W.S. Maugham 'In a Strange Land'

William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. His partially autobiographical novel Of Human Bondage (1915) is generally acknowledged as his masterpiece and is one of the best realistic English novels on the early 20th century. Among his best works are The Moon and Sixpence (1919), The Painted Veil (1925), Cakes and Ale (1930) and Cataline: A Romance (1948).
This title of the story has direct and indirect meaning.The direct meaning refers to the thought that the main character was in a foreign country , so that place was strange and odd for him.
As indirect meaning I guess that the wordplay takes place here.The Englishwomen who the traveler called "landlady" seemed strange for him (because he was wondered why the foreign country did not influenced her) that's why the author entitle the story in a strange land.
As for the themes of this story I think they are : the influence of the foreign country (or absence of it)-she had remained the precise prim English ladys maid, knowing her place, through all these vicissitudes because she had no faculty of surprise ; international marriages : in our story the parents of Signora Niccolini were agains her marriage ; and all-forgiving love : The husband of the main character had two children from another women.
The main character was a traveler who was interested in people while traveling but  not in sightseeing . Once in Turkey, he stayed at the hotel and met there Signora Niccolini - an Englishwoman and the landlady of the that hotel. After her strange gift(a hot-water bottle), he decided to talk to her. In conversation she told him about herself (that she was a house-keeper in service in a noble English family), about her family (that they were against the marriage with a foreigner), and about her husband, who died fifteen years ago. One day she told him about her children who were adopted illegitimate sons of her husband what she in her turn found normal.
I daresay that th main idea of this story is to show us that there are people who are not influenced by the language and culture of foreign country , they save their behavior and manners from their childhood,from their motherland.
I would like to tell you about Signora Niccolini , she was a woman from the British family ,  she had remained the precise prim English ladys maid, knowing her place, through all these vicissitudes because she had no faculty of surprise. She was married with he Italian man , against her parents disagreement.After his death she never returned to her motherland.
As for my impression I like this story , because it is rather interesting and easy to read.The behavior of the Signora Niccolini  impressed me greatly as I wonder how she could adopt illegitimate children of her husband.  On the whole the story is really exiting especially  the last 10 lines.

Individual Reading

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwZY1sbwIrb6WEdDUHBXUEdkTXc

Rendering: week 11

The article "Greener Pastures for the Billing Process" was published on the website eponline.com on Oct 18, 2012.
The article carries a lot of comment on the digital revolution which is making business and personal communications, media content consumption, household banking and a host of other activities largely paper-free, which is obviously a big plus for the environment.
Giving appraisal of the situation it's necessary to point out that an intensely paper-driven operation, billing departments in companies of all types and sizes are taking advantage of new technology to convert virtually every business billing transaction to an electronic platform.
Analyzing the situation it's necessary to emphasize that the author told us that driving the billing process to greener pastures makes sense for everyone involved.
In addition to reducing the environmental impact of paper billing, electronic invoicing and payment transactions deliver huge time and money savings to the companies that produce invoices while also providing significant benefits to bill recipients.
In this connection it’s worthwhile mentioning that today, businesses across many industries are sending over 80% of their bills via electronic channels and receiving the round-trip payments electronically. Whether an HVAC supplier, apparel manufacturer or industrial plastic distributor, all have achieved remarkable eBilling rates.

Speaking of this situation it is also interesting to note that the author suggests Tips for Launching a Green Billing Initiative :
·Designate a green billing champion
·Set objectives
·Provide a variety of green billing methods
·Explain the strategy to customers
·Provide incentives to customers
 In conclusion the author of the article expresses the view that businesses can make a major reduction in their environmental impact by improving the billing process, but it’s important to keep the big picture in mind and choose methods that will deliver real results.The good news is that more and more companies are giving sustainability initiatives a higher priority in the name of good corporate citizenship. Those that do so can make real progress by moving to a green billing process that seeks to eliminate the use of paper. When companies move toward sustainable billing practices, everyone wins: Company sustainability goals are advanced. Processing costs are dramatically reduced. Companies and customers alike save time and money. And the environment takes less of a hit from wasteful paper-based invoicing and payment transactions. For these reasons, it’s time to move billing to greener pastures.
As for me I think that the digital revolution will be of benefit not only to the environment, but also to people.They will become more advanced in this area, plus deforestation and waste will be reduced .

