The 3 In 1 Compilation: An Essay, a Test, a Lesson

One of the most important life lessons I acquired from my sixteen years on this planet is how dishonesty cannot save all and foolishness never ages when born.  While these express my two themes, there happens to be much more to the ides than how the idea is displayed.  The themes interact because the consequence of each word can be the same.  In addition, they also build because the more foolish present the more dishonesty forms.  In this case, do not EVER be dishonest and foolish!!!  Why would one consider that an option in life?  To sum up the main point, when deceit and stupidity mingle, the aftermath results in sin.

     
The Crucible may be a well-scripted play, but The Crucible defines a test; the test alludes to the characters, referring to the two themes of the play.  First, John Proctor and Abigail Williams exchanged and distributed lies throughout the play.  Then, she and the Girls committed licentious, idiotic crimes and actions towards the citizens of Salem and towards themselves, too.  Eventually, the play gets crucial around the ending when Proctor determines his prophecy with a suspenseful decision.  Who passes the test of conquering dishonesty and foolishness?  The answer can be simple to evaluate, yet the answer can be hard if one reading this is both dishonest and foolish.

One theme of The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, shows one how dishonesty cannot save all.  In Act I, page 22 of The Crucible, John Proctor, the protagonist of the play, demanded Abigail, “…wipe it out of mind.  We never touched…”  John Proctor cheated on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail Williams; he did not want to go to court for lechery.  In fact, Elizabeth was sick and distant from him.  To John, she, “…counted [herself] so plain.”  (Miller 127)  Right after Mr. Proctor told Abby to forget about what they did, she quoted, “aye, but we did.” (Miller 22)  At the same time, Proctor quoted, “aye, but we did not.” (Miller 22)  Next, on page 94, in Act III of The Crucible, Mary Warren, the servant of John and Elizabeth Proctor, confessed, “[she] did…” when Deputy Governor Danforth asked, “…[she] sat in [his] court, callously lying when [she] knew that people would hang by [her] evidence?...”  To point out, Mary Warren did not want to charge murder on Abigail because, “she’ll kill [her] for saying that!” (Miller 76)  Meanwhile, Proctor stated, “[he] will bring [her] guts into her mouth…” if she does not defend him in court. (Miller 76)  In The Crucible, on Act IV, page 129, Rebecca Nurse, the wife of Francis Nurse, affirmed, “…it is a lie… how many [she] damn [herself?]”  After Danforth pleaded “…will you confess yourself, Goody Nurse?”  As an illustration, Deputy Governor Danforth pleaded to Mrs. Nurse twice about admitting to taking part of the conspiracy; he knew she kept on lying about the conspiracy so he adduced, “…[she] surely [saw] it profit nothin’ to keep [the] conspiracy any further.” (Miller 129)  Proctor acknowledged how he contributed himself to the Devil’s service.  When Danforth asked Proctor if he ever saw Rebecca Nurse with the Devil, he said no, lying about Mrs. Nurse seeing the Devil.  On balance, Abu Bakr once said, “the greatest truth is honesty, and the greatest falsehood is dishonesty.”  Stating that dishonesty cannot save all, look at the outcome of John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Rebecca Nurse.

