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.