Blog #24: Fiction Journal Week #5

13. If you were the author, would you have ended the story in a different way? Why? How so?

       If I were the author of Feed I would have went into a totally different direction than the way the actual author did. Meaning I would have given it a more happy or hopeful ending but I guess I'm just a sucker for happy, or in this case happier, endings. But I do believe I would still let Violet die in the end because I think it is critical to the story that she is to die. So anyway to make this story a little bit more hopeful than it actually was I would not have made Titus become a total jerk. Instead I would have made him stick with Violet until the very end and he would finally see the error of his ways and begin to resist the Feed and maybe even join the riots and protests that keep happening on the news. Now I do understand why the author wrote the ending in this way because it was critical to get his point across and I know that not all stories need a happy ending but my God this was just plain depressing and incredibly aggravating to read. I mean she LITERALLY sent him his whole life story and what does he do? He DELETES IT! What kind of human being deletes someones entire life story and then LIES about it right to their face? All she wanted was to enjoy the last moments she had with him and he tossed her aside. Maybe he doesn't have to go and join the protests in the end but at least have him look up that word that Violet's dad told him or something. Give me just a little flicker of hope at least.

Blog #25: Discussion Questions Week #5

Do Titus's actions (and non-actions) in his relationship with Violet strike you as realistic? How do you think you would act if you were in his place.

       I think Titus is a jerk and he is also another more vulgar word that I won't say in fear of getting in trouble. I don't believe what he did was realistic at all because any sane person would be there for her every moment and would try to do as much of her list as possible. But maybe that's the problem because Titus might not be sane or at least not in his right mind. Everyone in Feed seems to be detached, emotionally, from one another. Everyone kinda seems replaceable to them (at least that's how I see it).



1:  Open-Ended  :
Do you think the United States is the only one to blame for the state that the planet is in?
       The U.S. is not the ruler of the world (as much as we like to think we are) and other first world countries can step up and take a stand as well. There always seems to be someone to blame because no one likes to admit it was their own fault.

2:  Theme  :
Near the end of the book people start to disintegrate in a way, what do you think this is meant to symbolize?
       I think it is supposed to mean that as the people of America begin to fall apart so does their grip on power. The truth starts to come out and people finally come to their senses (perhaps a bit too late even) and try to change.

3:  Open-Ended/World Connection  :
In the end of the book other countries are threatening to use nuclear missiles to destroy the U.S. at what other time in U.S. history was something like that happening and why?
       Well first off I think it's a bit ironic that to solve the worlds problems of destroying the planet we are using weapons of mass destruction. This also shows that we tend to act before we think. The other time this happened was during the Cold War. America was trying to spread democracy (even though we're a republic) and because we wanted to police the world some people didn't like us. So there was a constant "I have more/better missiles than you" with Russia and we were at the brink of destruction. So now in Feed our influence (or our negative influence) has spread across the world too much and now we are paying the price.

Fiction Blog #4

5. Describe and explain why you would/would not like to have lived in the time or place of the story.

       I definitely would NOT want to live in the future America that Titus lives in and I think it is pretty obvious why I wouldn't. Well the first thing is that all the people in this world sound and act stupid. It's as if the entire population of the United States became entirely made of clueless rich kids (I know not all rich people are dumb but you know what I mean) who are incredibly spoiled and have become the embodiment of instant gratification. They don't want to take responsibility about anything and don't think about the future. But the other reason I would not want to live in that time is because the world (or maybe just America?) is dying. The surface in unlivable, the ocean smells (apparently), whales need protective coating to live in the ocean, and I can only assume the o-zone is practically non-existent. I'm all for the progression of technology but not at the cost of the environment. I wonder why the other countries haven't already nuked the United States because it seems as though it was all their fault. But then that is an interesting question doesn't it? Why didn't they stop America? The book makes it seem like America is the only one to blame but really if the rest of the world really cared about the environment then they would have put a stop to them a long time ago. The U.S. can't be the only one that screwed up because there are plenty of first world countries on the planet that were probably almost as bad as they are. In this world it seems that the entire world stopped caring and when they realized what was going on they needed someone to blame. The U.S. is not innocent by any means but it seems as though they were not the only ones to blame.

Book Discussion Prep: Week #3

Why does Violet want to be "normal" like Titus and his friends? What exactly is normal?

