Blog #4

In the Los Angeles Times, Michael Hiltzik wrote an article about the legislature contemplating pulling the plug on Medical Board. The board does its share that it needs to, but it has become a danger to the community. Many patients have died, doctors have continued to work after their malpractice has surfaced, and clinics have been open for years after dangerous conditions have been identified. The board is facing a crisis of its own, it is up for legislative re-authorization, the legislature is talking about taking out the current membership and their executive director. The board stands by while its program is falling to pieces, and the medical centers which they have opened are becoming nonexistent. People are dying in the hands of these doctors, and they are the ones who are suppose to keep the patients safe, this the board should already know but it came to them out of know where and seemed a bit odd. The medical board agreed to accept tougher disciplinary action, but never fulfilled that promise. The board executive, said that tougher disciplinary action was not needed unless a patient complained  about a doctor. The medical board has all the power it needs to start investigations on its own, it just chooses not to.

Blog #3

In the Los Angeles Times, Garrett Therolf wrote an article about problems in the foster care agency. Auditors found out that the workers at Teens Happy Homes, the private foster care agency was buying beer and cigarettes with the money given by the government for child care. They would also write checks to themselves worth thousands of dollars and keep no receipts. The county board of Supervisors tripled the value of the agency and continued its contract. Besides the agency using the money on everything except the children, they also repeatedly abused and neglected the children. Many people had opinions about this, some said that if this continues then Teens will be shut down, and serious actions will be taken. Philip Browning, director of the Department of Children and Family Services, said that he will figure out what is the issue and try to fix it immediately. Beautina Robinson, who is Teens chief executive also grew up in foster homes, and knows what living in that type of situation is like. Because Teens is a private group it is loosely monitored, and is audited once a decade. In 2003, there was a sewage problem which destroyed most of the financial records of the agency, and the amount of records that was found showed a sense of chaos. There was $46,000 worth of beer and cigarettes bought from the government money for child care, and the company bookkeeper, wrote $13,000 in checks to herself. The auditors told county officials, to consider contracting with this agency again, but the agency retained its contract, and the auditor never went to the agency for further examination.

Blog #2

In the Los Angeles Times, Ken Dilanian and Brian Bennett wrote an article about the suspects confessing that they were the only two involved in the bombings of Boston. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ,19 one of the surviving suspects of the bombings of the Boston Marathon, told FBI officials that he and his brother had no help from other terrorist groups. Federal agents asked many questions to the suspect, trying to figure out the reasons behind the bombings, and shortly after they read him his charges and Miranda rights. He now remains in the Boston hospital. Officials concluded that the older brother,  Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26 who died earlier that week from a shootout with the police, had not met with Islamist militants on his six month trip to Russia. Experts say that the two brothers had been working alone, were self-radicalized, and had gathered bomb recipes from several websites. Terrorism expert Brian Jenkins, says that the brothers fit a description or pattern of alienated young men who embraced Islamic extremism on the internet. However, investigators continue to look into Tamerlan's trip to Russia, where he met with a militant whom the Russians are tracking. The FBI had interviewed Tamerlan in 2011, because of the Russians request, however they did not find any reason to continue the investigation. FBI was not aware of Tamerlans travel, because of his misspelled name on the flight information. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, on Tuesday told a Senate panel, that the US Customs and Border Protection, was alerted when Tamerlan boarded a flight to Russia. And by the time he returned from Russia all investigations was closed.