Rendering : Week 10

The article "Toxic China: Widespread lead pollution is poisoning children"  was published on the website naturalnews.com on March 10, 2012 by Ethan A. Huff.
The article discusses that China has one of the worst track records for rampant environmental pollution with industrial materials and chemicals.
Giving appraisal of the situation it's necessary to point out that a recent report out of the town of Dongtang, which is located in China's major manufacturing region of Guangdong, has revealed that at least 160 local children there have been poisoned by lead pollution released from local factories.
Analyzing the situation it's necessary to emphasize that the author told us that ongoing investigations in the region have revealed "elevated" levels of lead in the blood of many children who live near heavy manufacturing plants.
And many of these plants produce products like batteries that involve the use of lead and other heavy metals, which end up getting released into the air and water, oftentimes contaminating local crops and the food supply.
In this connection it’s worthwhile mentioning that according to the South China Morning Post, there are already more than 500 reported cases of lead poisoning in children living throughout China's major manufacturing regions, and that this is "only the tip of the iceberg."
In numerous regions across that country, children are testing positive for lead in their blood at ranges between 100 and 256 milligrams per liter (mg/L), or between 10,000 micrograms per deciliter (micrograms/dL) and 25,600 micrograms/dL.
Speaking of this situation it is also interesting to note that according to the U.S. government's MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, the normal range for lead in the blood is less than 20 micrograms/dL in adults, and less than ten micrograms/dL in children. This means that some of the Chinese children tested have levels of lead in their blood that are a shocking 2,560 percent higher than what is considered "normal."
It's an open secret that many Chinese residents have been raising new complaints about the country's excessive pollution problems, which are visibly affecting air quality, rivers, lakes, and crops.
But according to many reports, these complaints have largely fallen on deaf ears, as those in charge of this burgeoning, industrializing nation are dragging their feet in addressing these very serious public health concerns.
 In resolute terms the author of the article expresses the view that lead problems in China are not new, of course, as many NaturalNews readers will recall the massive Mattel recall back in 2007 that involved nearly one million toys. Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars, and many other popular pastimes now manufactured in China were found to contain dangerous levels of lead in their paint.
In conclusion the author mentioned  that  to address the problems themselves, some local Chinese residents have staged protests and boycotts of companies emitting the deadly pollution. And in at least one case back in 2009, a group of activists stormed a manufacturing plant responsible for poisoning at least 600 children, destroying all the equipment inside.
As for me I think that pollution is a very serious problem, and in case it threatens the health of children, it should be solved immediately.
Unfortunately the government will take action only when the situation becomes critical (although I think it has reached this level).

Rendering : Week 9

The article "Is Global Warming Happening Faster Than Expected" was published on the website scientificamerican.com on the 29st of October.
The article discusses that scientists think that if planetary warming could be kept below two degrees Celsius, perils such as catastrophic sea-level rise could be avoided.
Giving appraisal of the situation it's necessary to point out that the assessment is too optimistic. The data from across the globe show that the planet is changing faster than expected.
Analyzing the situation it's necessary to emphasize that the author told us that ongoing data, however, indicate that three global feedback mechanisms may be pushing the earth into a period of rapid climate change even before the two degree C “limit” is reached: meltwater altering ocean circulation; melting permafrost releasing carbon dioxide and methane; and ice disappearing worldwide.
In this connection it’s worthwhile mentioning that the feedbacks could accelerate warming, alter weather by changing the jet stream, magnify insect infestations and spawn more and larger wildfires.
The article concludes by Stefan Rahmstorf's quote : "As scientists, we cannot say that if we stay below two degrees of warming everything will be fine.”
As for me I think that global warming is a burning issue all over the world.
In order to solve this serious problem all countries of the world should unite.
On the other hand some people prefer to think that global warming is a kind of trick to get the big money.

Pleasure reading.Conclusion

A furniture dealer told his wife of an incident that had occurred during a recent trip to Mississippi. He recalled how he had met Byron, Lena, and the baby, who were in search of a ride to no specific destination just farther down the road. When they stopped for the night, the couple asked to sleep in the bed of the truck. Around the campfire, the man learned that the baby was not Byron’s and that the couple was searching for another, unnamed man. When it came time to go to sleep, Lena climbed into the truck. When Byron tried to climb in beside her, she spurned his advances and sent him off by the fire. Instead, Byron disappeared and did not return the next morning. Calmly, Lena packed up and continued along with the driver. Eventually, Byron appeared beside the road, and the truck slowed to pick him up. Riding side by side, two wanderers, not necessarily searching for anyone or anything, travelled deeper and deeper into Tennessee. Lena mused that she ha been farther in the past two months than in her entire life up to that point.

