E-Cigs by A.Arbona

Recently published in the magazine Upfront the article Smoke signals talk about E-Cigs. E-Cigs are mechanical cigarettes which contain little to no tobacco. They claim that they only use liquid nicotine and a heater to warm up that nicotine to make vapor. Unfortunately this is not the only thing that is in Cigarettes.

E-Cigs are unregulated by the tobacco law as they have no tobacco. Which means that it is legal for any child to walk into the local Deli and buy one. E-cig companies can also show ads on television something which normal cigarette companies can't do by law. So they're unregulated, advertised, and... expensive, a pack of cigarettes costs about $9, E-cigs cost $50-$100. Also E-cigs have a very interesting ingredient. To keep the E-cig's liquid nicotine from freezing in the winter or in cold weather, companies use anti-freeze to keep the nicotine you smoke liquid.

So why do companies make E-cigs, which are just regular cigarettes with added anti-freeze? Because they want to make allot of money. But the type of money they want to make is worst type of money. Recently E-cigs have been releasing flavored cartridges to attract a younger audience. So that they can make money off of them for the rest of their lives.

This is happening right now in the U.S.A. So are we really the greatest Democracy on Earth or are we the greatest capitalists on the planet? Are we just here to make money? Or are we just here to engulf the planet and spew it out as an onslaught of plastic and things harmful for us. So are we capitalists or are we a Democracy?

Money in Dodger 2 A.Arbona

Money influence on the people in Dodger by Terry Pratchett, In the events occuring in Dodger their are many homeless poor starving people. So money has a large influence on the people as there situation is bleak to say the least. In fact it's not only effecting the people in England at this time, the lack of money for large quantities of people are driving them to England thinking that it's better there.

In Dodger the Rich get what they want. That's that, in the beginning of the story Charles Dickens gets Dodger talking about himself for a half crown which at that time was a large quantity of money. Also later on the villain uses  gold to get a character selling out his friends and neighbors. This demonstrates just how deep the corruption of money has spread through the mind of the poor in this book. If they are willing to  say their personal preferences and knowledge to presumably dangerous people for little to nothing or just enough to get them shelter.

Money even drives people from places like India to England thinking that it's better there. Only to through themselves off of a bridge. As they realize that they probably wouldn't be able to survive there anyway. This demonstrates how far people back then would go just to make a dollar.

In conclusion yes money does have an important role in Dodger and in fact thinking more clearly now the whole book is about Dodger helping solve the issues that rich people have solved. So are there more books like this out in the world definitely, because money both using it for the wrong reasons or having none at all are real problems that go on every day.

Freedom Summer Aidan Arbona

Recently I had read the children's picture book Freedom Summer, by Deorah Wiles. I have been reading these types of children's books as I have been starting to notice that they in fact go into some very mature themes. In this story the author talks about a friendship between a White boy and and a African-american boy. This was dangerous because at that time in the south slavery was still legal.

This story in a way isn't fair as it does not show every ones point of  view point. All though it shows the political correct and my personal viewpoint that everyone should be able to do whatever he/she wants to do. No matter what race or gender you are. Although no one fro the opposing side has their viewpoint shown.

Throughout the story the author doesn't include many racist characters to contrast with the anti-racist characters. Their viewpoint is not shown in any major way other than the fact that they seal up a pool that the protagonists wanted to swim in together as a sign of unity.

Injustice a piece by A. Arbona

What is injustice? Of course I know what I believe it is but what about you? Injustice to me is when a little boy is left alone to fend for himself, when a little girl is married off by her family to make a little cash. When an old man can't go to the hospital because they have no room for people like him. When someone spits at a homeless person just because they have that slightest bit difference financially. So don't tell me that Injustice is when you don't get what you want because there are millions out there who have no food, no shelter, and worst of all no one.

You live with injustice, there is no denying that we the people of the United States of America and the rest of the world live with injustice. Every day when I walk home I see just how horrible this world can be how cruel mother nature can respond to making a few mistakes or being born into poverty.

And I'm sure you all see it as well.

People turn to boxes for shelter. For support, why? Why don't we help Why don't we do something anything!

Because we're scared

We're frightened we try to ignore it because we think that poverty and social class are mountains. Mountains we can't climb, and you think that it's contagious. You're wrong though the only thing contagious is the help you give the emotion, the love, the friendliness, the prosperity, and that's what kills me. The fact that us "high and mighty" believe that we're better than them,  and I can tell you now by not helping them is what makes you worse. So the next time you see a man ask you for a dollar even though he might not be spending the money on the house you want him to just give it to him. Please.

Be brave,
 Aidan Arbona

Book banning essay by A. Arbona

Dear Ms. Berner,

It has come to my attention that some sixth grade parents are attempting to pull some Young Adult fiction from the sixth grade library. This is strange, as pulling books from our libraries is the exact opposite of what schools are supposed to do. Schools are supposed to open gateways of knowledge, both pleasant and harsh, so that the readers can use the knowledge acquired to guide them throughout their lives.

