The Fellowship of the Ring Book Review

The Lord of the Rings books were once the most popular books for men.They are about a hobbit, Frodo, who must take the one ring, an evil power made to rule others, to a volcano to destroy the ring. J.R.R Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring bored me with its dry writing.

One theme of the book is how power corrupts. The book shows that power or the chance of it can turn even good people into evil people that are obsessed with power. First, Isildur had a chance to destroy the ring, but he wanted the power the ring had so he took the ring for himself. Then, Smeagol killed his friend because he wanted the power of the ring for himself. Last, Boromir attempted to take the ring from Frodo because he wanted the power that the ring had.

This book connects with the real world in multiple ways. One way is the theme of the book, power corrupts, holds true to the real world. Any one of a number of corrupt politicians is a good example of this. The Lord of the Rings books also show the decline of power that is inevitable for every nation. The Elves decline in power and must leave Middle-Earth. In the real world, the Roman empire was once a powerful nation, but it declined and ceased to exist.

The setting of the book is in an imaginary place called "Middle-Earth." There is an evil power that is building up there and the previously peaceful governments will soon be thrown into a war with Sauron. One way this affects the conflict of the novel is that people are no longer as trusting with strangers as they were before. This makes it difficult for Frodo to get help from strangers when he is in need of assistance. A second way this affects the conflict is that the wilderness is always dangerous. The Enemy has his servants running around all over Middle-Earth. A third way this affects the conflict is the challenges that the characters face from the weather and environment often dictate their route through Middle-Earth.

Despite its dry writing, I would recommend this book to be read.

Current Connection #5

Foster Klug, a writer for Yahoo! News, states in his article, "NKorea says it will launch long-range rocket soon," that North Korea is continuing to launch missiles in spite of U.S. and South Korean pressure to stop.

In the article, Foster Klug states, "North Korea announced Saturday that it would attempt to launch a long-range rocket in mid-December, a defiant move just eight months after a failed April bid was widely condemned as a violation of a U.N. ban against developing its nuclear and missile programs." North Korea has decided to continues to go against The United Nations yet again by continuing its illegal programs. This can only serve to worsen political relations between North Korea and the rest of the world.

Foster Klug also states in the article, "The planned launch window — Dec 10 - 22 — comes as President Barack Obama prepares for his second term and as South Korea holds presidential elections Dec. 19." It is possible that North Korea feels that they can more easily get away with causing trouble since Obama is president again as he will not react as strongly as a more conservative president. It is also possible that North Korea is trying to influence the South Korean election by causing political trouble.

The article by Foster Klug also states, "It would be North Korea's second launch attempt under leader Kim Jong Un, who took power following his father Kim Jong Il's death nearly a year ago."Just like his father and grandfather, Kim Jong Un seems to have no intentions to ever work with other countries. This seems to be a family of leaders bent on causing mayhem and starving their people.

This sort of reminds me of elementary school bullies. They do whatever they want with no real consequences because they're just little kids. The little punishment put upon them doesn't really bother them so they just keep antagonizing everyone.

North Korea has been bothering the world with their missile and nuclear programs for quite a while now. They are a danger and an annoyance to the rest of the countries of the world and if it wasn't for China it is unlikely that North Korea could even continue to exist.

Current Connection #4

Ibrahim Barzak and Karin Laub, a pair of writers for Yahoo! News, state in their article, "Palestinian civilian toll climbs in Gaza," that as Israeli strikes against Hamas rocket launching stations and Hamas military leaders, Palestinian civilians continue to get killed in the crossfire.

In the article Ibrahim Barzak and Karin Laub state, "Israeli aircraft struck crowded areas in the Gaza Strip on Monday, driving up the Palestinian death toll to 94 and devastating several homes belonging to one clan as Israel broadened its targets in the 6-day-old offensive meant to quell Hamas rocket fire on Israel." As Israel attacks targets in Gaza to stop the rocket fire, they also accidentally kill many Palestinian civilians. Understandably, the Palestinians aren't happy about this.