       Violet wants to be normal for the same reason anyone wants to be "normal" because she wants to fit in. She doesn't want to be on the outside looking in (HA! A Catcher in the Rye reference hahaha) she wants to be part of everything, she wants to be able to blend into the crowd to not have people see her as weird or different, she wants to be included into her society, and she just wants to be like everyone else. But what is normal? Well to Violet and Titus and the gang being normal is having lesions, wearing the latest fashion, and having the feed. But normal is really never a defined thing because what was normal years ago could be seen as weird now. The perfect example of this is fashion trends because one thing about being normal is looking normal. Think about it; in movies that take place in the past or future for example a movie to take place in the 70's has to have people wearing 70's fashion because that is what was normal to wear back then. If they wore today's clothes in that kind of movie it wouldn't make sense. So just like fashion is never the same neither is the idea of "normal" because it is really just about what is common at that moment in time.


Questions:

1:  World  :
What do you think is the significance of Violet purposefully waiting to open packages and other things she orders? What is the author trying to say about society?
       Its supposed to represent how we are a society of instant satisfaction and how we always want things and want them now. We become less and less patient and we expect instant results.
2:  Open  :
Even though Violet openly resists the feed why do you think she still has it? What is holding her back?
       I think its because she still feels a need to fit in with Titus and his friends. But there is the thought that maybe she can't get it removed. Maybe the feed once it's in it's there permanently. Can you even surgically have it removed or will it cause some sort of damage?
3:  Universal  :
What do you believe the feed is supposed to represent about human nature?
       It's supposed to represent our follow the leader mentality (I don't know if that's a real thing but I'm saying it is) and how we always just do what everyone else is. And the reason we don't stray from that is because we are afraid of anything different. We fear what others would think and mentally we are beaten into submission to do what others do. Kinda like monkey see, monkey do.

Fiction Journal Week #3----Blog #20

12. Why do you think the author wrote this story?

       I believe the author had written this story for many reasons. The first obviously being that they do not like the way we are growing up in our generation. Mainly the fact that we are so electronically addicted to things and we can't seem to function without them. I personally wouldn't care if my power were to go out at my house or if I broke my phone because I can live without one (I could live without my cellphone that is but I do need my house). With so much technology ruling our everyday lives when the power shuts down so do we. We are living simpler lives and just expect things to be handed to us because we haven't had to work as hard as generations before us did. But the reason why I think the author wrote the story in the future instead of the present is because they wanted to have us see what we look like to them; a bunch of incapable kids following the latest trend. The author also wanted us too see how the environment could turn out if we keep following the same path we have for years. Soon we won't be able to visit the beach without a bio-hazard suit (well not soon but sometime in the future...distant future...or hopefully not at all) or breath air from an oxygen machine or have to live up in the sky surrounded by domes (I'm wondering if they got the idea from The Jetsons?).

Book Discussion Prep: Week #2

The word "school" is followed by a TM and capitalized throughout the novel. What is the significance and what is the state of education?


       In a world that has become completely materialized it is no surprise that the school system has become privately owned by someone. We don't quite know who owns School TM but I guess that doesn't matter because the real problem is that someone owns and profits from school. Sure some people do that now but this is for all school or even when the word school is mentioned. And the other problem with this is that now whoever owns school can treat it like any other product out there. They could cut it's funding if it is not profitable enough and they can control it like their own puppet. They could also teach things the way they want it taught or even not teach certain things at all. For example if it where owned by someone who was very religious they could not teach the theory of evolution or any lesson that does against their beliefs. The state of education is very bad if it is owned by someone who would abuse their power over the education system.


Questions:

1:  Open-Ended  :
When Titus is looking at the painting of the boat, on page 49, he makes an observation about the painting saying he feels like the boat with no one on board to look at the horizon. What do you think Titus means by this?
     
      I think what he means is that he is the boat out on the water free from the shore (feed) and he finally begins to see the world with his own eyes (horizon) but there is no one on board, with him, to see the world because they still need the feed.

2:  World Connection  :
On page 72 Titus and the gang get back their feeds and when they get it back they dance, "Hand in hand, we danced," (72). What does this say about the feed and what does this say about mankind?
     
       I think it means that the feed has become like a drug; they form a habit and eventually get addicted to it and they think they can't live without it. But what I think it says about us is that we as humans don't like change and we don't like to change the way we live. This lifestyle is what gets us addicted to these kinds of things.

