Trina’s Travel

Must-Read Young Adult Fiction Books this Fall

You probably have read a lot of books that centers on teenage life, high school, and coming of age. They are, in fact, among the best works that provide a light and satisfying read. Young adult fiction is the genre that houses these heartwarming and eye-opener stories. It is the category that contains books intended for people age 12-18 years old. But it cannot be denied that even adults are still drawn into YA fiction, perhaps it is because of the remarkable tales and realizations that these works give.

It is already a known fact that the common themes tackled by young adult books are about self-discovery, adventure, love, and more. However, these stories contain deeper and heavier issues that need to be focused on by the readers. Issues of domestic abuse, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, mental health condition, etc. are among the widely featured by YA books. So make your fall season experience worthwhile by reading young adult fiction novels! If you are looking for suggestions, listed below are the must-read ones in this genre.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

One of the best reads in 2017 and even until today is the book by Angelie Thomas titled The Hate U Give. It is her debut novel that paved the way for her literary career. The cover artist of the book is Debra Cartwright while the publisher is Balzer + Bray.

The story is all about the life of a 16-year-old black lady named Starr Carter. She doesn’t come from a well-off family, and they lived in a poor neighborhood. However, she managed to get into a prestigious private school where most students are white. The spice to the story didn’t end on that, because Starr will become an important figure in one of the hot cases in their area. She will become a star witness on the murder of Khalil, here childhood friend who was killed by a white policeman. The question is, would Starr be bold enough to stand up and reveal the truth or would she let fear takeover her?

Playing Hurt by Gerald “Jerry” Nardella

In September of 2018, the self-publishing company Readersmagnet LLC published the book Playing Hurt by Nardella, Gerald. It is a young adult fiction book that centers on the love triangle of teenagers Brian, Deanie, and Bill. The story is definitely one of the typical but captivating football-cheerleader love stories with a hint of violence due to its twists.

The football player Brian is on his senior year. Instead of enjoying the glory days of his sports journey, he got injured. He cannot quit because there’s no one that can sub him according to their coach. Hence, he became worried about his future and his lovely cheerleader girlfriend Deanie. Their relationship is going well not until the girl’s ex-lover came to town, forces Deanie to have an intercourse, and made her pregnant. Brian uncovered the truth and it was the most devastating thing that happened in his life. When Bill came back to town, Brian wants to have his revenge. He beat Bill, but the tables have turned because Bill got his gun and shot Brian in the arm. It was one hell of a fight, but Deanie came along and shot Bill in the chest. Deanie, later on, birthed her child in the summer that has eyes that were like Bill’s. Brian decided to enlist in the military with a heavy and broken heart.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

One of the most popular YA fiction books, Looking for Alaska, was authored by John Green. It was published in 2005 by Dutton Juvenile with Nolan Gadient as its cover artist. The book is inspired by Green’s experiences when he was in Indian Springs School; hence, the characters and plot were based on real people and events.

Furthermore, the book follows the story of Miles Halter who is about to embark on a journey to a boarding school. He desires to go there in order to search for the “Great Perhaps.” He then met Chip Martin, whom he refers to as The Colonel, and a fine young woman named Alaska Young. Miles fell in love with Alaska but they didn’t get the chance to progress their friendship, because she unfortunately died. And that’s when Miles began to get stressed, devastated, and frustrated, because he didn’t get to say goodbye and even know what her last words were.

5 of the Most Fascinating Animals on Planet Earth

The series of cosmic events that unfolded in space so many eons ago had precisely provided the perfect conditions for complex life in the universe to come into existence and flourish as it pleased- eventually giving rise to a dominant, sentient species known as man. This ever-changing game of evolution has rapidly spurred the advancement of countless species in a wide array of non-constant habitats over the course of millions upon millions of years, allowing for a seemingly infinite variety of biodiversity in all animal kingdoms and in all conceivable environments to populate the planet. Even the most hostile and unforgiving crevices of Planet Earth have resilient microorganisms (and even entire complex-celled animals) that brave the harsh and seemingly unlivable extremes that our planet has to offer- and they call it home.

With such a massive amount of biodiversity on our planet, it’s no surprise that the rarest of the rare, the legends from the myths, and the downright most shocking creatures to have ever walked the earth have come into contact with us human beings at many points in time throughout history, even until today. Author and South-Central Missouri resident Mike Honeycutt, who’s an expert huntsman and outdoorsman, has traveled land and sea in search of the most peculiar species he could find.

There’s definitely no shortage of weird and unsettling animals out there. Those animals may even think we look as weird and foreign to them the same way they do to us. So, without further ado, here are some of the most extraordinarily unique creatures to have ever exist on Planet Earth:

Mantis shrimp

Mantis shrimp are prehistoric, ferocious and stranger than normal strip of course. Different species of mantis shrimp have existed for around 400 million years, but are not like any other shrimp in their genus. They are so abnormally powerful that they can crack crab shells and burst open oysters with their limbs, labeled “clubs” (a few other varieties have daggers that are equivalently fearsome, instead of clubs)

Often, these weapons can be used to deliver about 500 attacks in less than a second, generating enough energy to crack glass. And since these shrimp have amazing visual acuity (they can look in both directions at the same time), they strike with precision on point.