Rendering : Week 8

The article "Car bombs kill 13 in Damascus' Old City and Aleppo " was published on the website news.com on the 21st of October.
The article discusses the situation in Syria where a car bomb exploded outside a police station in a Christian quarter of Damascus on Sunday, killing 13 people, while a similar attack struck Syria's second city of Aleppo.
Analyzing the situation it's necessary to emphasize that the author told us that a large part of Syria's Christian community backs President Bashar al-Assad, fearful of the influence of Islamists in the revolt.
Giving appraisal of the situation it's necessary to point out that in the northern city, fierce clashes broke out between rebels and troops around the ancient Citadel, the Observatory said, adding that four rebels were killed in fighting across the city.
In this connection it’s worthwhile mentioning that Renewed fighting was reported at the southern entrance to Maaret al-Numan, a strategic town on the Aleppo-Damascus highway that fell under rebel control on October 9, blocking off a key army supply route.
The article concludes by saying that The Observatory gave an initial toll of 55 killed across the country on Sunday: 19 civilians, 25 soldiers and 11 rebels.
As for me I think that terrorism is one of the most important contemporary issues.
Many innocent people lose their lives due to it.
Survivors are deprived of their homes or they lose relatives.
I hope that one day the nations of the world come together and solve this problem.

Rendering : Week 7

The article "Three Wars on Terror" was published by John Arquilla on the website of the newspaper "The National Security" on September 10th .
The article carries a lot of comment on the difference in the approaches to war on terror of three American presidents.
Speaking of Barack Obama it is necessary to note that his earliest acts as president was to discard the phrase "war on terror," yet he has been waging just such a campaign these past four years with a skillful mix of subtlety and ferocity.
It's an open secret that Several major al Qaeda plots have been thwarted by aggressive, innovative intelligence programs, often conducted in a deeply networked fashion with our allies.
In addition to the killing of Osama bin Laden, many other operatives in the late terrorist capo's organization have found themselves on the receiving end of commando raids or Hellfire missiles, from Waziristan to Yemen and beyond.
Giving appraisal of the situation it's necessary to point out that the difference in the approaches taken by our two most recent presidents really speaks to there being two different wars on terror.
In this connection it’s worthwhile mentioning that Bush chose to attack other nations in his attempt to create a less permissive international environment for terrorist networks.
Obama has decided to take the more direct approach: going straight after the networks.
Speaking of George Bush it is necessary to emphasize that his strategy proved exceptionally costly and highly problematic in Iraq, and even his initial success in "going small" in Afghanistan was all too soon overtaken by a stalemate-inducing impulse to send large numbers of troops there.
Obama's concept of operations, on the other hand, has been working well, and will never break the bank or exhaust our military especially in the wake of his realizing, and reversing, the folly of surging more troops into Afghanistan, as senior military leaders persuaded him to do early in his presidency.
Analyzing the situation it’s necessary to emphasize that there was an earlier war on terror, crafted by Ronald Reagan and his close advisers in the mid-1980s, that began subtly and skillfully, too yet which soon foundered.
The authors draws a conclusion that Barack Obama has done much better by hewing close to the concept that Reagan initially embraced.
But, as was the case with Reagan, there is now a similar battle going on for Obama's strategic soul.
As for me I think that America itself can not solve the problem with terrorism. The countries of the whole world need to unite in order to eradicate the 21th century's evil forever.

My Pleasure Reading. Summary (pages 340-400)

Joe's wanderings had brought him to Jefferson, where he heard about Miss Burden’s property.
Waiting until nightfall, he got into the kitchen through an open window and, ate some leftover field peas.
When he heard Miss Burden approach, he did not run.
When she appeared, she told him that he was free to finish his meal.

Though they were lovers, Joe and Miss Burden had a strange and distant relationship.
They talked little.
She left food on the kitchen table for him but rarely visited him when he came in to eat.
During the day, Joe never ventured beyond the kitchen, but at night he went to Miss Burden’s bedroom, where she waited for him.
When she set out a full meal for him, Joe entered the house and smashed the dishes against the wall, as he had done with his foster mother.

After getting a job at the mill, Joe continued to live in the cabin but neither entered the main house and thus didn't see Miss Burden for months.
One September evening, he returned to the cabin to find her seated on his cot. She told him her life story, going on for hours.
She told about her grandfather and brother, who were killed by a local man, Colonel Sartoris, because of a disagreement concerning black voting rites. When Miss Burden finished and it was Joe’s turn to speak, all he was able to say was that one of his anonymous parents was part black.