The other theme of The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, shows one how foolishness never ages when born.  In Act I, page 40 and 41 of The Crucible, Abigail Williams, an accuser in the Salem Witch Trials, exclaimed, “[Tituba] made [her] do it!  She made Betty do it… She [made] her drink blood... [send] her spirit on [her] in church… [laughed] at prayers… [dreamed] corruptions…”  Abigail said, “we danced” to the girls. (Miller 19) Significantly, all of the Girls took part of the fiasco.  Henceforth, she told the Girls, “[they] breathed a word, or the edge of a word, about the other thing, [she] [would]…bring a pointy reckoning that would shudder [them].” (Miller 19)  Later, Abby unintelligently threatened the Girls because she did not want any other person to know about their actions.  When Mrs. Putnam entered with Tituba after Reverend Hale interrogated her, she immediately blamed Tituba for the actions they committed and other activities brought upon Abby herself.  Next, on page 70, in Act II of The Crucible, Ezekiel Cheever, a character in the play, uncertainly declared, “why, a poppet --- a poppet may signify--- Now, [Elizabeth] come with me…”  John Proctor asked Mr. Cheever “what [signified] a poppet.”  (Miller 70)  Sooner or later, Cheever started to answer the question, but he intentionally switched topics to save himself from explaining a question he did not know the answer to.  Every time he was asked what a poppet was, he would timidly explain what a poppet was.  At this instant, Cheever went after Elizabeth for his first excuse.  Immediately, he pulled out a needle from the poppet for his second excuse.  Since the needle caught everyone’s attention, Cheever did not have to explain what a poppet was, presenting foolishness in front of everybody.  In The Crucible, on Act III, page 79, Deputy Governor Danforth, a grave man in his sixties, quoted, “do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what it shall set aside?”  As one can see, Danforth said this to Giles Corey.  To elaborate on what Danforth quoted, he basically told Giles that the court can believe whoever they want to believe no matter who was innocent, guilty, right, or wrong rather than the person who happened to be innocent, guilty, right, or wrong.  Under the circumstances, Mr. Corey was not aware that, “… [Salem General Court] is the highest court of the supreme government of [the] province…” (Miller 79)  When Danforth received “disrespect” from Giles Corey, he felt that he had to mention how he belonged in the highest court of the supreme government, hoping that what he stated would intimidate Mr. Corey.  Describing daft situations is Danforth because he felt that since he was a “supreme judge,” he had uncontrollable powers, meaning he can take advantage of anybody and any situation possible.  As can be seen, Alfred Lord Tennysone once said, “sin is too stupid to see beyond itself.”  Specifying how foolishness never ages when born, as soon as foolishness was presented in the play, it never left the play from beginning to end.

One interaction of The Crucible, a play about the Salem Witch Trials, shows one how the consequence of each word can be the same.  In Act IV, page 129 of The Crucible, Rebecca Nurse, a well-respected woman in the community, evilly bellowed to Mr. Proctor, “Oh, John--- God send his mercy on you!”  Shortly, Proctor admitted to what he did, showing honesty; Nurse kept lying, thinking she could get away with the crime.  Certainly, Mrs. Nurse showed stupidity on what she said.  God should not send mercy on Proctor’s soul just because he told the truth!  On page 17, in Act I of The Crucible, Abigail Williams, one of the main characters in the play, commanded, “No, he’ll be comin’ up.  Listen, now; if they be questioning us, tell them we danced--- I told him as much already.  By all means, they did not dance!  First, the Girls baked a witch cake and fed it to a dog.  Second, they made sacrifices and conjured spirits with their base attitudes present, doing more in the woods than anywhere else.  Moreover, the calamity committed got them under deeper waters; Abigail claimed to tell Reverend Parris as much as she could.  Furthermore, the intimation hinted in her quote exhibited her stupidity.  As a result, the more one tells, the more one knows and the closer they get to the truth.  Dealing with two different themes like dishonesty and foolishness can compare and contrast.  For the most part, the way they are expressed in the play created them to display the same result on every character in the drama.

