Week 2 essay.

Being honest here, there were so many times where Billy should have realized that the Landlady was crazy, and even the most naive person should have realized the Landlady was a threat.

The most obvious instance where Billy should have left immediately was when he say that there were only two names on the guest book, and when he heard that even after 3 years, the two guests were still there, which if you add up the cost, is quite strange. If he had only asked to meet one of the guests, he probably would have known for sure the Landlady is a murderer and ran away easily, as he is 17 and the Landlady is probably in her sixties.

Something that I find strange is why the woman even asked Billy to sign the guest book, which was completely unnecessary, as Billy was obviously naive and new to staying at inns. I think that in no way it was because signing the guestbook is the law because this Landlady straight up murders and stuffs all of her customers.

Something else that I find funny is that that Billy told the Landlady that he was heading to the Bell and Dragon, which is kind of an insult to her. This is because Billy is basically announcing to the Landlady that his was more inclined to go to the Bell and Dragon, which was technically a direct business competitor with the Landlady, as they were on the same street.

The Bed and Breakfast Mistake

The short story Landlady by Roald Dahl is about a man named Billy Weaver who made a big mistake by going in a hotel called Bed and Breakfast. This was his first time in the town named Bath and he was first advised to go to a hotel called The Bell and Dragon. However, on his way there, he saw the Bed and Breakfast sign and it lured him in. Inside was a lady who was very nice to him so Billy failed to notice the danger. There are many signs that foreshadowed what she was planning to do with him. When he was first peering into the hotel, he noticed a dachshund and a parrot. He thought it was a good sign but it turns out that they were stuffed and dead the whole time. When he rang the doorbell, the lady appeared immediately to open to door which is very strange. She also observed Billy a lot which seems a little creepy. ” … her blue eyes traveled slowly all the way down the length of Billy’s body, to his feet, and then up again.” (Dahl) While signing the guest book, he also noticed two names, Christopher and Gregory. He remembered these names vaguely as they were newsworthy at one point for disappearing. She also said some things that a “normal” person wouldn’t say which is suspicious. She said that 17 is the “perfect age” and also how Mr. Mulholland was a little shorter with less whiter teeth. In the end, Billy tasted a little bitter almond in the tea which hints of a poison. It ends in a slight cliffhanger but Billy will probably die from the poison and get stuffed, like what might’ve happened to her other two guests.

The Land-Lady

The short story, The Land Lady by Roald Dahl, tells a story of an innocent young man who ends up dead as a result of crossing paths with the landlady. I personally enjoyed reading this story as it kept me on the tip of my feet and ended with a dark plot twist. It also teaches a lesson on how you should never be quick to trust someone.

The story starts off with 17 year old Billy Weaver coming off a train from London to Bath, to look for a new job. As he was looking for an affordable resting place, he comes across Bed and Breakfast. Billy notices a cozy lit up fire place, a bird in a cage, and a dog sleeping. He is greeted by a sweet middle-aged women, and he finds the prices extremely cheap and affordable. The landlady tells Billy he must sign the guest book. As he signs the guest book, he discovers the two very familiar names of Christopher Mulholland and Gregory W. Temple. When Billy was served tea by the landlady, he remembered that Christopher Mulholland had suddenly disappeared two years ago. The landlady explains how she remembered Christopher as a handsome student, and that both of the men were staying upstairs. Billy then discovers the women had stuffed her pet dog and bird. As Billy drinks his tea he finds his tea tasting like bitter almonds. In the end of the story, Billy asks the landlady if she had any guests besides the two men and she replied, “No, only you”.

In conclusion, Roald Dahl was probably trying to tell the reader that the women had poisoned Billy’s tea, and was going to stuff Billy as she did to her pets and the two other men. Therefore, I think the theme of the story would be that things aren’t always what they seem, and you should always keep your guard up against strangers. This is the theme, because Billy first thought the housing was cozy and cheap, but later on he ended up on his deathbed.

Do you think starlink will succeed?

How many satellites is a lot? Maybe 100, maybe more. Well, SpaceX is sending a whopping 60 satellites for a total of 482. Their main goal is to provide internet to everyone, everywhere. There is a almost non-existent chance of failure.

First, SpaceX is incredibly rich. They have a estimated networth of over 20 billion dollars. They have the best equipment and top-notch gear. They have to be very prepared as well, because they have already launched 400, and all those went remarkably well. Based on data, estimates, and reputation, we can safetly assume SpaceX is well prepared and the launch has a low failure chance because of it.