My Pleasure Reading. Summary (pages 300-340)

One night, McEachern watched as Joe went outside his window and was picked up by a car.
McEachern was guided to the schoolhouse, where a dance was being held. He jumped on the scene, calling Bobbie a harlot, and began beating his son, who smashed a chair over his father's head, killing him.

Joe went back to the house, where he took all the money his mother had been saving, hidden in a tin beneath a floor plank.
Joe run to Max and Mame's house, where Bobbie was packed and ready to return to Memphis.
Joe took his mother's money out and gave it to Bobbie as his proposal of marriage.
She thrown the offering back at him .
The group of men, beating him until Mame finally stopped them.


The group pulled off in the car, leaving him behind. Badly beaten, Joe managed to get out onto the street and out of town.

For the next fifteen years, Joe was working in oil towns as a laborer, miner, and prospector. Finally, he enlisted in the army and then deserts. For a short time, he settled down among blacks and lived with a dark-skinned woman for a while.

Rendering : Week 6

The article "Man arrested in plot to blow up 48 churches in Oklahoma "was published by Joe Sutton on the website CNN.com on the 12st of October.
The article discusses the situation in Oklahoma where Authorities have arrested and charged a 23-year-old man who they say planned to blow up 48 area churches.
Analyzing the situation it’s necessary to emphasize that the author notices that Police searched the room and allegedly found various documents outlining his plan to set off bombs at 48 churches in and around Miami.
So that the authorities are actively investigating this situation as terrorism today is one of the major problems.
Giving appraisal of the situation it’s necessary to point out that among the documents were a list of churches, a hand-drawn map with the churches grouped and circled, instructions for making Molotov cocktails and a handwritten journal.
Some of the documents had been torn up and needed to be assembled.
Thus this terrorist attack was planned in advance.
The author does not express his attitude to the situation.
As for me I think that law enforcement authorities deserve respect as they were able to prevent the attack and thus saved human lifes

My Pleasure Reading. Summary (pages 220-300)

At the age of fourteen Joe and the other farm boys enticed a young black woman into a shed to have sex. When Joe's turn came, he began to beat the woman.
The other boys tried to stop him. Then he returned home where he faced father's punishment for not completing the day-work.

His parents finally fell asleep, and seventeen-year-old Joe silently went outside his bedroom through the window.
He went down to the road and waited for his date to pick him up in her car and tooke them to the dance.

Joe recalled how he first had met the woman in town, accompanying his father on a trip to meet with a lawyer.
When the consultation run late, Mr. McEachern took them to a dingy back-alley restaurant, staffed by a thirty-year-old waitress.

Joe unnerved by his sexual attraction to the waitress, avoided town and tried to lose himself in bouts of hard work.
But Joe suddenly resumed his interest in going to town and accompanied his father on the next trip, carrying a half dollar that his mother had secretly given him.
He only wanted to meet Bobbie, the waitress, on the street. Two days later, Joe was early for the nighttime rendezvous that they had planned.

Soon the two were seeing each other regularly, and Joe was stealing more and more money from his mother. When he showed up to meet her on the street corner one evening and she did not appear, he went to her window and discover that she was entertaining another man inside.
At their next meeting, he striked her repeatedly before she calmed him down and explained to him that she was a prostitute. 

Rendering : Week 5

The editorial "The forgotten war"was published on the website of the newspaper "The Telegraph" on the 1st of October.
The article takes a critical view of the attitude of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to the Afghan conflict.

Analyzing the situation it’s necessary to emphasize that the author notices that with the presidential election race now entering its final stages, Mr Obama appears strangely reluctant to address the Afghan issue.
Apart from brief references to his achievement in ending the war in Iraq, and his intention to do the same in Afghanistan, the conflict has almost been forgotten so far as the election campaign is concerned, with the Obama team determined to steer clear of an issue that no longer enjoys much popular support.

Speaking of the Republican candidate it is necessary to note that the same goes for him.
Despite his bellicose statements on national security issues such as Iran, he has been reticent about Afghanistan, beyond echoing the calls for a timely withdrawal

Giving appraisal of the situation it is important to point out that the author thinks that With the future of the Afghan campaign hanging in the balance, this is an inopportune moment for America’s political classes to be suffering from a collective bout of amnesia.

In conclusion the author suggest that The Taliban remains a force to be reckoned with, as demonstrated by its recent spate of attacks against Nato troops, and is determined to re-establish its power base once American and British troops conclude their combat operations in 2014, and hand over full responsibility to local forces.

