Letter #1 John Dies @ the End

If i had to choose a word that describes the book John dies at the end it would be TRIPPY !!! Its kind of confusing, there is so many flashbacks. The characters in the book John and Dave also have a lot of wired codes for things like: "Your pimp says bring the heroin shipment tonight, or he'll be forced to stick you. Meet him where we buried the Korean whore. The one without the goatee." It meant "come to my place as soon as you can, its important." Also there was " Oh, and don't forget, tomorrow is the day we kill the president." Which meant "Stop and pick me up some cigarettes on the way.(pg.3) The drug that John and Dave are on is called the Soy sauce. John also never mentions the name of he place they are at it always usually it reads [undisclosed]. Sometimes it confuses me some times and i have to go back over it and be like huh??? I think there is just to many things going out at once because there are a lot of characters. John and Dave are like Paranormal investigators from what i can see at this point they are known as being able to cure people. They see things like spiders, creepy -legged creatures, and people turning into snakes to a man made out of meat trying to kill them. They also have a band called Three-arm Sally. One at a party they were going to play at John just randomly fell down and was thought to be dead by everyone, of course...most of whom were drunk and couldn't tell if he was alive or not but anyways he didn't die. The band plays really wired songs like: Camel Holocaust, Gay superman, Stairway to heaven, Love my stopwatch, Thirty reasons why i dislike Chad Wellsburg, and Love me tender. There at the party he finds a levitating Jamaican and a dog named Molly that lead him to more wired things. I think that John is sort of oblivious mainly because hes on the sauce. This book may be confusing but its not boring. Sure there is a lot of stuff going on at once but they are funny and you want to see what other things they come up with.

Why is yawning contagious?

This always happens to me when ever i see anyone yawn if not instantly after a few seconds i yawn as well i just never really thought about why i did. It may not be one of life’s deepest mysteries, but as scientific conundrums go, it has a peculiar staying power. Why is yawning contagious?Researchers recently found that yawning isn’t only catching among people; it is also among chimpanzees. No one has devised a fully convincing explanation of why. Compounding the mystery is the odd way in which the contagious power of yawning is largely unconscious. We can see someone yawn, yearn to replicate the action ourselves, and do it, all without thinking about it. Other times we’re aware it is happening, though it still floats somewhere beneath the realm of reason and of purposeful actions.So what gives?. The results turned up some hard-to-interpret, possible clues. It also confirmed the obvious: yawning is largely unconscious. Wherever it might affect the brain, it bypasses the known brain circuitry for consciously analyzing and mimicking other people’s actions.This circuitry is called the “mirror-neuron system,” because it contains a special type of brain cells, or neurons, that become active both when their owner does something, and when he or she senses someone else doing the same thing. Mirror neurons typically become active when a person consciously imitates an action of someone else, a process associated with learning. But they seem to play no role in yawn contagiousness, the researchers in the new study found. The cells are have no extra activity during contagious yawning compared with during other non-contagious facial movements, they observed.Brain activity “associated with viewing another person yawn seems to circumvent the essential parts of the MNS [mirror neuron system], in line with the nature of contagious yawns as automatically released behavioural acts—rather than truly imitated motor patterns that would require detailed action understanding,” wrote the researchers, with the Helsinki University of Technology and the Research Centre Jülich, Germany. The findings are published in the February issue of the research journal Neuroimage.But if seeing someone yawn doesn’t activate these centers, what does it do to the brain? The researchers found that it appears to strongly activate at least one brain area, called the superior temporal sulcus. But this activation was unrelated to any desire to yawn in response, so it may be irrelevant to the contagion question, the researchers added.Possibly more significant, they wrote, was the apparent deactivation of a second brain area, called the left periamygdalar region. The more strongly a participant reported wanting to yawn in response to another person’s yawn, the stronger was this deactivation. “

