To Build a Fire

When he had recovered his breath and control, he sat up and entertained in his mind the conception of meeting death with dignity. However, the conception did not come to him in such terms. His idea of it was that he had been making a fool of himself, running around like a chicken with its head cut off - such was the simile that occurred to him. Well, he was bound to freeze anyway, and he might as well take it decently. With this new-found peace of mind came the first glimmerings of drowsiness. A good idea, he thought, to sleep off to death. It was like taking an anesthetic. Freezing was not so bad as people thought. There were lots of worse ways to die. (This passage was taken from page 18 of Jack London's To Build a Fire.)


This book was about a big arrogant jerk who gets what he deserves in the end. He is prideful and disregards the advice of the older men who have lived in the freezing climate much longer than him, and he calls them women. He does not think through his actions and does not care about his dog. Pride comes before a fall, and boy did he fall. He froze to death, but not before he learned his lesson. Hopefully, the rest of us will learn from this story and listen to the advice of the people who have lived longer than us and not have to go through what 'the man' did.

Newspaper

Creating a mega-musical is no easy feat, [duh] even in the hands of U2 megastars Bono and The Edge. "Easier than we could have imagined. Harder than we ever thought," says Bono, [that's saying a lot] resting on a Times Square hotel bed near where "Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark" [what an awful name; how can they do that?] is readying for its first preview. "I mean, easier in the sense that the music came to us effortlessly. [I don't believe it] Dreaming up the show, the scale of it, the flying sequences, the pop art opera [oh, great] that it is - that was all pure joy," he adds. "What we didn't realize was how difficult it is to stage this stuff, both technically and financially." [maybe should have looked into that in the beginning.] (Taken from the November 30-December6 edition of Emerald Valley Shopper.)


I looked at this article and thought it sounded odd. I interjected a few comments throughout the article in green. The topic threw me off, since I had never heard of anything like it before and thought it was a crazy idea. It says later that the mega-musical cost an outrageous amount of money to put together. How much did they have to pay just to use the name and how can they create a good play anyway? There have been enough movies, shows, and comic books that a play seems ridiculous to me. Also, a musical hero show? Come on. Imagine: Spider-man swinging from his webs singing a heavy rock version of, "The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout..." Ha, ha, ha. Seriously.

Comparison and Contrast

The painting American Gothic (AG) by the Iowan Grant Wood depicting farmers in 1930 vs. the photograph Rural Rehabilitation Client (RRC) by the Lithuanian-born New Jerseyan Ben Shahn depicting recipients of a federal aid program in Arkansas in 1935.


Differences: AG looks almost animated while RRC is obviously real. AG pictures a well-dressed older couple who look like they are some-what well off. On the other hand, the younger pair in RRC look exhausted, poor, and almost desperate. The AG clothes are like Sunday Best clothes, while the RRC clothes are everyday work clothes. The AG couple look orderly and under control of their atmosphere, unlike the RRC couple who look untidy, dirty, and who live a chaotic life. In the AG background, a nice white house stands in the middle of the countryside, while the background of the RRC photo is a rudimentary looking cabin.

Similarities: Both couples look sad, even though the RRC ones look even worse. They both live in the country. They both probably work hard, though the RRC pair harder. The women are shorter than the men. Both pictures are black and white, and have the look of disappointment and depression.

The Crossing

"Egad, Davy, it seems like a fairy tale. We always said we were going to Kentucky, didn't we? What is the name of the place you are to startle with your learning and calm by your example?"
"Louisville," I answered, laughing, "by the Falls of the Ohio."
"I shall turn up there when Jack Sevier is safe and I have won some more land from Mr. Jackson. We'll have a rare old time together, though I have no doubt you can drink me under the table. Beware of these sober men. Egad, Davy, you need only a woolsack to become a full-fledged judge. And now tell me how fortune has buffeted you."
It was my second night without sleep, for we sat burning candles in Mr. Wright's house until the dawn, making up the time which we had lost away from each other. (This passage is from The Crossing, by Winston Churchill, page 317)

I really like Churchill's characters. I don't always enjoy all his description, but his characters are incredible. They actually have a pattern and are completely different. They are all strong and brave, but some of them are wise, while others have anger problems, or just can't be serious. Nick Temple is probably my favorite character. He is hilarious, a bit hot-headed, and just likes to have fun. He makes the story interesting and enjoyable. I really like Churchill's characters; they make the book.