     The other interaction of The Crucible, a play about the Salem Witch Trials, shows one how the more foolishness is present, the more dishonesty forms.  In Act I, page 18 of The Crucible, Abigail Williams, a 17-year-old teenage girl, forcefully said, “Betty, you never say that again! You will never---…”  In brief, Abby committed witchcraft and other deceitful crimes, affecting the people of the city; she presented stupidity because she knew she committed the crimes, so she lied about the crimes.  At that point, Abby lied about drinking blood and not telling Reverend Parris about what happened.  Her “foolishness role” went into effect right then and there.  In the course of time, dishonesty played a role in the situation she happened to be in with Betty.  On page 42, in Act I of The Crucible, Tituba, one of the Girls in the play, blurted, “I don’t compact with no Devil!”  Obviously, Reverend Parris knew that she was lying; he threatened to whip her to death if she did not tell the truth.  Additionally, Tituba told Reverend Hale that she did not mess with the Devil because he accused her of enlisting children to the Devil, expressing dishonesty to him and herself.  During Act IV of the paly, Tituba informed Marshal Herrick how the Devil was a “pleasureman” in Barbados; likewise, he sang and danced there.  Correspondingly, the Devil was also known as “a sweet man” to the people in Barbados, too.  Forming the theme is dishonesty and foolishness.  Given these points, the way the two themes construct among one another creates the play’s atmosphere, making The Crucible a notorious drama.

How do these themes impact the overall drama?  All in all, they impact the overall drama by revealing a little bit of the theme among every character in the play.  Although a couple of characters strongly represented the two themes, the themes permeated the play via characters in small portions to reach out to all of the characters, containing both dishonesty and foolishness in them.  In any event, this impact has been felt throughout history because EVERYBODY has these two thematic characteristics existing in them.  In essence, we all have good and bad characteristics in us; clearly, the bad characteristics are statistically lying and stupidity.  Therefore, today, we should overcome deceit and stupidity.  In conclusion, sin is the product of the combination of deceit and stupidity, emphasizing the negative side of The Crucible.  To take into consideration, one should try their best to surmount the disease of dishonesty and foolishness.  If this does not illustrate any practice, the future will be an abyss in our lives; consequently, we will have a deep, bottomless chasm of lies, idiots, and sins.

CC#6: Boston Celtics' Chris Wilcox Fined For Flipping Off The Kiss Cam

In a current article by the Los Angeles Times,  entitled "Boston Celtics' Chris Wilcox Fined For Flipping Off The Kiss Cam," the Los Angeles Times narrates 1) why Chris Wilcox did it 2) what the "Kiss Cam" is and 3) the results of his actions.

"Yes, with a sold-out crowd of nearly 18,000 watching, Wilcox greeted the Kiss Cam with his middle finger." Since partners kiss when the Kiss Cam is reflected on them, they expected Chris to kiss his own teammate! He felt anger when the camera reflected onto him, so he reacted to the situation by giving the camera "The Bird."

"...The camera operator finds couples sitting in the stands and puts them on the big video screen, trying to get them to kiss?" The Kiss Cam happens to be a harmless bit many sporting events run between innings or during timeouts.  In consideration of the Kiss cam being annoying, I can see why Chris Wilcox flipped off the camera.

"As a result... Stu Jackson announced Monday that Wilcox has been fined $25,000 for making an obscene gesture directed toward fans during a game." Some people thought he was directing "the message" towards the fans, not the camera. The fans do not control the camera, the cameramen do; therefore, he directed "the message" to them, not the fans.

I can become an active participant in my learning by watching fouls actions committed on TV that are unexpected, not expected like most reality shows.  I can take responsibility for my learning by learning why people react in such a way, leading them into bad news.

The Los Angeles Times narratates how such actions like what Chris Wilcox committed can advance into a lot of trouble.

CC#5: Carmelo Anthony scores 45 Points As Knicks Edge Net

In a current article by the Los Angeles Times, a newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, entitled "Carmelo Anthony scores 45 Points As Knicks Edge Net," the Los Angeles Times narrates 1)  a historical basketball game 2) a great game for Carmelo Anthony and 3) the rivalry between the two teams.

"...Jason Kidd made the tiebreaking three-pointer with 24 seconds left, and the New York Knicks rallied from an early 17-point hole to beat the Brooklyn Nets, 100-97..."  In the NBA, not many basketball games become this crucial.  Usually, teams get beat by a fair amount; in a situation like that, the game is still close, fighting for the win.

"Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 45 points..."  NBA players rarely score over for 40 points in a game.  Since Carmelo scored 45 points and helped the team rally from a loosing deficit, everybody could agree that Carmelo Anthony had a spectacular game.