Sun bears

Sun bears are just the tiniest bears in the whole wide world, with very many full grown males weighing less than 100 pounds. And what truly set them apart from normal bears are their exceptionally long tongues that can be up to 9 inches. Often recognized as “honey bears,” the sun bears climb trees to collect honeycombs, and their tongues help tremendously when they eat their goodies.

Sadly, illegal logging is adding to the decline in population. But you can still see them in Southeast Asia, where, unlike their North American cousins, the sun bears live in the rainforest climate. The territories of Sumatra and Borneo are especially excellent areas to enter to their ecosystem.

The Goliath Bird-Eater

The second biggest arachnid in the world is the goliath bird-eater (Theraphosa blondi), which is a cousin of the tarantula. It was given its frightening name after Victorian expeditions encountered one eating a large hummingbird.

Despite the name of the spider, birds are not the primary food source of the goliath bird-eater. They tend to consume bugs and other invertebrates, while they rarely feed tiny vertebrates. Big spiders are not usually deemed harmful to humans, but they may strike if irritated, leaving a mark as severe as a wasp sting. They may even emit skin-irritating hair.

Maned Wolf

Having adapted to survive in tall grass marshlands, the maned wolves have a dense red coat, long black legs and tall, upright ears. The maned wolf is the biggest canid in South America. It seems more like a fox with exceptionally long legs than an actual wolf.

Maned wolves inhabit Central and Eastern South America, namely, Southern Peru, Southern and Central Brazil, Northern Argentina, Bolivia, and some parts of Paraguay. They reside in the protected, main ecosystem in South America, made up of wet and dry trees, grasslands, savannahs, swamps and wetlands.

The life cycle of mane wolves in the wild is uncertain. With human-provided medical treatment, the normal life span is 6.5 years, with a median of 12 to 15 years.

Red Panda

Red pandas are tiny animals with large, fuzzy tails and white and red patterns. Although their names sometimes lead to being mixed up with the most common giant panda of the same name, they aren’t biological cousins so to say. In reality, the word ‘panda’ was first given to these species, not to the bigger black-and-white bear.

Red pandas have broad oval heads and small snouts with wide, sharp ears. Their fur is reddish-brown, while their heads are largely white with red ‘tear tracks’ reaching from their eyes to the corners of their mouths, which can help them protect their eyes from the heat of the sun.

They have thick, bushy legs, contrasting red and white bands. The tail allows them to keep their equilibrium as they scale trees. Large, strong claws enable them ascend to the tallest trees in order to sunbathe or hide from threats.

4 Binge-worthy Movies that Feature Awesome Cars

Some of the states have been finally re-opened amidst the unresolved pandemic. People may think that the freedom of enjoying the outdoor has been reinstated and given back to them at last. They can eventually enjoy the remaining months of summer by going to the beach, organizing a pool party, riding a scooter with their friends, and other fun activities that they usually conduct during the warmest time of the year. But that, my friend, is undeniably a risk of catching the virus and, worse, infecting a lot of people who did their best to keep themselves safe and healthy.

The best way to keep yourself and your family safe is to continue staying at home. If you miss going on road trip, then you may read a book that showcases wonderful cars — such as the book by Rick Badman where flying cars on Madhouse Projects are being flaunted. You can also watch movies about cars and relive the days where you can go in any state that you like by riding your car with your friend while your road tripping playlist is on. That said, here are some of the most amazing movies about cars that you might want to binge watch this summer!

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

The film The Fast and the Furious that was released in 2001 was the first of the 8 Fast and Furious movie series. It was under the direction of Rob Cohen and was based on Ken Li’s Racer X. The Fast and the Furious was starred by Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune, Chad Lindberg, Johnny Strong, Ted Levine, and the late Paul Walker. It centers on the story of an undercover police officer named Brian O’Conner played by Paul Walker. O’Conner uncovered the identities of an organization of anonymous hijackers of cars that is being ruled by Dominic Toretto, which is played by Vin Diesel. But O’Conner’s mission was being compromised because he suddenly fell in love with Toretto’s sister, so what would it be, career or love?

Cars (2006)

The Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios are the production companies of the animated film Cars. It was released in 2009 and was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The director of the film was John Lasseter while the producer was Darla K. Anderson. The amazing voice actors are consists of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, and Larry the Cable Guy. It focuses on the story of the phenomenal racing star Lightning McQueen and the amazing residents of the town called radiator springs. When the worlds of these talking cars collided — McQueen who lived the life of a superstar and the citizens of Radiator Spring who are living a simple life in countryside, a lot of emotions and events happened.

Transformers (2007)

The epic sci-fi action movie named Transformers was released in 2007 and was the first of its movie series. It was under the production companies DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Hasbro, and Di Bonaventura Pictures. The film was distributed in North America by DreamWorks Pictures while it was distributed internationally by Paramount Pictures. Transformers was starred by Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor, John Turturo, and Jon Voight. It centers on the story of a teenager named Sam Witwicky who found himself in the middle of a war between good and evil cars who can transform themselves into robots. The “good” robots were called Autobots while the antagonists were referred to as Decepticons. Before he got caught up in the battle, he was enjoying his ride with his yellow car but later on he notices that it was something strange. Afterward, he found out that his car is one of the Autobots named Bumblebee. That’s also when Witwicky discovered that most amazing adventure in his life is about to happen.

