Tuesday 30 October 2012

Question of the Week

File:TANGMERE at Salisbury Platform 4.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/TANGMERE_at_Salisbury_Platform_4.jpg

What was the name and class of the fastest steam locomotive in history.

A. Mallard, of the A-4 Pacific class

B. Duchess of Sutherland of the Coronation class

C. Thornbury Castle of the Castle Class

Monday 29 October 2012

Answer to Question of the Week



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/LZ_1_Manzell_1900.jpg/800px-LZ_1_Manzell_1900.jpg
File:LZ 1 Manzell 1900.jpg


The is true.
Do to cost over runs Zeppelin built his first air ship shed on Lake Constance.
This shed floated and was anchored in such a way as that it would always point into the wind
making it idea to launch air ships.

Reading Reflection

Reading Reflection #5
Everest book 1 Chapter 12 to 19 and Everest book 2 chapter 1
Author: Gordon Korman

Well, it took more than a month but I managed to grind through the first book. The last chapters certainly didn't disappoint. To begin with, they announced the list of people who have made the team and to my initial surprise Dominic or Tilt were not on the list. However, this turned out to be a red herring and just like I predicted Dominic made the team. Though, initially,Tilt didn't make the team. To me this smelled like another red herring. He is the main antagonist of the story and it wouldn't be right just to drop him a third of the way through. So, it was no surprise when he was picked as the replacement for Bryn after her accident. This also removed any doubt about Tilt being naturally irritating. In boot camp you could of argued that he was just being competitive trying to have an edge over his competition. Here on his way to Everest his attitude continues and it shows no sign have having diminished.

Bryn's accident, also didn't come as a surprise. It was already well established that she slept walked causing damage. Combined with the theory that Tilt was not finished yet it was easy to come up with the idea that something was going to happen to her as a result of sleep walking before they reached Everest. The abruptness of the incident was not expected. For a moment I truly believed that she might have been a casualty. Then I remembered the pro-log specifically stating the death was on Everest. My question changed from did she to how did she survive? A question I pose to myself is how did she survive a 40 foot drop into an ice crevice, and how did Dominic mange to get down there when none of the others could. Bryn may not have been Tilt's size but there probably was a chance that if Dominic could make through another person could.  Whether or not they would have been effective in this situation is still anyone's guess.

So far I have addressed my main feelings about the first book. Now on to the second one. I found the prologue interesting not only does it reintroduce Tilt but it reconfirms that somebody will not be coming home. As for me, it is either Tilt because of his attitude and demeanor, or Perry because of his lack of experience and fear of the very sport he is partaking in. I'll probably have a final prediction on this on the beginning of third book if I get that far. A question I do ask myself is what about Zaph. The last we heard of him he was signed on with another expedition going to Everest. Will his character play any further part in the story. I hope so, we have never had him present so far, and I would love to see what Korman would do with him. Overall the book and the story has progressed by leaps and bounds since that first chapter of Dominic looking for a V.  

marc vallee

Friday 26 October 2012

this week in history






second Battle of Passchendaele 
Oct-26 to Nov-10 1917 
File:Second Battle of Passchendaele - wounded.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/

On October 26,1917 the first assault of the Battle of Passchendaele began. This battle finally broke the jugger knot of the German defence around the town. By November 10 the Canadian army captured the town and had down the impossible "again". This battle was the largest action the Canadian army had yet fought in the war and had prov en among the bloodiest.

Second Battle of El Alamin 
Oct-23 Nov-4 1942
File:2 Battle of El Alamein 007.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

Seventy years ago today the German army launched a counter attack on the British army that had opened the second battle of El Alamein on the October 23, 1942. By October 26 the offensives had been bogged down in mine fields. the German army mounted a counter attack that lasted for several days but eventually petered out. The German line broke in early November forcing the Africa Corps into full scale retreat, with the British  eighth army hot on its heels. The picture above shows the actions of the British and German Armies on October 26th.