The Crossing

The Colonel stood for a full minute surveying us calmly...
"I have heard from many sources that you are dissatisfied, that you wish to go back to Kentucky. If that be so, I say, 'Go...' We have taken a brave and generous people into the fold of the Republic, and they have shown their patriotism by giving us freely of their money and stores... They have given the last proof of that patriotism this day. Yes, they have come to me and offered to take your places, to finish the campaign which you have so well begun and wish to abandon. To-day I shall enroll their militia under the flag for which you have fought... But if there be any who have faith in me and in the cause for which we have come here, who have the perseverance and the courage to remain, I will reenlist them..." (This passage was taken from The Crossing, by Winston Churchill.)

I really liked this scene. I think the Colonel's character is a real hero. He knows how his troops are feeling and also knows how to encourage them and keep them going. At this point he is almost putting them on a guilt trip. 'You came this far, and you're giving up? How can you do that and call yourself a man?' is the type of attitude he has and I think it is great. The character is intelligent, strategical, and courageous. He walks into a country will thousands of hostile Indians with only 200 guys, half of which are tired of the campaign. He is either an idiot, or extremely brave. I'll go with the latter option.

The Rescuer

Out the window a light flickered in the distance. He stopped and watched. Someone was in the barn.
Stephan hunched his shoulders, his jacket lifted high to protect his head from the pounding hail and rain. Mud clung to his boots. A small river now ran across the yard, covering the walkway... The light, if that was what he had seen, was gone...
He reached the barn as the first lightning flashed and thunder rolled instantaneously overhead. He pulled the door open. A man slammed into him. They tumbled back, hitting the ground with a splash. Stephan grabbed at coarse fabric of the coat smashed into his face and tried to shove the intruder off him. The smell of sweat and desperation clung to the man, and a weight pressed against Stephan's chest trying to keep him down on the ground...
The man was gone...
Stephan wearily pushed himself to his feet. What a way to end a miserable day... (This passage was from Dee Henderson's book, "The Rescuer".)

Since I know what happened during the rest of his day, I can say that it had been miserable. If I had been in his place, I would have said the same thing. I would be upset, standing in the rain, now beat up, and realizing that someone was going through my stuff, looking for something. I would stand at the entrance of the barn, dripping from the violent rain, and look up into the night sky and say something like, "Could this day get any worse?" I sympathize with Stephan. I really do. But, the story only gets better from there.

Readers Digest

Only three hours earlier, I had taken a five-mile run. I had recently turned 60, and as I ran, I thought... other than a few aches from more than 450 parachute jumps, I felt as healthy as I did as 40...
Then I looked out he window at the 100-year-old oak tree I had trimmed the prior weekend and took pride in how much better it looked. Getting out there to finish a couple smaller trees would be a great start to my weekend.
I grabbed my chain saw and ran the extension cord from the back of my house, then propped my ladder against the tree and climbed up. The saw sliced through the three-inch limb like a warm knife through butter, but instead of falling to the side, the dead branch dropped down onto the ladder, which twisted away from the tree and left me on a collision course toward the four-foot chain-link fence. I tossed the saw out of harm's way and snapped my ankles together to avoid being impaled between the legs by the fence. It would have been a decent plan had my toes not caught the top of the fence, causing me to jackknife upside down and slam headfirst into the ground.
As I fought for air I thought, What a way to go. (This passage was taken from the 2010 November issue of Readers Digest, page 156)

I picked up my M16 and followed my troop through the small camp, and into the meeting house where we sat down on the dirt floor and listened. The captain explained that the guerrilla forces in the area were combining forces, and instead of fleeing for their lives, the experienced terrorists were turning back to do battle, which put the men on the front lines in more danger of a shortened life by a cruel death. He directed us to back up and ready our weapons and vehicles so that we were ready to combat against the moral-less bush-fighters. These orders would have protected us better if they had come sooner, since we were ambushed two hours later and most of our battalion shot to death where they stood. (I was supposed to imitate the style.)