Yes, young adult fiction explores mature content, but that is what these book are supposed to demonstrate, mature and harsh issues that affect teens. Ellen Hopkins (author of Crank) mentions in her article “Anti-Censorship Manifesto” that she has read “tens of thousands of messages from readers, thanking me for turning them around, giving much needed insight, and even literally saving their lives.” Similarly, in his article called “Why All the Best Books are Written in Blood,” Sherman Alexi states that “there are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged. They read because they live in an often-terrible world. They read because they believe, despite the callow protestations of certain adults, that books-especially the dark and dangerous ones-will save them.”  Banning these books takes away teens’ ability to think for themselves.  By trying to protect them you are actually denying them information that may show them how to believe in themselves and not lose hope.

Many times, books are banned because of parents’ misinterpretations and lack of knowledge about the books.  Adults will blindly attack books that they have not even read. In “Book Under Fire,” a segment of ABC news, the reporters cover a school which is attempting to ban a book called “Fahrenheit 451” not because of any reason you might think of, but because it talked about burning the bible, while in reality the book condemns such censorship. It is a common occurrence that a parent or child doesn’t read a book and then assumes that it is offensive towards them based on a few passages taken out of context. An example of this is in the news segment “Banned in Stockton” by HTV magazine where a high school bans the book The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian because they think that the story is about child pornography while it isn’t even remotely related to that subject. In fact, it is about a Native American boy overcoming his physical disability, and oppression.   

Meghan Cox Gurden states in the Darkness is Too Visible, “If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is.” If that statement were true, then this world would have no social issues such as racism, homophobia, peer pressure, economic pressure, and felony, sexual abuse and drug abuse. Young adults need to be taught about these issues as in the future they will encounter some of these issues, and they will need guidance, guidance which only people who have gone through the same can give.

In conclusion, Ms.Berner, the sixth graders should have access to any book in the Young Adult fiction category.   School is the gateway of knowledge and sixth graders need to learn about what could happen to them out in the world. These books provide guidance and reassurance to the readers that they are not alone, and the books will teach them how to make decisions for themselves now, and in their future. 

Banning books by Aidan Arbona

This week I've read two articles one of which talks about why  people should ban books and the other which is against it. The Darkness is To Visible by Meghan Cox Gurden and Why the best books are written in blood by Sherman Alexi.  Based off of these articles i see no point in banning books as they cannot harm anyone.

A great point that is brought up in Alexi's piece is that how can teens be traumatized if they themselves have already seen worse, while Cox states that images will just harm them more. In my opinion Alexi is correct, In life we try many new things but sometimes you just end up watching some Disney movie. If you watch that movie over and over again then it will no longer excite. It's like that with experiences. After you've gone through something you know what it's like and it won't hurt you anymore. 

Cox also brings up how everything was better before Y.A. books started to hurt everyone. While Alexi says that people like Cox only want to defend the privileged children  from the outside world. I think that What Alexi says is true and what Cox is doing is trying to keep the innocence in teens for longer periods of time. Which is horrible because after the birds leave the nest they'd have no idea how to handle the real world.

Y.A. fiction can't hurt anyone but instead teach them how to survive when they face this wall and if they already have that others have gone through just the same and even if it wasn't a happy ending, at least they know how to cope with the issues. Banned books can't hurt anyone no words, no images, but people. 

People can hurt anyone.

Catch And Release by Aidan Arbona

In the compilation Stories by Neil Gaimon ,Al Sarrantonio, and Others  is a group of creepy, eerie, or downright frightening stories. This one is pretty much all three. Catch and Release is about a man picking up female hitch hikers and then killing and eating them. In the man mind the hitch hiker are fish and some he catches and releases while others ...well you know. So I'm going to tell you what this story does well and does poorly.

Starting off with the pros of this story, a few things I think that the author Lawrence Block performed well on  was the realism. There's  nothing fantasy about this story. The author goes into detail about almost every single aspect of this story. From the car which the protagonist drives to the house an lifestyles of each of the victims. This makes the story just that much scarier. but the thing that makes the detail all too over the top is how the author describes the protagonists heartless feelings while killing his victim. Another thing that makes this story very disgusting is how he compare fishing to murder and cannibalism. Gosh is this story just wrong.

Now the cons. Well to be honest there aren't many being a the story is well executed and very short.  There's one thing that I dislike though about the story. That being why did he have such a generic pattern? I mean that every other person he kill and eats and the lucky one don't get killed or eaten. That for a horror story is a tad bit generic don't you think.

In conclusion this story is seriously screwed up in almost every possible way. The pro obviously outnumber the con making it something to be reckoned with.  So I would rate this story Really, Really, Really, Really, Really good. Of course that rating is for those who are mentally dangerous for the rest of us this would be considered Really, Really,Really messed up.

Little Brother by Aidan Arbona part 1

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow is about a teen named Marcus. Marcus and his friends are hackers and computer wizzes but other than that they are just normal kids. Inevitably in a book some thing must go wrong. This book shows just how democracy really sees teens. This book shows this as none of the adults really take the teen characters seriously, as when they are in peril only a few people fight for their rights and even then it's only a few. This story also shows just how America trusts teens as they try to in prison them and suspect that they are all criminals. Innocent until proven guilty I think not.