Monster Trucks (2016)

Chris Wedge is the director of the action and comedy movie Monster Trucks. It was under the production companies Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies, and Disruption Entertainment and was distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film starred Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Amy Ryan, Rob Lowe, Danny Glover, Barry Pepper, and Holt McCallany. It was released in 2016 and has garnered more than 60 million dollars, which is a little short on its $125 million budget. It revolves around the story of a teenager who discovered a run-away monster who is living inside his truck. Tripp, the protagonist, found out that the monster living in the hood of his automobile is consuming the oil; thus, upon knowing his existence and diet, a friendship between him and the creature blossomed. Tripp named the monster Creech and he swore to it that he will do everything to help Creech go back to its home.

10 Places that You Must Visit in Latin America

What comes into your mind when you think of Latin America? Soccer stars? Beauty queens? Nah, Latin America is more than that. It is home to stunning natural wonders, spectacular sights, friendly people, and a diversity of flora and fauna.

Latin America is romanticized for its carnivals and music and mysterious for its hidden natural wonders waiting to be discovered. There are many amazing places to visit in Latin America, among them are the Amazon Rain Forest, Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, and Angel Falls of Venezuela.

What places you should not miss when visiting Latin America?

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest forest in the world. More than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest, thus earning the moniker the “Lungs of the World”. The Amazon rainforest is a diverse ecosystem, home to a vast number of species of plants and animals, as well as tribes of indigenous peoples who survive remotely from modern civilization. The Amazon Rainforest covers an area of over two million square miles, covering nine countries and holding half of the planet’s remaining rainforests.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Travel back to the time when the ancient Incas ruled a large portion of western Latin America, centered on the Andes Mountains. The Lost City of the Incas, Macchu Picchu is a spectacular archeological wonder atop the lush Andes. Macchu Picchu has about 200 structures made of perfectly cut granite stones that fitted perfectly tighter – without mortar. The origins of Machu Picchu remain a mystery as the Inca never left any record of why they built the site or how they used it before it was abandoned in the early 16th century.

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, Belize

Situated in the Cayo District in western Belize, Xunantunich is one of the most popular Mayan archeological sites in Latin America. It may have been occupied as early as 1000 BC, and the large architecture that remained was built in the 7th century AD. It was first explored in the 1800s by a British medical officer. In the Mayan language, Xunantunich’s name means “Sculpture of Lady”. (Belize, by the way, is the setting for Len Stage’s science fiction novel The Brotherhood of the Wone.)

Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins, Mexico

Chichen Itza is a ruined ancient sacred Mayan city on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and was the center of pilgrimage for the Maya civilization for over a thousand years. Its name literally means “Mouth of the well of the Itza”. The most notable ruin on Chichen Itza is the El Castillo pyramid, which is also known as the Temple of Kukulcan.

Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala

Picturesque is one word that best describe Lago de Atitlán (Lake Atitlán in English), which is the deepest lake in Central America. In the Nahuatl language, Atitlán means “between the waters”. Lago de Atitlán is surrounded by many towns and villages, in which Maya culture is still prevalent. Several submerged Mayan archeological sites have been discovered in Lago de Atitlán.

Easter Island, Chile

The mysterious Easter Island is famous for the moai, a collective of 887 giant monolithic stone figures that were carved by an ancient Polynesian culture that vanished centuries ago. Another link to the lost culture includes petroglyphs or rock art found on the torso of the head statues, into the rocks, and ancient stone houses. What else to do at Easter Island rather than just gaze at the moai? Go surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving.

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Go wildlife viewings in the Galápagos Islands, home to a vast number of animal species, including giant tortoise, sea lions, penguins, and iguanas, all abounding thanks to a lack of natural predators. The volcanic archipelago is truly a paradise for every animal lover. Another factor that makes the Galápagos Islands so unique is its unusual climate. The archipelago straddles the equator, making the climate temperate.

Angel Falls, Venezuela

Venezuela is home to many natural wonders, the most famous being Angel Falls. With a height of 979 meters (3,212 ft.) and a plunge of 807 meters (2,648 ft.), it is the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall – and one of the four most beautiful waterfalls in the planet. A natural splendor, Angel Falls is located in an impenetrable jungle forest, so a helicopter trip is the best way to get a panoramic view of the falls. Trivia: Angel Falls is named after a U.S. aviator who became the first person to fly over the falls in the mid-20th century.

Cartagena, Colombia

A beautiful port city off Colombia’s Caribbean coast, Cartagena is a city full of attractions, such as its colorful colonial buildings, churches, plazas, and excellent beaches. It is one of the ‘must visit’ location in Latin America for its blend of beachside charm and urban vitality. Noteworthy spots to visit in the walled city include the historic Castillo San Felipe de Barajas fortress, the wonderful Walled City, the neighborhood of Getsemaní, the Clock Tower, and the church of San Pedro Claver.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Is there any other city in the world that’s fun, lively, and exciting as Rio de Janeiro? Nicknamed as the Dubbed the Marvelous City, Rio de Janeiro has hundreds of interesting spots to visit, including Ipanema, Copacabana, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue. The city is also known for its beaches, samba, bossa nova, and the Carnival, an extravaganza of flashy and sexy costumes, music, and dance.

