Destiny

I don't believe in destiny. First, because there are some many factors can disrupt what people think your destiny should be. Even the littlest of decisions or actions could throw you life in a whole different direction from what you planned. You hear it all the time, someone who everyone thinks will accomplish great tasks, wheather it's in sports or curing a disease or becoming a billionaire, just doesnt live up to their potential. Maybe its not his/her fault, maybe he/she wanted to do something else. If everyone has a pre-planned destiny then why does life throw curves and obsticles that end up leading in a completly different direction than predicted? Destiny just seems too fictional and fairy tales and Disney to be believable.

Now, as for the book, I do believe that Frodo has a destiny and everyone knows what it is. It even seems as if he already knows what his destiny is which doesnt seem realistic at all because how is someone suppose to know their destiny? Destiny is fictional and is only real in fictional books.

Do you believe in Miracles?

With tension between the Soviets and American was still high, the Soviets agreed travel to Lake Placid to beat the USA on their own soil. Herb Brooks, the head coach, scheduled a game against the Soviets three days before the Olympics games. Hoping it would give his young team a taste of the world's best. The Soviet's gave the US more than just a taste. They dominated the USA in every fashion of the game, winning 10-3. 

After the resent defeat to the Soviets no one thought the USA hockey team had a shot at a medal or let alone a gold medal. USA opened the Olympic games playing Sweden, a very tough and skilled opponent. With, less then a minute to go, goalie Jim Craig was pulled from the net for an extra skater on the ice. The risky decision paid off for the US because with twenty seconds left, a slap shot from the point tied the game at 2-2. The team started to turn heads after the game against Sweden. Hope had started to grow in a nation that so desperately needed something to pick out their patriotic spirit. The men's team took this confidence and ran with it. Blowing out the rest of the teams they had to qualify for the medal rounds and face the Soviet Union once again.

Both nations knew of the stakes that were on the line with this game. It was more than just a hockey game it was a way to determine the superior super power. Soviets and Americans had fought over everything since World War II. From land to the quality of the guns each country made. It was men vs boys, David vs Goliath, and it was a game that would change how one nation thought of themselves.  

How this book relates to me.

The story of the 1980's Men's Hockey team is one that every USA hockey player knows of and wishes they could have been apart of. The story not only relates to me because it is about a hockey team, but also because it is such a greater under-dog sports story. It's arguably the best upset in sports history. It influences me to play hockey, and respect the game to the fullest because on the ice nothing else matters and anything is possible.
Through my years playing hockey I've seen some monumental upsets and some ridiculous come backs that I thought I'd never witness. As the USA Hockey Team proves in the book, it is not the amount of talent on a hockey team, but the amount of  sacrifice your body endours to help your team come out victorious. This is another aspect that relates to me. On the ice I try to do my best to help my team in anyway possilbe, wheather it be scoring goals or playing tough defense to ensure my team does not go down by a goal.
Never get caught telling a hockey player, "it's just a game." With the amount of time and effort put into each practice, the commitment it takes to play hockey. The player would be have to refuse because when one loves something more than anything else, it may be crazy, but it's certainly not,"just a game".

 

Chapter 1 and 2 Summary

The journey for the 1980 Mens Hockey team started in a meeting room in Colorado Springs, Colorado. in the mist of the Cold War, the USA was in the dumps and suffering from gas storageas and poor governemtn leading. In the meeting sat top USA Hockey representatives, coaches, President of USA Hcokey, and Herb Brooks. The meeting was to evaluate Brooks to see if he had what it takes to make an Olympis hockey team that could make a run to the gold. At the meetng Brooks tells the men his plan of taking the Soviet's game and sending it back at them. Most of the men in the meeting dislike his idea and think it will cost to much money to make the season longer and to travel to Europe to play hard teams. Brooks leaves with the thought that he wasn't their guy for the job. Months later he recieves a phone call informing him that he has been choosen to coach the USA Hockey Team in the 1980 Olympics. Brooks sees his opportunity to achieve his Gold medal that had been taken from him twenty years ago and agrees to take the job.
Every legit college hockey player in the entire country travels to Colorado Springs to take a shot at making the team. Most of the players are from Minnesota and Boston University. Two hated rivals who have battled for the National Championship year in and year out. Also, at the camp are players from Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Michigan, Michigan State, Yale, Boston College and Vermont. All very highly respected hcokey programs. Brooks watches the players show their skills on the ice, but  already knows who can play at the Olympic level and who can't. He's knows this because he has scouted and coached most of the players ont he ice. Nobodys knows what Herb is thinking other than Herb and he has The USA Hcokey Assoication in for a surprise.

Boys of Winter background

The book Boys of Winter is about the 1980 USA Mens Olymipic Hockey team. Its a story of how the hockey team came to win the Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympics while overcoming great obstacles. The team was made up of all college students from most of the highly recognized college hockey programs in the country. The reason it was such a great obstacle for the team to win the Gold was because not only were they under aged college students going up against grown world class hockey athletes, but also because the USA hockey program had not won a Gold in twenty years and was in the bottom of the barre ll when it came to hockey skill.
Coach, Herb Brooks was also underrated. After being cut from the 1960 Gold Medal wining team a day before they left for the games only fueled his passion to win the what he felt was taken from him so many years ago. Brooks coaching style was one that the USA hockey program had never seen before. He took the Soviets style of play, which allowed the Soviets to be the best hockey team for the last decade and a half, and integrated it into the USA's style making a hybrid which was new to the entire hockey world. He believed in not sitting back an waiting, but taking the play to the other team and "shoving it down their throats." The sports world was in for what is arguably the best upset in sport history and little did they know that it would come from kids who had just turned twenty-one.

Christopher vs Holmes

It's clear the author wanted to portray Christopher with some characteristics as his idol Sherlock Holmes. For example, Christopher and Sherlock do the same thing when they walk into a room. Both notice the littlest of deals that any other person would easily over look. They can infer what a person has been doing, where they've been, and recognize anything that seems out of place. Christopher uses these to solve the mystery of Wellington much like Holmes uses the small details to solve his various mysteries.
Another characteristic that both Christopher and Sherlock share is that they both have obsessive compulsive disorder. Christopher  won't eat foo that is yellow or brown and also won't eat his dinner if the food touched each other. Holmes is not necessarily the same because he does not care to much about colors or food touching, but he is very picky when it comes to his profession. Everything that Holmes does, whether it be finding a new medicine, engineering new technology, studying habits and behaviors, or disguising himself must be done perfectly and without flaw.  If not, Holmes, will start over until it is perfect. Both are obsessively compulsive, but in there own way.
What is most similar between two is that they both love to discover new technologies and never cease to find knowledge. Christopher wants to be a physicist and help discover the new way to make everyday life easier, much as Holmes engineers new devices for his time period. Both are very interested in the future and how they can change it for the better.

Book Review:Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. I thought how the book was written by the main character allowed the reader to get a feel of who the main character really was. The words and phrases used by the main character while writing the book shows how socially awkward he truly is. Christopher, the main character, uses strategies like counting when frustrated to calm himself down and for me really paints a picture.
What I don't like about this book is that there is so much sub-plots thats are just extra information. Some chapters are all about life stories that don't really mean anything or about how great he is at math and science. I understand its not that big of a deal when you're reading for enjoyment but when you're reading to write a paper it just takes up time.