This finding represents the first known neurophysiological signature of perceived yawn contagiousness,” the researchers wrote.Exactly what the finding means is less clear, they acknowledged. The periamygdalar region is a zone that lies alongside the amygdala, an almond-shaped structure deep in the brain in the area of the side of the head. The periamygdalar region has been linked to the unconscious analysis of emotional expressions in faces. Why it would be deactivated in tandem with yawn contagion is unclear, the researchers said.One thing seems clear from the study is that “contagious yawning does not rely on brain mechanisms of action understanding,” wrote one of the researchers, Riitta Hari of the Helsinki University of Technology. Rather, she continued, it seems to be an “‘automatically’ released (and most likely very archaic) motor pattern,” or sequence of physical actions.In the study, volunteers looked at videos of actors yawning or making other mouth movements. Meanwhile their brains were scanned using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a system that shows the amount of activity or work going on in various brain areas based on the amount of oxygen being used up there. The volunteers were later asked how strongly they had been tempted to yawn while viewing the pictures.Apart from the physical brain mechanisms of yawn contagiousness, researchers have offered different reasons as to why it exists. Some have proposed that in early humans, yawn contagiousness might have helped people communicate their alertness levels to each other, and thus coordinate their sleep schedules. When i was researching and typing this post out i yawned about 15 times so i guess you can yawn by also just reading about them....wait...here comes another one.

the hidden temple ch.4

The hike was going good but it took so long that in 3 hours they still hadn't reached their 1st stop. Along the way they saw amazing scenery's and many wonderful creatures. Riley was being a little too friendly to a mountain lion cub that was wondering off by himself. Even though Cheryl wanted to take a picture Jim thought it was best that they keep moving because the noise from the camera might scare him and the mom might come running out of no where. Up in font of them there came a river and the only way to get to the other side would be by crossing it. It was too deep to walk across but fortunately there was a line of rocks that peeked on top of the water...
"they are very slippery..i have fallen in once or twice before, so be careful where you step and if you do happen to fall don't panic just try to swim to the edge of the river and i will help you out." Jim said in a softly toned, but reassuring voice.
Jonah was jumping off the rocks like they were trampolines, but Riley was afraid and would not cross. It took William and Cheryl almost 20 minutes to convince her to cross but she didn't even cross the river herself her dad went with her. Almost everyone had made it across already when all of a sudden there were splashes. Right then and there all eyes had turned to Jim. The backpack was dangling on his arm after it had fallen and almost found its way into the river. One of the pockets wasn't closed and the spare batteries for the flashlights had fallen into the river and by the time they had realized it they had sunk to the bottom and it was too deep.

" as of now it looks like were going to have to save the batteries we have and only use the flashlights at night when necessary and in case of emergencies."he said.

Each person had a flashlight so they would have to use one at a time. Luckily Jim was able to catch his pocket light and that will also come in handy. I guess the Resort really promises a real life experience. Jonah and Riley had been walking faster than they rest of them and had seen something in the air that left them wondering what it was. It was glowing and green almost like really tiny floating jellyfish. Before they could follow it everyone else caught up and even though Jonah told Riley not to say anything about what they said she told her parents and Jim but they didn't believer her. Jim said that never before on the island had he seen green, glowing, and floating tiny jellyfish. The sun was almost setting and they had to hurry if they wanted to make it to camp before dark. At last they arrive and with plenty of time to set up everything and even watch the sun go down.

The Hidden Temple (part 3)

