Follow up on Nineteen Minutes

I finished the book Nineteen Minutes last night, and the ending really shocked me. It was a total twist to what i would have expected. In the ending Josie admits to shooting her boyfriend, Matt with Peter (the gunman). This unravels a lot of Josie, about how she had been living a life of lies and hated her friends who were so judgmental and her boyfriend who wasn't the nicest guy to her. She felt so trapped in living like this to be "cool" that she had no other way out than to shoot her own boyfriend to break free. Peter who was Josie's former best friend in the eighth grade also felt the same way about having "no way out" of always being bullied and having no friends to turn to. This is a huge reality check, I feel that kids these days especially in high school aren't socially excepted and get bullied so much they feel the only way out is violence to get back at the bullies. I hope kids at our high school dont feel this way, and definitely is an eye opener that if someone appears to have the best life (for example Josie) inside they could be wanting to just break free.

walk two moons

I just read the book Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. This is about a girl, Salamanca Tree Hiddle goes on a six day trip with her Grandma and Grandpa while telling the story of her close friend Phoebe Winterbottom who's mother like hers, unexpectedly leaves home. Her and her grandparents are driving to Ohio from Kentucky to where her fathers "friend" lives. Later in the book Sal's grandma becomes ill and needs to be rushed to the hospital. Since her grandpa wont leave her grandmas side he lets her take the car down the hill in the dark to see where her mothers bus had crashed from when she left home. She figures out that her mother had died and then finds out her grandmother had died too. Sal learns how valuable life is and decides to be nice to her new life with her father in Ohio. The theme of this book is "Dont judge a person until youve walked two moons in its shoes" which relates to life I feel. People in society today judge people right away whether its on looks, ethnicity, age, gender etc. This is terrible, but true and I think people should start to look in depth into a person rather than judge them on a first glance like this book when Sal talks about her friend Phoebe and figures out there was more to her and their random adventures.

Changing topic Question....Is it OK to tortue a prisoner of war?

Nelson, Deborah and Nick Turse. "A Tortued Past." 20 August, 2006. http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307-0-5875&artno=0000252212&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=%22prisoner%20abuse%22&title=A%20Tortured%20Past&res=Y&ren=N&gov=N&lnk=N&ic=Y

Deborah and Nick are writters for the Times and contribute stories from the Vietnam war of soliders of Luteniet

Annoted Bibliography

Topic Question: Are prisoners being protected under the Cruel and unusual punishment (amendment 8)?
Sandalow, Mark. "American treatment of prisoners assailed." San Francisco Chronicle. 26 May 2005.

Mark Sandalow is a reporter for the San Fransisco Chronicle and is a well respected political contributor to the paper. This article Sandalow says that "U. S. behavior grants a license to others to commit abuse with impunity and audacity." He also says that prisoner abuse in other countries such as Sudan and London are worsening. Interviews were done with prisoners and it was reported that countless numbers of beatings, humiliation and sexual abuse. Sandalow goes on to interview John Podesta who was former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff who said "The way we've treated prisoners in our custody is not only counter to our values -- it's a strategic and tactical blunder...'' He goes on to say millions beyond millions of cases are being reported of assualt, rape and abuse in prisons by fellow prisoners and even guards in and outside of the U.S and nothing is being done about it.

Phee, D. Ralph, The Treatment Of Prisoners-Legal, Moral or Criminal? Nova Publishers. 2006

This is a book written by Ralph D. Phee about the treatment of prisoners since the Geneva Convention. He talks about the tortuing and "dark sides" of being in prison and what the after math of 9/11 has caused on prisoners. Phee goes on to talk about the political debates this topic has brought up and the moral, legal and criminal tactics guards use against these prisoners. In his book, popular passages include specifics of reported abuses prisoners have reported and wounds that have been shown to interviewers.

Nineteen Minutes

The past week over Thanksgiving break I started reading the book Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccolt. This book is about a terrible school shooting in a small town neighborhood and the social diversities that brought upon this terrible event. The story starts off with the day of the terrible incident and then Piccolt unwinds this story by doing flash back and forths between Peters childhood growing up with his best friend Josie and then gets betrayed by her for the popular group. Peter gets picked on often by the "popular group" and Josie doesn't ever stick up for him or tell her so called friends to stop. Peter then goes to the extremes and brings a gun to school and shoots the people that have been mean to him so that he could "make it all stop." I feel like this book really touches home with how bullying can take the worst on people. The whole time I was reading this I wondered if this could happen in my school or this is what happened at Columbine. I thought about my past and if I ever have picked on kids not to the extreme like Peter got called "gay", "fag" and people would beat him up all the time but just not sticking up for someone. It really made me think about how I treat others and how much effect just plain old body language could change someones self esteem.