3:  Closed Ended  :
When Violet suggests that her and Titus should shop for random stuff to confuse the feed they run into a store clerk who tells them a story about how he thinks he saw cockroaches all over the tops of the house domes. This along with the people telling stories about the last forests falling what can you conclude about the state the world is in?
     
       I think this means that nature is practically extinct and the world is covered in man made cities and homes and the environment is probably becoming less and less healthy as time goes on. Perhaps that is why everyone has lesions?

Fiction Journal Week #2

10.

       The narrator of Feed is Titus; a carefree teen who, like everyone else, is connected to the feed and can't seem to live without it (this is only metaphorical of course). Using Titus is an interesting choice to tell the story though because to me he would not have been my first choice as a narrator. In reality my first choice would obviously have been Violet because she is the one who is always trying to go against the feed in her own way . Even though she is connected to the feed as well she is seeing the error in her ways and rebels by, "trying to create a customer profile that's so screwed, no one can market to it," (Anderson 98). But the problem with Titus narrating is that he is a little too dumb to understand some of her concepts, "I stared at her for a minute...I waited for an explanation. She didn't tell me any more," (Anderson 98). So if we heard the story through Violet's perspective I think we would understand her logic even more. But maybe this was intentional; maybe the author knew that Violet was the obvious choice and decided to go against the grain and rebel in their own way. So does all of this make Titus the wrong choice? Yes. But just because he's the "wrong" it doesn't mean that Titus is a "bad" choice.It is still very interesting to see him slowly transform from a mindless follower into a free thinker. It's intriguing to see this book from the consumer's point of view.

Book Discussion Prep: Week #1

Where in our society can we find similarities to the “feed”?

       The feed is basically a whole bunch of modern day devices shoved into one, computer chip I guess, and then I assume they implant it into or onto their brains. One of the first things we see in the book that the feed does is play advertisements in their heads almost like commercials on a t.v. and they seem to be interrupted and cut off only to change to a new one. So maybe it is like how YouTube has a "skip" button for some of their advertisements and they can skip a certain ad and another one will pop up based on what they listen too. And then this brings me to my next point which is Pandora and maybe the ads or set up in a Pandora system and the feed will guess what you like and don't like. Another sign of Pandora is the music that tells him what's new and songs he likes and doesn't like. Next is a chat room that is on the feed that allows them too talk/text each other in some way. I'm not quite sure how it works though because does it just type what you are thinking to it or do you spell it out? Also how are they seeing the chat? Do they hear it or does a little window pop up that shows the text. Another cool feature that I noticed is that the feed would suggest words that you might be able to use in your sentence when you can't think of the right thing to say. So the feed basically has a Siri built into it also which is actually kinda cool and a bit disturbing. Anyway what I conclude about the feed itself is that is basically like having a lap top or cell phone inside your head that allows you to access all these things without the need of a physical object in your hand.

QUESTIONS:

1:  Open-Ended  :  When the narrator sees the girl at the low gravity place he tries to explain why or what he likes about the girl. When he couldn't figure it out the feed suggested that her spine was "supple". What do you think is the out come of this word suggestion? How much of what they say do think is actually their own words?

       With this word suggestion I think it will lead to people not really having their own original thoughts anymore and I think it also kinda makes them more lazy and less creative because they don't really need to use their brains as much. Kinda like today and how they say that because we don't do as much today our brains are less developed or something like that.

2:  World Connection  :  There is a lot of slang used in Feed that the narrator and his friends say. What similarities do you see in the slang of today and the slang of the future? (what do you think they mean?)

       The similarities that I see are things like unit which is obviously "dude" in the future. But maybe this reflects on how they view themselves as things instead of people (like a unit of measurement). Another is "null" which I have seen it used as "getting high" and also calling something "stupid".....kinda ironic when you think about it.

3:  Universal Theme/Core Question  :  When you first read this book the characters in it seem, to us, to be stupid. Why do you think this is? What do you think the author is trying to say about our generation as well?

       I think it's because as technology becomes better and better eventually we have to do less and less. And we don't have to know as much as we did before hand. We get lazy because technology keeps making it easier to do things and as a result we tend to take less responsibility as well.

Blog #16 - Fiction Journal: Week #1

3.

