The Barn, A Civilization Away From Civilization

If I were to leave society, for whatever amount I please, probably a couple months, I would go to my barn. There there are people, but there is my horse, she os the only thing I would need to bring with me. I would take her up in my all my tack, buy some extra gear, a tent to put up, a make shift field post system, and some previsions; like food, a weapon, Belle’s halter, her feed, a canteen to fill up with water, and of course, I wouldn't need to bring any electronics. Mainly because I won’t need to contact anyone. But the plus side of my phone is that I could call someone if either bell or I got injured. The good part about leaving society with my horse in rock state park is that I know the area, and it is ride-able, its only like, 5-10 minutes away from my barn and its cross country course, and that I won’t have to deal with any one telling me what to do. Everything I do will be my choice and I know that I am doing the right thing by me and my horse. I don’t care if that sounds selfish. Know to why I would bring a weapon of some sorts, most likely a gun. There has been some spottings of a mountain lion roughly 20 minutes away from where I would be escaping to. I like my life and wouldn't like to die from a mountain lion attack so I would bring a gun for that purpose only. Since I wouldn't be alone out there, I would need to not be too far away from civilization in case I, or Belle get injured. I have wanted to leave society before, people agitate me. But there is something I would miss, the completions I would enter with Belle, my friends, my school, my parents, my family, and yes I admit it, my brother. So that’s my no society dream, what’s yours?

Their Quotes, His Story

As you read the book Into the Wild, you will see italicized paragraphs at the very beginning of each chapter. These excerpts are from Chris McCandless’s books that he brought along with him to Alaska.  Some of those excerpts were also letters from post card he would send to people that he met along his journey. They were highlighted parts, or on pieces of papers found in the bus. Some of the authors of those were Jack London (his favorite), Leo Tolstoy, and Paul Shepard. These three authors were and still are very well known authors.

Jack London wrote many terrific novels, including White Fang, his most popular (in my opinion), The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf, To Build a Fire, and many, many more books and short stories. A lot of his books are related to wolves and cold Alaskan weather. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Any ways, Krakauer wrote this quote into his book, on page 9 at the beginning of chapter two, my favorite lines in the quote were lines 5-10. This line is about how the weather is so cold and unforgiving, but even how relentless it seems, the author can still a glimpse of happiness amongst all that sadness, a glimpse of laughter. When Chris was out in the Alaskan wilderness, running short on food, unable to find any game to hunt, or even the inability to stay warm, he could have heard this, soft hint of sorrowful laughter in the air.

The author Leo Tolstoy was also another famous author who was quoted in Into the Wild. From his novel Family Happiness. Among his many other novels, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Death of Ivan Ilych, and etc., Family Happiness was one of the ones that got his name out there. When he wrote, he wrote with such relation that anyone with a problem could somehow make his life similar to their without much force. My favorite lines in this particular quote had to have been lines 3 and 4. Chris would have 100% agreed with this quote. And I know he did because he highlighted this paragraph in the book. That is the whole reason why Chris left his life behind, because he had so much energy stuck, trapped inside of him that he just had to get out, get out of that house, that town, and that life.

            The last author I am going to talk about today is Paul Shepard. He wrote the books Nature and Madness, Trace of an Omnivore, and Man in the Landscape. The book Man in the Landscape was the book where Krakaur took the quote out of. In my opinion, the lines 3-11 are the best lines in this little excerpts from the book. They are also what I think Chris would like this little excerpt as well. He would agree that the sky is a majestic place and when in the desert, it will intertwine with the land.

            I also have a favorite quote, this quote is from one of my favorite songs, “If You’re Going Through Hell” by Rodney Atkins. I really like this song. It sometimes will give me the strength to keep on going in my shows, even though I have a bad ride or even a bad show. I think Chris would understand my quote, I think he would “get it”. He had to basically go through hell up there in Alaska, but he fought it out till the end, or at least that’s what it seems like. He would understand that even you may be going through a rough patch, if you keep on going, you eventually will make it through.

My Dream US vacation

If I could go anywhere in the US on a vacation, I would go to 16985 Buffalo Valley Rd, Moran, WY 83013. That address is the home to a ranch called Heart Six ranch. My friend went there over the summer. She absolutely loved it, they went on trial rides with the horses they used for the week, and they played games with other campers. It was basically like living on a real ranch. They had “chores” to do every day, which was cleaning the grounds, taking care of their horses, checking the fences for any holes, like they would do on a cattle ranch. I know if I go, I will see many new species of animals I have not seen yet and I would love to see some day. I will be able to see the mountains, the birds, and even beautiful plants.

 Another thing I know I would enjoy about living, or staying, on a ranch like this is because of the beautiful wildlife and environment nearby. Heart Six ranch is in Wyoming, near Yellowstone national Park. I have also always wanted to visit there. But I can’t make two trips. So I would got to Heart Six Ranch, stay on a dude ranch for a week or so, and travel to Yellowstone to see the scenes there. 