Blog #1

In the Los Angeles Times, Michael A. Memoli has written an article about Vice President Joe Biden, saying a few words about the suspects and the victims. He begins by stating that the terrorists have seen over and over again that the American people are not afraid and are heroic, especially the ones in Boston. At the memorial service on Wednesday for the police officer who was killed because of the attack Sean Collier, Biden spoke on behalf of the heroic police officer, and said that the two terrorists Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev  were cowards. He makes it clear to all listening that the American people are not intimidated and that we will not bend for anyone. The memorial service had thousands of people, police officers, there were speeches, silence at times when needed, bagpipes and music from Boston native James Taylor, and a flyover by police helicopters. Rob Rogers, Sean Colliers' brother said that he loved law enforcement, and would have loved to have seen the arrests of the criminals. "He was born to be a police officer, and he lived out his dreams," Rogers said(LA Times). John DiFava, said that he felt betrayed by the society they try so hard to protect. However he was honored to have such an amazing officer working with him, one whose goal was to prevent issues from becoming problems. MIT's president  L. Rafael Reif, said that many students wrote notes for Colliers memorial service, some about him, and one in particular caught his eye, and it said that out of uniform it was as if Sean Collier was a student, because he blended in so well with the geeky style of the students. "He truly was one of us," Reif said(LA Times).

Stereotypes

1)What factors contribute to such prejudice and how?
2) Is it possible to grow to adulthood without harboring at least some prejudice toward certain groups?

A stereotype is something that people grow up hearing about, and they assume that it is true, and go along with them. Factors that can contribute to prejudice can vary, from television, media, people one associates themselves with, and parental attitudes. The television is one thing that everyone watches, and listens to, whatever the news says most of the time people believe, and certain television  shows kids watch brainwash them into thinking in a certain way. Friends can have a big influence on a child, especially when they are first beginning to understand certain things, and are developing. What friends say, what opinions they have, and what they believe can have an influence on the other child, just starting to form an opinion about that particular situation. A child's parents also contribute to prejudice, when a child is growing up, they do not have a clear opinion about everything, they don't know everything yet, and have not become familiar with all of the stereotypes in the world that others have created. However, what the child knows, and if the child believes in the same stereotypes is all up to the parents, if the parents believe in a certain stereotype then they are going to push the same mentality on their child. The parents decide, when their child is at a young age what they know, and what type of a mentality they will have, it is all based on the parents attitude. Even though there are stereotypes in the world, and it is something that one has no control over, I believe that one can always stop being judgmental if they try. I believe that one can go to adulthood without stereotypes, but one can also believe in stereotypes but choose to not judge someone or spread those stereotypes. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and if they choose to think a certain way about someone they have the right to, but having an opinion and just being rude are two totally different things. If someone chooses to have an opinion about something is fine as long as they are not rude about it. I have opinions, but to the people whom I have opinions about I am never rude or do I show a bad vibe to them. There are going to be stereotypes in the world whether we like them or not, but what we choose to do with those opinions is something each and every person needs to work on.

Teens in a Rape Trial

In an article in the Los Angeles Times, written by Tina Susman two teenage boys are in a trial for rape. The judge sentenced the two boys at least one year in juvenile detention, for raping a classmate. There was text messages, tweets, and pictures shared by the defendants and their friends that the judge and the jury observed. The two boys were Ma’Lik Richmond, 16, and Trent Mays, 17, who could be held in the juvenile detention until they are twenty-one. Mays was also convicted, because he had nudity on his cell phone, of another minor, and was sentenced an additional year in detention. As the verdict was being said, the two boys began to cry as did the attorneys, and family member appealed for leniency. The judge felt as though these were serious charges and the boys have to be punished even though this was the first time they had ever been in trouble with the law. Both boys apologized in their own words, and sincerely meant it. The two boys said their goodbyes to their families before being taken into custody to serve their sentences. This trial caught national attention, it touched other topics besides the accusation, other women began to compare this trial to others. Others began to question why teenagers should be allowed without parental guidance go from one party to the next at which there is alcohol present. Many agreed that without social media the case may have never came to court. The girl did not even remember what happened last night, and she found out about all of it through the pictures and chatter online. The girl and her parents went to the police on August 14, and the boys were convicted eight days later. The trial included graphic pictures of the girl, eyewitnesses, and testimonies. This could happen anywhere, and teens should be very careful in what they drink, who they hang out with, and what they do at parties. The boys did a horrible thing , but it is partially the girls fault for drinking so much, rejecting her friends request to stay with them, and passing out by the boys. One should always be sober enough to take care of themselves, and granted she wasn't that intoxicated the boys would have not taken advantage of her. However their actions are wrong on so many levels, and they deserve to be punished, a year or two will suffice.

