"The Silver Kiss" by Annette Curtis Klause

Annette Curtis Klause's book, " The Silver Kiss" moved every tension in my body, rippling hidden sensations within its fictional myth. The theme portrays a sense of isolation, though; in the same instance, a sense of nonisolation. Clearly, eventhough you are alone, you are not alone; there will always be that one person who is with you at all times. In the book, Zoe's mother is dying of cancer, her best friend, Lorraine, is leaving and her father seems to be excluding her from her mother's hospital bedside. No one dares speak to Zoe about the family tragedy, and she is isolated by grief, anger and fear. Simon, with him being a vampire, constantly feels detached from the outside world.

Annette Klause has a peculiar yet firm writing style with her nonexistance of hearty words however; she writes as if anyone who reads her book, can becomes her book. She writes "The Silver Kiss"as though the actions would potray and sound in the real world though; the book has fictional value. Relating to this book, I can imagine myself as Zoe, the main character, for we have the same hair color and eye color, and we share some of the same emotions. I could near to feel exactly what she was feeling throughout the reading, even when "...she felt like yelling at a God she wasn't even sure existed. Am I being punished? What did I do," telling about her mother. Annette also gives a sense of what the characters are feeling as well when Zoe sobs "But we never do anything together now, she thought, not even be unhappy together. He makes decisions without asking me, like i'm a little child."  Simon says, "It unnerved him when her eyes caught him like that, but it brought something else he couldn't explain, something that didn't seem normal for him. he wanted it again. He wanted to discover what it was."

Zoe, a calm normal 16 year old girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes, is baffled at the thought of losing her mother, confused and angry at her dad for not letting her see her mother at her bedside.
Simon, a 300 ire with longish white, almost silver hair and dark brown eyes, runs into Zoe one night at the park, shortly feeling sense with he.
Christopher, Simons brother, also a vampire, has been causing much trouble in the town though in the body of a six year old.

For most the setting begins and ends in the park, where Zoe runs off to think, to be isolated from her family. In the park is also where Zoe and Simon first meet along with depart. Though just a simple park, it was a place of sentimental value, the place and her mom use to go everyday when she was little, the place where she could always turn to when she needed to think or to just be alone, the place where she incountered and where she lost the love of her life.  The book ends in the park, where the best part of the book comes to live. People exspect a book of vampires to end with the vampire changing the human lover in a vampire so they can live happily every after. Not this book; "The Silver Kiss" has a way prominent ending, being sorrowful but actually much content. The ending does not just leave you with another book you have read, instead it leaves you with thinking, wondering more.

Reading "The Silver Kiss", everyone can learn to enjoy what they have, not to take what the have for granted, to cherish every moment. Everyone should definatly read this book, infact all of her book, of Annette Curtis Klause. This book will leave you marveling, it left me in tears with a smile:')
 

    

CC Shadow Banking

 In John O' Donnell and Douwe Miedema's report, "Shadow banking hits $67 trillion globally: task force," they inform the world of how shadow banking use to cause bankrupt in most parts of the world though; now shadow banking made the U.S. $67 trillion in 2012.

 "During the Crisis, heavy exposure to collapsed investment bank Lehman Brothers caused the net assets value of one fund-the Reserve Primary Fund-to drop below $1 per share l, breaking an implicit promise of a guaranteed minimum value." O' Donnell informs how the shadow banking started out as a very bad investment, losing $1 per share though; now claiming the "FSB said shadow banking around the world more than doubled to $62 trillion in the five years to 2007, and had grown to $67 trilllion in 2011 - more than the total economic output of all the countries in the study." Shadow banking had doubled in five years, and had gained five more trillion in four years. Seems to be a good deal to me!  

 The article also mentions that "America had the largest shadow banking system with assets of $23 trillion in 2011, followed by the euro area with $22 trillion and the United Kingdom at $9 trillion." Had is a former word, signaling America use to be the top shadow banking system though; now America holds bottom?

 Worldly, everyone can learn to invest, if they plan on investing, in a sytsem that will decively gain them money, and to learn enough about that system to know if is reliable.

Act lV. Theme of The Crucible

In act lv. of the crucible, to die for what they believe, is better than to live lying for what they believe. Page 125, Elizabeth Procter informs her husband, John, of Giles's treacherous death. She states, "Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or bye. They say he give them but two words. "More weight," he says. And died." Giles Corey refused to give the name of the man who wrote of Mr. Putnam trying to steal people's land. Giles knew if he give the mans name, that man would be arrested and accused of witchcraft, as did Giles wife, Martha. Giles was a strong, brave man, dying for his beliefs, as for the mans name. On page 133, Giles last two words seem to sink deep into Procter's soul, sorrowing "because it is my name! because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" Procter soon realizes he is nonexistent compared to those that hang; a coward who hides behind lies. Procter then appears out from behind all the lies he has lived, committing to his beliefs; "he have his goodness now. God forbid anyone take it from him!"