For its beauty, history, and culture, Latin America is worth visiting. There is so much to see and experience.

4 Misleading Aspects of the Church Tradition (and Religion in General)

The key obstacle of contemporary society to Christian identity is that the former is itself the result of a historico-cultural cycle profoundly informed by Christian religion. New society is, in many respects, an advanced, complex one, possessing a vast range of useful anthropological observations and abilities, of remarkable adaptability and flexibility to learn, understand and integrate. In certain instances, though, as a ‘country without faith,’ a society willfully separated from the religion that brought it existence in the first place, and therefore, eventually, a frail civilization, comes to light at the present moment.

Tradition is what binds many of us individuals- religious or not. Humanity celebrates the predictability of traditions and values handed down from generation to generation. There are, however, times when these man-made observances can potentially hinder our ability to walk in line with God. This is particularly the case for Christianity, for we so often associate God with our own beliefs. “The Bible Was Not Written in English”, an easy to understand bible guide by David Murdoch, details the deception and false assumptions that arose from humanity’s mistranslation of scripture and attachment of our own beliefs and traditions to otherwise sacred, original text. In fact, it is far greater than our month or calendar of holidays. If we’re not vigilant, it’s easy to skip a revolutionary thing that God is doing for the sake of maintaining rituals keep us satisfied.

Here are few discrepancies and misleading beliefs that stem from a spiritual blindness caused by religious tradition:

Some religious beliefs are rooted in Iron Age tradition

The Iron Age was a period of widespread superstition, bigotry, injustice, prejudice, misogyny, and abuse. Slavery had the approval of God. Women and babies became basically men’s belongings. Warlords also involved in scorched earth tactics. Desperate men slaughtered cattle, farm goods, and enemy troops as burned sacrifices meant to please violent gods.

Sacred books, like the Bible, the Torah and the Koran, both retain and defend remnants of the Iron Age religion, placing the name of the deity and blessing to some of the worst human urges. Any individual who tries to justify his own temper, sense of dominance, belligerence, bigotry, or environmental catastrophe can find justification in writings that pretend to be God’s author.

Currently, humanity’s spiritual identity is growing, rooted in an even greater and wider interpretation of the Golden Rule. Yet other traditional Christians are reluctant to move on. They ‘re rooted to the Iron Age. This forces them against reform in a never-ending fight that wastes public resources and hinders the imaginative challenge of overcoming it.

Sometimes, religion encourages helplessness

Women are seen as more respectable in the more religious denominations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam if they let God handle their family planning. Food shortages, economic hardship and disease are attributed to God’s will rather than poor choices or ineffective systems; believers are waiting for God to solve their problems for them.

This unhealthy and self-demeaning mentality affects culture as well as individuals. Before the main religions of today come into being, average citizens had no ability to reform societal institutions, either through technical advancement or by activism. Living healthy and doing well is mainly family affairs. If this mentality continues, faith encourages religious morality without social accountability. Structural issues should not be overlooked as long as the individual is compassionate to his friends and relatives and charitable to the local culture of believers.

At times, religion monetizes and exploits the charitable and good intentions of the faithful

Tactless monetary pleas during periods of distress are luckily not the standard, but religion regularly redirects charity in order to sustain faith itself. Charitable people are indoctrinated and motivated to give until their last penny to promote the Church itself rather than general welfare. Every year, thousands of missionaries are involved in the challenging task of raising souls rather than protecting lives or preserving our global life support network. Their jobs, tax-free, is going up with financial and human resources.

While leveraging constructive moral energies like compassion or empathy, religion also redirects emotional outrage and anger, applying these feelings to abstract biblical laws rather than to problems of actual damage. Orthodox Jews are spending money on women’s wigs and luxurious items. Evangelical parents, compelled to pick between justice and compassion, drive gay teenagers out onto the pavement, while bishops and c atholic priests are enforce laws on the operating rooms.

On multiple occasions throughout history, the Catholic church has tampered with original scripture to fit their own agendas

Speaking to an audience of Jewish representatives in the Vatican on Thursday, Pope Francis announced that he had ordered the Vatican Secret Archives to declassify the collection of ancient scrolls which had been kept secret from public view for decades by the Roman Catholic Church. The Scriptures, which were sealed in stone and destroyed in 463AD, are believed to represent the real name of God as revealed to Moses in the Book of Exodus. Pope Hilarius released a rule banning the use of the name of “YAHWEH” from official Church literature.

This was done partly because of the need for “greater transparency” within the Catholic Church. “It is a shame to claim one thing and do another,” Pope Francis said, noting that the Church is “living a double existence” while holding the name of Christ hidden.

A source inside the Vatican Secret Archives told reporters that the Church only became aware of relics in the fifth century. “The Romans uncovered them during the siege of Jerusalem and the subsequent degradation of the temple in 70AD. Four decades elapsed until Rome turned over possession of the Scrolls to the Church in 463AD, “the source clarified. “Upon examination, Pope Hilarius released a decree prohibiting some use of the name of YAHWEH in official Church literature.”

Some historians believe that the name Jesus is not just a transliteration. It is a distortion of the transliteration of the Hebrew term that stripped the omnipotent & powerful name of Yahweh from its traditional meaning.

