful and tragic. It kept everyone guessing. They sat waiting for something good, waiting for something that would never happen. People will continue to watch the rest of the season, waiting for that something; waiting for one ray of hope that will never happen. Because of this, The Walking Dead keeps bringing viewers back. It keeps making people tune in every weekend. After the emotional cycle of the first season, people could only expect more in Season 2, but were left completely stranded with these expectations. The Walking Dead keeps people guessing. Just when you think you've figured it out, the story makes you completely wrong. You keep checking back every week until you can figure it out again. The Walking Dead keeps you guessing, and it could very well change again for the rest of the season.
A good zombie story is unpredictable. The reader/viewer has to think they understand it, but then be completely thrown off by something drastic later on in the plot. The Walking Dead has perfected this.
As I work on my zombie story, I have been watching every episode of the most popular zombie television show ever. Throughout the first season, the most important aspect of every episode was the shift in emotion and hope. The story was constantly on a cycle, first giving the survivors a a ray of hope, and then taking that away and making the worst of the situation happen. There was never any happy ending, and there was never anything so bad that it ended everything. It just kept cycling.
However, in the first and second episode of Season 2, this cycle has been non-existent. In the season premier, the survivors spend all of their time searching for Sophia, a small 12 year old girl who was lost in the forest after being chased by two 'walkers.' The viewer is expecting something good to happen throughout the whole episode, but it never happens. The survivors are merely teased. First they come across a tent, which only has the corpse of a suicidal man. Next, they hear church bells, only to find out they're being played through a speaker on an automatic timer. The church has no sign of Sophia, only a couple of zombies sitting in a church service after death. All hope is lost. After being teased, the viewer doesn't know what to expect. There hasn't been anything that the survivors can look forward to. Nothing good has happened, only more pain and suffering.
If the viewer thought things couldn't get any worse, they were wrong. When Shane and Rick agree to let Carl join them in the hunt for Sophia, you know things aren't going to be good. There is one small glimmer of hope; another tease that is quickly snatched away as Carl is shot after finding a deer.
Season 1 was such a perfect zombie story. Whenever something good happened, the viewers had to expect something bad; something devastating and painful. This was different. The writers of The Walking Dead completely changed things up. There were no rays of hope, they were just merely teases that led to something painful and tragic. It kept everyone guessing. They sat waiting for something good, waiting for something that would never happen. People will continue to watch the rest of the season, waiting for that something; waiting for one ray of hope that will never happen. Because of this, The Walking Dead keeps bringing viewers back. It keeps making people tune in every weekend. After the emotional cycle of the first season, people could only expect more in Season 2, but were left completely stranded with these expectations. The Walking Dead keeps people guessing. Just when you think you've figured it out, the story makes you completely wrong. You keep checking back every week until you can figure it out again. The Walking Dead keeps you guessing, and it could very well change again for the rest of the season.
A good zombie story is unpredictable. The reader/viewer has to think they understand it, but then be completely thrown off by something drastic later on in the plot. The Walking Dead has perfected this.
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