Narrative

I suppose you may like to know what kind of a man my father was. He had an excellent constitution, was of middle stature, but well set and very strong. He was ingenious, could draw prettily, was skilled a little in music; his voice was sonorous and agreeable, so that when he played Psalm tunes on his violin and sung withal as he sometimes did in an evening after the business of the day was over, it was extremely agreeable to hear. He had some knowledge of mechanics, too, and on occasion was very handy with other tradesman's tools. But his great excellence was a sound understanding and solid judgment in prudential matters, both in private and public affairs. (This passage was taken from Benjamin Franklin Autobiography, page24.)

A narrative imitation of the style:
My mom asked me about the type of girl whom I had picked out. She had a beautiful body, slightly taller than myself, yet was rather athletic and well balanced. She was very intelligent, had many skills, and could play music like an angel; her voice was so captivating and powerful, that if anyone heard her make music as she did whenever she was turned on and healthy, happy, and heartening, it was extremely exhilarating and encouraging. She could run faster than an eagle could fly, and was also often making me feel like a million dollars. But the best part about her was her incredible loyalty, faithfulness, and understanding, which was much more than can usually be expected from any other car.
Note: This passage is describing a car and not an actual girl.

The Scarlet Letter

...while the minister stood with a flush of triumph in his face, as one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had won a victory. Then, down he sank upon the scaffold!... Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a blank, dull, countenance, out of which the life seemed to have departed.
"Thou hast escaped me!" he repeated more than once...
"My God forgive thee!" said the minister. "Thou, too, hast deeply sinned!"
He withdrew his dying eyes from the old man, and fixed them on the woman and the child.
"My little Pearl," said he feebly... "dear little Pearl, wilt thou kiss me now?..."
Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken.
(This passage was taken from the 23 chapter of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.)


Chillingworth admits that Dimmesdale has escaped him, but how did he do that? He wanted to inflict pain upon Dimmesdale and much pain he had, before he died. But the one thing Chillingworth did not want Dimmesdale to do, he did. He sought the truth, announced to the world that he had sinned, exposed himself, and asked for forgiveness. Chillingworth wanted him to die trying to hold the secret sin inside. He was defeated by the truth. Truth and forgiveness brought freedom and so, Dimmesdale was able to Rest In Peace, and freedom.

The Scarlet Letter

It seemed to be his wish and purpose to mask this expression with a smile; but the latter played him false, and flickered over his visage so derisively that the spectator could see his blackness all the better for it. Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man's soul were on fire, and kept on smouldering duskily within his breast, until, by some casual puff of passion, it was blown into a momentary flame...
In a word, old Roger Chillingworth was striking evidence of man's faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil's office...
The scarlet letter burned on Hester Prynne's bosom. Here was another ruin, the responsibility of which came partly home to her. (This passage was taken from page148 of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.)

After Chillingworth found out that Hester had betrayed him, he decided he wanted revenge. So, he turned himself into a monster being controlled by his evil desires of hate and bitterness and the lust for others to feel the pain he felt. Hester saw this monster that used to be her husband and felt as if it was her fault that this had happened. But it was not her fault. It was his choice! If he had forgiven her and Dimmesdale, forgotten the whole thing, and went on his merry way, none of this would have happened and Chillingworth would still be a respectable scholar and doctor. He could have been like Hester who forgave the community and still helped them even though they gave her the scarlet letter. Choices, choices, choices...

Comments
subject: Nathaniel's subject was the fact that Chillingworth had turned himself into a monster and Hester felt it was her fault, even though Chillingworth chose to let his evil desires rule him.
purpose: Nathaniel's purpose was to help us to understand exactly what had happened to Chillingworth and that he was now the "bad guy" in the book.
audience: Nathaniel's audience was us, the intelligent people who now realize that Hester and Chillingworth chose different paths, but could have turned out the same way. Either Hester trying to take revenge on the town for giving the scarlet letter, or Chillingworth forgiving and forgetting what Hester had done.

The Brief Bedford Reader

I once asked a local advertiser why he didn't include disabled people in his spots. His response seemed direct enough: "we don't want to give people the idea that our product is just for the handicapped."... If you saw my blind niece ordering a Coke, would you switch to Pepsi lest you be struck sightless? No, I think the advertiser's excuse masked a deeper and more anxious rationale: To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of daily life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anybody's life. If it is effaced completely, or at least isolated as a separate "problem," so that it remains at a safe distance from other human issues, then the viewer won't feel threatened by her or his own physical vulnerability. (This passage was taken from the article Disability by Nancy Mairs.)

