Raleigh's Reading Bucketlist

1. Thirteen Reasons Why - By Jay Asher:  Mrs. Gillmore was talking about books in class and suggested this book for us to read.  She gave us a brief discription and I was hooked and decided to add it to the list of books I want to read this year.
2. 50 Shades of Grey - By EL James: Hastings is usually where I find all the books that I want to read.  I was looking for books in Hastings and 50 Shades of Grey stood out to me, the cover looks kind of dark, but the story line isn't.  I asked people about it and they said it was a good book, for a mature audience.
3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - By Seth Grahame: The movie, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, was amazing.  Many people I've asked, including my English teacher, have told me that it's a great read also, so I decided it should be on my bucket list of books to read.
4. 50 Shades Darker - By EL James:
5. {Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie} - By Lubar:
6. Shadow and Bone - By Leigh Bardugo: I was walking through Hastings looking for interesting books to read, when I saw this book out of the corner of my eye.  The cover art for the book was awesome, it looked like it could be a really cool book, so I read the back and was instantly hooked on the story.
7. The Great Gatsby - By Scott Fitzgerald: I've recently been seeing more and more commercial for the movie The Great Gatsby.  I heard from my dad that it's a book as well, so I went to Hastings to look for it. I found and bought it because the trailer from the movie commercial was enough to make me want to read the book, and the books are usually better than the movies.
8. Slayer Chronicles - By Heather Brewer: I read the entire Chronicles of Vladimir Todd series and kept my self updated with Heather Brewers upcoming novels and books.  After the Chronicles of Vladimir Todd series she decided to make a series about the slayers that were hunting Vlad, who is a vampire in the series.  It was the best series of book I've ever read, so I decided to read the Slayer Chronicles.
9. Blackout - By John Rocco
10. I Am Number Four - By Pittacus Lore:

Remembering 9/11

By rebuilding the WTC, America is making a statement saying that we will not give up and let anyone else beat us into submission.  In the article we/re told about all the memorials being built around the new WTC.  They are being constucted so that we never forget what happened on 9/11, but that we're rebuilding to show we cannot be beaten and we will never give up. Building the new WTC is a great thing because it gives every American proof that our country is strong and that we will let everyone else know that we cannot be beaten down, we will always stand up and fight back whether it's fighting a war or making a statement like we are now.

The Titanic

If I were a male on the Titanic, it would be very hard for me to forgive the officers and the captain. They left me there to die a very painful death and it's all their faults. The life boats were only filled about half way up, and I could have been on one of them. It was the officers responsibility to get as many people as possible on the life boats. The captain should have been paying attention to everything that was going on around him. He paid no attention to the ice warnings and he didn't slow down for the ice berg even though he knew he would hit it.

The Sunflower

Yes, this man deserves pity from Simon. In the text it states that "Believe me, I would be ready to suffer worse and longer pains if by that means I could bring back the dead, at Dnepropetrovsk." By saying that, he shows that he really is sorry for everything that he has done, and if he had to suffer longer more hurtful pains, he would, if it meant bringing back the lives of those that were killed. Also, the man states "I am well aware of my condition and all the time I have been lying here I have never stopped thinking of the horriible deed at Dnepropetrovsk. If only I had not survived that shell." This man is saying that he would rather have died than to take the lives of others. The whole entire time he has been laying there, on his death bed, he was thinking of all the horrible things he did and is feeling guilty for them.

Forgiveness is Key

A soldier obeys his commander's order to shoot an unarmed mother and child.  This soldier was being courageous by killing an innocent mother and child.  He had to follow the orders or he might have been kicked out of the military.  Sure some of you might think he was being "selfish" but the truth is, he could have been doing it for the United States.  He wants to keep fighting for his country, so he did as he was told.  If he would not have done it, someone else who was more obedient would have been chosen to finish the job AND the man who refused would have been kicked out of the military, so it's a lose lose situation if he were to refuse.

Pioneer Stadium

As I walk onto the field, the B.O just fills my nostrils with a disgusting smell, the aroma of cologne mixed with sweat is not the best smell. The play clock starts to run, and Mario goes to kick the ball, it flies 42 yards and then the game begins. My adrenaline starts to pump and I'm ready to tackle someone, the hit is an instant burst of pain, but also a sense of achievement. It's the four and three, and all we have to do is hold them for one more down without letting them advance three more yards.  The center hikes the ball, and I sack the quarter back, it's as if I almost broke every bone in his fragile body.  Their defensive line has all beast's on it, and I'm a little bit worried.  I come out to talk to coach, and the trainers rush over and ask if I need anything, I need something to drink, so they give me purple grape flavored gatorade.  There're thirty seconds left in the game and we're up by three touchdowns.  The crowd goes wild and everybody is screaming.  After we win, we tell the other team "Good game", then we run over to the stand and sing the fight song for the fans.

Advertisement Analysis

Intensive factory farming is a method of raising large quantities of animals in a very controlled, unnatural setting, for the purpose of a mass producing ia "product" for human consumption.  The terrible treatment of these animals is a topic of great concern, so it has been the subject of ads that plead for the help of the general public.  "Billions of animals suffer the unnecessary pain and cruelty" as a result of intensive factory farming. We can stop the cruelty byu working together to spread awareness, to raise funds and to improve the current treatment of these animals.
       Most people are digusted when they hear stories of animal cruelty.  We do not want to be the ones responsible for the horrifying suffering of the animals we raise to feed ourselves.  A recent magazine ad describing the cruel treatment of piglets "without anesthetic," offers a comparison of the pain the animal feels with the same pain a human would feel.  This comparison brings the plight of the animals involved in intensive factory farming to a level of underswtanding we can identify with.  We are informed by the organization Compassion in World Farming, that the treatment of the animals raised in this environment is "unnecessary" and "cruel".  They state that "together" it would be possible to help these animals with the donations they collect.  The is no doubt that intensive factory farming is an unnatural way to raise animals, so the least we can do for them is to treat them humanely.
        The structure of the magazine ad is meant to get your attention and to make you sad.  The stark appearance of the black and white photograph of a helpless, innocent piglet makes its point.  The statement describing what is done to the "piglets teeth" before slaughter is sickening.  The Compassion in World Farming organization uses this method of adverstising to effectively make the reader pay attention to the desperate need to change the treatment of these animals.  They then offer a plea to the public to have compassion, and tghey try to get the public to take action to help.
         I do not like the idea of factory farming, and i wish it would not be necessary.  I do believe that we are running out of the physical space we need to raise animals to feed our growing world population.  Thus, making intensive factory farming a necessary evit.  I also believe that we have a responsibility to respect everything on this earth, and i agree with the organization placing this ad when it states that we should "work together to stop" the cruel, unnecessary pain inflicted upon these animals.