       Not much has happened so far in what I have read in Feed but I do believe I have enough information to make a good guess as to what will happen next. So the Feed is like having a computer in your head with advertisements and suggestions for songs and other things like that but it is also like a dictionary as well and gives you words or phrases to use when you can't think of it yourself (auto-correct). And when he sees this girl on the moon he seems to try to make his own words or can't even think of words to describe his feelings. He notices that she was looking and him and his friends like they were dumb, because they are, and follows her. He notices that she is wearing wool clothing and not plastic which maybe suggests that she is kinda like the hipster of the future who isn't conforming to the man. So because of this she will protest the feed and I believe that later on when they actually meet she will tell him about how weird the feed is and that it's not normal. And she will show him what its like to not live with the feed and how beautiful the world can be. Then maybe he will see the error of his ways and realize that the feed can actually be very bad for you.

       So basically she pulls a Pocahontas on him and shows him to paint with all the colors of the wind. Haha

Utopia Blog #15

        People often dream of living in a Utopian society no matter what time period you live in because it is a timeless idea that from the outside seems simple enough but in reality can never actually be implemented. You can try to build a Utopia and it may work for a short time but in the end it will always crumble. And it will always fail because when you think of a Utopia you think of a world where everyone is peaceful, without worry, and a world where you don't have to work toward anything because you already have everything you could ever need. But that's the problem right there because in our minds we picture ourselves basically doing nothing and just enjoying the world around us but you can't have a society full of people who do nothing. Someone has to do something in order to keep the society running. There has been and always will be people who are above others which is kind of a harsh thought but it's the truth. Look back at every society that has ever existed in the world and you will find a leader whether it be a single person or group of people. We constantly are looking for someone to look after us because you can't have a community of thousands or even hundreds collectively govern themselves because who would have the final say? Who would decide if something was right or wrong? This idea of leadership also connects to human nature and our constant want for more; to own more, to control more, to have more than others. 

       So how could you try to override this natural instinct? Well there are only a few ways for example to get ride of greed you need to cut out money and material goods. But then arises another problem because wasn't the whole point of our Utopia to basically act like the rich with not a care in the world and everything we ever wanted? So we can't get ride of money because people want too much. Then what do we do? I know we could just give everyone all the same amount of money and then no one person is or has more than anyone else! Yay problem solved...but wait what about jobs in the community? Well there has to be someone who leads, someone who advises the leader, plus there also have to be common jobs like chefs, teachers, even farmers. And then even after that there are people who have to do the jobs no one wants like being a janitor. So I guess it would be a bit unfair to pay someone who grows the food for the community the same as a janitor or even the person who is in charge. Some jobs are more important than others but who's to say? I'm sure a janitor would say that his job is hard but essential because without him who would clean up after everyone else? But the leader of the community would say the same exact thing. The problem is you can't have a world with money but people are too greedy to not have money.
       Then main idea is that you can't have a Utopia because a Utopia is a perfect place but the problem is people aren't perfect and no one is the same and everyone wants different things in life. One persons Utopia could be another persons nightmare. 

What elements about human nature must change for a utopia to thrive?

Everything.

Tragic Tale Blog #14

       The Handmaid's Tale seems to be written in a very pessimistic point of view throughout the entire novel but to me it seems to have a bit of hope in there when talking to the reader which leads me to believe the she did escape, or at least as much as she could, from Gilead. But when referring back to the scientists in the future they mention that she never came out with her story and they speculated that she did so to protect her family which would make sense but there still seems to be something missing from it all. Why take the time to record those tapes and not take them with her? Perhaps she left them for another refuge to come to the safe house she was in, which I'm pretty sure was a safe house, or maybe there was a more tragic tale.
       I do not believe she escaped Gilead, as much as I hope she did, because to me the evidence all points to her not fleeing the country. First lets go back to the observation of Offred not coming out with her story. They do make a good point that she didn't tell anyone to save her loved ones but the thing that had me stumped was that she was already protecting her loved ones in her tapes. She changed most, if not all, of the names in the tapes, except maybe for Luke but that can go either way, in fact she never even gave her daughter a name in the story because she loved her and wanted to protect her the most. So what does this tell us? Well if she took the time to change all of the names then I believe she was actually planning on coming out with the story and changed the names beforehand (she could have also done it just in case she were captured but there's more to it). Because they were just left in that house it must have meant that she either forgot them, which I highly doubt, or she was re-captured by Gilead.
       The house she was staying in was probably a safe house that she was told to wait at until a certain day or until someone came to take her to the next house. But where do the tapes come from? My theory suggests that she came to the house and was told to wait for someone. But there was a problem with the system meaning the person who was supposed to get her was delayed, caught, or dead (basically the same thing) so that left Offred to wait. Deciding after a time that there must have a delay she decided to start her story early so she could get it out right away. Looking through the house she finds a cassette player and decides to use that to record her story and hides the tapes in the military grade locker for safe keeping.
       Why the abrupt ending? Well that's simple. She was captured before she could finish her story about her journey safe house to safe house. The person responsible for taking her to the next safe house was capture and tortured into telling them where she was. They came and took her away never knowing about the tapes she had recorded. And thats how it happened, she was never heard from again and the tapes stayed there for about two-hundred years waiting to be found in that locker.