I think what Nancy said was right. We "normal" people are afraid of disability because we know so little about it. If we were taught more about it and realized that disability is part of everyday life, we would probably be quicker to accept the people around us who are disabled and want to help them since they can not completely help themselves. I do not think it is right to ignore the hurting people. If anything, we should be paying more attention to them, since the "normal" people can take care of themselves. The disabled need hope and we can give it to them. That was what Nancy was trying to say.

On Writing Well

But finally the purposes that writers serve must be their own. What you write is yours and nobody else's. Take your talent as far as you can and guard it with your life. Only you know how far that is; no editor knows. Writing well means believing in your writing and believing in yourself, taking risks, daring to be different, pushing yourself to excel. You will write only as well as you make yourself write.


I really liked this whole book, On Writing Well by William Zinsser. It really inspired me. I want to be a published author and have already started several books. I love reading good authors and Zinsser was awesome. He kept me interested and captivated by his words. I want to be an fantastic writer, like him. This passage, one of the last in the book, was one that inspired me the most. His saying that you'll only write as well as you make yourself is so true and I need to watch out for that, because sometimes I just do as much as needed, so I can get by. I am not just going to write; I am going write well, and love it.

The Hand that Bears the Sword

The Hezzan was a good man, a better man than Talon. This was apparent to any who knew them both. Talon had killed in hatred, had despised God and man. But the Hezzan had cared deeply for his nation, his people, and for Talon, and he had seen in her what the others had not. He had raised her out of her selfish anger, and given her a more noble view of the world, and of the people in it. And because he had cared for her, he had chosen, in a moment, to risk everything to protect her. It was that simple.
... The Three Laws of the Kar Ixthano did not account for a good man who would die for someone who was not. Such was absurdity. If the good, the noble, the Worthy were to die for the evil, the ignoble the Unworthy, how could the Worthy ever rule? ... Only the miserable, maddening teachings of the Vast and their Jesus dared claim honor in such foolishness.
But Talon now understood the nature of God's power -- that it came in through a window, or a back door, and rarely came announced.


This passage is from The Hand that Bears the Sword by George Bryan Polivka, and from the same series as the Legend of the Firefish. This is probably my favorite book series ever; I think it's even better than The Lord of the Rings. This section, from the second book, is the best part of the book. Talon, who was the evil witch from the first book, went through an incredible transformation. The emotions that the book made me feel through her transformation were incredible. I went from hating her, to feeling bad for her, then loving her. It was so cool.
I highly, highly recommend this series. It is an amazing adventure with sword-fights, broadsides, giant magical fish, some romance, transformations, and good lessons.

Captain from Castile

"You wouldn't kill an unarmed man, de Vargas; you wouldn't murder me. I was joking only. You'll go free from the tribunal."
"You have a moment left," Pedro answered. "Spend it thinking of the girl who was killed last night."
The other sank to his knees. "Mercy!"
..."You would make amends perhaps? Secure our release? Pay a suitable fine? Make a public apology?"
"Yes... Yes, everything, anything."
"Could I trust you?"
"I swear it before God."
"No, not before God," came [Pedro's] voice. "Perhaps if you renounced God, I'd believe you. Renounce God, de Silva..."
"I -- I renounce God."
At that instant Pedro thrust the blade home, down through the man's body till the point caught on the pavement.
"Now burn in hell forever, soldier of Christ!" he [Pedro] whispered.

This scene, from chapter 20 from "Captain from Castile", was one of my favorites and most remembered. I loved the whole book, but this scene was very unique and somewhat disturbing. Pedro, whose family had been imprisoned for no reason by de Silva and had watched his sister tortured to death, was extremely upset and waiting for revenge. I would be too. So, Silva came to Pedro's cell to mock him and rub Silva's victory in his face, but things got out of control, obviously. I would have killed him too. However, Pedro was out of control due to his anger and made de Silva renounce God and then killed him. Pedro later regretted the choice, but it was too late and he felt guilty for the rest of his life. I would not want to live with that kind of guilt and would therefore think before I acted.
PS: This was a passage from the same book as the one from the beginning of the year.

