Vocaburlary

1) equivocate: to use ambiguous or unclear expressions
2) eradicate: to remove

When you go to jail you are eradicated from normal society.
3) erode: to eat into or away; destroy by slow consumption or disintegration
4) erratic: unpredictable
My life is erratic, and I love it.

5) escalate: to raise
6) esoteric: understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest
7) espouse: to marry
8) eulogy: high praise
9) euphoria: a feeling of happiness

Drugs give you a sense of Euphoria
10) euthanasia: painless death

An animal usually gets euthanised.
11) epitome: a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class; role model

Grave for Two is the epitome of failure for the music industry

Current Event

This current event was basically how LA has pot vending machines. However, here are the restrictions:
• Customers bring their prescriptions for approval at the AVMs, housed in enclosed room guarded 24/7.• They are fingerprinted and photographed.• They receive a pre-paid credit carded loaded with their individual profiles.• They choose their dosage (3.5 grams or 7 grams) and one of five strains of marijuana.• The marijuana is in capsule form and dispensed in vacuum-sealed packages.• They can buy no more than 1 ounce a week.


Peronsaly,I think this is a bad idea becuase I think people are going to abuse this. I believe that it is probaly harder to abuse this versus a regular pharmacy. However, we will see.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/01/hot-button-medi.html

"Why We Fight"

This movie was basically a whole bunch of political evidence in total non-support of the Iraq war. I saw a lot of interesting facts and details that definitely was interesting. It is basically about the forces supporting the American militia. It is also about how the military has been all too important to American life. A fact that I found really surprising was Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon—now receive among themselves over $30 billion per year in Pentagon contracts. The "military-industrial complex". Eisenhower was worried that too much intelligence, and too much business acumen in America, had become focused on the production of unnecessary weapons systems. Since his time it has only gotten worse. I don’t really know how to explain it but Eisenhower it right, and military force has only gotten stronger.

Flowers in the Attic V.C Andrews
Reason: I chose this book because I felt as if it as going to be a good book. And believe me it was. The setting of this book was in the 1950’s.
Plot: After the death of her husband, Corinne Dollanganger takes her four children Christopher, Catherine, Cory, and Carrie, and goes to live with her wealthy parents who she hasn't seen in years. Once they arrive at the forbidding mansion, Foxworth Hall, the Dollanganger children learn a terrible family secret the reason that their mother was disowned and disinherited years earlier. Which was because she married her half uncle. In order to inherit her ailing father's wealth, Corinne and her mother must hide the existence of her children. The total time that thekids were in the attic for was 3 years, 4 months, and 16 days. So Cathy and her brothers are mistreated and tortured by their evil grandmother. Day by day, week by week, month by month, Cathy, Chris, Carrie, and Cory become weaker and weaker, but there is never anyone from the outside world to notice. Their only hideaway is the attic, the one place that they can go to relive the happiness that they used to know, and only there can they begin to plan their escape, to return to the lives they used to know. They soon do escape, and that’s when you start reading “petals in the wind”, by George Orwell.
Character: The character that I am to focus on is the evil grandmother. Several times the grandmother has plotted to kill the children. Her attempts have gone as far as pouring tar on little Carries head. She is a really evil person and throughout the novel it definitely shows. The Grandmother is really old, but still in good shape. The roll she takes on is evil. I selected this character because I find her interesting. I find her interesting because of the fact that she is so mischievous.
Evaluation: I really loved this book and it kind of made my appreciate my life. You know- when you seem like your all upset but you really aren’t because in comparison to a lot of other things your life is good. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn to love life.
This book compared to real life because of the fact that this could be happening in any house, even your next door neighbors. I think this book is important for everyone to read because it would make people realize how good their life is.
If I was in the plot I would have acted the same way as Cathy, the main and oldest character. I think her decisions were very good and I support the way she acted. I wish the book wouldn’t of ended, and that the second book would just come with the first book because it gets you so wrapped up in that.
Author: The author of this book was V.C Andrews. She was basically the inventor of Gothic writing. Flowers in the Attic is her best seller. She made a few other books and they are mostly sequels.

1. intrepid - fearless
2. trepidation - fear


This picture is from FEAR FACTOR. in Fear factor the players face their worst fears.

3. despondent - hopeless
4. decorum - well mannered
5. aspire - to reach a really high set goal
6. vacillate - to change opinions

7. desultory - lacking order
A riot is very desultory. I picked a riot becuase of the fact that riots do have have order.