Historical Notes Blog #13

Questions

1. It takes place at the University of Denay, Nunavit, on June 25, 2195. Who was present? Professor Maryann Cresent Moon, Professor James Darcy Pieixoto. It seems that with the names Native Americans and other Minorities have prospered since the decrease (or loss) of white people.
2. There are two speakers Cresent Moon and Pieixoto but the main speaker is Pieixoto. He talks about Offred's story and its authenticity. He tries to piece together her story with actual people and events but she had changed names of people and was very vague. He is not too impressed by what her tapes reveal but that is understandable because he is a Director at the Twentieth- and Twenty-first-Century Archives at Cambridge University and he is only interested in the facts not someone's personal story.
3. "Problems of Authentication in Reference to The Handmaid's Tale."
4. In a military issue locker, in Bangor, there were tapes, in no particular order, with recordings of Offred's story of her life in Gilead.
5. They say that the superimposition of the voice upon music tape could not have been done within the past hundred and fifty years. Then they cross referenced her information in the story with actual places, people, and events.
6. All official record of her identity would have been destroyed upon her entry into the Rachel and Leah Re-education Center
7. A lot of information was destroyed in the civil wars. And they were stuck between two Commanders alive around that time that both had the name Fred.
8. Because with a book about a Patriarchal society the Professors seem to just toss aside the womans account and instead would prefer the information a male would have.

Forever Strong Blog #12

Option 4

To the next Ofglen who finds this,

       This is my will and I am writing this to you because I have knowledge that is better off in the hands of another handmaid than in no one's hands at all. I know that the Eye's have found out about me because I am a member of "Mayday" an underground organization that devotes itself to freeing handmaids and bringing down Gilead. I have nothing to give you physically, though I wish I did, but I can give you this information. If you talk with someone else whether it be a handmaid or a Martha and they say the word "mayday" then they too are in collaboration with Mayday and have the same beliefs as I do and hopefully you do as well. That is all I can reveal about Mayday to protect the safety of my friends but I can also give you some more help. My, or your, Commander is very demanding and likes to give the women in the house order all the time so suggest you follow what he says because there have been rumors that he has turned Handmaids over to the authorities on false charges when they do not comply. Never look his wife in the eye and stay out of her way. If you do not bother her then she will not bother you; maybe if this were a different time and place I think she could actually be very friendly. I must go I hear the van now. Good Bye Ofglen. Good Luck

Forever strong,                  

Oflgen              

Morning Routine Blog Post #11

Option 1:

Morning Routine

       

       I open my eyes and survey my surroundings and realize I am in my bedroom and everything seems normal...almost. The bed is the same, the sheets are the same, the ceiling, the wall, the furniture, everything was in its place except for one. I look over to my desk and discover a little package. I remove the sheets and walk carefully over to the package and wonder who could have put this there? Why? How? I push the questions aside and open the package; inside was a little note that read, "Rise and Shine", and the next thing I knew I heard a beeping sound. Suddenly the beeping became quicker and quicker so thinking fast I threw the package into the hallway and ran for cover. This was all followed by and thunderous BANG, a bright flash of light, and an annoying ringing in my ears. 

       I ran out of my room only to fall through the floor and into the living room. Gracefully I landed on my feet and look around into the darkness of the room. In that darkness I saw dark figures in fighting stances and sencing that this would lead to trouble I got into a fighting stance as well. Without warning the figures started fighting me; it was then that I noticed the figures were ninjas who were hired to assassinate me. So I began to fight back throwing punches and kick that sent they flying into the walls and through the windows. Just as I thought I was going to win one ninja came out of nowhere weilding a staff and struck me on the head and knocking me out cold..................................... 