Barzak and Laub also state, "Escalating its bombing campaign, Israel on Sunday began attacking homes of activists in Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza." The activists often have several people living in their homes or are living in the homes of other people. This cowering behind civilians is the cause of many civilian casualties.

Also stated in the article, "Hamas fighters, meanwhile, have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel in the current round of fighting, including 75 on Monday, among them one that hit an empty school." The murder of civilians is not a crime committed exclusively by Israel. Hamas continues its unjustified assault on Israel with rocket fire, encouraging even more action from Israel to stop the rocket fire.

This reminds me of the beginning of many wars throughout history. One country does something little and (often unintentionally) provokes a response from the other. The other country then responds negatively and the original country responds negatively back. This cycle gets worse and worse until a full-scale war begins, causing massive damage to both countries as well as destroying the lives of many innocent people. Thus the saying, "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind," was born.

Though Israel is not specifically targeting civilians, Israel is killing them and that is making Hamas and the rest of the world more and more unhappy with them. It may be wise for Israel, a widely hated country, to discontinue its attacks on Hamas leaders, even if those attacks are completely justified.

3 Participials

Supporting the freedom of thought, I think that there are not many times when it is acceptable for one to turn to violence to "defend" their ideals. Some people, becoming angry with others, turn to violence rather than being content with being allowed to have their ideals and tolerating the ideals of others. When someone does turn to violence because of their lack of tolerance towards others, I believe they should be jailed, saving the lives of others.

Current Connection #3

Kwala Mandel, a writer for Yahoo! News, states in her article, "Heckler interrupts Romney rally in Virginia," that someone interrupted the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, to encourage action about the environment when Romney was speaking at a rally.

In the article, Kwala Mandel states, "Mitt Romney was interrupted at a rally Thursday in Virginia Beach, Va. A rowdy audience member took advantage of a pause during the Republican presidential nominee's speech and shouted 'climate change caused Sandy!'" The heckler interrupted Romney to try to encourage an emotional reaction from the crowd, and, at that, he was successful. He blamed the recent storm, Sandy, on climate change and, by extension, the U.S. government and people (at least in the crowds eyes).

Kwala Mandel also states, "He then flashed a sign that read 'End Climate Silence.' While Romney seemed to take the heckler in his stride, the crowd (and security) reacted much more strongly." The man's "End Climate Silence" sign was meant to encourage people to start talking about climate change, because climate change really has not been a big topic in this election, though it really probably should be. Romney did not seem to be bothered by the heckler, but the crowd on the other hand, was not pleased.

The article then states, "The man was booed and his sign was pulled away from him. As the heckler was led out of the event, the booing was layered with chants of 'U-S-A!'" The crowd did not react positively to the heckler's seemingly accusatory declaration about Sandy. They probably felt that he was blaming the U.S for the storm, and they felt that they were defending their country (and favorite presidential nominee) from the words of the heckler, an insulting nuisance.

This is yet another article that reminds me of events in the Middle East. The first time I watched the video, the way the crowd started chanting "U.S.A." and booing reminded me of videos I have seen of radicals in the Middle East chanting "Down with U.S.A" and booing. I understand why the crowd was chanting now, but the first time I saw the video, it really took me by surprise.

The heckler may have meant well with his message, but if he wanted a positive reaction (I don't think he did), then he was unwise to go to a presidential rally at this point in the race. Though he was booed out of the rally, he was successful in his mission to get people talking to some extent, as there are over 15,000 comments on the article.

Current Connection #2

In a recent article by Dylan Stableford in the Yahoo! News entitled "D.C. sniper 10 years later: 'I was a monster,'" Stableford informs readers of the thoughts and feelings of Lee Boyd Malvo, the D.C. sniper, 10 years after he and John Aleen Muhammad murdered many people.

According to the article, Malvo says:  "If you look up the definition, that's what a monster is. I was a ghoul. I was a thief. I stole people's lives. I did someone else's bidding just because they said so. There is no rhyme or reason or sense." If you believe what he is saying, it is clear that he laments his decision to murder several people. That said, there is no excuse for such heinous acts against innocent people.

