Journals: 11/5-16

11/5
You won the lottery. What do you buy first?

If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do would be pay off my mom's bills. That is pretty boring; therefore, the second thing I would buy would be a nice car. It would be attractive, and, yet, have excellent gas mileage (the ideal car).

11/6
Lottery winner...which of your friends/family get a chunk?

My mom would get a huge chunk, and my dad would get a less huge chunk. I never forget my friends so many of them would get chunks. My future children will receive a very large portion.

11/7
Lottery winner...will you still go to school/get a job?

Of course I will still go to school and get a job. I will still make more than enough money to live on if I do this. My job will probably be pretty simple and possibly part-time.

11/8
Lottery winner...would you donate to charity...which one/what kind?

I would donate to charity. I am not sure which one I would give donations to. Most likely, I will give a lot to the telethon Jerry Lewis runs annually, and I will give to the scientific research for a cure for diabetes.

11/9
Is it fair to all clubs/organizations that the bulk of KHS fundraising goes toward the sports complex?

I do not think that it is fair. The clubs deserve to get a fair share of the money they raise. The sports complex is spoiled and doesn't need so much money.

11/13
Are the current speed limits reasonable? Or should some be raised/lowered?

I think the speed limits are pretty reasonable right now. The speed limit across the new bridge is a little high. Beside that, the limits are pretty descent.

11/14
What's on the top of your Christmas list?

The King of Queens series DVD set is on the top of my Christmas list. It consists of all nine seasons, and the box set costs $180.00. The show is one of my favorite television shows.

11/15
Have you been "naughty" or "nice" this year?

I have been a little of both naughty and nice this year. It is impossible to be all together naughty or all together nice. I have most likely been more nice than naughty.

11/16
What's the most essential menu item on a Thanksgiving dinner?

Gravy is the most essential menu item in a Thanksgiving dinner. Without gravy, most the other food wouldn't taste as delicious. Turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing all require gravy.

Book Synopsis: Big Trouble

Title: Big Trouble
Author: Dave Barry
Publication Date: 1999
Page Count: 317
Type: Fiction
Started On: 10/29
Finished On: 11/7

My Grade: B


1. Why did I decide to read this book?

Some time at the end of the summer, my brother gave me a bunch of books because he had no where to store all of them. A lot of the books were John Grisham novels and a few other miscellaneous ones. One of these novels was Big Trouble. My brother told me that it was a comedy and that he really enjoyed it. After reading two Grisham novels, I wanted to take a break from the more serious novels to read Big Trouble.

2. Plot summary:

Big Trouble was a fast-paced comedy with many story lines that lead to one final event. The catastrophic events that lead up to the finale all started at the Herk household. Two New Jersey hit men are assigned to take out Arthur Herk, the man of the household. Their initial plans are foiled by a pair of awkward high school boys trying to play a game that requires one of them to squirt Arthur's daughter Jenny with a squirt gun(they refer to it as killing her); this requires one witness, hence the two high school boys. The two boys and the hit men just happen to arrive at the Herk house the same night, both pairs desiring to "kill" someone in the house. The boys' plans are also ruined for they did not know that Jenny and her mother are karate specialists. A bullet goes through the TV a split second after it would have hit Arthur Herk in the head. Arthur, therefore, has discovered men are after him, due to a series of bullet holes in the walls, so he seeks help from two arms-dealing Russians that run a bar (The Jolly Jackal). He acquires a bomb from them; unfortunately, a pair of two-bit losers steal the bomb and take it to Arthur's house, where the two then take Jenny and Puggy, a drifter and man assigned to carry the heavy bomb, hostage and head for the airport. The two thieves believe that the explosive is a device involved with drug dealing, so they unknowingly flip some switches that set the bomb. Someone must stop these criminals before the bomb goes off in a plane headed for the Bahamas!


3. What is the setting and why is it important to the novel?


The setting of this novel is Miami, Florida. It probably takes place during the summertime; however, the season is never clearly stated. To get the real feel of Miami, it is important that it be summer. One of the main sayings in this novel is, "Only in Miami." This is because a lot of strange occurrence supposedly often happen in the city of Miami.