The Battle of Santa Cruz
Oct-25 to Oct-27 1942 
File:USS Enterprise-Bat Santa Cruz.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

Today in 1942 the main action of the Battle of Santa Cruz took place in the South Pacific. This battle was the last carrier action of 1942. It ended with one American carrier sunk and one severely damaged.  On the Japanese side two air craft carriers were disabled. this battle was a Japanese tactical victory but left the imperial navy with no more operational ships left to face the Americans and even they reserve of pilots was gone. As for the US Navy the surviving carrier enterprise was back in service within 2 weeks and played a important part in the defence of Guadalcanal.  

Thursday 25 October 2012

File:Flyboys Final1Sheet2.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/Flyboys_Final1Sheet2.jpg

Overall a fair movie, especially considering the competition in recent years. I found the characters to be engaging and the struggles to be realistic. I also found it to be interesting that all the characters are based   loosely on real people. As a result it makes the film as a historical fiction more realistic. that's not to say that this movies doesn't have it's problems. Perhaps, the most annoying stylistically is the Fokker DR1's complete adoption of the standard German Fighter considering that it should not be in service for a another 6 months at the end of the movie and only 320 were ever manufactured. apart from this the plot varies from strong and interesting to weak and some what annoying. 

What i did like about the plot was the character development and understanding the pace of action compared do down time. another impressive feature of the movie was the visuals, they were spectacular. Especially the scenes of aerial combat. One more good thing was the music, its tone and pace just added a certain amount of fantastical feel that just sums up the way flight was seen at the time.

In closing I think the best thing they could of changed about the plot to make the movie better would of been to spend even more time developing the characters and seeing their struggles and slightly less time developing the romantic sub-plot. Of course that being said I did enjoy the refreshing way they ended the sub-plot. This was a good movie but not great, I would suggest watching it if your taste is war movies but it isn't the greatest. 



Newspaper blackout #2


Newspaper Blackout #1


Tuesday 23 October 2012

Question of the Week

File:LZ 2 Flug 1905.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/

True or False

The first airship was built on a lake.

Monday 22 October 2012

Answer to Q of W.

The answer is D.The Antonov 225 at a maximum take off weight of 1.1 million pounds the airplane is longer then the the Right Brothers first 3 flights at Kitty Hawk and had 6 engines to power it through the air. It was originally built to carry the Russian space shuttle but has since been rebuilt as a cargo plane.

Writing Reflection 3


If I were to use my blog as a tool for university promotion I would almost definitely post a picture of my honor plaques and other awards on it. I would also include a picture of myself in cadets and another picture of myself volunteering at the Western Canada Aviation Museum. I would include these pieces in order to further emphasise my academic achievements and loyalty to commitments. There are probably many more ways that I could achieve this with my blog but these are the ones that are the most doable and the least braggy. Considering that my long term goals are to eventually hold a PHD in history a little self promotion is not exactly a hindrance in the long run. In closing although I have no plans to actually include these items in my blog they are still worthy additions and I may reconsider adding them later on.

comment 1: http://howdhreads.blogspot.ca/2012/10/personal-addition.html#comment-form

comment 2: http://www.samscreativethoughts.blogspot.ca/2012/10/surprised-at-how-exciting-it-is-to-see_764.html#comment-form

comment 3: http://taylorperistyblog.blogspot.ca/2012/10/life-big-question-1.html#comment-form

The first comment I posted was on a hockey poster for the lock out. I chose to write on this because unlike most people that I know I believe that if anyone is entitled to the bigger cut it's the players. Especially not the league or the teams in the south that are already on life support. Honestly though, I think the money gap should be used to make hockey games more accessible especially those in Canada who want to watch it. In the end it is just my opinion and I hope the whole mess gets settles soon.

The second comment I discussed was on Sam's blog. Like Sam, I am truly fascinated of the variety of page views I get and find it to be one of the more enjoyable things about having a blog. My only wish is that more people would leave comments to give me an idea of how I'm doing and to provide suggestion and criticism. So please leave comments !!!

The third comment I made was on Taylor's blog and the depth of it truly surprised me. I find questions like those intriguing and definitely worth asking even if you disagree with those who say it , it is always nice to see some one speak their mind, especially with big questions like this.