It would be wrong to assume that Mr Obama or Mr Romney will be able to ignore the implications.

Speaking about my opinion it coincides with the author's one. I believe that politicans should pay their attention for the Afgan conflict regardless of any other important questions whether it will be even the presidential elections.

My Pleasure Reading. Summary (pages 140-220)

Christmas, was unable to sleep, focuses his anger on Miss Burden. He felt he could forgive the fact that she'd lied to him about her age.

In the morning, Christmas went to a clearing, where he shaved and read a magazine.
Later he passed through the predominantly black part of town, then the white neighborhood.

The action then shifted to when Joe Christmas was five years old. Living in an orphanage, he went into the dietician’s room to steal some of her toothpaste. Suddenly, the dietician entered the room with a young male doctor, and Joe hided behind a curtain. The dietician and the man began to make love, and Joe, sick from eating too much toothpaste,vomited loudly and was discovered. The angry dietician shouted at him roughly.

After the incident, the dietician became paranoid that the boy would tell the director of the facility what he'd saw. She tried to buy him with a dollar to keep quiet, but he was too young to understand what had happened and did not accept the money. The dietician then came to the orphanage janitor, who confirmed her suggestions that the child was biracial. However, he refused to help the dietician brought that fact to matron, as it would result in the boy’s removal to an orphanage for black children.
Later, the janitor appeared at the dietician’s door, asking her what she planed to do with the boy. When he realized her intentions, the janitor disappeared with the child. The child was returned to the orphanage and, with the dietician’s intervention, was quickly adopted by a devoutly religious farmer, Mr. McEachern.

Rendering: Week 4

The article "Thoughts on ‘Innocence of Muslims’" was published on the website of Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper Jerusalem Post on 23 September 2012 , by By Franck Salamen. This article carries a lot of comment of the film Innocence of Muslims.
Analyzing the situation it’s necessary to emphasize that the autor thought that whether in form, language, or content, the film made a mockery of basic standards of human decency, good taste, artistic subtlety and historical discernment. Its crassness was an affront to its subject matter, its intended audience, those involved in its production, and the community (or communities) that the producers were assumed to represent – in this case American Copts and by association Christians, and even Christendom and the West in more general terms.

Giving appraisal of the situation it’s necessary to point out that the author urges us not to ask who is the author of this abomination, and how might revenge be meted out? He considered that Muslims, Christians and others, people of goodwill everywhere, may wish to inquire why something was deemed blasphemous?

In this connection it’s worthwhile mentioning that there is a moral to this story. If one is looking to be offended – and “pick a bone,” as the saying goes – then Innocence of Muslims is crude, revolting offenses, rigged to inflame. If, on the other hand, one is willing to engage in civilized intercourse, even with those deemed unworthy of it, then the context of the offense might offer more clarity and more rewarding benefits than actual retribution.

Speaking about my opinion it coincides with the author's one. I believe that it wasn't a challenge to Muslims , it was just a horrible provocation in order to cause unrest.To find a person responsible for this action is really useless, because it's very likely that the film was paid by someone from the U.S. government. I agree that for Muslims this action is equal to the crime because faith very significant for them.

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=286009

My Pleasure Reading. Summary (pages 61-140)

Hightower a former clergyman is driven from his post at the church after his adulterous wife is found dead at a Memphis hotel, where she has been staying with another man. Byron has sought out Hightower for advice. He takes Lena to his residence at Mrs. Beard’s boardinghouse, telling that Lena would like to meet her husband and needs to rest.After a few days this house catches the fire , an unknown man finds Joe Brown drinking at the bottom of the stairs, suspiciously trying to deflect the man’s attentions from upstairs. Nonetheless,the man goes upstairs and finds Miss Burden lying on the floor, almost entirely decapitated.The man goes back downstairs, Brown has gone.
The next day Brown shows up at the police station , declaring Joe Christmas the killer. Brown reveals that Christmas has been Miss Burden’s lover for nearly three years and that Christmas promise to kill him if he spreads this information. When Brown senses that the sheriff is questioning his credibility, he reveals that Christmas is part “negro” blood. Sheriff is sure of Christmas’s guilt and locks Brown up and gathers a posse to search for the presumed fugitive.