The Old Man and the Sea

The line rose slowly and steadily and then the surface of the ocean bulged ahead of the boat and the fish came out. He came out unendingly and water poured from his sides. He was bright in the sun and his head and back were dark purple and in the sun the stripes on his sides showed wide and a light lavender. His sword was as long as a baseball bat and tapered like a rapier and he rose his full length from the water and then re-entered it, smoothly, like a diver and the old man saw the great scythe-blade of his tail go under and the line commenced to race out.
"He is two-feet longer than the skiff," the old man said.

This passage is from "The Old Man and the Sea", by Ernest Hemingway. If I was old and alone and I saw a fish, larger than my boat, I would have been scared to death. I would first pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Then, I would have cut the line then and hoped that the fish wasn't mad at me for hooking it. A fish that size could have easily smashed the boat, or at least put a hole or two in it. But that's not what Santiago did. Of course, he had to catch it to prove what a great fisherman he was. Maybe I don't know much about fishing, but if I saw a fish bigger than my boat, I wouldn't have thought twice about turning my boat around and sailing as fast as I could away from it.

The Last Olympian

Nico strode forward. The enemy army fell back before him like he radiated death, which of course he did.
Through the face guard of his skull-shaped helmet, he smiled. "Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?"
"Son of Hades." Kronos spit on the ground. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"
"Your death," Nico said, "would be great for me."
"I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live."
Nico drew his sword -- three feet of wicked sharp Strygian metal, black as a nightmare. "I don't agree."
The ground rumbled. Cracks appeared in the road, the sidewalks, the sides of buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living.


This is one of my favorite scenes of this book. The book, "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan, is the last book(for now) in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. The formidable Kronos had come to destroy and engulf Olympia and would have too, but for the demigod resistance. At this point in the book, Kronos was winning, when Nico, the son of Hades showed up with an army of dead, that weren't really extirpated. Anyway, throughout the book, I really liked Nico, but he kept getting into trouble and betraying main characters, so he was a bad guy, kinda. But then, he comes and saves the day. Yeah! I was so happy.

PS: Words are from this months vocabulary words.

The Clash of the Titans

On Mount Olympus, that golden round table in the clouds, Zeus (Liam Neeson) is angry at an ungrateful mankind and lets loose his brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) to destroy the city of Argos.
As a new citizen of Argos, Perseus (son of Zeus [played by Sam Worthington]) doesn't much like this. He embarks on the familiar journey in defeating a number of mythical creatures, including a serpentine Medusa and the sea monster Kraken...
...With a crew atop his almost perfectly spherical head, Worthington [who stared in "Avatar"] grits his way through the film and does plenty of dramatic leaping while brandishing a sword. But he doesn't supply the charisma that the movie needs and the whole thing feels like a joyless slog.
Fiennes' [Hades] appearances provide a jolt. Arriving always with his head curiously fixed within a cloud of swirling black smog, he knows how to make an entrance. His part is surely the best in the movie, and he's clearly having fun.

This section from the "Emerald Valley Shopper" (April 6-12) was about the new movie Titan's quest. I saw the movie before reading this piece, and I have to agree with Jake Coyle [the writer]. It was packed with dramatic fast paced action and had incredible special effects. But, besides that, I didn't think it was that impressive. It, like Coyle said, "feels like a joyless slog". I enjoyed the action and mythological part of it, but the movie didn't really have a point.
My favorite character, even though he was evil, was probably Hades. He did a great job and was perfect for that part. Perseus was just... boring. It was cool, but not worth the full price theater.

Exodus

From Exodus 26:1-6 NLT

Make the Tabernacle from ten sheets of fine linen. These sheets are to be decorated with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with figures of cherubim skillfully embroidered into them. Each sheet must be forty-two feet long and six feet wide. All ten sheets must be exactly the same size. Join five of these sheets together into one set; then join the other five sheets into a second set. Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last sheet in each set. The fifty loops along the edge of one set are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other. Then make fifty gold clasps to fasten the loops of the two sets of sheets together, making the Tabernacle a single unit.

Wow. God sure likes to have everything exact. He is very descriptive, which makes me think. If God cares so much about this Tabernacle, how much more does he care about us. I mean, sure the Tabernacle is holy and needs to be made just right, granted, but God doesn't live in a man-made house anymore. He now lives inside us. Scary. The man-made Tabernacle was probably cleaner and holier than our hearts, but God doesn't care... he loves us anyway. Hallelujah.