"Now the series is tied at 1-1 since the Nets moved to Brooklyn, both games coming down to the tense final minutes."  Both of the teams are New York-based. The New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets are basically competing to be the best team in the state..

I can become an active participant in my learning by learning more about history created by individuals like Carmelo and groups like the Knicks. I can take responsibility for my learning by keeping an update on history created by such people that do not intend to create history.

The Los Angeles Times simply narratates how Tuesday's game was special because of the competition and fight these two teams contain.

BR#2: The Beast - Walter Dean Myers

“La misma ola vagabunda que te lleva te devuelva’ May the same waters that take you bring you back to me.’” The quote stated from Gabi, short for Gabrielle, to Spoon, Anthony Witherspoon’s nickname, caught my eyes; Walter Dean Myers’s The Beast elated me with the connections and situations teenagers face today.

How does this novel elate me? Mr. Myers’s style affects my reading of the novel because I received a better understanding due to the realistic scenarios teenagers are facing currently. “Myers’s portrait of the sad young lovers is quite beautiful… the moody romanticism is well sustained.” Horn Book illustrates that many teenagers grow into these high-school relationships. Some of the relationships show true commitment with the couples loving each other; there are even situations where the couples are reliving the Romeo and Juliet situation.  “Spoon’s sharp observations about race and love will resonate deeply with teens, as will his ambivalence about the future.”  Booklist shows how these real-life dilemmas play a role in every teenagers life.  Basically, in my opinion, I would say that those are the most important problems in our school that we, the students, accost presently.  This literature perfectly connects to real-live situations teenagers are confronted with; the problems portrayed in the book makes the novel amazing.

The scene of the book happens to be in Central Park in New York City.  I say the setting affects the actions performed by the characters because of the environment.  New York City has been known for their crime and drugs; the characters do a small amount of drugs and crime in the story.  The setting affects the conflict within the novel due to the size.  The bigger the city, the bigger the problems.  More drugs, violence, drama, affairs, and more.  Although the scene of the novel could contain less negativity, the setting would not be as interesting if one would compare the scene to a small, rural city.

I can compare this book to essentially every notorious love story.  Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, and maybe Bonnie and Clyde could relate to The Beast.  The book does in fact relate to current events because people have relationships in that type of situation in high school and all over the world!  The book connects to me because my relationships ALWAYS end up in the “West Side Story” theme; my family and her family would not want us associating with each other...  Therefore, with these connections, The Beast, in my opinion, happens to be an easy read.

I recommend the novel to ONLY teenagers because the problems represented in the novel relates to them.  Personally, this book happens to be my favorite book written by Walter Dean Myers.  With my elation towards the book, I could say that The Beast sits on my Top 5 Favorite Books of All Time!

Parents (My Ideas...) Yours?

     Parents, caring tremendously for us, guards us with their lives.  Knowing their kindness benefits our lives, they do the best they can to turn us into men and women.  They work so hard to make our lives not as complex; therefore, being men and women in the world will eventually be simple.  Parents also spoil us, giving gifts to keep us happy.  We as children happen to be spoiled all the time; even though we do not confess to admit our "spoiled fashion," we all need these gifts to maintain our joy.  Parents happen to be the ultimate definition of TLC (tender, love, and care) and we should be thankful for the blessing of parents that God gave us as children of the world.

CC#4: Why Bacteria, But Not Humans, Can Live On Caffeine

Veronique Greenwood, the author of Why Bacteria, But Not Humans, Can Live On Caffeine, explains 1) what caffeine does in bodies 2) why caffeine can be bad and 3) why do we get energy from caffeine.

"...it processes several enzymes... it breaks down the two carbon and nitrogen rings at the molecule's core."  Anytime people drink "caffeine-packed beverages," the process occurs to be present in the human body.  The structure of what caffeine does in bodies futher on explains how unefficient caffeine shapes the human body.