In fact, on many occasions throughout history, the church has suppresses facts, cherry-picked sources, fabricated records, employed ambiguous authorities, ignored injunctions, manipulated language and translations, and has invented, amended, and discarded various parts of original scripture- further distorting the truth hidden in the sacred text, and further complicating the word of God for many modern-day believers.

Allowing religion to have infinite immunity from criticism is both unjustified and destructive. Unless we are able to reveal theological irrationality as it happens, we could potentially incite irrational public policy and foster bigotry in the schooling of our youth.

4 of the Best Science Fiction Writers to Check out this Month

Science fiction is definitely among the richest and broadest genres in all of literature. It brings both entertainment and knowledge to the readers; thus, making reading the best leisure activity for it gives them the best of both worlds. What makes sci-fi more special and unique is its versatility. It doesn’t center on the general science and technology for its scope is wider than what people think.

Sci-fi features worlds that are dystopian, utopian, post-apocalyptic, and more. It also showcases amazing technology and works of science, such as artificial intelligence, space shuttles, rockets, satellites, etc. But it doesn’t end there for sci-fi will also take you to extraordinary planets, awesome laboratories, and outer space kingdoms and will introduce you to mad scientists, amazing astronauts, and unbelievable creatures.

This genre has made learning fun because of its beautiful stories that doesn’t only promote entertainment but also education. Some great examples of sci-fi tales are The Handmaid’s Tale, Dune, The Arrival, Insurgent, Maze Runner, and more. But these stories will not gain the fame and popularity that they are experiencing without the people behind them — their authors. With that being said, listed below are among the best sci-fi authors that you should check out!

Ernest Cline

Faye Imogene and Ernest Christy Cline are the parents of the amazing Ernest Cline, whose name was taken after his father. Author Cline was born on the 29^th of March, 1972 at Ashland, Ohio. Growing up, he fancied playing video games, like Dungeons & Dragons, and watching movies, such as Star Wars. Before he became an author, he was once a spoken word poet. He had performed in different poetry slam competitions and events, such as in Austin Poetry Slam, Austin National Poetry Slam, and Seattle National Poetry Slam.

His awesome science fiction book, Ready Player One, came into existence in June of 2010. It is a book that is set in a dystopian world in 2040s. Because of the book’s wonderful story, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights of it. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and Cline co-wrote its screenplay.Thus, Cline truly has succeeded into bringing his story to life and inspiring its readers continually through his writings.

Dan Simmons

Peoria, Illinois is the birthplace of author Dan Simmons. He was born on April 4, 1948 and has attended Wabash College to get his bachelor’s degree in English. He pursued his master’s degree in education at Washington University in 1971. As of the moment, Simmons is known for writing magnificent science fiction and terrifying horror fiction books. But before writing a full blown novel, short stories were his thing. In fact, he has written and published The River Styx Runs Upstream — a short story that won the 1^st prize of Twilight Zone Magazine story contest.

His notable science fiction work is the Hyperion Cantos series. It is composed of four books, which are Hyperion (1989), The Fall of Hyperion (1990), Endymion (1996), and The Rise of Endymion (1997). Each of the mentioned book were recipients of different awards, such as the Hugo and Locus Awards winner, Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, 1990 Nebula Award nominee, 1997 Locus Award shortlist, 1998 Locus Award nominee, and more. News about the film adaptation of the series broke in 2009. It was Scott Derrickson who was said to direct the fusion of the first two books. While actor/director Bradley Cooper showed his interest in taking over the movie adaptation in 2011.

Suzanne Collins

On August 10, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Jane Brady Collins and Michael John Collins was born. She was named Suzanne, the youngest of the 4 Collins daughters. Her father was a military officer who served the US during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Because of her dad’s occupation, her family often moves from one place to another. Suzanne attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts and took Theater Arts as her major. In 1985, she finished her bachelor’s degree in theater and telecommunications while in 1989, she acquired Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing degree.

Collins is among the remarkable authors of this day. She is the lady behind the amazing The Hunger Games trilogy, which is a story about survival, poverty, war aftermath, and bravery. It follows the tale of the district 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark and how they faced the battle of survival to get out of the game alive bring pride to their districts. The first books were adapted into film and the first book was directed by Gary Ross and starred by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.

Rick Badman

Warsaw, Indiana is the place where author Rick Badman was born. It was March 21, 1956 when he was birthed into this amazing town. More than 55 years ago, Rick started to fancy sci-fi. It was the time when what was deemed to be fictional started to become real. Thus, he began to write tales under the science fiction genre and yearns for people all around the globe to uncover his thoughts pertaining to futuristic technology and its impact to the planet. Moreover, Rick grew up knowing that he is a Christian and it was the reason why he has a positive mindset while he performs his narratives.

In October 9, 2019, Rick’s book called The Madhouse Projects was published by Readersmagnet LLC. It focuses on the story of an automotive engineer who got kicked out from the fictional California University. Afterward, he got a job in Arizona where he has to serve in an underground research and development camp. The place was referred to as the “Madhouse” because of all the insane activities happening in there. That’s where Dick Thruman’s adventure starts.