Hahahaha Yeah right! The truth is reader that my life is not that exciting at all, sorry for lying to ya, but my real morning routine was hidden in there somewhere. Here is how my morning really went.

       BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!!! I opened my eyes to the startling sound of my deafening alarm clock (sound familiar yet?). I shut off the alarm which had just been out of arms reach and was tempted to chuck it against the wall to rid myself of the horrible device. I remove the sheets from me and shuffled to the bathroom. Remember the hole I fell through before? Yeah well it wasn't exactly a hole because it was more like my fat cat who was hidden by the darkness of the early morning and who was too lazy to get out of my way. So I ended up tripping over my cat and land on the floor, not so gracefully I might add, and groaned in frustration. Once I was finally able to pull myself back up off the floor I arrived at the bathroom and reached for the light. Like and idiot I forgot to close my eyes when I turned on the light and ended up blinding myself in the process. I took my shower and exited the bathroom making sure to step over my cat, who had yet to move from that same spot, and walked to my bedroom. Now back in the darkness, that betrayed me before, I once again could not see where I was going when searching for the lightswitch. The next thing I new I tripped over my backpack, fell, and whacked my head against my desk. (Sigh) I hate the morning.

Blog #10

Pages 267-276

       In these two chapters (41 + 42) Offred reveals to us that she now goes to visit Nick very often, usually after her visit to the commander, even though it is very risky. She tells us that during her visit she would wish she could have a light on so she could study Nick's face more closely and she goes on to tell us that she wished she studied Luke's face more and that he is starting to fade away. But I wonder if he isn't fading away but instead is being replaced by Nick's face. She may not say it directly but she definitely has feelings for Nick but says it's too dangerous to say "love". Then in the next chapter she tells us about a "Salvaging" which we later on discover is basically a public execution of women who have broken the rules. Then Aunt Lydia goes on stage and says they won't say the crime because there seems to be copycats of that crime afterwards. I think they do this to do what they said but I also think it is to inspire fear and a fear of the unknown and that they wont know whats coming. But I wonder if it's for another reason; maybe it's so that they can execute anyone they want and no one will know. Such as people like Ofglen who is part of some kind of underground resistance. Now if they found out about her they could do the same to her and no one will have a second thought.

Blog Post #9

Pages 251-263

       I will first start by saying that I thought it was interesting that these two chapters juxtapose two different accounts of Offred having sex with someone but these two scenarios are drastically different from each other but first I will start with the similarities. The first similarity is that both are secretive and forbidden and both were set by someone else all she did was agree to them. But the similarities kind of end there except for the lightning which occurred during both. Why was the lightning included? Was it to impose a sense of doom or some other form of foreshadowing. Another similarity I noticed was that she didn't really go into detail with either act. She told us what she was thinking before but never gave us her thoughts on it during. So the differences between the two was that she was more willing and, I guess I could say, more excited with Nick but that's only natural. Speaking of natural she wasn't wearing make-up when she was with Nick and maybe that's to symbolize that she was more real when she was with Nick whereas when she was with the Commander she was covered in make-up and clothes that weren't hers and she wasn't herself.

The Freedom Fighters Blog #8

Message Sent By: ---ERROR---

March 27, 2017       1:30 PM

       Congratulations! If you are reading this then you have been chosen to join The Freedom Fighters. We have been watching and monitoring your every move and have deemed you trustworthy enough to join our cause. 

       As you may know two years ago on this very day The United States of America was attacked by a full scale invasion by the Russians. Since then the military declared Martial Law until the threat was neutralized. When the Russians were finally defeated the country was going into chaos and so they set up a Monarchy in the U.S. We have been oppressed and enslaved ever since. The media said this would not be permanent but our sources say that things will only get worse from here; we have reason to believe that our Monarchy will be overruled and turn into a full on Dictatorship. We, The Freedom Fighters, are here to sabotage and stop any and all attempts to rule over our once beautiful nation with an iron fist.

       You may be asking yourself,  "Why me?", well as I said before we have been watching and we know your views on the world around us. But you do still have a choice in this matter and you can say no if you so choose.

       So the choice is yours to make:

Reply "Yes" if you wish to join our cause and know the TRUTH

Reply "No" if you do not wish to join

       You have 24 hours to reply.
Caution: If you reply "Yes" we cannot guarantee your safety from that point on. Nor can you change your decision.