Follow up on My Friend Leonard

Comparing My Friend Leonard to James Frey's first book A Million Little Pieces, I feel they were two different types of books. A Million Little Pieces was more graphic and the truth of what a hard core drug addict recovery would be like. I felt that My Friend Leonard was more lighter and was still about his recovery but other factors of death (Lilly) and keeping jobs and girlfriends went more in depth. The whole time I read both books I thought I could never go through what he went through. Yes, as Oprah so nicely pointed out SOME points of his autobiography were not true (no Novocaine during a root canal and time in jail were falsely written) I still feel James Frey changed thousands of peoples lives by the simple phrase "hold on." He frequently uses this throughout his pains and urges to use drugs and alcohol again. He expresses this addiction through coffee and slowly becomes "normal." I'd love to meet James Frey in person I think he's a fascinating person and one of the best writers.

My Friend Leonard

Over the weekend I read this book called "My Friend Leonard" by James Frey. It is the second book to "A Million Little Pieces." This book is a contraversal biography of James Frey's experience of recovering from a major drug and alcohol addiction. The second book starts with his last day servicing in jail for attacking a police officer while under the influence. In the first book he tells of all the friends he meets in rehab. The two main characters that get carried over into "My Friend Leonard" is his girlfriend Lilly and of course Leonard. Frey tells about how anxious he was to see Lilly (a recovering addict too) after being let out of jail and driving to Chicago to see her at a halfway house. He later finds out she killed herself the night before he got let out because she couldnt deal with living without him and her grandmother (whom she was very close with) had just past away. The rest of the book tells about his heartbreaking recovery of losing Lilly and living on his own without relapsing. His friend Leonard (an unknown mobster) starts off coming in and out of his life, offering him money and aid from time to time then later giving Frey a job carrying money to his fellow mobster friends. This book I would say is better than reading "A Million Little Pieces" which was my favorite book. I literally read this book in two days it was so addicting and cried throughout the whole book. I would think to compare this book to Twilight (as strange as that sounds) because both Lilly and James met in rehab where you wouldnt think of to find your love of your life. I compare this to Twlight because Bella came to Forks not really expecting to meet someone that changes her life competely (Edward).

Finished Eclipse

Finishing the book Eclipse, I'd have to say its my favorite book of the Twilight series so far. I haven't started reading Breaking Dawn yet, but all the reviews have been saying Breaking Dawn is by far Stephenie Meyer's best work. The ending of Eclipse made me so sad that Jacob couldn't stand that Bella didnt choose him so he had to run far far away to get away from her and that she could hear his howls. Losing a best friend like that would be very hard for Bella and I sympathize with her. Also the book leaves you on a cliff hanger with the wedding and everything I hope Jacob comes back. This book makes me think that friendship should be a high value. Losing a best friend could ruin you and I feel lucky to have the friends I have.

Living in Hawaii

Today I decided I would like to live in Hawaii for a year after i graduate high school. I think it would be a lot of fun because there is such a warm climate there, the people seem genuine and nice. Also i could learn how to surf from one of the gorgeous surfer guys and then i would become a professional surfer and that's how i would make my money and get a very bronzed tan. I think that it would be a very cool experience living on my own (or a possible friend could come as my room mate) outside of Minnesota. In my opinion there would be a huge difference from living in Hawaii compared to my life style now. No winter/snow would be very difficult to deal with. Hawaii's nights might get cool but i think it would be weird never having to pull out the ugg boots or scarves.

Twilight CONTINUED

I'm still reading Eclipse and I'm at the part where the Cullens and the werewolves just defeated the "newborns" and Edward, Bella and one of the werewolves are face to face with Victoria (one of the "evil" vampires who are leading the new borns to try and kill Bella). Edward manages to keep of Victoria then kill her, but Bella faints from all the action she sees, its just too mcuh for her mind. She wakes up at Carilse (the father figure of the Cullens) making sure shes OK (hes a doctor) and then i fell asleep

twilight series.

Ive read both the first and second books of the Twilight series. (Twilight and New Moon) I am now on the third book Eclipse, and almost finishing. This book is about Bella in her senior year of high school and the struggles she faces dating Edward (a vampire) and chosing if she wants to live immortal with him and not seeing her family or staying mortal and grow up while Edward stays 18 forever. Also this book talks about how her best friend Jacob (a werewolf) and how hes been in love with her and that if she becomes immortal by Edward she will be a vampire forever and werewolves and vampires dont get along together. She basically has to face the chose of the boy shes in love with or her best friend and pretty much family. While this is all going on the Vampire law-like group is coming after Bella for knowing about Edward and his family (the Cullens) being vampires and her being mortal. They want to kill her and this whole war breaks out where the Cullens are fighting against the "new borns". (term the Cullens use about new vampires that are fighters and try to "kill" everything they see)

Twilight Series

I've been reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. This book is a great read and is a saga series. I finished reading the third of four last night. The books are basically about this girl named Bella who moves to Forks, Washington during her junior year of high school(a town that hardly ever has sunny days) and she meets this boy named Edward who turns out to be a vampire and is immortal and so is his "family." The story takes you through the struggles of her being mortal and him being immortal with thirst for blood but is a "vegetarian vampire".