"When the molecule, a group of atoms, seeps into the brain and interferes with neurotransmitters, blood pressure rises..."  When blood pressure rises, we have a problem; I find this information amazing because caffeine can do all of this single handed.  One can see why people stress on the horrors of caffeine.

"...most of the molecules in nature are inaccessible to human digestion."  I am sure of how we get the molecules to produce energy for us; the molecules are rare so our bodies try to absorb as much as one can get.  Caffeine can help muscles to contract in order to boost the body too.

I used to drink "caffeine-packed beverages."  I saw the effects of caffeine and immediately quit drinking the "caffeine-packed beverages."  I remember reading an article about the horrors of energy drinks back in elementary school for a health awareness issue we had in the school.  Seeing how many people drink soda, coffee, and any other "caffeine-packed beverage," I can probably say about ninety-five percent of people in the world consume caffeine everyday.

Veronique Greenwood does a great job on showing one the effects of caffeine and what caffeine physically does to our bodies.

CC#3: Government Report On Secret Flying Saucer Program Made Available

In a current article by FoxNews.com, a notorious broadcasting news station, entitled "Government Report On Secret Flying Saucer Program Made Available," FoxNews.com describes 1) how flying saucers are constructed 2) how efficient the air crafts can be and 3) the use of the aircraft.
    
"The disk-shaped craft -- which comes complete with an ejector seat and was powered by a "ram jet" -- was designed to reach a top speed of Mach 4 and reach a ceiling of more than 100,000 feet..."  The flying saucer happens to be created by extremely advanced technology.  All the features included in the quote basically construct the flying saucer. 
    
"...The airframe at supersonic speed appears good and that of the engine reasonable, so that the long supersonic cruise range is also forecast..."  The hovercraft's efficiency caught quite a few eyes; therefore, the flying saucer was at least a great invention made for America.  The obscure features that one does not see on a normal electronic transportation system makes the flying saucer one of a kind. 
    
"...The report notes a followup plan to develop weapons... to allow it to be used as a reconnaissance... a interceptor, or as a tactical bomber."  The flying saucer basically can be used for harmful situations to defend ourselves from foes.  The use of this aircraft happens to be beneficial; the saucers multi-purpose weapons makes us calm about warlike situations we can get involvd in. 

I can become an active participant in my learning by reading more about what the government plans on doing to reshape programs like the flying saucer to improve America, the best country in the world.  I can take responsibility for my learning by simply reading about our government's expectations to improve our country.
    
FoxNews.com plainly describes how flying saucers are shaped and how the program's availability shows presence.

The Beauty of the Duty

Martin Luther King Jr. proclaims how doing right should be automatic. "The time is always right to do what is right." Doing right creates power and builds character for an individual. As an individual, I have many duties towards my country. Although I am sixteen years of age, the small tasks I can perform will support my duty to the nation.

To confirm the duty as an individual to the nation, the number one job to complete the duty will be committing service towards the country. George Washington, the alpha of presidential leadership, affirms how he "...was summoned by my country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love..." As the president, the leader of America, George Washington must supply everybody or else the liberties and happiness will be consecrated to the people. To prove my leadership, I participate in Beta Club and Student Council, the two organizations mainly based on leadership. George Washington, a prominent character to the United States of America, states how "...the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism, which adorn the characters selected to devise and adopt them." With great character comes great pride; all of the materials needed to adorn these characteristics creates pride. To support my character, I do my schoolwork, participate in extra-curricular activities, and reach out to people in need. In order to do what America asks us to do and accomplish our allegiance towards "The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave," we would need to do an immense amount of service to confirm our duty as an individual to the nation. 