4 Activities You Can Do at Home to Keep You Spiritually Healthy

Every person’s spiritual health is important. Just because it cannot be seen and evaluated by the naked eye doesn’t mean that it is not as significant as your physical health. Being spiritually healthy brings a lot of benefits, such as genuine happiness, clear mind, healthy heart, and happy soul. Moreover, a lot of people tend to forget about the value of their spiritual health, and even their holistic well-being, because of several factors, such as busyness, stress, frustrations, and more. But it is never too late to turn your back into these toxicities and start focusing your attention to your spiritual well-being.

There may be times that you are struggling spiritually and you think that you cannot conquer the challenges. Your darkest days may seem to reign and doesn’t look like it won’t stop from casting fears and worries. As a result, you will feel hopeless. But it doesn’t have to stay that way, God will always be there at your side looking out for you. He have seen how much you’ve already suffer and how strong you were. Thus, it is truly important that you look up to Him because there are no other people that can mend your inner brokenness than you and God.

With that being said, here are some simple but best ways to do at home in order to keep yourself — and even others, spiritually healthy:

Pray everyday

Prayer will always be the best weapon against evils. It is not a requirement that you must comply and it doesn’t have a schedule to follow. But as a Christian, you have a responsibility to your church, your God, and your religion. Praying is the simplest way to communicate with God. The more you pray, the stronger your connection with God becomes. You can pray on random moments where you feel that you lack motivation, inspiration, confidence, and faith. Furthermore, you can also express your gratitude, ask for forgiveness, and wish for something to God the moment you open your eyes in the morning and the time you close your eyes at night. Aside from praying personally, you may also pray the rosary daily not just to fulfill your obligations as a Christian but also to help strengthen your faith.

Read books about God and Christianity

Reading is always a great activity to enhance one’s knowledge, relieve the stress, and keep oneself entertained. It is also an amazing way to maintain your spiritual health at its best possible level. There are many Christian books in the world of literature that you can dig in and enjoy. Most of them are contains themes about the Christian world and about the Almighty Father, like Philip Wittig’s book on God’s judgment, Betsy Fritcha’s book on God’s truth, and more. Spending your leisure time by reading books about Him and His ways will always be the best way to build your faith and trace back your Christian roots. The books will also serve as a great reminder about God’s power and a good testimony on His goodness.

Organize a bible study

Studying the Bible is a nice activity to get you closer to God. It is also a great method to keep you healthy spiritually for it will remind you about the greatness of the Lord. Reading the Holy Scripture daily is already wonderful but being able to share His words with the people close to your heart or people that you haven’t truly get to know yet are more amazing. The knowledge you gain upon reading the book that chronicled the power of God and life of Jesus cannot be bought by money. Thus, start sharing your wisdom about the Holy Scripture by organizing a Bible study in your own home, in a coffee shop near you, or in your place’s church. Who knows how many faith you help on rebuilding and how many people you keep inspiring?

Listen or sing some worship songs

Singing songs about God is as effective as praying to Him, but it must be sincere. There are many songs of praise that are being sang by the most popular worship singers and even singers of pop and ballads that want to give praise to the one true king. There may be times that you feel like that world is resting on your shoulder or that your heart is suffering from an incurable pain. Listening and even singing to songs about praise or psalms in the Bible can hit two birds at one stone — where the birds are your spiritual health and your stress level while the stone are the songs. The more you listen not just to the tune but also to the lyrics, the more you feel that God is always with you and will never forsake you; thus, making you more confident to conquer life.

5 Things You Need to Know about Personal Happiness

Personal happiness is more than just a state of being. It is even more than just an emotion. Happiness is something mysterious, powerful, magical, and wonderful all at the same time. It can be the source of your hope and fear. There is just something intricate in this abstract matter that makes people experience both good and bad things in life. It is good in the sense that it can make them feel like there is nothing in the world but love and laughter while it is bad in the sense that you may experience a couple of downfalls and dark times in order to achieve it.

There is nothing you can ask for in this chaotic world other than genuine personal happiness, not just for you but also for every thriving person from all parts of the globe. But sometimes, finding it can be as hard as looking for Atlantis on the map. There may be moments that you crave for it the most but it cannot be found; as a result, you’ll start to suffer from an incurable hunger. It is definitely among the most complicated thing to comprehend but also the most wonderful thing to experience in life.

You may look for methods that will help you understand happiness, like reading self-help books pertaining to the subject. In fact, there are many literary works about it that you can read for self-growth. For example, you can learn about the pursuit of personal happiness in Peter’s book, The Pursuit of Personal Renaissance Experience. So if you want to know more about personal happiness, please see details below:

It depends upon you

You are the captain of your ship, which means that you have all the power to make decisions and take steps that will either make or break your life. Happiness is not only an emotion but an important factor that will give you support in maneuvering your ship. Bottom line is that your happiness depends upon you. The results of all things that you do will always bring either good or bad things in your life. Some of the results can help you grow while others can make you suffer. But regardless of how you handle your ship, the most significant thing is that you learn and understand that your happiness will always rest upon your hands.

It is found within you

Every person has their own idea and definition of happiness. Also, each individual have their own methods on finding happiness. That is why you do not have to follow what they do for you only have to come up with the means to find yours. Searching for happiness is not a competition or a quest and there is really no reward other than growth and development. What you need to remember is that your happiness lies within you and not with the material things or other people. So, you have to get to know and love yourself first in order to achieve personal happiness, as well as growth.