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Your Reply:

March 27, 2017       2:05 PM

Yes

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Message Sent By: Agent Taurus

March 28, 2017       11:00 AM

       
       Hello there new agent! My name is Taurus and I am a member of The Freedom Fighters. You may be wondering about my name and that is because we only use code names to protect our identities (for safety reasons). I'm glad you have decided to fight for you freedom as well as the freedom of others. Now first things first is your code name and from now on you will answer to and identify yourself as "AGENT GREY" when present with other Freedom Fighter members. Since you are still a new recruit we can't quite tell you everything about our group, because we gotta see what you made of first, but we can tell you the basics...

1. If you are approached and greeted by someone and they say the words "It is better to be alone than in bad company" then he/she is a member of our group. And if you are put on a mission to meet with one of our own then you too will say this phrase to them.
2. Next, when going into one of our hideouts you will be asked "Who comes to the forbidden tree?" to which you will reply "One who wishes to eat the fruit and find truth". This will not only prove that you are one of us but will also show your rank to the doorman and he will determine if you are authorized to enter.
3. In the event that your identity is compromised we will contact you and come to your location (you will be given a tracking device) and once again use the special greeting. (We advice you to stay calm an act natural: i.e. don't run, don't look panicked, just stay where you are). If we are to fail to get to you first and instead are taken away by someone else just remain calm, act as if you don't know anything, and comply to what they say. DO NOT try to fight your way out. We will reach you and get you out.
4. In the event that our organization is attacked you will IMMEDIATELY retreat to a secure location. You should only go to this location if, and only if, The Freedom Fighters are compromised and you are informed of said information. For security purposes we will only give you this address verbally when you arrive at the headquarters. 
5. Speaking of which the address of our H.Q. is at...

          ---ERROR---

P.S. We advise that you memorize this address and delete it immediately!
       
       We look forward to working with you Agent Grey you seem very promising and we hope you will help us restore our once great nation.

P.S. (Again) I am looking forward to working with you as well and I have just received word that we will be partners in most of your assignments :D Cant wait to show you the ropes rookie.

The Latin Writing Blog #7

a)       When Offred learns the meaning of the Latin phrase in her cupboard, what else does she learn? As readers, how do you feel about these moments of revelation? Are you shocked? Disappointed? Excited? Something else?

b)       Kurt Holtzer & Kevin Leese

We learned that the meaning of the Latin phrase is "Don't let the bastards grind you down" and it seems fitting for the whole them of the book and how Offred is trying to stay hopeful throughout. We also found it interesting that the Commander didn't even know where he got the phrase from. I think it is supposed to symbolize people's constant need to not be told what to do; it's built into us and into our spirits to be free and control our own destinies. I did like that we finally understand what the Latin means but I am also disappointed at the origin of it. I thought it was going to be some great underground resistance movement and the Latin was like a code word. But instead it was carved by another handmaid the we are lead to believe learned it from the Commander when she would visit him at night too. And it was also a bit of a let down that now we know that that handmaid hung herself in the room so in the end she let herself be grounded down until she wasn't able to take it anymore. But we also got to find out why there is no light fixture in the room because that is what she hung herself from. I kind of like how the book reveals these little bits of information as the story goes on because it forces you to keep reading so that you can eventually find out. It also makes the story more interesting and it gives you something to look forward to. But I don't think you should do what they do here and make the reveal anti-climactic because then it is just a big let down and we read all of this for nothing. It's like John Snow in game of thrones because they mention that he is the son of Ned Stark and some other women but they never tell us who or even tell us if that story is true for that matter. So if they do EVENTUALLY explain it then it should not be just shrugged off and given a lazy last minute story that will upset everyone.

Prayers of Gilead Blog #6

Health Prayer:
       Dear Lord we pray to you to help heal our dearest  insert name  in their time of need. Give the doctors of the great Gilead the strength they need to take from them their  insert illness/injury  and bring them happiness. If they are not to survive from  insert illness/injury  then we know it is part of your plan to further enrich Gilead and we pray that you will take our beloved  insert name  with open arms. Amen

Wealth Prayer:
       Dear Lord I,  insert name , ask you in my time of need to bring wealth to me so that I can further succeed and help our great Gilead prosper. I pray that I can become and important member of citizen of Gilead and help keep our traditions alive. Amen