Act lll. Theme of The Crucible

Act lll. of the Crucible,acquires the same theme as Act l. Lies just lead to more lies, whether to cover up another lie, to false accuse enemies, or to save ones life from such false accusations. On pages 94-95, Mary Warren finally confesses "that it[seeing spirits and fainting at court]were only pretense." However; Abigail puts her fake two cents in, of course, denying all Mary confesses, calling Mary the liar. Pages 110-111 Mary Warren finally confesses "that it [seeing spirits and fainting at court] were only pretense." However; Abigail puts her fake two cents in, of course, denying all Mary confesses, calling Mary the liar. Following Abigail’s lead, the girls act as if Mary has transformed into a “big, yellow bird” about to kill them all. Then, the tables start to turn for John Procter, when Mary begins to build up her panic, turning her confessions back to the lies that started the whole story. Mary proceeds to accuse Procter of being “the Devil’s man!” Waking her at night “to sign the Devil’s book” with “My name, he want my name, “I’ll murder you,” he says, “If my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court,” he says! Lies will force people to do or to say all to save their selves.

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

 In Veronique Greenwood's current article, "Why Bacteria, But Not Humans, Can Live on Caffeine", Greenwood informs he readers about the new bacteria, Pseudomonas putida CCB5, about how humans can not really get energy from caffeine, and about the difference in human enzymes and the bacterium enzymes.

 Ryan Summers, the doctoral candidate who represented the research on the bacterium, points out, "P. putida CCB5 possesses several enzymes that do things to caffeine that we[humans] can't. Specifically, it breaks down the two carbon and nitrogen rings at the molecule's core."

 The passage included the difference between human enzymes and the new bacterium's enzymes, when it says, "Human liver enzymes can remove the CH3 groups stuck to the rings of caffeine, just as bacterial enzymes do. But after that, while humans show xanthine, the caffeine derivatives, the bacteria hang onto them, chopping down the rings to their component elements and harvesting energy."

 The text then concludes, "The specific reason caffeine isn't an energy source for us[humans], is that we don't have the gear to digest derivatives further. We can do other things with them-usually, pop an oxygen on xanthine to make uric acid and pee it out-but taking them apart isn't possible.

 While reading this text, déjà vu, of biology and chemistry class, went through my mind. We always used to study about enzymes, and different materials that can be broke down, and what experiments could prove the statements.

 The great discovery of the bacteria, P. putida CCB5, does not serve as much purpose today though; if scientists continue further research, then the bacteria may one day be used for medical practices. Who knows, it may be even be the cure for cancer!

CC#3Government Report on Flying Saucer Program Made Available

  In a recent Fox News article, "Government report on flying saucer program made available", Fox News exposes information about a secret Air Force program configuring how to creat a flying sauce and about how the secret program was for war conduct.

 The article states, " The NDC opened one of more than 100 cardboard boxes from the Air Force recently and came across a 114-page document from 1956, describing a secret program by the Air Force to build a flying saucer." While searching Air Force boxes, NDC found a secret document pertaining facts about a flying saucer.

"The newly releases documents...offer details on a Cold War era plan to build a round vertical take off and landing aircraft that can only b describe as a flying saucer." This passage suggests that during the Cold War era, the government wanted sauce like air rafts to be built for war, to sneak up in the enemy.

"The depot notes a followup plan to develop weapons suitable for the saucer, to allow it to be use for reconnaissance, as an inceptor, or as a tactical bomber." This quote merely explains how the saucer were going to be used as weapons, as ways to drop bombs on enemies.

 As reading this article, Steven Spielberg's classic movie, "ET" came to mind. Remembering ET's famous quote, "ET phone home", and then a huge saucer arrives to bring ET home.

Soon the NDC may actually create the first flying saucer of the human race, but hopefully not for war. Now people can finally take off their tin foil hats!