A Protest for Gay Rights

In the Los Angeles Times, there was an article about two men being kicked out of the mall for showing affection to one another. A week prior to the protest, the two men, Daniel Chesmore and Jose Guzman were at the Westfield Galleria in Roseville. They were approached by a security guard who told them that if they kissed one more time, then they would have to leave the mall. All the two men were doing was showing affection toward one another which consisted of holding hands and kissing. “I kissed him on the cheek. That’s how my boyfriend and I show affection, Daniel Chesmore told Fox 40"(LATimes). And on Saturday, a week later supporters of gay rights stood outside the galleria, protesting for the two men that were disrespected, for doing something that is natural and every other couple does. Galleria officials welcomed the event. and they said that they wanted people to feel comfortable, and the event organizers were happy to know that the event was allowed, and they hope everyone who has heard the story, stands up and protects gay rights and equality. When the security guard approached the couple, they began recording the conversation, “If you continue to kiss, you will be asked to leave the mall. Period,” a voice on the recording, apparently the security guard, said. “I counted you guys kissing 25 times. I told you before, we contact any couple ... about this”(LATimes). Chesmore is a student at UC Berkley, and Guzman is a Berkley graduate, and both felt as though they are treated differently because they are gay, and it made them sad to know that that is how people think and behave. Gay people are human beings as well, just like anyone else, and they should receive the same treatment and get the same rights as anyone else. People deserve to be treated equally without any objection.

My Party!!

If I had a $100,000 and I wanted to plan a party it would be amazing. My theme would be grunge, for the people who don't know that's like rock, chique, like a sort of hipster look. The party would be open to everyone, whoever hears about can come. The party will take place on a roof top, which will have a pool, so the people can jump in if they want to, they can bring their bathing suits or their will be free ones given out to the guests that do not have their own. On the roof there will be different sections, and in each people are doing their own thing. The roof would be divided in different sections, the sections will include; hookah, drinks such as alcohol, a live band, and more. The roof will be covered with different colored lights as if the guests are at a rave, and there will be smoke in the air. The lights are going to be amazing and in people's faces, and the smoke is going to fill the air, and when the people are drunk they won't be able to see a thing, which will make it even more fun. There will be different colors of neon lights in the air, and because it's on a roof and there is open space the wind will be in the peoples hair and I know that the guests will love this sort of theme.

There will be a section of the party just for hookah, where there will be someone who will be setting up the hookahs with different flavors for all the guests who want to smoke. As the people line up to get their own hookah, there is music that is played. The guests get there hookah, and with friends whom they showed up with they can go wherever they want and smoke their own hookah. Alcohol will also be served, and other beverages of course, as everyone knows most people do drugs at parties like this, so drugs will be available to whomever wants it. During the party there will be different sections where people are playing beer pong and different drinking games.

At the same time this is happening food is on the tables for people to get for themselves, my party is not a conservative party, it is a fun, young, party where no one cares about anything but partying. People are also dancing and listening to music, many artists are performing, from ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lil Wayne, TYGA, Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, Wiz Khalifa, and many more. There will be approximately 3,000 people all who came in order to let loose and have a good time. This will be a party that all of the guests will remember for the rest of their lives, it is going to be filled with fun, alcohol, drugs, music, entertainment, and people who all want to have a good time.