Now, by the time I get home, I will have had to have bought another memory card for my camera because I would have taken so many pictures. You can say that I am addicted to taking pictures.  I love photograph a lot actually. But before I can come home, I have to get there. I would probably fly there considering I can’t take my own horse.  They have to know my riding experience in order to fit me with the right horse, so I would so I was novice, even though I have now been riding for 10 years, so I didn’t have to get a horse I had to fight with the whole time. Its called a vacation for a reason, I actually would like to relax and stay calm. I know this isn’t required in the blog, but I do have another place I would like to go.

 I would like to visit the island of Assateague. There is this camp on the beach there. If you say you want to go six months in advance to the day,  you can take your horses up there, stay for the weekend, and ride your horses on the beach, with a couple of friends.

Jon Krakauer biography

Jon Krakauer was born in April 12, 1954. He grew up in Brooklyn, Massachusetts but later moved to Corvallis, Oregon. As the third child of five, he was only two when his whole family moved to Corvallis. at the age of eight, his father introduced him to mountaineering. He later went to college at Hampshire College in Massachusetts with a degree in Environmental Studies. he later got married in 1980 to Linda Mariam Moore who was also a mountaineer. Krakauer was a mountaineer, meaning he knew how to climb mountain safely and sufficiently. He, like Chris McCandless, both spent some time living off of the land in Alaska. Some of the differences were between the two was that they spent a different amount o time in different pats of the mountain ranges, and of course Krakauer made it out alive. Besides Into the Wild, Krakauer wrote 5 other non-fiction books called Into Thin Air, Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, and Three Cups of Deceit. 

Into The Wild: A beginning to The End

In our English class we will start to read a new book called Into the Wild. It was the true story of a boy named Christopher McCandless. Deep in the Alaskan wilderness, he was found on an abandoned bus. Jon Krakauer wrote his story, but before he could write the story, he had to know what happened to Christopher. He retraced Christopher’s steps from his home town in Annandale, Virginia threw western United States, into Alaska. Christopher graduated in 1990 but it took him two years to make his way across the States and Canada. Finally in 1992, he started making his way into the Alaskan trail called Stampede Trail. Only having 10 pounds of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, several boxes of riffle rounds, a camera and some books for some reading material, including a guide to the regions edible plants.

Insurgent: The Book of the Month

Insurgent 

By: Veronica Roth 

The novel insurgent was a very entertaining book. I started reading this book on October 9th. The reason I started reading this book was because it is the next book in the Divergent series. This series is made up of three books, Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant. Insurgent has exactly Five hundred twenty five pages. The only reason why I was able to finish the book in this short amount of time was that it drew me in and I couldn't put it down as soon as I started reading. This book would most diffidently get 8 out of 10 stars.

This entertaining novel scored an 8 out of 10, in my opinion. To me this, scoring was based on how well the booked entertained me, how the book surprised me with plot twists, how the author used creative and inventive language to make the book fun, entertaining characters, thrilling action, and I could go on and on about what makes a good book a good book, but for now I will keep my focus to these small few.

The things that scored this book such a high score, stated above, should be in every book least once in order for the book to entertain me or even a broader arrange of readers. That is why I rated Insurgent the way I did. Main characters will allow someone to absolutely love a book. Even if that character is the antagonist. A lot of people come together by either loving or hating something together. The main character Tris, the protagonist, if I had to describe her I under 5 words, I would describe her as small but mighty. She has such strong courage to get her through so much. She isn’t very tall or strong but she does have charisma which is more than I can say for other main characters in the novel. Near the middle of the book, the antagonist, whom I absolutely despise, came to the safe house of the refuges, the dauntless, condor, and the divergent. He, Eric, came to the safe house and shot most of the people there, but not with bullets, with a serum, that puts people who are not divergent to sleep. And if you have any clue to what I am talking about then you should probably stop reading this blog and read the first book. So, anyway, where was I, oh yes that’s right the shooting of the serum. So there he, was at the front door, marching in and everyone was either asleep, pretending to be asleep, or walking around so confused as to what was going on that they might have gotten caught or they might have gotten out safely. Now so I don’t give away any details, if I haven’t already, I am going to let you decide to see what happens, or you could just read the book. Now be honest, were u or were u not intrigued at what was happening, that is why I rated this book the way I did. It has occurrences like that all throughout the plot of the novel.

Whaling: A Cruel Fate for These Creatures of Nature

Whaling: A Cruel Fate for These Creatures of Nature

            Japan kills almost 1,000 whales a year in the name of “scientific research” (McCurry).  There were 935 mink whales and about 50 fin whales that were slaughtered for whaling, or as they say, scientific research (McCurry).  The economy is really hurting due to this environmental issue.  There are even laws against killing all whale species for commercial whaling.  Not to mention the animal cruelty in this inhumane process.  Killing whales for all purposes, which still occurs in counties today such as Japan, should be illegal everywhere on the planet Earth because it is hurting the economy, it is against the laws to commercially hunt whales, and it is inhumane to the whales.