Act l. Theme

In act l. of the Crucible, lies just lead to more lies, whether to cover up another lie, to false accuse enemies, or to save ones life from such false accusations. Abigail Williams denies all to her uncle Parris of what happened in the forest with Tituba and the girls. Then suddenly, just seconds after she denies to Parris, she accuses Tituba of conjuring spirits, forcing her to "drink blood," making her "laugh at prayer," and making her "dream corruptions." The next three pages, 42-44, Tituba cries to Parris her innocence but as her punishment and her fear grows Tituba falsely confesses to all the crimes though; she had not committed even one;Tituba confesses to save her live, from hanging, begging for god, calling out names of "the devils witches." On page 40, Abigail unremarkably confesses to reverend Hale that she "didn't see no devil!" However; just moments after on page 45, Abigail does say, "I danced with the devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book." How does a person not see the devil one moment then supposedly danced with him, saw him and wrote in his book the next moment? Abigail then continues to yell out names of the towns people in which she saw them with the devil, yet her confession still hangs in the air that she "didn't see no devil!"

CC#5 Texas Slaying Suspect Escapes Hospital, Surrenders

  
 In Terry Wallace's "Texas slaying suspect escapes hospital, surrenders" he informs his audience of the tragedy of Shania Gray and the impact of the tragic on Shania's family and friends.

 Sherry James, the mother of 16-year-old Shania Gray, reported Shania missing on Friday, September 7th 2012, in Carrollton, Texas, when she never came home from school on the previous Thursday. An Amber Alert was never issued by police because it did not meet the criteria and there was no evidence she was in danger.

 ​30-year-old Franklin Davis was arrested, and is being held on a $2 million dollar bond, for the murder of Shania Gray. Gray had a pending sexual assault case against Davis, and Terry believes that "he killed her to silence her." When Davis confessed, he told police that he gained Gray’s trust by posing as someone else on social internet profiles and using a prepaid phone. He convinced her to meet him at the school on the Thursday she was murdered. Gray got into Davis’ car, surprised to see him, then they drove to the trail head at Champion Trail. Davis told her he wanted to talk about the sexual assault case. Once at the trail head, Davis and Gray went down the trail to Trinity River, where Davis shot Gray twice with a .380 pistol. He then strangled her with his foot. Davis confessed to killing Shania Gray and led police to various locations to reveal evidence.

 Terry gathers that "​The murder left family and friends of Gray devastated. 10th grader Destinee Harris said that Gray had a huge effect on her friends in her two years at Horn High."

 As tragic as this incident is, it serves a valuable lesson; first, don't meet up with just any body on the Internet, they might be real or they might now be real, and second, don't ever get into a car or go off alone with a stranger, especially a stranger that's sexually harassed you.

Act ll. Theme of The Crucible

In act ll. of the Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays the accusations of revenge through John Proctor; defending the accusing of his wife, Elizabeth, Proctor boldly questions reverend Hale and Mr. Cheever if "the accuser is always holy now?" Pointing at Mr. Parris, a minister who often speaks of the devil during church, to signify that just because Parris is a "holy" man does not mean his accusing's are fairly holy. Continuing [the accusers]Parris and Abigail's innocence on page 73. Procter mentions "vengeance" exactly four times in his paragraph statement to Hale and Cheever, confirming "vengeance is walking in Salem, common vengeance writes the law," and he quotes "...and I will not give my wife to vengeance!" Vengeance, a synonym of revenge, is what started all the corruption in Salem; vengeance of Abigail Williams for Procter's mistakable lust with her and for Procter choosing to stay with his wife instead of her, has corrupted Salem.

CC#2 All Roads Lead To Tehran but not Washington

Dallas Darling's article "All Roads Lead To Tehran but not Washington" informs readers that all roads[allies] follow Tehran, not Washington, and she/he also informs readers how the U.S. is constructing a road of diligence and hostility.

Many Egyptian, Chinese, Iraqi, Russian, Afghani, Kazakhs, and UN officials have vistited Tehra, siginging cooperative and traded government. Mohamed Morsi, the president of Egypt, even says Iran to be a "major player" in Tehran. Seen in every town or state in America, there is at least one or more homeless person, and there is many businesses closing down. Dallas expresses this statement when he/she states, "Such liberal behavior, including resolutions passed by the Senate issuing "red lines" and threatening Iran with a "massive attack" when it cannot even solve America's increasing unemployment and poverty and homelessness rates and its enormous debt."

I find it hard to understand whether this article is true, or if the article is merily an opinionate from the author. He/she does not use any sentence "quotes" through out the article, not facts that can prove their statements.

Reading this article, reminds me of my American History class with Mr. Qualls, my history teacher. We have recently been talking about Americas crises and soon to be war with Iran.