Gun Show

In the Los Angeles Times, an article was written by Alene Tchekmedyian, which is about people protesting during the gun show on Saturday. There was a gun show on Saturday in Glendale, at the Civic Auditorium, and many people were there protesting because the Glendale City Council wants to ban gun shows. Many people were there with American flags, posters, banners, and horns protesting their right to the second Amendment. The City Council is making this decision based on what happened at Sandy Hook, in Connecticut, however people feel that taking away guns or gun shows from the good people will not entirely take them away from the bad ones. However, there were people there for other reasons, they were Representatives of Occupy Democracy, Pasadena, and they believed that there should be stricter gun laws and ban on gun sales on public property. Some people felt as though civilians do not need guns, and they are not needed in civilian society, such as Judy McAdoo, which said, "I don't think police should be outgunned by a civilian,” adding that high-capacity magazines and assault rifles should be banned. “There's no use for those in a civilized society”. People felt that by having this type of sale on public property, that Glendale was saying that it is okay to sell guns on public property and was endorsing it. "But just a third of the booths at the gun show were selling firearms" said Chuck Michel, a legal consultant for the gun show. "Vendors also stocked gun accessories, backpacks, Hello Kitty lunch boxes and beef jerky". Last year the gun show made fifty four thousand dollars in parking and rental revenue from three gun shows that were conducted. Someone felt as though if people like playing with guns so much they should just join the army. Another responded to this comment by saying that having guns is a form of personal projection, and that if guns were banned completely then only criminals will have them. There were lines all around the auditorium of people waiting to get in , and also there were people coming out with bags of ammunition, gun bags, and other accessories. Many felt as though the gun shows were good for Glendale's economy, and that banning the gun shows will not save any lives.

1920's Clothing

   

The 1920’s were a decade of fashion and men and women were beginning to change their attire in different ways. Women abandoned their more restricting fashions and began to wear more comfortable clothes such as skirts and trousers, and men abandoned their work attire for athletic clothing. As World War I was over people became more optimistic and more into fashion and having a good time. Women began to enter the work force, and started to wear different styles of clothing, they became known as flappers because of what they wore and corsets became a thing of the past. Cotton and wool clothing was not used anymore, and silk was a fabric that was luxurious and expensive because of the quantity of it. Rayon was considered to be "artificial silk", and when it became patented in the United States it was used for almost everything. Post-war fashion changed as soon as the war was over, there were still the conservative women who wore dresses, but the young women wore more athletic sportswear. The "flapper" look was that the dresses were more functional and flattened the bust line rather than accentuating it. They wore the straight line chemise topped by the close fitting cloche hat, which became the uniform of the day. The dresses were low waisted and had fullness at the hemline which allowed women to kick their heels for new dances like the Charleston. The women also changed their hairstyles, and now they all had the bob cut, which gave them a more boyish look. The men’s attire was different; they wore short sleeved suits and long ones for more formal occasions. Menswear was characterized by high-waisted jackets, often worn with belts. Trousers were relatively narrow and straight, and were worn cuffed at the bottom. In 1925, wider trousers came into fashion, commonly known as Oxford bags, while suit jackets returned to a normal waist and lapels became wider and were often peaked. During the 1920's double-breasted vests often worn with single-breasted jackets became fashionable. Men had a variety of sports clothes including sweaters and short trousers, but for more formal occasions men wore tuxedos. Clothing during the 1920's already relates to the story because in the story we are in 1922, which is the time period when it all began to change. And during Gatsby's luxurious parties, this type of clothing is described by the narrator, and the guests are all wearing these types of fashion.

"Former O.C. Attorney Suspected of killing Ex-Wife On Cruise" by Andrew Blankstein