8. fallacy - a false belief
Cinderella is a fallacy.
9. formidable - causing fear

This charactor is very formidable in Scary Movie 2

10. heritage - practices that are handed down from the past by tradition
11. guru - an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.Ghandi is a guru. He is very good at keeping the peace.

current event

This article was about how Michagen is going to stop issueing drivers licenses to illegal immagrants. few states are still issueing them. The new policy also bars people who are legal but not permanent U.S. residents from getting licenses. Legislation to allow those on temporary work or student visas to get licenses is pending in the Legislature.The new policy applies to first-time applicants for a Michigan driver's license or identification card. Updated procedures for renewals will be released soon. This is important becuase of the fact that this is probaly a good first step in getting alot of the illegal aliens to be citizens of the united states.

Breeanna Wolford
7 Jan 07
Pelzer, Dave. “The Lost Boy”. Deerfield Beach, Florida. Health Communications. 1997
Reason: I selected this book because I found “A Child Called It” extremely inspirational and decided to read up on a follow up that book. A child called it was truly a book that I will never forget, and so it the lost boy. This novel takes place in various locations, it starts out in Daly, California but it indefinitely changes settings quite often.
Plot: The main character in this book is David Peltzer as a younger boy. In this particular book he runs away form his alcoholic mother. He got rescued by his teachers because they knew that he was being abused. His mother would starve and torture him. At times she would lock him in the bathroom with a whole bunch of bleach and cleaning supplies that you aren’t supposed inhale for long periods of time. For six years, David Pelzer was sent to over ten different foster homes; sometimes returning to the same home twice. Dave’s one fear is that his evil mother would eventually find him again, it really did haunt him. Even after the court case when she pretends to be all nice and give him a bunch of his toys. He falls back in love with her during his court cause but he then learns that she was just acting, and what a good actress she was. A lot of families promise not to give up on him, but all of them eventually do. Throughout his years in foster care the one thing David yearns for is to see his Father. In the first book you learn that his Father was once a great man, a brave fire fighter, David’s “hero”. But after years of abuse and a living hell with David’s mother, he too had turned to drink and turned his back on David. There were several times when his father would make arrangements to come and visit David, but not once did he turn up. David would convince himself that it was he that had got the times wrong and not his dad that his dad would never let him down on purpose. For a short time (after the court hearing) David had some contact with his mother. She then decided that David was to have no contact at all with “her family”, she even changed her phone number so he could no longer cal her. As the years passed David had a continual urge to see his mother. There were questions that he had wanted to ask her for years. He needed to know “why”. What had he ever done for her to treat him so bad, why was he not good enough to be a member of “the family” like his brother’s were, why did she not “love him”, why was he “it”. David knew though that he would never get any answers from his mother, he was the problem as far as she was concerned and that would never change. At the end of high school he gets bad grades because he is too interested in joining the air force. He remains in the foster care system until he turns 18, when he joins the air force. No one was ever as proud of him as his “real” family was when he joined the air force-from that point forward he referred to him as Dave the Man.
Character: The character that I will choose for this is the father. David’s father. David’s dad was a proud fireman prior to all these things that happened in the family. He was a very accomplished man, with a lot of honor. When all of this stuff starts going down he slowly looses it. He becomes an alcoholic. He really doesn’t end up liking his wife, David’s evil mom. He eventually gets a divorce and moves to San Francisco. When Dave goes and visits him their he decides that this couldn’t be the father that he once knew, Dave was dumbstruck and upset.
Evaluation: I loved this novel, and I think it fit nicely after a child called it. I really liked the ending because it was reassuring that no matter what good can come from something. I figure that Dave will be used to the army because of the way that his mother treated him. This novel made me think about how messed up child abuse is, and how much I really hate it. I would recommend this book for everyone to read, because to an extent it’s definitely life changing.
This book definitely compares to real life because things like this happen all the time, and that is just really not cool. I hate to think that as I type this there are children being abused, it just really bothers me. I think everyone should read this book before they have kids.
If I was David I would have probably acted in the same way if I didn’t decide to run and get help. However, he was really young so I understand. I loved the ending of the book and I really thought that it was perfect. J
Author: This book is actually part of a trilogy and I’m only on book three now. I plan on doing that book for my next book report. David Peltzer is seriously an amazing author, but what is more ironic is that he is actually the main character in the book two. I don’t pity him though, I applaud him.

