#5

Now I am reading the sixth book in the same series, called Man Vs. Beast. In this book, or "mission" the agent's goal is to infiltrate a secret pro-violence animal rights group inside of a peaceful one. The group is called the Animal Freedom Militia, or AFM. Both groups are located in a small town whose leading employer is Malarek Research Facilities. Malarek is one of England's largest animal testing laboratories, and employees are frequently attacked. One woman was blinded and burned on her face and neck after someone broke into the house and threw acid in her face. Workers at the lab qualify for "hazard pay" because of how dangerous the activists can be. James and Lauren are integrated into a local family near Malarek so they can join the crowd of animal activists. Once the agents are familiar faces around the protesters, they start to befriend some of the local teenagers who are involved in more radical things. They uncover a new and improved group called the Animal Freedom Army, and successfully make over 15 arrests and stop the murder of a famous chef. This book wasn't as good as the others I've read so far, but still keeps you guessing until the very end.

#4

I am reading the fifth book in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. My brother actually suggested the series to me, and although I hate most everything that he reads, these books are page turners. The main character is James Adams, a young spy for British Intelligence. He is sent to Australia along with his sister and one other agent named Dana. The three kids' mission is to infiltrate a religious cult called The Survivors and uncover any links with a terrorist group called Help Earth. James struggles at first with the mind control techniques of the cult, their high sugar food, pretty, complimentary girls, and the warm feelings that come after their services. Lucky for James, he befriends the 31st son of the cult's founder, Rat Regan. Together they can stop the masterminds behind the scamming and false advertising, insider trading and terrorist activity. By helping James, Rat also finds a way out of his dreary lifestyle. The CHERUB books are suspenseful and especially interesting because they take place in England. It is interesting to see the culture of adolescents in different parts of the world.

#3

Today in Minneapolis, the girlfriend of a suspected shooter made a public plea for him to turn himself in and come home. Alfredo Gonzalez is 19 years old, and he is suspected of murdering his girlfriend's cousin, Jacob MacKenzie. Gonzales is currently nowhere to be found, but his girlfriend and her family are desperately hoping that he is alive and well. The 15 year old boy lived in the 500 block of Concord Street in West St. Paul, and also died in his home. Police are unsure as to what caused the shooting, but a possible weapon from the scene was found in the woods nearby. A poem from the perspective of Jayna Emerson, the girlfriend and cousin, might go something like this:

you complete me/but you took something away
he never did anything wrong.
only four years younger than you/i don't know what to say
gunshots at midnight
now instead of having both of you/i have neither
was there anything i could have done?
nobody saw this coming/the second teenager to die
this weekend.

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/34545259.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsr

#2

A 20-year-old man was put in custody today for stabbing another man last night in a bar. Hermantown, Minnesota is the location of the crime, and their police chief Mike Anderson says he died on the way to the hospital in Duluth. I wonder if the bar that this occurred in had a sign saying something like "XY Bar does not permit guns in these premises" because then the guy will get another sentence tacked on to his murder charge. I don't know why some people think shooting is acceptable. I was raised in a house where we had to throw away the Lego guns, and squirt guns weren't allowed. Obviously, my mom didn't want us to think it was okay to point a gun at another person. The rules have changed now that we are grown up, but we still understand how ridiculous it is to have gun violence in Minneapolis almost daily. Thoughts and prayers to both men's families, because they will each have a very difficult time with the outcome of a bar fight.

#1

Today I watched a music video by Keith Urban called "You'll Think Of Me".  It's a song about a  hard divorce between the singer and his wife.  

"Ever since you found yourself in someone else's arms, I've been trying my best to get along..." 

Assuming his wife probably had an affair or fell in love with someone else, throughout the song he is trying to figure out the feelings that come along with betrayal. He talks about the baggage that still exists, his trying to move on.  "Take your records take your freedom, take your memories- I don't need them. take your space and take your reasons, but you'll think of me." This shows how the singer is feeling let down, but still wants to have a place in the woman's life. Breakups are one of the hardest things to go through emotionally, because it can be like losing half of yourself. Putting everything out there, and sharing your secrets with someone only to find out that they are sharing their secrets with another person? I can't even imagine. Breaking up is a hard thing that has to be done, but never feels good, no matter which side you are on.