It will blossom from you

Once you start to deal with your demons and insecurity, that’s when you start to love every inch of yourself. The biggest prize of it is not a pot of money or a huge mansion but inner peace and happiness. The more you recognize the fact that happiness is and will always be within you, the more you will embrace all edges of your life with arms wide open. There will be lesser darkest hours and more brightest moments. You will start to nurture not just yourself but the happiness that’s living in your mind and soul. And when the right time comes, it will blossom from you like how a flower blossoms in spring.

It cannot be found on someone else

A lot of people think that happiness can only be felt by being I the arms of someone special or being with their family. The moments that you share with your beloved are truly priceless. But what happens if your relationship to someone suddenly becomes toxic? All your laughter, hugs, and kisses start to become annoyances, arguments, and tears. Would you still consider it as a phase of being happy? No, you wouldn’t for you would wish it to be over or to come back to what it used to be. The happiness that you feel when you are with others is, sure, sincere but it is temporary. It will soon become a memory and when they’re gone, you’ll be left in a corner reminiscing the good old days.

It doesn’t rely on material things

Being materialistic can lead into a lot of awful things. You see, all these earthly things are all deceptions. Yes, for the nick of time you feel “happy” when you finally bought a new phone, a pair of shoes, a designer bag, a trendy clothing, etc. However, you cannot truly define it as pure happiness because it never last. The feeling never really stays within you forever. Maybe after a couple of days, you’ll start to crave more material things when a new design is released or a new gadget is launched and you will ache for it because you don’t have enough money to purchase those. Thus, putting your happiness on material things is not really a good thing for it will just result into greed and other evil.

4 Things You can Do to Maintain a Stress-free Life

Living a life with little to no stress is the most awesome thing in this world. What more could you ask for apart from living happily and being surrounded by people and things that brings out the best in you? Life is complicated but you will not notice its complication not until you become an adult. As a kid, your life revolves around playing with your friends, eating your favorite food, cuddling with your parents, and running around with your siblings. You think you are already living the best life but once your innocence becomes tainted and you start to building walls, you will realize that life is cruel and tough.

In order for you to see the brighter side of life and find motivation to keep going, you must get rid of all negative energies surrounding you. It is not limited to turning your back on your bad habits but it may also include having the will to face each day with a smile. Stress is one of the factors that make life less wonderful and happiness a luxury, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. With that being said, here are the things or activities you can do in order to live a stress-free life.

Exercise daily

Exercise is a good activity. It cannot only stretches your muscles, makes you sweat, and reduces your weight for it can also keep you healthy holistically. There are different kinds of exercises and some of them can enhance specific parts of your health, like how yoga can give you a lot of physical and mental benefits. Allocating time to exercise everyday can definitely help you release the negative vibes that infiltrates both your mind and body; thus, making you a healthier and a better person. The effect of exercise is not also limited to your health but it can also clear your mind, remove the stress, and give you a source of relief.

Read a book or two

Books are really good stress reliever. They are more than just stories written on paper because what they can give and impact on the lives of the readers are beyond their appearances. They can become your trusted advisers, health coach, best friend, mode of transportation, and among other things that you can imagine. Since what you ought to achieve is a stress-free life, reading books of any genre will do as long as you enjoy them and keep your minds away from worries. You can also read those works that promotes self-development, such as The Pursuit of Personal Renaissance Experience by Peter Justus, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, and more.

Put the gadgets down

Gadgets can give you both heaven and hell. They can be the source of your entertainment and even knowledge. They are good in giving you the information that you need, keeping you updated with the latest news, and making you active in different social media platforms. However, the more times you spend on your gadget, especially if they are connected to the internet, the bigger the tendency that you become stressed. Sometimes you put the real world aside since you are too focus on the number of likes that you receive, the amount of followers that you get, the amazing applications that you can play, and the high-quality videos that you can watch. But they are not really essential for they can be the source of frustrations, insecurities, and stress. So, learn to put your gadgets down every now and then.

Keep the communication lines open

Communication is important, especially in reducing. Keeping all your communication lines open can help you solve problems, build connections, make friends, and get you closer to your loved ones. Talking with one another is beneficial because you can keep up with each other’s interests, life goals, and career updates. You can also give your friend, colleague, or beloved some good and substantial advice in life and other things that they often struggle. Also, by keeping your lines open, you can avoid miscommunication and keeping burdens. These two things are really silent killers. They can be the roots of heartaches and arguments; thus, they need to be let out and solved.

Are you wondering how to prevent keeping burdens and miscommunication from happening? It is by simply talking with one another without guards and filters. The more you release the baggage in your heart, the more you will feel better. You will never carry anything like its weight anymore as long as you keep talking with the people you love and the people that understand you. Do not let the lack of communication get the best of you, get rid of the stress and burdens as early as now.

6 Railroad Safety Tips that Everyone Should Know

Transit safety is absolutely vital to us. Fully understanding how and when to traverse the railroads in a safe and effective way is crucial, and while trains and their tracks are immensely beneficial and essential to our daily lives, there are indeed many hazards present if particular regulations are not properly observed. Either if it’s simply parents who are traveling with playful kids or vehicles nearing level crossings, people should all be conscious of the hazards and aware of what is necessary to guarantee the well-being of all concerned.