Current Event

This article is about how Myspace is going to adopt new online safety standards to better protect children from sexual predators. Myspace is going to add better technology to screen out underage users, and to develop age and identity verification technology. Both Myspace and Facebook have come under attack by regulators for not doing enough to police their sites to shield minors from predators. Texas is the only states that this agreement is not in. MySpace said it would review every image posted to its Web site, strengthening the technology that enforces the minimum customer age of 14, and that it would default user profiles of 16- and 17-year-olds to a private category. However, one good myspace is doing is slowly jailing all of the sex offenders in the community.

I really thuoght that this artice was rediculous. Becuase to an extent it is the childs fault to ensure their safety. They really shouldn't be giving out private information online.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011400833.html?hpid=sec-tech

Thomas Paine Essay

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death”. This quote was said by Thomas Paine, and I believe it relates greatly to his manner of living. Most of Thomas Paine’s greatest accomplishments came through his writings. However, while, some his writings inspired passion, some also brought him great criticism. He had a grand vision for society: he was loyally anti-slavery, and he was one of the first to advocate for a world peace organization. He also was passionate about bringing social security for the poor and elderly to the table. But his radical views on religion would destroy his success, and by the end of his life, only a handful of people attended his funeral.
Thomas Paine produced many pamphlets in which made in infamous. The first pamphlet, however not nearly as successful as the some following, was entitled “The Case of the Officers of Excise” This was produced in 1798. At the time Paine moved to Lewes. This is where he was employed as an excise officer. This is where Paine became involved in local politics. He not only served on the town council but also established a debating club at a local inn. Paine upset his employers when he demanded a higher salary. Paine finally was fired after this episode, and he responded by publishing this pamphlet.
In 1776 he published his most famous pamphlet, entitled “Common Sense”. This was a pamphlet that attacked the British Monarchy and argued for American independence. Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. This was the best selling piece of work in the 18th century. This pamphlet caused a lot of outrage, and love, from many different types of people. For instance, one such attack, entitled Plain Truth, was from a person named James Chalmers. Chalmers called Paine a "political quack."
“The Crisis” was a series of pamphlets, published by Thomas Paine from 1776-1783 (during the American Revolution). This provided support to the patriot cause, but slandered the loyalists. The first pamphlet of the collection opened with a line that was very similar to that of Thomas Paine’s life- “These are the times that try men's souls”. This relates to Thomas Paines life because he was really good at stirring the hearts of the fledging United States during his lifetime, which definitely identifies with the revolutionary war,
During Thomas Paine’s lifetime he published two very influential books. The first powerful book was entitled “The Rights of Man” (1971). It was written as a reply to Edmund Burke’s infamous novel (that gained more attention than Thomas Paines novels) “Reflections on the Revolution in France”. “The Rights of Man”, basically embodies the ideas of liberty and human equality. Many of the ideas in the book come from the concepts of the Age of Enlightenment and John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. This put England in quite in uproar. At this point in time Thomas Paine left for France. This came at the perfect timing because this was around the time when Thomas Paine was put on trial and convicted for seditious libel against the crown. He later published the same book for a more reasonable price so more working class people could buy it in France.
The second book that he published was entitled “The Age of Reason”. This is the last book he wrote. This book centers almost entirely around Christianity. To Thomas Paine, it made sense to question everything in order to make valid answers possible. He puts forth many questions in this book regarding Christianity, confronting many beliefs with pure and rational reason. This book basically challenges the inerrancy of the bible. This book was inexpensive, was it was able to get into the hands of less-elite people. More people bought it. This book inspired many British freethinkers of the nineteenth Century. This book did not bring nearly as much controversy as those of the past decades.
Paine remained in America until 1802 when he returned to the United States, on an invitation from Thomas Jefferson. He returned during the second great awakening, which was a time of great political partnership. Upon his return to America not that many people were fond of him. The religious people hated him because of “The Age of Reason.” The Federalists attacked him for his views on government depicted from “Common Sense”.
Seven years later, in 1809, Thomas Paine died. Only 6 people attended his funeral. This is because one by one his closest friends soon abandoned him. Two of the six people were of African descent, which was widely looked down on at the time. People said that they were most likely freedmen who had much gratitude towards Paine. Supposedly, years later, a radical named William Cobbett dug up his bones in order for them to be shipped back to England so a more “fitting” funeral could come about. Twenty years later, when William died, the bones were still among his possessions. No body had any clear idea about the whereabouts of these bones, but people have sworn to having some part of Thomas Paine- a leg, or a skull.
It can definitely be said that Thomas Paine lived a very productive life. Despite the fact that few actually attended his funeral, it probably can’t be said that many people appreciated his creativity at the time. “The Age of Reason” was probably the one book that definitely completely diminished Thomas Paine’s successful life. Thomas Paine was an amazing guy with a lot of knowledge that never went wasted.
Works Cited
"Thomas Paine." Wikipedia. 6 Jan. 2008. Wikimedia. 6 Jan. 2008 .
"Tom Paine." Spartacus. 6 Jan. 2008 .