Next, you may think that satellites will block the view and ruin stargazing, but this is very untrue. The satellites will be pretty small. Also, they will be decently spear out. Another factor is that you are only going to see half, if not less of the total satellites. This is because Musk is giving global internet coverage, meaning some will be on the other side of the Earth out of your view. There are almost no downsides, meaning this launch will have a lot of support.

Lastly, there are so many benefits of internet globally available. For example, if someone gets lost in the woods, they can find their way via maps. Or, more impoverished areas with poorer people can still enjoy high speed quality internet. This relates back to the second reason. There are many benefits, therefore there will be much support.

In conclusion, the launch has a high success rate. This is because SpaceX is very good at preparing and already has a lot of experience launching satellites. Also, there is not much of a reason not to, as it will not affect much of the view of the sky. Lastly, there are many benefits, and there should be much support of the launch. This launch will succeed.

10 Tips to Becoming Successful

  1. Work like hell – Working is one of the most important drivers for success. By working far longer than others, one can outrun their competitors because they are making more progress. For example, someone working 100 hours a week would finish twice the amount of a person working 50 hours a week. I think that this tip is obviously important because working is the literal cause of success.
  2. Have a high pain threshold – This means to not be vulnerable to pain. Pain in this scenario is not physical pain but mental pain. One of Elon Musk’s friends said starting a company is like eating glass and staring into the abyss. His saying basically means starting a company will be extremely challenging and devastating. Having a high pain threshold helps one persevere through tough times and help their company succeed. When I have big test in school, a high pain threshold helps me persevere.
  3. Critical thinking – Critical thinking is to make logical thoughts based on evidence. Last week, I thought Father’s Day was on June 5, I am small brain, and my little sister insisted that it was on June 7, when its actually on June 21. Out family just went with the flow and listened to her, and in return, we celebrated Father’s day on the wrong day. This is just one of the many consequences which branch off from not critically thinking.
  4. Add value to society – One’s company will only succeed if it changes society. The change does not have to be life-changing end of the world news. The change/benefit should be big enough to help people live better lives. If the company has little to no impact on the world, no one will want to but their products. All of the products that I want have their own special features.
  5. Take risks – Taking risks is very important in becoming successful, but many people fear making this decision. This is mainly because taking risks induces a probability of failure, and nobody wants failure. When someone just graduated from high school, taking risks is not a problem, because Elon Musk says how earning enough money to have a home is not much of a grueling task. Taking risks can lead to failure, but it can also lead one down a path to success.
  6. Have a great product/service – In order for people to buy a company’s products, they have to be convinced that it is the best. For this to occur, the product has to be both unique and significantly better. If the product is barely better, people will still continue to buy the other products. For example, Tesla cars run on electricity, which is way better than cars which run on gasoline because gasoline worsens global warming. I see advertisements for purple mattresses scattered all throughout the internet, and their new design makes it unique.
  7. Attract great people – A company is formed by a group of people who share the same talents and beliefs. Together, they work together to bring the company forward. By attracting great people into one’s company, they will succeed more because greater people can provide better ideas and contributions.
  8. Constantly seek criticism – Seeking criticism helps the company fix many flaws. Different people will have different perspectives on the company. Therefore, they will also have different criticism. Constantly seeking criticism from different people can help improve one’s company from all points of view.
  9. Don’t follow the trend – Following the trend can lead one down a terrible path of failure. At first, seeing a separate company having astronomical progress can be attracting, but they might fail later on. *Cough* almost every video game *cough*. Also, following the trend will make the company less unique. If a company is not unique from the others, people will not care which company to go to, as they will all provide the same products.
  10. Overcome critics – Criticism is very important in order to have a successful company, as previously stated, but some people never provide helpful criticism. There will always be a few people who just hate the company, and say that it’s terrible and how it will never succeed. If one takes this information seriously, it can cause serious emotional harm, which will obviously lower success. Overcoming insults can help one become invulnerable to bad critics.

Journey to Success

Many people want to succeed in life. People believe success leads to happiness. But how do you succeed? Let us look in the example in Elon Musk, a multibillionaire who is the CEO of Space-X, Tesla, etc. . . Now many people want to be like him. But we need to realize the pain and hard work it takes. We need to realize that not everyone can succeed like Elon Musk.

Here is a guide that Elon Musk says is the path he himself has gone and did to be the place he is now. Elon Musk states that in order to succeed you need to have a high pain threshold and be able to take criticism. Having a high pain threshold means expecting and taking in pain. We need to be able to take criticism. We can see this in Elon Musk. His hero Neil Armstrong, the man who influenced to make the company Space-X, testified that it was not a good idea.

Here is a story that shows how much he was willing to work and go through to succeed. He and his brother, when they started their first company, they rented an office only. They slept and worked there. To the point even sleeping on the couch. This shows Elon Musks determination to succeed. In the end, as we see now, He truly has reached that level. From a successful company in Tesla to launch 60 satellites on the mission to make the Internet available to everyone! Now that is success!