As Americans, regardless of age, we are ALL born with basic rights. To confirm the duty as an individual to the nation, we would have to implement the rights given to us by the Creator. Thomas Jefferson, the initiator of the Declaration of Independence, implies "...with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." We have these rights as people, but we need to take the responsibility to practice these "God-given" rights in order to protect ourselves. Hypothetically speaking, if Harold mentions a wrong answer to Mrs. Lewis, the trigonometry teacher, he can defend his rights if he knows his answer stands correct. Even though the seniority rule comes in effect, Harold has the privilege to stand up to defend his rights regardless of the circumstance. Susan B. Anthony, the mastermind of women's voting rights, declares "...in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, simply exercised my citizen's rights..." Susan B. Anthony conducted her On Women's Right to Vote speech after she got arrested for casting an illegal vote in the Presidential Election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100, but she refused to pay. I noticed a strong, sympathetic emotion in Susan B. Anthony's situation... My future vote towards the Presidential Election would aid the campaigners in their elections; therefore, the candidate may have a better chance of winning with my vote alone to become the President of the United States of America. Implementing our rights plays a huge role for Americans. Concluding Thomas Jefferson and Susan B. Anthony's claim, we need to utilize and aid our rights to confirm our duty as individuals to the nation.

If we do not perform these duties we need to complete, our country will fall as a whole. Our leaders will not be strong and our youth will not be well educated. Like I mentioned, we all need to perform these duties towards our nation not only to maintain the status of our country, but also to improve our country's ruthlessness. Implementing our rights and committing services happens to be two of the key jobs to ameliorate the United States of America.


     

BR#1: Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

“It was a pleasure to burn.”  Guy Montag, the main character, is a burning fanatic that loves seeing items “eaten, blackened, and changed.”  Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 disappointed me due to my opinion on the poorly written book.

    
What can I say about this book?  The author’s style affects my reading of the novel because I did not enjoy it, never thought any part of the book was funny, and it barely gave me a sense of where the place is set.  “Books were for burning along with the houses in which they were hidden.”  I did not like reading a novel full of sin; writing a novel on book burning did not please me.  “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”  Guy laughed, but I found that statement stupid.  “He walked out of the fire station and along the midnight street toward the subway…”  Throughout the book, it did not specify a location (like the U.S. or Europe).  The book only states the house and fire station as the setting.

I probably could not compare this book to any other book because of Mr. Bradbury’s unusual topic.  “Forget them.  Burn all, burn everything.”  Currently, the novel does not compare to recent events or issues, but it does connect to the KKK burning the cross as an illegal act of crime.

I do in fact understand the theme of the book.  I understand not to burn books, get pure-pressured, and not to take people’s concerns into consideration.  “…He laughed.  That’s against the law!”  “Oh.  Of course.”  Book burning is STRICTLY illegal!  “He never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old who told him of a past when people were not afraid.”  Clarrisa, the seventeen-year-old, pure-pressured Guy, the ten-year firefighter, into burning books because of her controlling attitude.  “He met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think… and Guy Montag realized what he had to do!”  The professor was concerned about the future.  He told Mr. Montag and Mr. Montag took his idea into consideration; the future was not bright after what Guy did.

Truly, I recommend the novel to the “late teens” because they might have a better understanding about book burning.  The novel is ranked number eight on The Top 10 Teen Read, but I did not understand how well the book was written.  I am sure the novel is a well written novel; however, I must do more growing and studying to understand Fahrenheit 451 to the fullest.

CC#2: West Nile Cases STILL Rising?

In a recent article by Steven Reinberg, a HealthDay Reporter, entitled "West Nile Cases Still Rising; Death Toll Now At 134," Reinberg informs his readers of two purposes in writing this article: 1) the increase of death rates and 2) the worst outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease ever to hit the United States.

The West Nile virus, a deadly disease formed in Africa, was reported on Wednesday, September 5 of new cases involving 3,142 people and 134 deaths.  The cases were further classified into two types of diseases. According to the CDC, about fifty-two percent (1,630 individuals) had neuroinvasive disease and the other forty-eight percent (1,512 individuals) had non-neuroinvasive disease.

The West Nile virus?! I thought the virus was only in Africa?!