Overall I find the characteristics of a good comment is intelligence, the comment must provide some insight or some thought into the topic at hand. It should be creative and insightful and make the author of the original post as well as any other person who comments. The characteristics of a bad comment is threats , inappropriate use of language and non constructive criticism. These comments  are irritating to the writer and if anything detract the value of the post and irritate the poster possibly even to the point of hiatus. Please don't leave posts like this.   The main benefits on commenting on other peoples blogs are directly linked to benefits of receiving comments. Posting comments provide you the commentor with the valuable  ability to voice your opinions and receive answers directly from the original source eliminating confusion and harmful interpretation. As a recipient of comments they provide the poster with important insight into the opinions and  interpretations of their readers allow the writer to discover what  works and what doesn't to improve where possible.

Thursday 18 October 2012

File:ToraToraTora1970.png


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/ToraToraTora1970.png

This movie is probably one of the all time greatest war movies ever made. It's double story and attention detail combined with convincing acting on both sides and outstanding sets give the feeling of realism to the movie. Some of the interesting facts about the movie is that the main set for the Japanese filming was a pair of full scale mock ups one of a battle ship the other of a air craft carrier.For its time it was probably one of the best war movies ever made and to this day the analytical way in which the movie over views the battle is in direct contrast to the way war movies are made today.More based around telling the story of a character then telling the story of the battle. Although this makes the movie less character driven it still in my opinion the best war movie ever made or at least one of the best and certainly worth at least a watch.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

QofW

File:B-29 in flight.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/

what is the largest aircraft in the history 

A.The Boeing 747

B. The C-5 Galaxy

C. The Airbus A380

D. the Antonov An-225

answer to QofW

the to last weeks question is B. The I-400 class submarine

Monday 15 October 2012

The decision to go with this design was a simple one because the characters in the book are all climbers. It makes logical sense to have a picture of a mountain on their cell phone case.

Friday 12 October 2012

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/Atlantis_The_Lost_Empire_poster.jpg

This movie is one that is both under rated and under appreciated. The cast is perfect, the animation is the best in any 2-D animated movie I have ever seen. The sound and music to the movie is outstanding, the plot is good although thin at times and the only real problem with the movie is the lack of original or entertaining villains. As a result the story relies on a very well developed cast of main characters. I wouldn't say they make up for the lack of entertaining villains but they make up enough of the lost ground to make this movie one of my favorites. 

Wednesday 10 October 2012

I chose these apts because they would probably be beneficiary to a climber as well as being relevant to the story. for instance the first apt is for the expedition itself and is based on the fact that the team has all important web-sight for which the expedition is rather proud of. I would assume that where this story would be written now there would probably be a summit quest apt rather than just a web sight. The second apt is suppose to be a weather service for Nepal. Because Mount Everest is in Nepal it is easy to assume that you would want a weather forecast for Nepal. There is also an apt for e-books completed with the published biographies of the expedition leader because the main character is obvious a fan of him as well as a mountain guide for climbing facts about mountains.

Quote of the Week

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. 
Thomas A. Edison 
 http://www.brainyquote.com
File:IJN I-10 in 1942.jpg



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/IJN_I-10_in_1942.jpg
What was the largest conventionally powered submarine in history?

A. USS Nautilus

B. I-400

C. Surcouf

Answer to QofW #3

The answer is A.
Although USS Langley was the first of the ships to be commissioned she was not converted into an aircraft carrier until the 1920's. As for Furious she was commissioned a year in advance of Argus but was not a flush deck carrier until a conversion was done in the 20's. This leaves HMS Argus as the first flush deck carrier.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Quote of the Week


"I was at the movie but alas I had to leave when the film broke,which was about three seconds after I ripped it from the projector. And I would have been here sooner but I had to stop and except the applause of the entire audience."

Charles Emmerson Winchester the Third

Here is another case of; I saw it, I liked it,  I posted it. This time it is a quote from one of my favorite shows, Mash. In this case the character of Winchester is referencing the fact that the unit had received the movie, "Sahara" three times in the middle of summer. Naturally every one in the unit was fed up. Let's just say the distributor got an ear full when they brought it back. I would probably have done the same thing would I been stuck watching something really bad.


Tuesday 2 October 2012

Question of the Week #3


HMS Argus (1917).jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org


What was the name of the first air craft carrier to have a complete flight deck?