There is indeed a justifiable purpose for emphasis on safe operation. Research shows that in the United states, an individual or automobile is impacted by a train approximately every three hours. Approximately 900 fatalities take place each year in the United states at railroad crossings. In 2011, there were 1,956 confirmed railway accidents in the U.S.

On a more friendly note, the children’s book “Katie and Kenny Tour the Railroad” by renown author Keith N. Corman takes a more light-hearted and engaging route in educating young school children about the importance and significance of railroad safety through a visually stimulating and exciting blend of storytelling and illustration.

Catching the subway is often times a key component of the lives of millions of people every day, so we could all benefit from realizing and understanding the potential risks to be on the lookout for in order to properly ensure that we prevent any tragedies or unneeded losses of life due to carelessness or ignorance.

Trains are thrilling and enjoyable for a variety of reasons: due to their immense size, extremely fast pace, and uniquely loud sounds. But train tracks and train crossings can also be very hazardous too. Here are some extremely vital train and railroad safety measures to assist in keeping you and your family safe near and on the railroads at all times.

You can’t always predict when a train will cross at a crossing.

Most people give almost no heed to the road-railway intersections where they pass day after day since they never notice a train passing through there. They don’t understand that trains do not really operate on fixed schedules and can be speeding anywhere in any direction at any moment.

At all the crossings, and in particular those that you are most familiar with, it’s highly important to always anticipate the coming of a train. They usually cross the railway-highway intersection right when you least expect them to.

If you’re a pedestrian, be extra careful- your life could depend on it.

Railway tracks are mostly utilized by runners, cyclists, individuals walking their dogs or as a place to ride bikes or other vehicles, plus a broad range of other things. What’s the risk here? These individuals are all focusing on their own activities instead of the possibility of an oncoming train speeding their way. For example, a lot of joggers run with their headphones and never hear the engineer’s alert. The blaring sound of motorized engines often cover the horn of an incoming train.

A lot of people who hear the warning struggle to flee the risk of harm. A great deal of them are wrong to think that the train can slow down for them. Some people think that the train approaching from behind them is on the other track (like cars driving on the right side of the road), and sometimes this could potentially lead to devastating or even fatal accidents that could have been so easily preventable.

Tunnels and bridges are no exception to potential hazard.

Railway bridges frequently seem like a quick way to get to a popular fishing or hunting spot. These do not always appear to be hazardous when one is simply standing there when there’s no train in sight.

Apart from being blatantly unlawful, once you are up there and find yourself faced with an incoming train, you immediately have just two choice- either jump off as fast as you physically can, or take your chances trying to survive a full on collision with a high speed train coming straight at you.

Obviously, we can’t outrun because there’s no pavement or walkway (also because of our human limitations)- just hollow gaps between connections to lock your legs. Even if there’s a maintenance walkway, it most likely is not a sufficiently safe distance away from the rails to keep you from being impacted by the train.

Even if there isn’t one, always expect another train to cross immediately after the first one does

If you are at an intersection with more than a single railroad track, then it’s definitely not advisable to try to cross right after the back end of the train passes by. There could be another train speeding down the other track. Many intersection deaths are triggered by impatience or lack of awareness at multiple-track crossings.

You’ll very often recognize how many tracks there are at any given crossing by observing the iconic “crossbuck” (which is a white X-shaped sign with black letters that spell the “railroad crossing”). Immediately underneath the crossbuck is an indication that confirms the number of tracks present if there are various different tracks at the crossroads. Crossbuck is also a legislative sign that implies the right-of – way to the train.

Understand, identify, and heed the railroad warning signs

Sometimes (if not most of the time), intersections are accessorized with fully automated alarm systems, such as blinking lights, sirens, and gates that activate whenever a train is nearing. They are active warning devices. other crossings have only passive danger signs to notify you of potential threats ahead of time. These include the “advance warning sign” (a distinctly round, yellow, black “X” and black “R-R”) and the “pavement marking” (a large “X” and “R-R” painted on the road).

Surprisingly, more than half of all crashes occur at intersections that equipped with automatic signals. This just proves that not enough people understand or take into consideration the warning signs that were implemented to prevent just that. Keep a look out for the signs and research their meanings ahead of time to be extra safe and knowledgeable.

Avoid miscalculating and mistakenly crashing into a passing train- it’s more common than you think

In 25% of all documented railroad intersection accidents, it has been observed that the vehicles actually collided head-on into the side of a passing train.

Most of the time, it’s due to the driver going too fast during unsafe weather conditions like blackness, stormy weather, or mist. Many drivers “outdrive their own headlights.” This involves speeding too quickly to be able to brake at the field of view illuminated by the car’s headlights. When you see the train at the intersection, it’s usually too late to prevent a collision. In a variety of circumstances, there could be a high degree of commotion and distraction happening in the vehicle (blasting music on the speakers, intoxication, having conversations, etc.) which may cause the driver to be unobservant and to not hear the railroad warning sirens. Always prioritize being attentive and listen when you see the hazards signs that indicate that there’s an upcoming highway-rail crossing further down the road.

Being wise and attentive near train tracks usually means the difference between life and death. Stay alert!