Finally Washington will have to recognize and adapt to new policy shifts that acknowledge important and viable and revolutionary Islamic influences, and other parts of the world, and, of course, Iran's Royal Road leading in and out of Tehran's Islamic Republic.

Dark Angel from Night World Series By: L.J. Smith

L.J. Smith's book Dark Angel delighted me with its compassionate suspence and blissful style.

The theme of the story illustrates forgiveness and how past mistakes should just be forgotten so life can move forward. In the book, Gillian forgives Tanya, David and all the popular kids from her school for never noticing her or pushing her around. Gillian then forgives Angel for tricking her and for all the trouble he cause back on earth, and she tries to find a way for Angel to move on. Also, Mr. Belizer forgives Gary for what he did to his daughter, Paula Belizer.

L.J. Smith's blissful style touches every nerve in the body and soul, feeling precisely what each character is feeling and thinking when reading this novel. I like how L.J. uses definite minute details through out the novel. She uses little detail, but enough to give a clear image through the whole story. The author uses a great deal of "quotes", so the book sees and feels like a movie when reading. Examples from passage: "He was under here. Right here. Beneath the ground. The body of the person she'd loved and trusted... whose voice had been the last thing she'd heard at night and the first thing each morning." This passage from the book gives an erie feeling of grief and sorrow. The sorrow and heartache sinks into me, feels my body with aching pain of being in the characters place. "A small girl. Almost hidden by her long pale hair, the strands already covered in fine ice. The girl's face was delicate. Pretty bone structure. But the skin was a terrible flat white--dead-looking. The eyes were shut, the lashes frosty. Underneath, Gillain knew somehow, the eyes were deep voilet. I get it. I remember. That's me." As I read this, an exact image formed in my mind of this situation. I could almost feel my own self floating in mid ait looking over my frozen body.

Gillian, the main character, is a small, violet eyed, blonde haired, and beautiful sixteen year old girl. Though, in highschool, and sometimes at home, Gillian is the underdog. She wants to fit in with everyone at school, she wants to be popular. Gillain shows her underdogness when she goes into the woods to follow the cries of someone, she says in her mind, "Maybe I can write an article about it for the Viking News and everyone will admire me.... Wait. Is it cool or uncool to rescue somebody?".
Angel, Gillains "angel", prevails a model-like figure, dark brown hair, violet eyes, broad, muscular, carved feature, but also a very tricky guy. "Gillian was angry now. Yelling. "You planned the whole thing! You lured me. Didn't you? Didn't you? That crying I heard in the woods--that was you wasn't it?"
Gary, a teen that died in a car accident, has dark hair, violet eyes, and very handsome.
David, the guy that Gillian is in love with, he's handsome, dark bown hair, "Cheekbones to die for and eyes to drown in." according to Gillian, and he's in fact considering and advocating. ""Put this on...watch your head...her, use this for your hair." David was somehow getting everything done at once without hurrying. Capale and kind."
The author makes me believe that the characters are real teenager, a person my age. She writes them as how a teenage would act, feel, say, and think in every situation. Through out the entire novel I greatly dislikes Tanya, David's girlfriend. Tanya is a very mean and cruel person, who thinks it's all about her. She tries to pull hateful pranks on Gillian for "stealing" Tanya's fame, and she tries to ruin David's life for choosing Gillian.

The setting takes place two weeks before Christmas, on an empty road by the woods, in southwestern Pennsylvania. The setting has all things to do with the conflicts and characters in the story. When Gillain dies for the first, she dies form hyperthermia, from being in the river and being in the deep,snowy woods. When Gary does what he did to Paula Belizer, the accident happened in the woods, the same woods were Gillain died. If Gillain had not died that day in the woods, or met angel, then she would have never had her moment with David for the first time. The setting is where all the conflicts start, and were all the characters meet up in the end.

 

As I read Dark Angel, when Tanya says to Gillain, ""You have no idea what I'll do if you try to mess with me, you snotty little midget.You are going to be sorry--"

"No, I think you've done plenty already." The voice came from the door. Gillian heard it, and in that instant she understood everything. It was David of course."

As I read this part of the book, I thought of the movie You Again. This movie is about Joanna, Marni's worst nightmare from highschool who ruined Marni's life, is marrying Marni's brother. This passage from the book related to a part from the movie You Again where Joanna and Marni, after throwing plates at each other, are talking about how Joanna was so mean to Marni in highschool and then Joanna pours a huge bowl of some green liquid on Marni. Then as Marni turns around to face Joanna, Mari's brother, Will, in standing in the door way of the resturant. Also in the book when Tanya talks to her friend Kim in the bathroom about destroying David's and Gillains life, reminds me of how schools are always talking about bullyimg and how bullying is a problem all across the world, in many different situations.