The Landlady

The protagonist of “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl is Billy Weavers, a seventeen-year-old boy who dreams of being a businessman. He finds himself in a new city, looking for a place to stay. He intends to go to a hotel called Bells and Dragons but finds a bed and breakfast that has a small dog, a parrot, and a fire in the living room. He decides to take a look here. The landlady that welcomes him seems extremely nice and allows him to stay for a small amount. Because Billy is so naive, he does not catch the little hints that the landlady is not the person she says she is. For example, she tells Billy that she chooses her visitors carefully, and her dog and parrot are actually stuffed. Later, after they have settled down and are drinking some tea, Billy realizes that the dog and parrot are stuffed, and he also notices that some names in a book that the landlady asks him to write his name in are of people who have gone missing. The tea also tastes bitter, a sign that there is most likely some sort of poison in it. The story ends on a cliff-hanger allowing the reader to decide what happens next. 

The two major lessons this story teaches are that we should not be so naive and trusting with others, and we should be more aware of our surroundings. If Billy had just taken the time to look carefully at the dog and the parrot, he could have realized that the, “pretty little dachshund … curled up asleep with its nose tucked into its belly” was actually not alive before going inside the bed and breakfast. Another time he did not pay attention close enough was when the landlady told him that she was “inclined to be just a teeny-weeny bit choosy and particular” about her visitors. Because Billy did not notice all these details until too late, his life most likely did not end well. If he had realized what was wrong with the dog, he could have just completely avoided this place completely. Later, after all the things the landlady says, Billy still believes that she is a kind woman. 

The starlight project

Elon Musk has made a project with SpaceX so that they can let everyone around the world have internet. He is trying to send thousands of satellites into space so everyone can have access to internet. He has worked on this and he hopes that he will be able to succeed. Many people say it might be bad since it might cover up the sky so we wouldn’t be able to see the stars during the night. SpaceX Has been trying to solve these issues. SpaceX has made something new and this item is a visor, it helps so the light from the sun won’t reflect as much light to the earth. I think that SpaceX will be able to finish the project successfully but they might not be able to complete it very soon. They might be able to complete this project in some years. I think this could be a very big moment in history allowing everybody to access internet no matter where you live. This can help many people who aren’t able to access internet. It can help so many people access what they once weren’t able to access. This might be a very monumental moment in history.

The Use of Foreshadowing in “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl

In the short story “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl, there is foreshadowing.

The first sign of sign of something not being right is when Billy turns to leave and “a queer thing happened to him. … All at once his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner by the small notice that was there. BED AND BREAKFAST… Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay where he was and not to walk away from the house, and… he was actually moving… to the front door of the house.” Though Roald Dahl describes the boarding house as warm and inviting, the out-of-the-ordinary happening instantly makes the reader suspicious. Also, Billy chooses not to go in there, but then the “magic” makes him.

Secondly, the woman immediately opens the door, even though the story explicitly says that “Normally… you have at least a half-minute’s wait before the door opens.” This makes people wonder, Was she waiting for him? Did she expect someone? It further increases the reader’s suspicions about something bad going to happen.

The third use of foreshadowing is when she tells him that she is picky and loves it when she sees someone exactly right. “She paused with one had on the stair rail, turning her head and smiling down at him with pale lips. ‘Like you’ she added.” She acts rather creepily, and the words turning her head, smiling, and pale lips clues the reader in about something not being quite right, if they didn’t notice already.

These are some of the places where Roald Dahl put forshadowing in this short story, and how it makes the story a bit unsettling.

The rules of being successful

Elon Musk is one if the most interesting people on planet earth. From SpaceX to Paypal. The rules/tips that Elon gave us where very important in humankind, the rules of being successful in life. It is true that everyone want to be as successful as him when we all grown up. Some may but some may not. This is depends on the time and effort they put on the think they are trying to achieve.

         Critical thinking is a very important life skill to have and is also a rule from Elon Musk. You need to think out if the box to get good result and a good leading pathway in your career. Risk taking may lead to good and amazing endings but also may lead to Very sad and scary ending. People have to take risks in order to know what he or her future hold. Juts like what Elon Musk did you took quite a bit of risks in order to become very successful. 

         Seeking criticism is one thing that people have to think ahead of time. So if you say you wanted to start a new business than you don't just think of yourself and the future ahead of you. You are also ned to think of the people around you and the hated comments they have in there mouth or on there tips of there fingers. Most people all around the world are approaching the time where they get criticized by other people when they are trying to do something.