A. HMS Argus

B. USS Langley

C. HMS Furious 

Answer to Trivia question #2

C. The first non-stop trans Atlantic flight was completed in June 1919. It took 16 hours for John Alcock and Arthur Brown to pilot their Vickers Vimy across from Newfoundland to Ireland.

Monday 1 October 2012

Writing Reflection # 2

Six word Memoirs Part 2

I personally found the six word memoir assignment to be both easier and harder then I expected at the same time. Easier where I expected it to be difficult and harder where I expected it to be easy., Overall the assignment was about the same level as I expected. A challenge and a bit of a head scratcher.

I found the creative period to be far easier then originally expected. I managed to get all the necessary six word memoirs I needed in under an hour. This made it by far the least painful part of the process. Only slightly more difficult was creating the drawings. More creative difficulty then drawing difficulty. The editing process for the pictures was a complete cake walk but from there everything went wrong. I found by far the most irritating part of the assignment to be getting the edited pictures onto the blogg. My thanks goes out to Mrs. Mclaughlin who finally figured it out. Overall the assignment was not more difficult then I imagined , I did wind up pulling my hair out but not at the thing I expected.

To reiterate what I stated last week I found this assignment a very good writing exercise. Although, I would not do this for fun. I have never been a fan of writing biographies of myself and this assignment has been no exception. As a writing exercise I found the assignment not only intriguing but informative. The technique of utilizing every word as if it were two is one I have yet to learn, but one I hope to learn. Another item that was investigated in the assignment was the technique of creative visuals. This technique is one that is important for me because one of the more important lessons I wish to get out of this class is to learn how to write creatively and effectively as well as finally break the straight jacket of logic that stifled my creativity for the last few years.

Overall I found the assignment not to be a waste of time which coming form me is the best compliment a biography piece can get...
Marc Vallee

Reading Reflection

Reading Reflection #4
The Book: Everest
Author: Gordon Korman
Pages: 38-58


Another chapter another introduction. This time they peered into the mind of Tilt Crowley. This lead me to the realization of a text to self connection. Tilt Crowley was stuck with an agonizing paper route. I fully know the  feeling having stopped delivering news papers last spring. That job can drive anybody crazy. Of course, this doesn't add much extra sympathy for the character as he is still is as every bit as irritating and rude as he was before. Another text to self connection came with the leaving of a character who was cut, the memory of last February sprung back to mind.The comment this character makes when leaving is interesting. When Tilt points out that this character is leaving mixed feelings occur because though the person was well liked it freeze up room for the others to have a chance at Everest.

 A development that I found interesting was the precarious nature of the main character. Being first cut and then uncut only to serve the needs of the sponsors. By this I mean Dominic's staying was orchestrated so as to keep media attention on the Everest team. In this I share the opinion of the group leader whom did not wish to keep people whom he had no intention of using in boot camp when they could be cut and have their ordeals ended. Of course, though, the main character must remain in order for the story to continue.

Yet another interesting development is growing rift between the two remaining female candidates. Sammi and Bryn are the only two remaining female contestants and knowing that the expedition will most likely only be taking one of them.This creates a situation of rivalry and mistrust. I can not predict who is going to make it, although, I can state the only one is going to make it. I say this because the expedition is looking for one female climber. The best example for this rivalry is an incident described in chapter seven in which one of them finds herself in a poor situation do to a rookie mistake and the other hesitates to help thinking for a moment that this might be a good chance to eliminate the competition.  " If I leave you here and go for help, Cap could cut you for a beginner's mistake and then I've got a guaranteed spot on the team."

The final point of interest in this weeks readings is the description of a particular rock formation that is specifically referred to as being difficult to climb and none of the climbers manage to even pass their foot hold on the mushroom shaped rock. I predict that Dominic will be the only climber that will eventually scale it. This prediction is based on the fact that , first, there was a climber that found a grabbing spot more accessible then the one that Dominic was originally aiming for. Second, Dominic needs this sort of boost to actually make it as a real hopeful.

Overall, these two chapters have been very informative and captivating and I can't wait to read more.
Marc Vallee