Rendering: Week 3

5 Principles for Teaching Journalism Ethics in the Digital Age by Stephen Ward, February 15, 2011
The article discusses two main questions.The first one is: How can journalists use the new media tools responsibly?And the second one :What to teach? The author states a brilliant idea that journalism ethics is a field where old and new values clash. I suppose it is one of the key phrases in this article. Analyzing the situation it is necessary to note that on one side are traditional values such as those found in the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists.
On the other side are values of the "always on" universe of interactive media: immediacy, transparency, edgy opinion and partisan journalism, anonymity, and sharing.
The author mentions that nowadays we not only teach without a consensus, we lack an ethics that provides adequate guidance for the many new forms of mixed media. This phrase is also significant in the article and I'm fully agree with it.
Speaking about this problem we are to name 5 principles for teaching Journalism ethics in the digital age:
1. Start from the students' media world.
2. Assist students with reflective engagement.
3. Insist on critical thinking, not what is fashionable.
4. Be transitional.
5. Be global in your teaching.
In conclusion the author suggests that the teaching should challenge, not discourage.He stresses that students should see the turmoil in journalism as an exciting intellectual and practical challenge to develop a more adequate ethics for a new global mixed media.

my pleasure reading (pages 1-60)

Lena Grove from Alabama, in pregnancy, set off from  home. Resting beside the road, Lena meets a man Armstid.He gives her a ride in his wagon. Armstid realizes that she and Lucas Burch are not married, which means that her pregnancy is a major moral wrongdoing.The next day, Armstid drives Lena into town and helps her find a ride to nearby Jefferson. Byron Bunch, a worker in the planing mill in Jefferson is interrupted when Lena Grove comes in suddenly and says she is looking for a Lucas Burch. Byron falls in love with her at once.Lena tells Byron her story.

lions for lambs

LIONS FOR LAMBS

Cast: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Pena, Andrew Garfield, Peter Berg, Derek Luke, Josh Zuckerman

Director: Robert Redford

Synopsis:
Robert Redford makes a story of different lives that intertwines together ,the stories of an professor's approaches to animate a student, a former students of the professor who are shot down in Afghanistan, and a congressman whose communication with a journalist show much about him as an ordinary person.Robert Redford , Tom Cruise ,  Meryl Streep

Rewiew :
The whole story consists of three segments. Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise), a young senator, is interviewed by Janine Roth (Meryl Streep), a TV reporter. But the interview changes into a dispute. Cruise, doesn't give up. But Streep,put hesitancy and aggression, who wins this acting contest, and the reporter who trumps the senator's arguments — even if he then trumps her back, nailing the press' hypocrisy, its urge to duck any blame for first supporting the Iraq invasion.


This time, in California, Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield), a college student, speaks with professor (Redford), who wants to know why he has been skipping his class. Their conversation might be called ''Why Try to Change a World That's Too Corrupt to Change?'' All of which leads to the third segment, in which two soldiers (Michael Peña and Derek Luke) — both former students of Redford — board a chopper in Afghanistan, as part of the surge Cruise's senator was selling.

This film is realistic one , as it shows the real situation of nowadays world. On the other hand it is predictable , because such problems we may face every day , that's why the movie seems boring for someone.

In conclusion i'd like to say that It is a good movie, but very trite. Nothing new to see or hear in this movie.

Obama's day: Campaigning in Colorado

The article discusses Obama's campaign trail in Colorado. Speaking of his statements it is necessary to note that he spoke early that afternoon as a "grass-roots event" in Golden, Colo., near Denver, talking about what his campaign calls "middle-class security."Behind the political scenes, the president will be following up on the attacks against U.S. diplomatic offices in Egypt and Libya, particularly the latter one that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. In conclusion the author suggests that the president may also have to deal with a new crisis today: Protesters are attacking the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/09/13/obama-colorado-campaign/70000255/1#.UFIuUnV_eSo

My Pleasure Reading

Year I Term I - The Case of the Perjured Parrot by Erle Stanley Gardner
Year I Term II - Marley & Me by John Grogan
Year II Term III -  The Great Gatsby by  F. Scott Fitzgerald
Year II Term IV - The Case of the Lazy Lover by  Erle Stanley Gardner
Year III Term V - Light in August  by William Faulkner
Year III Term VI - Emma by Jane Austen

a 80-100 word piece about the impression the story for my Home Reading Class has made

I was impressed by the story "The Unexpected" , because it turned out to be really unpredictable especially in the middle of it. I engoy this Kate Chopin's work , as such kind of situations take place in our everyday life. However nowadays it doesn't look unnormal or unexpectable, because  women and men have the same rights. The problems of  relationship , love , passion , freedom , choice were raised in this text , and I think it is very useful to discuss them in our class.