Birth Prayer:
       Dear Lord I,  insert name , ask to give to me a child from our handmaid which has been given to us by you, our Lord and savior, and I pray that my child with be beautiful healthy and will one day help Gilead prosper. And I ask that my child will not be cursed and taken away from us by the devil to be an un-child. For this I,  insert name , would be eternally in dept to you and to Gilead my saviors. Amen

Death Prayer:
       Dear Lord I,  insert name , feel as though I am no longer a meaningful member to my protector and home, Gilead, so I pray to you that I can be sent to the kingdom of heaven so that I may no longer inconvenience those around me and to Gilead, my protector. I pray to you to bring me this great honor. Amen

A Touch of Want Blog #3

       Today is the day of the ceremony and the day where I feel sorry for Offred the most. What has this world come to? I finish up the part I was fixing for the car when I heard the bell. The bell calls us all together into Mrs. Joy's sitting room. Why must I come to the meeting? I realize we are all part of the house hold but why does the Commander insist on reading the bible to us everyday? I could have finished everything today if it weren't for that damn bell. I put down the part and reach over for the handkerchief on the table. I pick up the old oil stained piece of cloth and take time to get all the grease and oil off of my hands. I may not like going to the reading but I certainly don't want to be rude and attend covered in grime. I walk through the corridors of the house until I reached the sitting room. The first thing that hits me is the smell; the smell of old furniture and near dead flowers and a hint of something else...lemon maybe.
       As I walk into the room I look at the women lining up for the daily reading and nod to them, the only greeting that I feel comfortable using while others are around, but most of all I look at...no...I gaze at Offred. I study her face; the sadness and look of dread just barely showing on her face but it is there non the less. I wish I could provide her comfort and show her that she is wanted in this world; wanted not for her ability to give birth but for herself as a person. I walk over to Offred and stand behind her and ever so gently I touch my boot to her foot. As I do this I observe her face, or at least what I could see of it, and study her reaction. I can tell how much of an affect this has on her. I can see it written on her face but only for a brief moment. I revel from the feeling of warmth being transferred between us. It's like returning from playing in the snow as a child and your mother has a warm mug of hot chocolate waiting for you. And as you swallow you feel the blissful warmth spread soothingly down to your very core. But as soon as this delightful feeling begins it is torn away from me. I realize Offred has moved her foot away from mine.
"Wish he'd hurry up," says Cora.
"Hurry up and wait," I say. And I laugh at the ridiculousness of this whole meeting. I don't know how much more I can take. I begin to miss that warm feeling I had only moments ago. It's like a drug that is both mentally and physically addicting. So I move my foot again so it is touching Offred's, thankfully no one can see due to her skirt. Sadly once again I cannot enjoy this feeling for long as Offred moves her foot away from mine. I'm disappointed but I do understand. She is afraid of being caught and who could blame her? One wrong move and she is shipped off to the colonies. But who would know what we're doing? No one can see so why not give herself this relief.
       There are words I wish I can say to her. Words that could get me killed if I ever truly said them. So now I hope that Offred knows what I am trying to say in this silent speech. This speech that is told by the warmth between us. You may not know it Offred but you are wanted.

Blog Assignment #2

       Back when I was in eighth grade I was faced with a very hard decision. Either go to The Philadelphia Academy Charter High School (PACHS) or to The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush. I had to think very long and hard about this because it was either go with the safe choice, PACHS where I could go to school with my brother, or go to the completely new school where I will know almost no one at all. In the end I decided to go to Rush because I had already been to PACS for five years and did not want to get stuck with people that I had grown to dislike. It was a big risk making that choice because not only was it a new school but I was not given a shadow day so I was really just on my own in making the decision. The problem was that PACHS was a better funded school with more opportunities and Rush was just a poor public school. But now, four years later I would still make the same choice every time because this place is like my home now and I've made so many connections with so many people. And there are days where I do wonder who I would have become if I chose differently and I will ask myself, who would I be friends with? What would I act like? But in the end I tell myself it doesn't matter because Rush is where I belong and it's a place where I can really be myself.

Blog Assignment #1

King of my own mind and the world in my head
Unknown to those who don't know me.
Remember those which you have lost and
Try to live life with and love those you have not.

Hold on to your traditions and create new ones.
Organize your life.
Laugh and be happy with
Those who will be happy with you.
Zoogeographically is the longest word I could find starting with z.
Excel in life an in your dreams and 
Rely on yourself to keep moving on.