Unwind

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, is a novel intent on showing the value of life. Based after a fictional war called the Heartland War, a war fought over abortion rights in the United States, the three warring parties agree to something called the "Bill of Life". The Bill of Life legalizes unwinding, which is a process of harvesting all of a child's parts and giving them to people who need them. The compromise is that the child doesn't die they live in a "divided state". If a child is considered to be a bad or useless child by his or her parents, the parents can sign an "unwinding order" which is a irreversible order to allow your child to be unwound.

The story follows three main characters, Connor, Risa, and Lev. Connor is a 16 year old boy living in Ohio. He has a girl friend, a brother, and a pretty normal life, accept for the fact that his parents are having him unwound. As he is en route to the unwinding facility called a harvesting camp he escapes and ends up rescuing two other would-be unwinds in the aftermath. He Saves Lev, a 13 year old boy who has been brainwashed his entire life into wanting to be unwound. Connor also saves Risa, a piano prodigy and a very smart girl. Lev was a burden on the two want-to-be escapees as he drags his feet and tries to get them caught. The changing point for Lev is when he calls his childhood mentor and religious leader, Pastor Dan. He tells Pastor Dan that he has been kidnapped and that he wants to be rescued, but Pastor Dan tells him to keep running so that Lev can grow up and do something with his life.

  The best scene in the book, in my opinion, is the scene in which one of the minor characters, Roland, is unwound. It is very detailed and also very dark as you watch in your mind's eye the doctors take him away piece by piece, and how the doctors talk about stuff like football as they operate on the kid. Another interesting element to the book is when Lev meets a kid named Cy, a kid with part of an unwind's brain. The unwind whose brain Cy has was probably unwound because he had a love of stealing. the part of Cy's brain from the unwind sometimes takes over and make Cy do things he wouldn't usually do. One of the best emotional parts in the book is when a character named the Admiral gathers all of the people who received parts of his unwound son and got the to remember what it was like to be his son. The usually stoic Admiral bursts into tears as he says good bye to his son for the last time.   

  This book talks a lot about about some of the social issues we talked about last year, like abortion rights. This book appears to be against abortion. It shows how each of the characters is important and has the will to live. It shows how it is wrong to take the life of a living thing. How Lev is a very smart and kind boy who would live a successful life, but almost had his life taken away from him. We talked a little bit about that last year, and we were mostly pro choice, and this book shows the other side very artfully.

  This is one of the best books I have read this year and reminds me a lot of the book/movie, The Island. The characters are well developed and you never want to put the book down. I think is book should definitely be a reading bowl book next year. I would have never read this book unless it was a reading bowl book and I am very happy I got to read it.

MI chief: Iran and Russia giving Syria advanced weapons
By JPOST.COM STAFF
11/02/2010 16:40                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            General Amos Yadlin, head of Israeli Military Intelligence, made his final address to the FADC (Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee). He warned about Syria getting high tech weapon systems from Russia and Iran. He also warned that Hizbullah was next in line for the high tech weapons, because Syria is still in good relations with them.

This article is important because Syria is a dangerous country, that is trying to make peace with Israel, but also supporting terrorist groups. A powerful high tech Syria is dangerous for countries in the region. 

Parent Conference!

Hopefully for this years parent/teacher conference my teachers won't have anything to bad to say about me. I think when the conference occurs my teacher will talk about how I've done in our class's current event quiz bowl, which is undefeated, about my short story I am writing for writing class, or just maybe about writing class in general. A subject that might come up in conversation could be about me and my role as head of the Cleaning Committee, and how I have tried to the best of my ability to get people to clean, and maintain a clean classroom. I hope Martha and Greg, my teachers, will talk about how I have participated in class, and how I'm not as talkative with my friends as last year. At the conference, Martha and Greg can talk about anything about that happened over the course of this year, because I'm confident that I have been a good student and that I haven't done anything that is to bad. The year I'm confident that any report from my teachers will not be one that will get me in any trouble with my parents and hope that my confidence is not misplaced. I have tried to be a good student this year so that I will be ready for high school next year.

Pontis tops Technology Fast 50 list
By SHARON WROBEL
10/19/2010 07:01
Israel’s fastest-growing technology companies grew average 740% in five years. 

Even in this time of economic hardship Israel is still doing well in terms of hightec companies. On averaged the Technology Fast 50 List (Israel's 50 fastest growing technology companies) grew on average 740%. But some companies grew even faster with Tufin Technologies Inc., #2 on the Technology Fast 50 List, clocking in at 5,359% in the past four years. Kontera Technologies Inc., No. 3, grew 3,689% over the past five years.

US, Israel: Iran among 'greatest challenges' to stability
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
10/19/2010 12:13
Joint statement: Iran's continued noncompliance with int'l atomic obligations, continued support for terrorist entities, of grave concern.

In a joint statement the US and Israel said that Iran is the biggest roadblock to stability in the Middle East and that they are still against Iran developing nuclear capabilities (for weapons). Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon did not talk about the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestine, but both did confirm that Israel and USA are still in favor of them. 

Jerusalem Post Article

"Abbas Demands New Settlement Freeze before Talks Continue." Jpost.com. Jerusalme Post, 7 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. .Israel and the PA have run into yet another road block in the peace talks. Palastinian Athority Presidant Mahmoud Abbas said that he would not continue peace talks with Israel unless they freeze settlement building. The U.S.A. have preposed a two month settlement freeze so that Israel and the PA could come to the table together.Yasser Abed-Rabo, a chief PLO official, said that he would not talk to Israel if Prime Minester Binyamin Netenyahu continues his current policies.

Twist

Twist is a Americanized version of Charles Dicken's novel Oliver Twist. The main character in the play Twist is a mixed racial orphan in Prohibition era New Orleans. Much like an archetype orphan, who needs a family and will do anything for love, he is also a "mulatto" who cannot identify with a racial group, an therefore is not accepted by either. This non-acceptance is shown in a key line. In the orphanage he is being teased by a group of kids when one says, "I have White Pride, and he has Black Pride, what do you have? No pride."

  Lucius is the antagonist of the story, and is also the wealthy uncle of Twist. Revealed early in the story, and was made easy to forget, was the scene of the KKK lynching Roosevelt King. Lucius is the brother of Roosevelt's girlfriend. He was also one of four KKK members that killed Roosevelt King. This might strike you as portraying Lucius as a racist, but i disagree. When every one is calling Twist names for being mixed racial, he is merely calling him his nephew. He is purely a money driven person who will do evil to anyone as long as money is his reward.

      As amazing as the play was, I thought that the play did not use it's cast to it's full potential. More difficult and eye pleasing dances would have been a welcome sight in the mostly vocal production. Other than that and a few rounding out of rough edges, this play is very close to being ready for broad way!

Ghana

I have decided to send the kids in Ghana a small Green Bay Packers symbol. Football is a big part of American culture so I decided to send them the symbol of my favorite team. In class we talked about what is American culture, so I picked this symbol for that reason. Me and my dad love to watch the Packer game every Sunday and although they can't watch the game, I hope they enjoy it.