The Legend of the Firefish

She[Talon] laughed. "I have killed, and I have given life. I have saved you, and now I will kill you. No God will do this. Just me."
He[Packer] shook his head. "I put myself in His hands, Talon. Not yours."
And now the moment had come. A single thrust, and it was over. Proof would be hers. And yet, what would he do with a sword through his chest? What would he say? What look would be in his eyes? She saw in him now the same determination she had seen in Senslar Zendoda, the same fearlessness, the same focus, the same sadness, the same power. And yes, that's what it was.

I love this book, the first in the Trophy Chase Trilogy, by George Bryan Polivka and it is one of my alltime favorites. This scene was one of the last, and one of the best. The main character, Packer Throme, loved God, and after overcoming many obstacles, realized that all outcomes were in God's power. No-one else could change that, not Talon, an evil witch warrior, not the Prince of Nearing Vast, not the pirate captain, Scat Wilkins, not even the legendary Firefish. Everything and everyone was in God's hands, and that would never change.

PS: words are part of the adjectival and adverbial clauses.

Silk

"Natural silk, as we all know, has a strength that man made materials have long struggled to match... MIT researches have discovered that silk gets its strength from its weaknesses. Silk gets its extraordinary durability and ductility from an unusual arrangement of hydrogen bonds that are inherently very weak but that work together to create a strong, flexible structure.

"To get a better understanding of how silk manages to produce such strength through such weak bonds, the MIT team created a set of computer models that allowed them to observe the way silk behaves at the atomic level. They found that the arrangement of the tiny silk nano-crystals is such that the hydrogen bonds are able to work cooperatively, reinforcing one another against external forces and failing slowly. When they do fail, [they fail in a way] so as not to allow a sudden fracture to spread across a silk structure."

That is so cool! I enjoy this type of stuff. God created such amazing creatures, like spiders(which I personally don't like), that can create silk. God obviously knows what he's doing when he creates creatures, and doesn't just do it at random. Who would have thought, a hundred years ago, that scientists would be looking to silk as a model for the next updated thing. How could a spider have evolved enough to create something like that? I don't believe it could have. It's just incredible, awesome, and mind-boggling.

Gulliver's Travels

In the right coat-pocket of the great man mountain after the strictest search, we found only one great piece of coarse cloth, large enough to be a foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of state. In the left pocket, we saw a huge silver chest, with a cover of the same metal, which we the searchers were not able to lift. We desired it should be opened, and one of us stepping into it, found himself up to the mid leg in a sort of dust, some part whereof flying up to our faces, set us both a sneezing for several times together. In his right waistcoat-pocket, we found a prodigious bundle of white thin substances, folded one over another, about the bigness of three men, tied with a strong cable, and marked with black figures...

This started the long list of Gulliver's inventory as seen by the little people of Lilliput in chapter 2.
Rewrite:
In the right coat-pocket of the great man mountain after the investigation, we found only one segment of coarse cloth, large enough to be a foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of state. In the left pocket, we saw a silver trunk, with a cover of the same metal, which we the searchers were incapable to lift. We desired it should be opened, and one of us stepping into it, found himself up to the thigh in a sort of dust, bits whereof flying up to our faces, set us both a sneezing for several times together. In his right waistcoat-pocket, we found a mass of white thin substances, folded one over another, about the bigness of three men, tied with a chain, and marked with black figures...

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

I immediately procured a horse and started for the country, taking no baggage with me, of course. There is an insignificant creek... between Jefferson Barracks and the place to which I was going, and at that day there was not a bridge over it... On this occasion it had been raining heavily... I found the banks full to overflowing, and the current rapid. I looked at it a moment to consider what to do... I struck into the stream and in an instant the horse was swimming and I being carried down by the current. I headed the horse towards the other bank and soon reached it, wet through and without other clothes on that side of the stream. I went on, however, to my destination and borrowed a dry suit from my--future-- brother-in-law.

I really like Ulysses S. Grant, not just because he has my name. He was born in a boring little town in Ohio to a tanner and his wife. No-one would have thought that he would ever be a president or even a military hero, but he became both. It wasn't easy for him and there were many difficult obstacles, including devastating wars with bloody battles. However, Ulysses would not give up and he overcame them all. What a guy.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The Year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumors which agitated the maritime population, and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.
For some time past, vessels had been met by "an enormous thing," a long object spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movement that a whale.