            The economy is seriously hurting due to the hunting and killing of the whales.  For example, Japan is spending $30 million a year sending out the harpoon ships to kill the whales. “Japan annually spends $30 million subsidizing whaling” (Zelko).  They annually gain $20 million dollars from whale watching, so if they stopped whaling, they would be gaining about $20 million dollars a year (Zelko).  Some may ask where all the whale meat goes, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, there are plans to ship 2,400 tons of whale meat this year to school programs, for children to eat (Zelko). Some of those children don’t even know they are eating whale meat.  The whaling industry employs fewer than 1,000 people, so if they were to be shut down permanently, not a lot more of the population would be now unemployed (Zelko).

            The law against whaling states that commercial whaling is illegal, but only for scientific research can whales be killed (Galbraith). The ban on whaling was originally supposed to be temporary (Commercial Whaling).  Since this law was passed, Japan thinks they have a loop hole to killing and harvesting these whales.  Some of the countries that use this loop hole are Japan, Iceland, Norway, etc. (Galbraith). There are some parts of the world that whaling is still very much intact into the culture.  “In some parts of the world, whaling remains very much alive, despite a world moratorium on commercial whaling” (Galbraith).  These are the places that use whales as their main source of food. When those places kill the whales, they are doing it as a means of survival, and do it much more humanly than just shooting them with a harpoon from a mounted gun and a whaling ship.

               Speaking of doing things more humanly, the Japanese fleet kills about 1,000 whales a year in the name of scientific research (McCurry).  Bill Campbell told journalists: “You don’t kill 935 whales in a year to conduct scientific research. You don’t even need to kill one whale to conduct scientific research.”(McCurry).  Slaughtering whales for “research” should not be happening. Even though other countries slaughter whales for scientific research, in most situations it literally means slaughter, some of them do actually use scientific investigation. The United States has been anti-whaling for a long time.  Ever since the movie “Free Wily”, people have had a much stronger and harsher opinion towards commercial whaling (Zelko).  On commercial whaling boats, they shoot the whale with a harpoon but not by sheer force with the hand, but with a gun that is mounted on top of the bow, front, of the ship. Once the whale is hit, they open a hatch on the stern, back, of the boat and drag the whale up the hatch to then properly kill the whale, if it hasn’t died of blood loss yet (Galbraith).

               Some critics aren’t as opposed to the idea of slaughtering whales for their meat as some, like people who are directors of whaling fleets.  In Japan, their consumption of whale meat has gone down in recent years so the economy of whaling has gone down (Barns).    Most people don’t like the idea of whaling but some think that the way the Sea Shepard’s use tactics to stop the whaling is wrong (Barns). Those people are the ones who are against violence.  “It is extraordinary that more Australians do not pressure Sea Shepherd to end its rouge acts” (Barns).  Even though that is some of their reasoning to continue with the whaling, people have hunted whales for centuries as a means of survival, in some parts of the world, which was the only reason life was sustainable (Zelko). 

               There are some solutions to the whaling problems that are both realistic and non-realistic. Some of the easiest realistic ways are to educate the young people (Barns).  “International education and marketing can help to steer the Japanese consumer away from whale meat” (Barns).  Besides education, there is a more violent way that the Sea Shepherds use. The Sea Sheppard could even continue their way of trying to stop the Japanese, honestly, a lot of people would prefer if they continued in a non- violent way (Barns).  That is the thought of a lot of people, they want something to happen but aren’t willing to use radical methods to stop the slaughter of whales (Barns).

               Whaling should be banned for good, even for scientific research.  The economy would be better off for everyone.  The laws against whaling will not be broken, not even for a technicality. Our environment will be more stable with a higher whale population.  When the whaling population is stable, and no longer threatened, the food chain will be stable. If we cannot have a stable food chain, then what can we have?

Works Cited

Barns, Greg. “Solutions Lost in Spray.” Mercury (Hobart Town): p. 14. Nov 12 2012. SIRS Issue             Researcher. Web 17. Sep. 2013 http://sks.sirs.com

“Commercial Whaling.” Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts            On Files News Services, 13 Nov. 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.      http://.2facts.com/articles/i1400620.

Galbraith, Kate. “New Push To Abolish Whale Hunts.” International Herald Tribune: p.18. Apr               04 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Sep. 2013 http://sks.sirs.com.

McCurry, Justin. “License Revoked? Australia Takes Japan to Court to Stop Whaling Hunts.”   Christian Science Monitor: n.p. Jun 28 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Sep.   2013 http://sks.sirs.com.

Zelko, Frank. “Whale of a Problem.” Los Angeles Times: p. A.13. Jul 23 2013. SIRS Issues     Researcher. Web. 12 Sep. 2013http://sks.sirs.com.