Perloff, James.” Tornado in a Junkyard, the relentless myth of Darwinism”. Arlington, MA. Refugee Books. 1999.

Reason: During break I read a fantastic book called “Tornado in a Junkyard, the relentless myth of Darwinism” by James Perloff. Considering this is not a usual book that could easily follow the book report standards I will try my best to give you an in-depth look at this book while trying to cover some of the key concepts that I read about. This book is basically disproving Darwinism. I thought it would be an interesting book because I completely agreed with Darwinism prior to this book. That is the reasoning behind as to why I picked it. The setting would be in America, at around this time. No major developments have really happened that could disprove this book up to this point.
Plot: There are many different shaping points in this book. In the beginning (the 1960’s) he gives an account of his life prior to becoming an adult. He tells us about his prior, anti-Christian, liberal background. He explains how Darwinism is being taught as a fact today in schools. It is being taught as though it is as provable as the law of gravity, even though Charles Darwin himself called it "grievously too hypothetical." He states this in a negative tone, as if it shouldn’t be taught in schools. It slowly gets into the facts that support the fact that Darwinism is invalid. Fossil records are an issue in the book. A more interesting point would be why genetic mutations can't create higher life forms. He answered the question “What good is half an eye”. His explanation of irreducible complexity explains why half an organ won't win any battles for survival. To quote the book- "To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree." Then he also Then he points out that the classification system which is based on the fact that there are distinct differences in species. If evolution were true, it should be hard to classify animals because there should be so many intermediate forms. It would be like trying to divide a rainbow into distinct colors. That was something that I found really interesting. An interesting question that popped up during the end of chapter four was “why re extinction rates today are so high, and modern evolution is unknown.” That question, sadly, went unanswered. Darwinian evolution depends on the premise that there is no limit to the changes that can be achieved by selective reproduction. The next couple of chapters point out the limits to breeding. Species can vary only as much as the pre-existing genetic material allows. For instance, you cannot breed a dog and a cat, which disproved the whole Darwinism ordeal on that particular subject. Something that I found astounding was that according to evolutionists, pre-biotic molecules came together by chance and formed the first living cell. This book examines the probability of that happening, and concludes that it is just not possible. Later in the book the focus moves towards astronomy and not so much human evolution. It discusses human growth patterns and leaves me with a stunning statistic- that if there was only two people left on earth it would only take 6,300 years to get to the current population of 6 billion. There was more stuff in the book that talked about how we resemble dinosaurs, but it really got confusing with a lot of different pictures. The book ends with a brief overview of Christian beliefs and basically wants the reader to become Christian.
Character: there were no characters in the book besides the author who explained himself in the beginning as a very liberal person. His viewpoints definitely change from the beginning to the end, but it was more of an abrupt change right after chapter one when he starts talking about his adulthood, and evolution, and all the fun stuff.
Evaluation: I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very educational. I usually do not like reading scientific novels but this one kept me going for the longest time. The only time I actually got a little bored was during the end when it got confusing. There were a lot of parts in the book that I needed clarification, in which I never received. However, it didn’t really affect this report thus far. I would recommend this book to someone who believes in the Darwin Theory, who someone who hasn’t decided what they believe. I did not really agree with the ending because it talked about how to be saved, and a whole bunch of Christian values that I do not currently believe in, however my views constantly change.
How does this book compare to real life? This book is actually all real. It is a non-fiction book that I enjoyed very much. This book seems to have a lot of to do with Christianity though; a Christian would enjoy reading this a lot more than probably a Mormon (Just a thought). I think everyone should read this book to just broaden their views.
Put yourself in the plot: This is N/A because their isn’t really a plot as much as just hard factual evidence.
Author: James Perloff was a contributing editor to “The New American” for several years. He has another book entitled “the shadows of power” which is about Americas Foreign policy. I liked this particular book, but I do not wish to read more by this author at this particular time.