The virus was the worst outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease ever to hit the United States, one of the healthiest environments in the world.  Every state had a report of the West Nile virus in an individual. Sixty-six percent of the human cases have been reported from seven different states: California, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.  Nearly forty percent of all cases have been reported in Texas alone! 

I could connect to the mosquito-type situation because I woke up one day full of mosquito bites in Nigeria, fearing that I caught some type of disease.  Humans in the biblical era suffered form the 10 Plagues of Egypt and humans in the Late Middle Ages suffered from the Bubonic plague, relating to the West Nile virus.  Diseases and other relatives of them are everywhere in the world, ranging from a light cough to a death-threatening illness. 

I could become an active participant of my learning by paying more attention to more of these diseases, considering that the country I come from is packed with viruses and plagues.  I can take responsibility for diseases and viruses by taking antibiotics and wearing the correct types of clothing in the correct types of weather so that I will not ever receive anything related to the West Nile virus.

CC#1: Mobile Phone Towers Attacked in Northern Nigeria

My view on the author's purpose about the article on the mobile phone towers attacked in northern Nigeria is to inform about the attacks on the phone towers in Nigeria and to possibly find out who was responsible for the terrorism in Nigeria.

The author absolutely accomplishes his/her purpose.  "A radical Islamist sect that has attacked mosques, churches, schools and government buildings at will in Nigeria appears to have added a new target for its violence: mobile phone towers."  "The attacks on infrastructure is an attack on the public itself." I agree with the author's idea(s) on how the terrorism in northern Nigeria is an attack on infrastructure to the public itself.  "Nigeria would be targeted for cooperating with the government to flush out the Boko Haram members."  Not many people disagree with the ideas, but I am determined to find a disagreement in every text I read.

Why phone towers?!  I have no idea why terrorists have to attack phone towers!  Also, why whoever is responsible did not come forward about their actions?  If terrorism is committed, the persons should step forward to claim their actions.  I could connect this text to myself because I indirectly use the phone line to stay in touch with family down there.  During the September 11th attacks, terrorist used the World Trait Center as a target like MTN in Nigeria. Terrorism happens EVERYWHERE in the world, no matter if the direct target they hit makes sense to hit....   I can become a more active participant in my learning by taking interest in world news and researching current events affecting the world.  I can also take responsibility for my learning by listening to horrific events in History class, being more open-minded about events taking place in our world, etc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120906/af-nigeria-violence/

Remembering 9/11

Inference:  The architects deliberately built a glass window for viewing reasons.

Evidence:  

• Glass enclosure will be located at the height of former World Trait Center Tower 1.
• 1,368 feet of glass (which is pretty huge!)

Explanation:  

•  On the new model, the 1,368 foot glass window might be there to watch for suspicious activity happening in the air.
•  Also, people might want to look at the view of the city.
•  Maybe to commemorate where The Twin Towers were standing.

Concluding Sentence: The glass structure was made for multiple purposes including precaution
                                     and commemoration.

Peter's Bucket List

1. Fahrenheit 451 - by Ray Bradbury: The novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is number one on my Bucket List because I happen to own the book at my house in my library.  The novel also appears on the Top 100 Teen Novels.  The porportion of the book is quiet small, which makes it look like an easy read.

2. The Green Mile - by Stephen King: The Green Mile, a novel by Stephen King, is a number one New York Times Bestseller. Like Fahrenheit 451, I happen to own the book at my home in my library.  This book transformed into a spectacular film starring Tom Hanks, a descent actor.  Critics claim that Stephen King is a brilliant author, causing me to read this book.

3. Bad Boy: A Memoir - by Walter Dean Myers: Bad Boy: A Memoir happens to be a novel presented by my personal favorite author, Walter Dean Myers. The plotlines of his literature makes me thirsty for more of his books.  I enjoy his work because for someone like me, who does not read routinely, feels that he writes easy reads, making it present in my Bucket List.