In the Los Angeles Times Andrew Blankstein, wrote an article about a former attorney suspected of killing his ex-wife on a cruise. Lonnie Kocontes, a former attorney from Mission Viejo, was arrested in Florida for killing his ex-wife Micki Kanesaki, of Ladera Ranch for financial gain in 2006. Authorities said, that the suspect was a former Orange County attorney, who on a cruise across the Italian Coast, strangled his wife and threw her overboard. The suspect is 55 years old and a former resident of Mission Viejo, and the victim 52, a former resident of Ladera Ranch. The suspect was arrested at his home in Safety Harbor, Florida on Friday. He is charged with one felony charge for special circumstance for financial gain. "If convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole and would be eligible for the death penalty, authorities said. Kocontes, who is being held without bail, faces extradition proceedings at a date to be determined"(LATimes). Authorities said that Kocontes was going to benefit from his wife’s death, and that he was the beneficiary for several of their bank accounts, and would receive proceeds from the sale of their home. The couple divorced in 2001, and was in the middle of court battles, when they decided to put aside their differences and go on a Mediterranean vacation together. "Kocontes is suspected of killing his wife on the night of May 25, 2006, or the morning of May 26, by strangling her and throwing her body overboard, authorities said"(LAtimes). At the time the suspect said his wife was missing, and that she had gone out when they were in bed to get a cup of tea and never returned. Her body was found on May 27, by the coast guard in the sea near Reggio di Calabria. "I wish I knew what happened," Kocontes was quoted as saying at the time (LATimes). He told authorities that his wife spoke of committing suicide, but an autopsy showed that the victim had been strangles. " Kocontes is accused of attempting to transfer $1 million between various banks accounts with his new wife, Katherine, in 2008, authorities said. The FBI began investigating the money transfers for possible illegal activity and the U.S. attorney's office ultimately seized the money from Kocontes' bank account. A civil asset forfeiture case was subsequently filed in U.S. District Court in California"(LATimes). On Wednesday the district attorney's office filed its murder case against Kocontes.

 

The Daily Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZj_g-7lCbU

On Youtube.com there is a video by The Daily Show, whose link is on top. The video has three particular parts two of which are fairly similar. Jon Stewart, satirizes about a women who is a gun rights activist, Obama's skeet shooting criticism, and has Jason Bateman on the show. The first satirical target, is a gun rights activist, who exaggerates the fact that women who have children need guns if three, four, or five, criminals enter her house and she needs a scary-looking gun to protect her children and herself. Second, would be the people who criticize Barack Obama, because of his skeet shooting photograph that was released. Third, he does not necessarily satirize Jason Bateman, whom he has on the show, however Jason Bateman shows his narcissistic side. For the first target the satirical purpose is to show people how ridiculous these gun rights activists are, and how they try to paint an exaggerated picture inside people's heads to prove their point, and how stupid they sound. The second satirical purpose is to show Americans that whatever Obama does that the people who do not like him will continue not to like him. The President can do anything good or bad, but the haters will remain haters, they will criticize him for anything. And the third purpose is to show the viewers Jason Batemans narcissistic side, which they may not have seen before. For the first target diminution and exaggeration is used, because he takes a video, and uses simpler and funnier words to prove his point, that the activist is exaggerating, and unless she is living in during the Alamo than her point will never happen. For the second, diminution is used again and so is innuendo, because he takes a very complicated situation of the people who are not for Obama and the actions he makes, and puts it into a rhyming book. He satirizes the haters by telling a story of how they do not like anything he does, however he also uses innuendo because he directly insults the people who do not like Barack Obama. For the third target, since it was not a direct satirical target none of the satirical devices were used. From all the three targets, Jon Stewart wants us to know that one, nothing that extreme is going to ever happen, and the gun rights activist just simply sounds stupid calling the gun a scary looking gun, second that Barack Obama is a great President, and people that do not like him will not like him even if he does something amazing, and third that even actors can have a narcissistic side to them.

"Parents Finally Tell 2-Year-Old About 9/11"

The article "parents finally telling their 2 year old about 9/11", was written on January 30, 2013 in theOnion.com. This event took place in Miami, Florida. A couple living in Miami who have a two year old son, decided that it was time that they should sit down with their son and have a discussion about what took place on September 11, 2001. The couple are Brad and Jeannine Musgrave, and their son is Conner. The parents sat Conner down and gave him a half hour detailed description of the event, the four hijackings, the collapse of the Twin Towers, and the tragic deaths of the 3,000 innocent people. They did not want to beat around the bush, they wanted o tell Conner like it is and be completely honest with their son, they wanted him to know that there are cruel, evil people in this world who will do whatever it takes to get what they want. They will kill anyone, and they even got personal, and they told their two year old that those people will kill even them, if they got the chance. The couple wanted their son to hear it sooner than later, and also to hear it from them rather than at preschool from his teachers as part of a learning experience. Child development experts say that, because Conner is only two and his long term memory pathways are still forming, the Musgrave's are going to repeat this tragic event to their son at least once a week, for the next four years.