This trip hasn't turned out to be that bad. A good hotel with anything you could ever want and a poolside, beach and much more. Today was the day. The day when the lives of the Miller's would be changed forever. Today was the day they were going on a safari.
" this is going to be boring" Jonah said
"yeah, why can't we stay here. Or how about we stay here and you and dad go by yourselves." Riley said.
" Oh hush, both of you, we came here as a family to spend more time together, no ones staying, come on it will be fun." Cheryl said optimistically.
Spending 3 day in the jungle on an island seemed fun, but most tourists only stayed for 2 nights because of the weather it can get foggy and rainy. Fortunately the forecast for the week was looking pretty good.
Jim Austin was a tall bulky man, he was their tour guide.
" I can assure you that you will be safe with me, there is nothing to worry about. "I am after all the one who's worked here the longest." he added.
A couple hours later they were off on an adventure. All around them and everywhere they looked there were many exotic plants. There were small plants and big plants some were yellow, some were orange and some were green and some were blue. There were a lot of insects in the air like small mosquito's, Riley didn't fancy them at all. Cheryl was startled by a noise in the bushes behind her, William went to comfort her. Jim told her not to worry.
"it's probably only a bird or a small animal like a rabbit.Not to worry."
Not to worry, probably. Cheryl needed to be convinced. It started to get dark so they gathered wood. Jim told them that this was going to be just like going camping. They set up their tents, ate some dinner and got ready for bed. Later on in the early morning Jonah was awaken by the sound of the wind hurling by his tent. He walked around for a while but he didn't stray to far because he still caught a glimpse of the campfire. Jonah saw a green light coming from a distance but decided to go back to the campgrounds for it would be morning soon and his mother would have a heart attack if she did not find him in his tent.
Everyone woke up when the sun came up bright and early when the birds were chirping so loud that you can't bare to hear them any longer.. For breakfast they had cold strawberry pop tarts. The food wasn't like the food at the hotel but it was decent. The weather..was just as how it was predicted..clear skies and mildly warm. William was helping Jim putting all the food away, tie up the tents and gather anything else that was left. Cheryl was confused because she thought they were going to camp out in the same spot for the rest of the trip and not spending the night a new spot every time. They put some essential materials in a hiking backpack and soon they were on their way.

Human Nature on Genocide Final

The fist chapter that we read in class “We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families” by – Phillip Gourvitan. Decimation, this word really stood out to me, Decimation means the killing of every tenth person in a population. In 1994 a program of massacres decimated the republic of Rwanda. Tons of dead bodies lay dead everywhere 13 months after they were killed. Humanity is part of nature and that we must go against nature to get along and have peace. Massive violence must be organized it does not occur aimlessly.

There are stages of genocide 1) Classification, 2) Symbolization, 3) Dehumanization, 4) Organization, 5) Polarization, 6) Preparation, 7) Extermination, 8) Denial. The Tutsis new that they were going to die because they had seen the Hutus prepare two weeks prior to the massacre and instead of running away or doing something they just sat there and did nothing. They had resigned themselves when they were going to be killed they were saying "just let us pray, then kill us." or " i don't want to die in the streets I want to die at home. It’s like they had no will to survive.

I think genocide does a disruption in our moral behavior and changes our brain. Its almost like in video games that are teen rated well teens aren’t the only ones who play games with violence the ages are going down. Games are getting more and more violent. I think that video games can change you brain because if you play constantly and are obsessed then you are stuck in the virtual world and forget that real world even exists. One may say "i would never, i could never be capable of doing such horrible things like genocide." But the truth is that many people can and will do it if they are given the power and are told that they will have no responsibility. People can just go crazy when they have the power. When i was researching genocide i came across a blog post that was posted by someone named Jenn Polish, it's entitled Genocide by... Abortion?. So if it is then genocide still exists because they are poo innocent babies that didn't necessarily ask to be brought into this world. Its not their fault and yet they are getting the blame and they are being killed and they have no say in the matter. Even thought some women can't take care of the child and doesn't want to give it up for adoption because maybe by then she will feel attached to him/her or for whatever the reason its not right. I think genocide still exists even if there isn't massive killings but there are a lot of other issuse like racism.

In the book "Night" by - Elie Wiesel he was a Jew and he talked about how at first there were no Germans and then there were they put them in ghetto's and then the Germans disappeared again. A lot of the Jews thought that the Germans were putting them in ghettos for their own good because the Germans weren't doing anything to them, they weren't hurting them. Little did they know that the Germans had big plans for the Jews. First they took the and kicked them out of their houses took away all their gold and their Jewelry but they didn't separate the families. They put them in groups and send them on a train to who knows where. When they were taken to Auschwitz and told that some of them are going to die by being burned alive they took it so calmly, sure there were murmurs about revolting but they quickly died out. Then some of the SS soldiers asked why they had come,didn't hey know what was in store for them and one person said did you think we had a choice, we were forced to come. But despite all that no one wanted to rebel or complain with the fear of getting shot or burned. "Over there-that's where you're going to be taken. That's your grave, over there.'" Chapter 3 pg.28 They had been taken to a concentration camp. The SS officers told them that they would remember this forever.

