Israel Holding Off On Ground Offensive As Clinton Travels To Region

In a recent article titled "Israel holding off on ground offensive as Clinton travels to region," the author informs readers about violence and rocket attacks on Israeli cities.

The article states "Eleven Hamas rockets came flying into the Israeli city of Beer Sheva, causing casualties, CNN's Wolf Blitzer reported from the city. More than 30 rockets were fired into the area Tuesday, but most were destroyed by Iron Dome interceptors." I think it's awful that rockets were sent into the city and caused casualties. There's so much violence happening everywhere, and I don't see why people can't just accept one another and make peace instead of war. The world would be so much better if it were peaceful and no one was in danger of being hurt or killed in the cross fire of war.

The article also states "In Tel Aviv, a man with an ax attacked a U.S. Embassy security guard, Israeli police said. The attacker, who also had a knife, was arrested, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said." I don't understand the reason for attacks like this, particularly on Americans. What has America done to deserve to be hated the way it is hated? I love America, and I am proud to be an American. Violence is never the way to solve problems.

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on her way to the region, in its seventh day of deadly conflict filled with huge explosions that have triggered fear on both sides." She is going to try to help stop the conflicts and understand why they are so violent.

As I was reading this article, I was reminded of a trailer I saw for a movie called "Red Dawn." I know it's not about Israel, but it's about foreign invasion and war. We need to stop being so violent and make peace with each other. Because as the Beatles said, "All you need is love."

At what point does defending one's ideals turn to indefensible hysteria?

Defending one's ideals turns to indefensible hysteria when one has power. Adolf Hitler, gaining power, tried to exterminate the Jews. Accusing others of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials, the people of Salem gained power. A person could accuse another person, without evidence, of witchcraft. And the accused person would be hanged or thrown in prison, just because they were accused. The townspeople turned into monsters, hanging nineteen people without reason.

Why Bacteria, But Not Humans, Can Live on Caffeine

     In an article by Veronique Greenwood titled "Why Bacteria, But Not Humans, Can Live on Caffeine," Greenwood informs readers about Pseudomonas putida CBB5 and why humans can't live on caffeine.
     The article states "This doesn't seem to be a problem for the new bacterium, Pseudomonas putida CBB5..." Pseudomonas putida CBB5 can get energy from caffeine.
     "But compare the calorie count for a black coffee with a latte and it's obvious that humans don't get energy, in the scientific sense, from caffeine." Humans don't get energy from caffeine, so they wouldn't be able to live off of caffeine.
     The article also states "The specific reason caffeine isn't an energy source for us, thus, is that we don't have the gear to digest derivatives further." Humans can't digest caffeine derivatives like Pseudomonas putida CBB5 can.
     I became an active participant in my learning because I didn't know that anything could live on caffeine.

Government report on secret flying saucer program made available

     In a recent article titled "Government report on secret flying saucer program made available," the author informs readers about the government's plan to build a flying saucer.
    The article states  "...came across a 114-page document from 1956 sure to interest the tin-foil-hat crowd: a document describing a secret program by the Air Force to build a flying saucer." Why would the government want to build a flying saucer? Perhaps they feared another Roswell incident and wanted to be prepared.
     The article also states "The newly released documents, not yet posted on the website of the National Declassification Center, offer details on a Cold War-era plan to build a round vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can only be described as a flying saucer." The government had planned on building a flying saucer, but that didn't work out.
     "The report notes a follow up plan to develop weapons suitable for the saucer..." The government wanted to build the flying saucer and make sure it worked properly, and wanted to build weapons for it.
     This article makes me think about all those movies about aliens.

France Plans To Legalize Gay Marriage

In a recent article titled "France set to ban words 'mother' and 'father' on official documents under plans to legalize gay marriage," the author informs readers that France plans to legalize gay marriage and ban the words "mother" and "father" from legal documents.

I believe that homosexual couples deserve the same rights that heterosexuals do. Gay people deserve the same rights that everyone else has. 

The article states "France is set to ban the words 'mother' and 'father' from all official documents under new plans to legalize gay marriage and give equal adoption rights to homosexual and heterosexual couples." I agree that gay marriage should be legal and that homosexual couples and heterosexual couples deserve equal adoption rights. The article also states "Under the proposed law, only the word 'parents' would be used in marriage ceremonies for all heterosexual and same-sex couples, a move that has sparked widespread outrage, The Telegraph reports." I agree that "parents" should be used, rather than "mother" and "father". But I disagree with the fact that it would cause "widespread outrage".

"'Gay marriage would herald a complete breakdown in society,' Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the head of the French Catholic Church, told Christian’s RFC radio last week." I don't understand why the legalization of gay marriage would cause a breakdown in society. There's nothing wrong with gay marriage, and it doesn't affect straight people.

As I was reading this article, I was reminded of the time I heard on the radio that "Don't ask, don't tell" was repealed. Society is beginning to recognize gay rights and beginning to give them more rights, as you can tell from this article, and the fact that "Don't ask, don't tell" was repealed.

Book Review

   "This thing all things devours;
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountains down."
This is a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien's book "The Hobbit." This book entranced me with its interesting storyline.
   I like the author's writing style. The way it is written makes it seem more personal, and it makes me feel like I am included in the story, instead of just watching from the sidelines. The way it is told is as if he is sitting next to me telling me the story. I have not read any other books like that. An example from the book is "I imagine you know the answer, of course, or you can guess it as easy as winking, since you are sitting comfortably at home and have not the danger of being eaten to disturb your thinking." Another example from the book is "I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us." A third example is "They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves."
   A life lesson that this book illustrates is to step out of your comfort zone. In the beginning of the book, Bilbo was just a hobbit that never had any adventures, or any desire to go on any adventures. But by the end of the book he was very adventurous and he wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
   I really liked the character of Bilbo. He was relatable. Bilbo had a shy personality. An example from the book is "'Hear, hear!' said Bilbo, and accidentally said it aloud."
   I recommend that you read this book.

Current Connection

A recent article titled "Exclusive: Al Qaeda leader's brother offers peace plan" informs readers that Mohamed al Zawahiri, the brother of Al Qaeda's leader, created a peace proposal. He stated that he and his brother were "ideologically inseparable," and that if anyone could convince his brother to agree to this peace proposal, it's him.

The article stated "He wants peace, he says, between Muslims and non-Muslims and has written a proposal that outlines the terms." I agree that there should be peace between Muslims and non-Muslims.

I had heard of Al Qaeda before, but I didn't know who the leader of it was, and I certainly didn't know he had a brother.