Deadly Fire In Brazil by: Vincent Bevins

In the Los Angeles Times, there is an article about a nightclub in Brazil that caught on fire, because of a flare lit by the live band. The flare caused the roof catch fire, and because of the inhalation of smoke and asphyxiation 232 people died. Authorities in Santa Maria spent the day rescuing survivors, and going through the tragic aftermath of the fire. "There are so many bodies that we couldn't get all the way to the back of the nightclub," Lieutenant Moisés da Silva Fuchs told local media, referring to the now-destroyed Kiss club in Santa Maria, near the Uruguayan and Argentine borders(LATimes). When the people of Brazil woke up they were shocked with images of firefighters pulling out people from the nightclub and trying to put out the nightclub. The President Dilma Rousseff, cancelled her plans of going to Chile and instead traveled to Santa Maria, she also was filled with emotion and tears. "I'd like to tell the population of our country, and of Santa Maria, that we are all together in this moment," Rousseff said. Most of the victims were students of local Universities. It was stated that the main entrance door was locked during the fire, but that statement was denied by the main DJ at the club, DJ Bolinha. The DJ told officials that people were pushing each other in order to rescue themselves from the fire. These are some facts about how most of the fires occur at nightclubs, "A welding accident reportedly set off a Dec. 25, 2000, fire at a club in Luoyang, China, killing 309. At least 194 people died at an overcrowded working-class nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2004. A blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, Russia, broke out on Dec. 5, 2009, when an indoor fireworks display ignited a plastic ceiling decorated with branches, killing 152. A nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2003 killed 100 people after pyrotechnics used as a stage prop by the rock band Great White set ablaze cheap soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling"(LATimes). This article proves that a great night can have a turn for the worst in just a blink of an eye, and can be the worst night ever, killing many people.

Doctors Having Doubts About Vaccines

In the Los Angeles Times there is an article written by Eryn Brown, about doctors having doubts about vaccines. Parts of the U.S. have had waiting rooms filled with people who have the flu, but California is not one of them, do far. However Police Officers say that it may not last for long, because California is also beginning to catch the flu. People don't have to be afraid there is still precautions people can take in order to not get sick or spread the flu. They may wash their hand s and if sick they should stay home in order not to spread germs. Many are afraid that there is not enough room for people in the waiting rooms and others felt like vaccines are not a safe alternative to not catching the fl. However, years of evidence have shown that vaccines are near perfect. People do not get vaccinated as often as they should or even at all, and "the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention reported in November that fewer than half of American children and adults were immunized during the early part of the flu season". Two doctors,  Thomas R. Talbot and H. Keipp Talbot of the Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine in Nashville, told  LA Times, about many excuses people use for not getting vaccinated, and their arguments against those excuses. People may argue that some vaccines are not as effective as other, but the two doctors argued that not as effective not mean not effective at all. Some may also say that vaccines get people sick right after they have received the shot, but the doctors argued that the vaccine causes the illness, the illness is caused because of the vaccine not having time to make one's body immune to a disease. Some may also say that they are healthy and never get sick and therefore do not need the vaccination, but the doctors argued that even though some may be healthy and do not get sick or sick like symptoms, they still can pass the virus onto other. So the key message from this article is get immunized now.

