reading response

title: The Maestro
author: Tim Wynne Jones
genre: novel
book


This book is about a 14 year old boy named Burl who grows up with his abusive father Cal. He really controls the household with his mother on drugs and him only a kid. One day Burl finally snaps for various reasons and runs away from his home and Cal. As he is running he witnesses a piano flying over him carried only by a rope and helicopter, he is curious and carries on. As he gets farther and farther away from his home he realizes that despite his survival knowledge he cannot survive out in the wild. While he is contemplating whether or not to go back he comes to his senses and hears a piano, then sees a cottage on the lake. He peers in the window to see a man playing the very piano that flew over him. Nathaniel Orlando Gow meets him and says that he has ruined his sanctuary but is surprised to find out that he has no clue to who he is. Turns out he's a huge super-star(I also did a little research and found out he's based on Glen Gould) who just wanted out of stardom. NOG as Burl calls him soon realizes that he must leave to go back to Toronto. But one fateful day Bea (who delivers supplies via plane) informs Burl that the Maestro has passed away (yet another nick name). Bea takes him in and hires him, in an attempt to get the cottage and save it Burl goes to Toronto claiming that he is the Maestro's son. He meets a friend of the Maestro who tells him that he should focus on saving the song that NOG was writing instead and then sadly you must read it for yourself.


I can guarantee that this section of parts I liked will be the shortest. Ya I liked hearing the fishing parts and the descriptions of the waters but who are we kidding that was just because I like nature.


Everything puzzled me, here's a short list:
- Who were the women in the first part of the book, they were mentioned and then never came back to them?
-Why did the maestro pay the last load with his credit card?
-How had no one discovered the abusive habits of Cal before?
-When did this take place?


I absolutely hated this book! It seemed to drone on forever, it had a thin and entertaining storyline with no meaning whatsoever. I appreciate what the author was trying to convey but this was just a poor way to write it.

reading response

title: Jonathan Livingston Seagull 
author: Richard Bach
genre: Philosophy


As you read last week I've now read Jonathan Livingston Seagull in it's entirety. By now Jonathan has met two gulls who seemingly transport him to "heaven" as Jon calls it. There he meets an elder gull named Chiang, Chiang explains to him that heaven is not a place but rather perfection in itself. Over weeks to come he is taught how to use is mind to transport him rather than his wings. When he returns he meets Fletch, a young, eager, ready to learn gull. Over weeks of training Fletch other gulls come to learn who have also been outcast. One day they all return hoping that others will see perfection and make it a quest of their own. A few gulls take the chance and are quickly and swiftly outcast from the flock. Soon there are new groups showing up all the time. And in the end.....?


My favourite part is probably the part when... seriously you want me to choose one? All of it is my favourite! I guess it was pretty cool considering the theory of just being pure thought and being able to go anywhere your mind wanted to, not being limited to just your body.


The only part I still question is why he actually left the flock? But now I think I have the answer, he realized that while they were contemplating whether or not to trust him he could be lifting the knowledge of others and learning, becoming closer to perfection himself.


I made a connection between me and Livingston's teaching. You see his whole thing is that it doesn't matter about your limitations just as long as you can believe in yourself and work. And that's kind of like me in the way that I am in constant pain in my legs and arm but I try my hardest in school and sports, I also don't tell a lot of people about it because I don't like them taking pity on me because then they try to stop me from doing things that I like since they don't understand.


Again I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an inspiring, quick read.