4. Who are the main characters and what roles do they play in the novel?


There are many important characters involved with the plot of Big Trouble. The most important characters are Elliot Arnold (father of Matt Arnold), Anna Herk (mother of Jenny Herk), Puggy (a drifter), and Nina, maid of the Herk household whom Puggy falls madly in love with. Puggy is beat up by Snake and Eddie, who are two-bit losers that become very important to the plot. Matt comes in contact with Jenny because he is assigned to "kill" her (squirt her with a squirt gun). Therefore, Matt and his friend Andrew, the required witness for the killing, go to the Herk household to carry out the task at hand. Little does anyone know that two hit men, Henry and Leonard, are assigned to take out Arthur Herk, the father of the Herk household, and they arrive at their home the same night as Matt and Andrew. Matt eventually decides to charge in; however, he is mugged to a bloody mess by Anna and Jenny Herk, so Andrew flees the seen. Arthur Herk, as drunk as can be, falls off the couch, out of the path of a bullet going straight for his head (shot by one of the hit men). Eventually, two Miami police officers show up, Monica Ramirez and Walter Kramitz, and inspect the seen. Herny and Leonard flee and run into Nina and Puggy. Elliot Arnold also shows up and falls in love with Anna as soon as he sees her. Matt is also attracted to Jenny Herk. This event changes the lives of these characters forever.

What is/are the main conflict(s) in the novel?

There are many conflicts that lead to one main conflict in Big Trouble. Arthur Herk is in trouble with a company that has sent two hit men after him. Arthur makes an attempt to strike first by purchasing a bomb from two arms-dealing Russians that own a bar. While leaving with the bomb, Snake and Eddie pull out a gun, steal the bomb, and take it to Arthur's house. While at the house, the pair take Jenny and Puggy hostage and leave for the airport. They are desiring to go to the Bahamas. Thinking that the bomb is a device used for drug making, the losers accidentally flip a few switches on the bomb. The bomb is now set and Snake and Eddie are in the airport. They must be stopped before the bomb goes off.

6. Describe the climax of the novel?

The climax occurs just after Arthur Herk purchases his bomb. Snake and Eddie draw out a gun and take the bomb from Arthur. Snake and Eddie then take Arthur to his house where Jenny and Anna are. Snake takes Jenny hostage along with Puggy, who carries the bomb. Now the thieves and their hostages are headed for the airport to exit the country to the Bahamas. All of the characters that were introduced throughout the duration of the novel are involved with catching the criminals and stopping them.

7. What is the significance of the books title? Is the title appropriate, or would I change it to something else?

The title of this novel is Big Trouble. This title is significant because it represents that Arthur Herk is in big trouble with the company out to kill him. He has done wrong with Penultimate, Inc. and is now being stalked by two clumsy hit men. Elliot Arnold is in trouble because he is love with a woman that is the ex-wife of Arthur Herk, an unstable, drunk husband. I would change the title somewhat; I'm not sure what to. The title doesn't catch my attention enough.

8. What is my opinion about this book? Why (give specifics)?

I thought that Big Trouble was very humorous and I would suggest it for an easy read. The plot and characters all fall in line, and they work well with the story in general. Dave Barry is a genius at putting the story together at the end and provided that well-liked happy ending. The title is one main factor that I didn't find adequate enough. However, I give this novel a B because it is a delight to read.

Journals: 10/29-11/2

10/29
Which CW character?

My favorite Chocolate War character is Jerry Renault. I admire his courage with the Vigils and the rest of the school. In some way, I can identify with him because he is a truthful character from today's standards.

10/30
If you could go back in time and change one event from your past, which one would it be and why?

If I could change one thing about my past, I would be more social when I was younger. I would talk to more people, make more friends, and play more sports. That would make me socially comfortable today.

10/31
Promote a teacher to new principal. (Explain your choice...but be respectful of both teacher and current principals.)

I would promote Mr. Kuu to new Keyser principal. He has been a teacher for a long time. He also knows what the school needs to improve because he's been here so long.

11/1
Are you too old to trick-or-treat?

I don't think we are too old to trick-or-treat; even though I don't do it. I believe that after high school is when a person should stop trick-or-treating. It's good to be childish at least one day out of the year.

11/2
What's your dream vehicle? Explain.

My dream vehicle is a Porsche. I like the appearance of the Porsche and the speed. I have always preferred cars that have a convertible top.