Malvo did not decide to commit these horrible crimes on his own. At the time, he was only 17 years old, and was being "brainwashed" by John Allen Muhammad to do his bidding. This reminds me of how young boys in the Middle East are being brainwashed by extremist groups there. The groups are training young children to become terrorists when they are older.

Malvo may feel bad about the atrocious acts he committed, but that does not mean he deserves to be forgiven. No matter how sorry he feels, the people he murdered cannot be brought back and the damage done to their families cannot be undone.

"Speak" Book Review

Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak disturbed me with its dark story and evil characters. The book is about a teenage girl who gets raped at a party, becomes depressed, and nearly stops speaking. Despite the dark tone, I did enjoy the book.

One of the themes of this book is about how it is bad to keep some secrets. Melinda keeps the fact that she was raped a secret from everyone and it causes her many problems. The book says:  "As they walk down the aisle, people who were my middle-school lab partners or gym buddies glare at me." They are angry about her ruining a party and they don't realize that she did it because she was raped. Through most of the book, Melinda has to spend her free time hiding in an abandoned janitors closet because she is outcast from everyone. She could've been accepted if she had told her secret and gotten help. Also, throughout the book, Melinda sinks deeper and deeper into her depression. This is because her secret was tearing her apart on the inside.

The setting of this story is Syracuse, New York. The setting often reflects how Melinda is feeling throughout the book. As the days get colder towards the end of fall, Melinda becomes colder and more distant from other people. In the long, frozen winter, Melinda reaches the deepest part of her depression and becomes very fragile. As the days begin to warm up in the spring, Melinda begins to warm up to other people and "thaw out."

Melinda is the main character and one of the few likable ones in the book. In one part of the book, Melinda thinks:  "There is nothing wrong with me. These are really sick people. Sick that you can see." Here, she shows that she can be tough when she needs to and should be. Throughout the book, Melinda spends a great deal of time skipping class and hiding in a janitor's closet. This shows that she wants to be isolated from everyone else. During most of the book, Melinda speaks very little and often tries to avoid social situations. This shows how withdrawn from other people she is.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has not read it before.

Current Connection

In a recent article by Olivier Knox in the Yahoo! News entitled "U.S. ambassador killed after chaotic, hours-long siege," Knox informs readers of the recent events in the Middle East, a dangerous place.

Unfortunately, there were attacks on various U.S. embassies throughout the Middle East, specifically, Libya. The attacks were supposedly ignited by a film on the Internet made by an American. If that is the case, then people were murdered over a video on the Internet, which is absolutely ridiculous.

The article states:  "American officials painted a harrowing picture late Wednesday of the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi that left the widely respected diplomat and three others dead." It is a shame that four innocent people were murdered for no real reason. I did not realize that people could get so angry over some stupid video on the Internet.

I am reminded of the infamous attack on the Twin Towers by extremists back in 2001. The attacks also happened to occur on the 11th anniversary of that attack. Both of these attacks were carried out by Muslim extremists.

Chris Stevens and the other 3 Americans were good, innocent people that committed no crime and were unjustly killed. I can only hope that President Obama makes good on his promise to bring these murderers to justice.

9/11 Infographic Inference

The rebuilding of one World Trade Center is a huge project that takes much effort and labor.

The infographic states:  "More than 2,500 workers on an average day." The infographic also states there are 19 public agencies; 2 private developers; 101 contractors and sub-contractors; and 33 designers, architects and consulting firms.

2,500 workers is a lot of people to work on something, especially all in one place on one day. For example, the original twin towers only had 10,000 workers in total.