 

CC#1When Chickens Come Home To Roost

In a recent article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling in the Worldnews entitled "When Chickens 'Literally' Come Home to Roost,"  Dallas informs her readers about Osama bin Laden and his meaning of "his chickens will come home to roost".

Osama bin Laden, the former leader of al Qaeda, wrote in 2004, "Our actions are but a reaction to yours-your destruction and murder of our people" and later, "...stop spilling our blood in order to save your own...for every action there is a reaction. Bin Laden in all probability never thought someday he would be traveling around Pakistan, a desert, sovereign country in South Asia, in a large box, hidden in a colorful truck filled with chickens.

As said in the article, "chickens" like curses will come home to roost. This means an individual will have to pay for his/her past and present morals, and that in life there are distinct consequences in relation to the treatment of others. $Unusually I have always heard the saying, "when chickens come home to roost" but never would have determined this meant a bad thing and had nothing to do with chickens.

As I read this article, the first thing that came to mind was my chickens. I have became fond of them, a friend of chickens. Knowing now about "chickens coming home to roost", I will remember as curses based on your bad deeds in life, not as my chickens laying eggs.

Lastly, Osama bin Laden was the wicked genius behind the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United states. He will be remembered as the destruction of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, how his attacks were just the "chickens" that came to roost in the U.S.A.

Megan's Bucket List

1. Vampire Kisses series-by Ellen Schreiber: In 8th grade  my english teacher, a reader of Vampires, introduced me to these books when she found my fasination for vampires and mystical things. As I read the first book I knew I had to read them all. Very sadly though, I could not read on past the 3rd book for someone had checked out the 4th, so I hope to finish the rest of this series.
2. Vampire Diaries sieries-by L.J. Smith: When I could not finish the Vampire Kisses series my teacher introduced me to another sieries, The Vampire Diaries. I fell in love with these books from the start as I had with the Vampire Kiss books. Then of course I could not finish them as well for someone had checked out the 3rd book, so I hope to finish this series as well.
3. Night World-by L.J. Smith: Though I had not finished the Vampire Diaries series, my english teacher then introduced me to another vampire series, Night World. These series are by the same author as Vampire Diaries, and I fell deeply in love with this seris. Unfortunately I could not finsh this series either, and I only go to read the first book.
4. Pendragon series- by D.J. Machale: I absolutly love fiction book of vampires, werewolfs and mystical creatures. I only got to read the first book of this series and it was awesome. It was like a book of many difference, weird dreams coming together. I enjoyed this book very much and would like to read the whole series.
5. Stephen King's books: Stephen King is incredible at writing sick twisted stories that get you chilled from the start. I have only read partial novels, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and The Body, by Stephen King. I have seen many of his moves, so to say movies based on his books. He is a terrific writer and I hope to read all of his books some say, starting with the ones I've already seen on screen.
6. Shiver and Linger(short series)-by Maggie Stiefvater: I can remember in the 8th grade when I was a vampire freak, our teacher told us of the books Shiver and Linger, a short series that we had to read. As I was definate lover of vampires, I also had a thing for werewolfs as well. Ever since my teacher told my class about these books, I've wanted to read them.
7. City of bones series-by Cassandra Clare: Since the 9th grade I have always seen these books on the libribary shelf and always wondered what they were about. Then as I got to 11th grade my English teacher, Mrs. Gillmore, suggested we should read the City of Bones series. As soon as she said it was about vampires I knew right off I wanted to read them.
8. The Hunger Games series-by Suzanne Collins: Never in a million years did I think i would ever want to read the Hunger Games, until I saw it on screen. I didn't really even know what it was about, I figured it was about people stranded on and island and ahd to survive or some thing. I never would have guessed what is REALLY was about. After I saw the movie, a very adventurous and aweosme film!, I knew I HAD to read the book.
9. Fang-by James Patterson: This is another book my 11th grade english teacher suggested to read. Of course I knew had to read it being about vampires and all. I'm also really glad it's just a single book and not a series so I don't have to worry about reading the next book. 
10. 13 Reasons Why-by Jay Asher: This book was also suggested by Mrs. Gillmore and was said to be a really really great book and that we had to read it at some time before we die. I'm interested to know why a young girl, a girl my age, so beautiful and popular would kill herself.