Nature

I spent thirty minutes sitting outside, by myself with no distractions. There was absolutely nothing that could take my mind away from nature, no companionship, no technology, and no distractions of any kind. While sitting outside I used a pen and paper to take notes of the certain things that caught my attention, and anything that appealed to my five senses. While sitting, the wind was the first thing I felt, it was a bit breezy and I could feel the wind in my hair. When closing my eyes I could also hear the wind moving the trees in my backyard, the leaves when touching each other would make a distinct noise. When sitting alone and not speaking to someone, just being there by yourself you hear things that you probably would not before. I heard the cars as they would drive by my house, the birds chirping, and people walking past my house and speaking to one another. When sitting in the company of nature you realize there is so much more to it then you ever thought, and that there was so much you had not noticed because of the lack of alone time with nature itself. Nature and its beauty had not caught my eye like it did, before this assignment. I knew of nature and the beauty it had, but when you spend time alone in nature with nothing to distract you from it, that is when you realize its true beauty, and all that it has to offer. When sitting in nature alone, with nothing to distract me I felt a sense of peace and felt calm. At that moment I had nothing to worry about, nothing but nature was on my mind, I was calm, peaceful, and the stress just flew out the window. I knew from that moment on what nature had the power to do, it had the power to relinquish me from stress, take away my worries, and for even just thirty minutes made me feel at peace with the world and life. All of the sounds and breathtaking things I saw when in the company of nature, that I had not seen before due to distractions in the world I saw today, and it made me realize that nature can add peace and solitude to one's life. Nature for that short period of time made me feel peace in this hectic thing we call life.

Independent Reading Project

During the presentations I was surprised to see that most of the books were similar in the fact that they were about suicide, learning about one's self, sad memories and so forth. However there were other books that were different and interesting as well. I really enjoyed listening about all the books but, there is one in particular that I would read and one that I would not. The book I would read is Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive by David J. Pelzer, because I have not read this book before, and during the presentation it  seemed like one that I would really enjoy. I love books that make me emotional, those are the books that keep me interested. Sam, during his presentation made me want to read the book because he made it seem like it is a very well written book, one that has sad moments that are just gruesome and disturbing, but the interesting part is seeing how that boy survives his horrible mother. I would really like to read this book because I am interested to know the details of what she truly did, even though that sounds a bit twisted, but I would also like to see what took place in the escape of the child from his mother. The book I am less likely to read or I just do not want to read is Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life by Mia Hamm, because one type of person I'm not is a sport lover. I am not someone who watches sports, keeps up with it, knows the athletes names, so therefore I do not think I would really enjoy this book. It does seem like it teaches a lot about life and has lessons to learn, but it also is about her sport, soccer, her team, life, games that she won, aspects of the book that I believe will not interest me very much. However I do think that all the books were very interesting in their own ways, and I would really love to read them all if I could. I also enjoyed the presentations and everyone's book made me want to listen to what they were about.  

A Boy Abducted On 1994, by Andrew Khouri

In the Los Angeles Times, there is an article written by Andrew Khouri, about a boy who was abducted in 1994. In 1994, a five year old boy named Richard Wayne Landers Jr. who lived with his parents in LaGrange County, Indiana was abducted. Police at the time believed that the boys grandparents Richard and Ruth Landers, abducted him and went to live elsewhere. Authorities at the time issued arrest warrants for the grandparents, charges were filed, and missing report for the boy went into databases. In 2008, the charges were dropped on the grandparents because police could not locate the boy or the grandparents. It was said by police that Richards parents, mother and stepfather were living inside of their car when the boy was abducted. Last fall, Richard reappeared and is now married, twenty four years old, and is expecting a baby. He is now living in rural Browerville, Minnesota, where police found him. Richards stepfather Richard Harter gave police the boys social security card in September, they were able to locate someone who lived in Minnesota with the same date of birth and social security number. Police say that they found a man last year in Minnesota that looked similar to what the boy would look like today and grown. Police said, "An investigation ensued, bringing in the Long Prairie Police Department, the Todd County Sheriff's Department in Minnesota, the FBI and the Social Security Administration. Landers’ grandparents, Richard and Ruth Landers, were found living nearby in Browerville, Minn., and confirmed to authorities that the man was indeed the missing boy"(LATimes). The grandparents told police that they are who the police think they are and so is the boy, also Richard Landers was living under the name of Michael Jeff Landers. Sheriff Peter J. Mikkelson said that once investigation is finished he will forward the case to the general attorney's office for further charges. Mikkelson did not comment on whether Richard new about his past before investigators showed up or whether he was going to make contact with his parents.