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Untitled:

Chorus:

you don’t preach what you teach, how do you look in that reflective surface you call a mirror? speech don’t mean nothin’ now, you can say whatever made up words you want the teleprompter is just a guide and I don’t even think the truth is in your vocab,

verse 1:

you stole my soul away in the night, telling me that I couldn’t be anyone but somehow you could   oh I’m sorry did you just forget what words came out of that hole in your face you preach about as much as that atheist down the lane the world is crawling with you people you’d need Sherlock Holmes to find one who’s memory’s good

verse 2: 

I trust you now next minute I’m not too sure, people surround me I just can’t imagine what would happen if I trusted any of them maybe I’d end up as a hat on their pretty little head, hey you want to come over for dinner, hey did you hear that goats in the back row

verse 3:

you ruined my hopes and dreams and now they’re swimming in my now destroyed pool a rat has a better future than me, I don’t see a shiny future for you either now what was that chrome plated biography cover for again you see now I’m better than you and your gonna fade into non existence, no-one remembers that name of yours





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reading response

title: Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Author: Richard Bach
Genre: philosophical
Book

First of all I'd like to apologize for the lateness of the post there has been a lot going on this weekend. This week I began  to read "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach. This book is about a seagull named Jonathan Livingston who just wants to learn how to fly and doesn't care about what the other gulls say to him. Jonathan is expected to be like the others, to eat and waddle around. But Jonathan doesn't want this life, he cares about flight, he is as skinny as can be and is ridiculed by the flock. One day Jonathan finally figures out how to dive at high speeds with excellent control, but he can't stop so he dives to the water plunging down 400 feet. The council of seagulls sentences Jonathan to great shame where he must live out his days on the other side of the cliff.

I am really liking the message it sends out about going your own way and succeeding your dreams. I find it funny that there is a seagull council and that they banish him. I wonder why Jonathan actually leaves the flock, I mean he is the most powerful one there, he uses the least amount of energy flying, can dive at terminal velocity and avoid death? On the other hand, Jonathan can learn how to master his new found art while living in peace and being able to live the way he wants.

I also like his spirit, I mean imaging living the way he does, everyone telling him that he's a disgrace, and still ignoring them, knowing that there is a better way to live.

Since I haven't gotten too far into the book yet so I don't have many questions apart from the one about him actually leaving.

I connected his attitude to Steve Jobs', everyone pushing you down, you back off and then start something of your own and letting them realize that they need you.

If you have the time I recommend this as a quick read. I know a book about a seagull aspiring to achieve his wildest dreams sounds funny but it is a great book and has been rated very highly.

Earth hour

Tomorrow night is the fourth anniversary of earth hour. Earth hour began in 2007 in Austrailia, during this voluntary event people of all different nationalities turn off their electrical appliences from 8:30 to 9:30 in an effort to save as much energy as possible. Each year the number of participants grows, the event now reaches out to over 120 contries worldwide.the York region district school board has now taken the "initiative" to acknowledge this event and turn off the lights in their schools. Now, let me paint you a pretty little picture of how this is going to work. The school board goes out and makes this whole big point about how it is Eco-friendly and how this will save so much energy. What most people are blinded by is the fact that earth hour occurs from 8:30 to 9:30, a very high traffic time for people to be watching tv and using the Internet. The school board on the other hand has their hour from 12:30 to 1:30, in other words the time that we as students go out for recess. Now I don't know about you but when I walk down a school hall during recess the halls are empty, classrooms are dark and the lights are off anyways. In my eyes this is just the board trying to make themselves look good by doing nothing at all and making a big deal out of a small thing. But who am I, maybe the guys who don't let you do anything are making a valiant effort here, maybe they are the environment's saviour; or maybe I'm right and they're the terminator sent from the future to destroy it...

Vanishing Money

~chorus~

You just can't see the paper floating away

 while you waiting and playing your little game

you putting that grey money in my hands, see 

the world as a dollar bill, now that you mention it

yes my fridge is running away and we just sit there, watch'n,

in anonymous' words; "Bugger off man!"

~chorus~ it's the death of us

you are the enemy, the suits are afraid of ya, 

and the government is smoke'n you out then your

cover goes pop! but it don't matter cause you already in

the next town preying on their people, 

rubbing vanishing cream on their money

~chorus~

Countries board up their windows because

of you, you play the world like monopoly, ya

I'll take Sweden for $500, the people hate you; now how 

does that make you feel sir, CONGRATS, YOU'RE BANKRUPT!


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