I really enjoy Jules Verne. I haven't read tons of his books, but the few that I have, I've liked... a lot. He is one great writer.
Now for my imitation.
July 2, 1995, was marked with an awesome experience, a miraculous and intense struggle, which hopefully I will never fail to remember. Though painful, it was worth all the trouble, and has changed many people's lives, even though the life in me had just begun. Mother, father, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, other family from California and Oregon, and good loving friends who cared, were all extremely blessed by the important event.
For years to come, I would grow under my family's wings, which were comfortable and safe. My parents were often very protective, always concerned, and always working hard so that I could live. Have you figured it out yet? The incredible phenomenon was my birth.

Wulf The Saxon

"Cut them down and fly!" the one who had before given orders exclaimed, lunging furiously at Wulf.
"Easier said then done, Walter Fitz-Urse!" Wulf exclaimed as he parried one blow and dealt another in return. It alighted on his opponent's shoulder, but the blade shivered in his hand, for it had fallen upon mail armor concealed under the Norman's garment.
"It is my turn now!" Fitz-Urse exclaimed and raised his sword to strike a sweeping blow at Wulf's head, but before it could fall, the latter leapt forward and caught the uplifted wrist, the impetus of the spring throwing his opponent backwards, while Wulf fell heavily upon him, and for a moment they rolled over and over.... He [Wulf] had not noticed that his opponent, while holding his sword in his right hand, had his dagger already drawn in his left.... the Norman stabbed him deeply in the side. Before he could repeat the blow, Wulf snatched his own dagger from his girdle and buried it in the assassin's throat.


This exciting scene was from Wulf The Saxon by the great English author, G. A. Henty. Henty is a great historical-fiction writer and his books are usually very educational and fun to read. Henty writes incredibly well and I just love good works of writing. I really enjoyed this somewhat exciting scene, because Henty's books can get a little dry. I just thought that it wasn't very intelligent of Wulf to not pay attention to what his opponent had in his hand. He usually acts like a very intelligent young man, thinks quickly, and pays attention, but he was obviously too tired.

PS: Words are the participles. The first two are present participles, and the last one is past.

The Oath

"You got yourself marked, so he's your dragon now, Steve. You're part of him; he's a part of you. But you get right with God, you can kill him; just you wait and see," said Levi.
"And just how is that supposed to happen?" asked Steve.
Levi gave a weak smile. "When the dragon sees Jesus in you, he'll back up. He will. You can fool him... You'll scare him, just like I did, just like Evelyn." His eyes closed as if to sleep. "Go to that tunnel... use the tunnel... Jesus'll take care of the rest."


This dialogue, from Frank Peretti's Oath, was about the turning point in the book. A dragon had taken over the small mining town called Hyde River. The citizens of the town loved the dragon, even though they new it was evil and caused frequent murders in the town. Levi, an intelligent Christian and the only one who wanted to destroy the dragon, told Steve that he needed to kill the dragon. However the dragon was was invincible to anyone who was not a Christian. Steve intended to kill the dragon, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to accept Levi's convictions. Frank Peretti succeeded once again in creating a wonderful book full of action, suspense, horror, and prevailing good. I recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys a good book.

PS: Words are from the vocabulary list.

1 Corinthians

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials - gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the Judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.


Wow! kind of scary, I think. This passage was taken from 1 Corinthians, chapter 3. Paul is telling the people of Corinth that by telling them about Jesus, he started a foundation for their lives, but they needed to build on it. Paul was talking about a spiritual foundation and building their life on God. Who were they to judge if other people looked "holy" or not. God would deal with them all and it didn't matter what anyone else said. If God was pleased with the way someone lived their life, then they got a reward. However if he wasn't happy, the people the was upset at would be in trouble. This passage makes me think about how my spiritual building is doing. I think it needs a little work.

PS: Words are in a prepositional phrase. (At least five. I marked a bunch of them, but their are still a lot more.)

1 Corinthians

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense.
But to those called by God to Salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.


In this section, from the Holy Bible (NLT), Paul was talking to the Corinthians about God's plan. He told them that some people were going to call them and their "message" foolish, but it didn't matter because that "foolish" plan saved them from their sins and everlasting punishment. He said that they shouldn't care what other people said, but believe, because their was more proof that Christ lived, died, and rose again, than there was proof that he (Paul) lived that day. What great news!