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed....Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never." Chapter 3 pg.32

The Hidden Temple (part 2)

Once arriving at the hotel the Miller family was exhausted from the long trip and once they got to their rooms they felt at ease. Even though it was a long trip Jonah and Riley wanted to go swim in the pool and in the beach but their parents convinced them to rest until the next day, they told them that they had more than enough time to do everything that they wanted to do. That night they went down to the hotel restaurant and had a dinner that was fit for a king. Then next morning the kids woke up early and decided to look around. They saw a bunch of kids go into a big room where there was a man sitting down on a chair reading stories, Riley wasn't to interested but when Jonah heared the stories were about the island he became so curious. They decided to stay and listen, The stories were about the people that used to live there and how and why they left. Jonah and Riley got bored and met up with their parents and did many activities that were really fun. Jonah learned how to surf and Riley learned how to windsurf. Jonah was running up all the hallways and met some friends then they started to play together and from behind them came the manager of the hotel and told them to go and play somewhere else and send them to their room. Riley had also gone around the hotel and was walking by herself along the pool when she saw her brother and told him
" where have you been? mom has been looking for you!"
"no where" he said
"i was just walking around."
Riley looked at him and then turned around and left. Cheryl was really mad because Jonah had left without permission and no one knew where he was.
" i was so worried, why didn't you tell us where you were going to go?"
" i didn't think it was that important, besides its not like i left the hotel or anything and i didn't get in trouble." he said with an angry tone, he decided he would keep the part where the manager saw the running out. She the looked at him and scowled and said,
"you may not have gotten in trouble then, but i can assure you that you're in trouble now. As of now you are not allowed to leave the hotel room unless we are doing something as a family or unless your dad or i know where you are."
Jonah just sat on his bed and said nothing. Later on that week Jonah's parents had arranged a jungle safari without knowing the dangers they would face.

The Hidden Temple (part 1)

There is a beautiful island with a hotel along the beach and an awsome resort but what pople didn't now was that there is a temple hidden deep within a mountain, but no one knows if it true or if it is just a myth. Many people tell the story about how the temple got there and the story has been passed down from generation to generation and when occasional tourist come and hear about this mysterious temple the wonder and want to go find it and see it with their own eyes. When people tried to go exploring for it ran into trouble. Even though there were guild's for the tourists that wanted to go in the jungle they still got lost and there were dangerous animals. So if you didn't get eaten or hurt or get lost and starve then you were lucky. The island have many deaths and disappearances, though they keep that away form flyers and publicity and advertising. You have no idea what can be awaiting for you on this luxurious island.
On July 17,1996 a family of 4 were on a plane twoards the island. William and Cheryl Miller had two lovley twins. Jonah and Riley Miller are the sweetest, cutest 8 year olds you will ever meet. Jonah had dark short wavy hair, his eyes are dark green and he was really smart for his age, He is a minute and 23 seconds older than Riley and takes really good care of her. Riley has long dark brown curly hair, her eyes are light green. She was really good at remember things. she could tell you what you did 5 weeks ago in full detail without even breaking a sweat. When they were arrived at the airport they were all amazed by the scenery there were beautiful lakes and forests of bright green,empty pastures. It turned out to be that the hotel was on the other side of the island because they wanted the hotel near the ocean and there was no room to build the airport any where near the hotel. The family had to take a shuttle with 9 other familys, they were really cramed in there because there was only a few shuttles and since the hotel was around 2 hrs. away it couldn't leave right away as soon as one family got there they had to take as many people as they could.