Non-Fiction Post

When you make an account, you're required to use a password. A password is a string of characters that allows access to a computer, interface, or system. This password could be anything: numbers, letters, both, capital letters, etc. There are billions of different combinations. Many people use different passwords for each account they make, making it hard to remember them all. Eventually, they forget what the password was. Thanks to Motorola (recently bought by Google), they bring you a way to access your computer or mobile without entering a code, just by taking a pill.

This pill, which you can call "The Edible Bluetooth,"  is actually a tiny chip that you swallow. You have to swallow it daily. When swallowed, it uses your stomach acid to turn itself on and then sends out signals to your computer and phone. These signals let your machines enter without entering a password. There are other biometric authentications, ones that use your body like a password, on the market today. For example, The iPhones use fingerprint recognition and facial description from the app FaceCrypt. According to Regina Dugan of Motorla, says that the average person enters a password about 39 times a day, taking 3.2 seconds each time. She stated "Authentication is irritating," to The New York Times Upfront Magazine.

The author's purpose, I think, is maybe to ensure other people that there's a way for not forgetting your password. The author probably has forgotten a password or two in their life and maybe has friends who have forgotten. He/she thought that this problem was consistent to many people, and wants everyone to know there are solutions. It probably ticks him/her and other people, so he/she wants to end that feeling for everyone. This is a modern day problem, and at least the author thinks that this solution is important enough for the whole of New York to know.

I find this article to be very funny, actually. It's funny because this isn't a very big problem for me, because I just write my account info on pieces of paper and put them in a drawer. But for some people, this is a very reassuring solution. Now, forgetful teens and adults would have a way to access their computer and phone if they forgot the password. Thanks to this pill, teens won't rage and throw their phone across the room out of frustration for not remembering a password.

Owen

Once when we were a baby, we all probably had a pacifier. And as we grew up, we left the pacifier, and may have moved on to some other object. For example, some kids may still hold onto their baby blankets, a stuffed animal, the bottle, etc. But there comes a time in life when you have to leave the baby phase and grow into an adult. It may be difficult for them, but it will help them grow and mature in the future. In the book Owen by Kevin Henkes, he teaches the reader that you have to grow up.

Owen is a mouse, who is very attached to his blanket, Fuzzy. He takes it everywhere he goes, but his parents and neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, don't approve of this. They try everything in their power to get Owen to let go of Fuzzy; to grow up, but nothing worked. All they want Owen to do is grow out of carrying it everywhere he goes. I think Owen won't let go of Fuzzy because he feels as if it's his only friend (because he named it). It may also be because it's another type of "pacifier", one that makes him feel secure. Just when Owen's parents were about to give up, his mother came up with a crazy idea of cutting Fuzzy into handkerchiefs. From this, it made it much more suitable for a growing boy, like Owen, to carry around wherever he goes. This broke the phase for Owen, stating that he eventually grew out of the blanket.

I think this is important to me and you because we've all probably went through an event where we wouldn't give something up. For me, it was a stuffed animal dog that I carried with me everywhere I went. It was hard for me to stop bringing it everywhere because since I was shy, it made me confident and not feel alone. It is probably important to you, the reader, as well because you've probably also experienced it or witnessed how hard it is to pass through into adulthood. From this, I hope that you saw the difficulty of what it was like to leave something behind, and maybe help out a baby/young person let go of something to grow and mature.

The Power in The Stolen Party

In books, power and resistance are sometimes shown. Some characters have power, in which they can use it however they want. And with that power, other characters resist it. By using power and resistance, authors make very powerful plots for the story, and with it, teach many lessons. In the book, The Stolen Party by Liliana Heker, Rosaura's mother had the power near the end of the story.

Rosaura's mother really wanted to make Rosaura see that rich people only saw them as workers, not friends, but Rosaura was in denial to the truth. So, I think that she used her power to manipulate Rosaura into thinking that her mother was right. At the end of the party when Senora Ines was giving out gifts, Rosaura was so eager to get one of the gifts: a yo-yo. In the text, it said her mother became worried, which probably says that she's worried about her plan. Rosaura didn't get the yo-yo or the other gift (a bracelet), but two bills. This broke her heart, revealing the truth about rich people and showing her that her mother was right.  In this part of the story, it shows that some characters have power, and would use it for their own gain.

As you can see, power and resistance are important to stories. It influences a lesson to be taught to the characters and the readers. Without power, a lesson or plot won't be able to exist in the story. Without resistance to the power, the story is just bland. Power and resistance are very important to building up a story; making the story interesting to read.

Best Book I've Read in 2013

2013 has been a great year. During that year, I have read many books that I consider to be very good. I loved them all by their context, tone, and genre. Out of all the books I've read in the year of 2013, the best book is probably Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes. I loved this book for many reasons. In this blog post, I will be explaining why this book was the best I've read in 2013.

This book focused around Karl, an 18 year old boy who is trying to get himself out of a therapy group, and be normal. This was probably my favorite book of 2013 because it gave off, to me, that John Barnes had an idea of what it felt like being a teen in high school: trying to fit in and be "cool." From this book, it gave his readers an idea of what some teens may be thinking in school and the everyday life of a high schooler. This may also fit a situation of one teen, giving some solutions/advice on how to solve this problem of fitting in. This book also goes through a realistic problem that can occur in some lives of others: having drunk parents, such as Karl's mother. This book was a real opener to me on how you don't know the problems of other people. You shouldn't take that for granted because you never know what others are going through.

Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes was a very inspirational book. Inside, there are many lessons that are being told that could change the lives of others. It could also potentially change how others are treated around the world. By reading this book, many would have a different perspective on life, and would want to take a stand for a change. Barnes had written this book wonderfully, and I'm glad to call it my favorite book of 2013.