In Little Brother adults take teens for granted. In Marcus' school he speaks about how the constitutional rights and his teacher doesn't take much notice of that. Marcus is also treated like a little kid in his school when he's suspended for talking bad about the government. Showing how adults in the story don't care for teen rights.

Also, Little Brother demonstrates how America thinks of its' teens. It doesn't love them in fact it is very suspicious of them. Marcus when he used his train pass to get around the city to give out hardware for their free x-boxes gets searched for no reason other than that. This isn't right as they most likely wouldn't have searched him if he was an adult. Also when there is a concert in a park for teens the government gasses them thinking that they're terrorists. This just shows how America treats its' next generations and how they suspect them of terrorism when they are only trying to enjoy themselves.

In conclusion this book, while taking a very radical look at the subject, shows how tees are suspected of being no good, junkies. Which is completely stereotypical and offensive to them.

A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess. This quote (you  can find this quote and many like it on searchquotes.com" by Philip Randall suggests that everyone should have equal rights including teens and children. So please the next time you speak to a teen don't just brush them off, because everyone including teens can strike up a good conversation, and everyone has good ideas to share.

Faithful elephants... ON FYRE!!!!!!! by Aidan Arbona

In the short story Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya is a heart wrenching story that demonstrates how war affects not only a nations soldiers but also everything else in the nation. Pieces of text that accommodate to this are how the zoo staff represent innocents, the elephants are the loss and the governments are the antagonists. Now that I have demonstrated my point of view I shall precede to prove that war affects everyone and not just soldiers.

In faithful elephants the zookeepers represent innocents. Tsuchiya represents them well by showing that they have cares and how they are humane like any of us. When the zookeepers are supposed to kill Tonky and Wanly (two of the elephants in the story) they try to postpone the killings of the elephants as they love the elephants and don't wish to kill them. As they are forced too though they regret ever doing so and make a memorial for them. This shows that they represent the innocent people in war as they loss things that they love and they are just average people like us.

Another way Tsuchiya shows how everything is affected in war is how the elephants are killed brutally. The elephants represent the people who are killed and the losses in war.The elephants show this as they are killed by people they trusted with all their hearts.  They didn't suspect to be betrayed by the people who trained and cared for them. Even when they were dying they tried to please their trainers by performing tricks. This represents people who die and the losses of war  as they were killed by there own country in order to keep it safe.

Finally Tsuchiya shows how governments think that they are something to protect society but only makes the situation more unbearable. He does this by writing about how they force the zoo keepers to kill all the animals in the zoo because they're afraid of bombs  falling and destroying the cages in the zoo allowing them to escape and harm others. For this they break the hearts of the zookeepers and kill docile animals.

Tsuchiya wrote this for a few reasons in my opinion. One so that we can finally see how war really affects everyone and not just soldiers and so that we know why we should oppose war. There is a phrase that has been said again and again "it takes one man to scale a mountain, but many to conquer it". Tsuchiya scaled this mountain now it's up to you to help him conquer it. Only we can stop wars but at the same time only we can start them so choose your path wisely.

Intro and Maze Runner

Welcome to Books on Fyre!!!!!!!!!! On this blog I'll write about books which I have read. After I'm done giving a brief over view of the story and how I feel about the book I'll give it a rating. My ratings consist of three levels #1 it's good, give it a try, #2 OMG this book is amazing!!!, and #3 KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!.
Now that you know me and how I work let's skip your intro and get down to Business.

The First Book That I shall be giving you the lowdown on is The Maze Runner by James Dashner. The Maze Runner is about a boy named Thomas, who wakes up in an elevator and can't remember anything. As the elevator finally stops, Thomas finds himself stuck in a maze called by the many other boy's there "the Glade". Three things that I love about this book is first off the setting, second off  the characters although basic in structure come alive within the "Glade", And finally the fact that the antagonist are forces called the creators.                                                                                                                                                      
The setting is a giant field known as the glade. It is surrounded by the walls of a giant maze, and as I have not personally finished this book I don't know if there is a way to escape the maze. Another insane part of the setting is that within the maze there are giant mechanical creatures known as Grievers. Now I love the Grievers because  they give a whole new level to risk as they can easily kill you but if they even touch you, you can go through massive pain as they are covered in spikes. Another main issue about the maze is that its walls move every day.

Also the characters in this story is a basic council and friend set up. You have about three high and mighty guys who like the main character, the two who hate him and his friend. In this story however it fits perfectly with the type of people who live in the "Glade". This suits the situation because as the characters are teens they would have found leadership in those with more bravery, popularity, and experience. Also Thomas has brought a little bit of an uproar as he just saved the live of a maze runner who was on the council while breaking an important rule.

Finally the antagonists in this book are interesting as you really know nothing about them. All you know are that they made the grievers and can give you anything they want to give you. They maintain  the maze and send bug spies to check on you. Also you can tell that a living thing is one of their creations if it says wicked on them. But I love them because the author made them so high and mighty and yet so mysterious.

In conclusion this book does everything correctly. It has good character set ups, great setting and mysterious antagonist. So what's not to love? That's why I will tell you to get this book because OMG IT IS AMAZING!!!!!