4. Lord of the Flies - by William Golding: The classic novel Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is shown on the Top 100 Teen Reads, positioning at number eighteen.  I hear that it contains repulsive scenes, making me a tad exited ironically.  The book was highly recommended in my ninth grade Pre-AP English course; we as a class read an exerpt of it which caught my eye, yet I had no chance of reading the novel.

5. Nri Warriors of Peace - by Chikodi Anuobi: The highly anticipated novel Nri Warriors of Peace, by Chidoki Anuobi, sits abandoned in my library readless.  I hope to come this far on my Bucket List because Mr. Anuobi is a Nigerian author.  I will feel a connection with him because I am from Nigeria too! As a book with the setting in Nigeria, I believe that it will be an interesting read.

6. All The Right Stuff - by Walter Dean Myers: All The Right Stuff  by Walter Dean Myers seems like it is an average novel.  I use such judgement because the newer novels he writes are not as connecting to me as his previous novels.  I do see this book having high potential, a reason why I would like to read the novel.

7. Riot - by Walter Dean Myers: The setting of the novel Riot takes place during the Civil War.  I do in fact have a great perspective for war novels, considering the last two he wrote felt like genuine art.  I look forward to reading this novel in paticular because I am ignorant about the Civil War.  I feel it will help me learn more about what went on during the war.

8. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - by Douglas Adams: Although the novel is quite thick, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy looks like a fantastic novel.  This book falls in the Top 100 Teen Novels, making it a great conversed book. The title seems extra terrestrial and unique, causing me to put the novel on my Bucket List.

9. Thirteen Reasons Why - by Jay Asher: Thirteen Reasons Why, a hot seller right now, has caught literally EVERYBODY'S attention.  When Mrs. Gillmore gave the overview on it, my mind told me "do not leave high school without reading the novel!"  Just like some of the books on my Bucket List, it is in the Top 100 Teen Novels, making me want to read it!

10. The Cruisers - by Walter Dean Myers: As you know by now, Walter Dean Myers is my favorite author.  As the last book of my Bucket List, The Cruisers by Walter Dean Myers has not been familiar to me. The title truly hypnotizes my eye because it sounds like a group of hoodlums, just like the characters in The Outsiders.  If I get a chance to read this novel, it should be an addicting one because of the plotlines.

Titanic

In the last moments of my life, I feel that I would have the heart to
forgive the Titanic captains for ignoring warnings, signs, etc. If I
were in that situation, I would not play the "blame game." Preferably, I
would try to save myself. Captain Smith ignored repeated warnings,
never decelerated, did not double lookouts, and did not warn passengers
about the shipwreck. Life is too little to hold grudges agianst
someone. He probably already feels bad for what he did. It should
not be my job to make him feel worse. Instead, I would forgive him
of his mistakes so we could all feel better at the end of the day.

Pity?....

Karl sought Simon’s pity, but had Karl any right to pity? I feel that Karl had the right to pity because he said he wanted to die with a clear conscience. "Believe me, I would be ready to suffer worse and longer pains if by that means I could bring back the dead, at Dnepropetrovsk." He really did not care who Simon was. He is asking Simon for forgiveness of which he has fought; defenseless men and little children, unprotected women and the elderly. Did a man of his kind deserve anybody's pity? Someone of my stature would forgive Karl of the brutal activities he has committed. “Here was a dying man—a murderer who did not want to be a murderer but who had been made into a murderer by a murderous ideology.” His mother said he was a good boy when he was growing up. All of the sudden, he went to the Hitler Youth Camp. Karl was then bred to eat, sleep, and breathe murder. He could not control the way the Nazi soldiers shaped him.

Forgiveness

I feel that everybody should be worthy for forgiveness no matter what actions they perform. "A scientist develops a biological weapon that could kill thousands.". Knowing that the scientist could kill thousands does not mean he will. The scientist could use the weapon for good; just because it is a weapon does not mean he will physically harm someone. Forgiveness should not be held as a grudge. Forgiveness should be released so you will not keep it as a burden.