Brandon's Reading Bucket List

1. Holes - by Louis Sachar:  I saw the movie of this book quite a long time ago and I really enjoyed it. Books are usually much better than the movie versions of them, so I would really like to read it. I was only in the second grade when I saw it the first time, so I didn't really understand a lot of it. I would like to go back and have all the holes in the story of the movie filled in by the book.
2. Jurassic Park - by Michael Crichton:  I absolutely adored these movies as a child. I was extremely fascinated by dinosaurs loved everything to do with them. I think it would be great to go back and enjoy the stories that I enjoyed so long ago. I would also be interested in seeing the deeper story that the book most likely contains. This book is also a part of my favorite genre of books, fantasy.
3. The Fellowship of the Ring - by J.R.R. Tolkien:  This is another series of movies that I grew up watching. I have always enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies and I know that the books will not disappoint me. The fantasy genre of books is, without a doubt, my favorite genre of any form of media, especially books. I actually have this book at my house, so getting it to read will not be a problem for me.
4. Speak - by Laurie Halse Anderson:  I know very little about this book, except that it is supposed to be a "must-read" for anyone of any age, according to Mrs. Gillmore. One of the key topics, bullying, is definitely relevant to real life right now, especially since we have and will continue to do classwork related to bullying and it is Beta Club's Awareness Platform this year. I already have this book checked out from the library so this will be my first bucket list book to read, and I look forward to it.
5. The Hobbit - by J.R.R. Tolkien:  I have heard good things about this book as well. My grandmother tried to get me to read this several years ago, but my mom thought that I was too young to enjoy it. My grandmother has recently tried to get me to read it again, and, since it is related to The Lord of the Rings stories, I am sure I will enjoy reading it.
6. Ender's Game - by Orson Scott Card:  This is yet another book I know very little about, though that is not necessarily a bad thing. I would like to expand my reading horizons, so reading books I know little to nothing about could actually be a good thing for me. Plus, according to miss Gillmore, it is a good book for someone my age.
7. Fang - by James Patterson:   I read several online reviews of this book and everyone that writes a review seems to like it. It is one of my favorite genres of books, fantasy, and a genre I have never read before, horror. I think it would be interesting to try to read a new genre of books. It is also a part of a series, so I will need to read all the books before it first, which will give me more books to read. Additionally, Mrs. Gillmore says that this book is worth reading.
8. Thirteen Reasons Why - by Jay Asher:  This is another book that is highly recommended by Mrs. Gillmore. This book has won many awards and received stellar reviews, so I guess I can't go wrong with reading it. Additionally, it is being made into a movie soon, so I must read this book before I go see it. It is also written from a unique perspective. It is said to "deeply affect" teen readers, so that is a plus because I like books that make me think.
9. Hatchet - by Gary Paulsen:  Since I was in Junior High, I have heard many good things from many people about this book. It is also a part of a series, which just makes it better because I like to stick with one character for a long period of time. My brother also read it and really enjoyed it, and he doesn't even enjoy reading usually.
10. The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak:  Another book that is in a genre that I really love, this time it's Historical Fiction. I've also heard that this novel is narrated from a very different point of view, Death's. I like to read books that are written in a different way that normal books every once in a while. It is also set in Nazi Germany, a very interesting time and place in history.

Titanic

                If I were a passenger on the Titanic, I would not be able to forgive the people that contributed to my death. I would not be able to forgive Captain Smith for ignoring the warnings and continuing through the area with icebergs in it. He foolishly thought that the ship was invincible and risked the lives of everyone on it. The deaths of the passengers could have been avoided had he not made such a poor decision.

Pity.

      I believe that the soldier, Karl, does deserve the pity of Simon. Karl said: "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 is willing to suffer far more for what he has done if it means that he is forgiven. I think this shows how bad he feels for what he has done and he deserves pity. It is clear that the soldier is suffering greatly. For example, "He groaned and his breath came gasping from his lungs." He has committed many evil deeds: blowing up a building full of people, shooting an unarmed, innocent family, and joining the Nazis. In spite of that, he is suffering greatly and seeking out forgiveness so desperately that though he may not deserve absolute forgiveness for his sins, I, at least, feel some pity for him.

Forgivness

A scientist that develops a biological weapon that could kill thousands does deserve to be forgiven under certain circumstances. The weapon could prevent more deaths than it causes or just be used to scare enemies to prevent war. For example, the Cold War was prevented by the large amount of nuclear weapons that both sides had. Both sides were afraid of the destruction the weapons would cause, so they never used them. Those weapons prevented a real war; therefore the scientist that developed them saved many lives and should be forgiven.