Kool Aid Acid, Hold the Boring

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            Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

 Keef

Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test was nothing other than a madly-fantastical trip through time that kept you constantly fact-checking the ridiculous stories you came across. Nothing about the first concerts of The Grateful Dead, a cat and mouse game between the FBI, the drug enjoying Kesey, or the cult of acid followers reaching transcendence follows any type of life even the craziest of us could imagine.

            Acid was being released by the government or testing, and Ken Kesey (author of One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest & Sometimes a Great Notion) signed up immediately, being given one of the first batches of this new drug, with which he immediately fell in love. Quickly growing a massive following, the New Yorker sent out Tom Wolfe, the author, to cover the story. He soon rolled with the “Merry Pranksters” in dirty San Francisco, home to the wonderful ol’ beat generation, now replaced with dirty saloons and topless bars. The Pranksters and Kesey wanted to bring this new way of life across America to every person. So in light of Kesey’s new book being released they traveled across America in a bus called the and filmed the entire experience, later releasing a movie. (It was “cool”, the “in” thing if you made it into the “movie” or not.)

            Upon return, life kicks into another gear as the “Acid-Tests” begin. Wild forest parties with neon clad trees, paintings and lights taking up every sensory nerve with massive concerts (The Grateful Dead) as everyone popped acid like M&Ms, reaching another level of transcendence. But a little marijuana conviction doesn’t stop Kesey. Fleeing to Mexico, not digging it, and coming back he begins to publicly toy with the cops, like a vigilante batman or Hellboy. Now THAT is other-worldy fiction type stuff right there. It seems Kesey and this entire experience has shaped the plots of so many ridiculous comedies since the 80’s.

            But the Acid-Tests never actually worked without acid, as Kesey tried to let the judge allow him to prove, and he was tossed in the jail.

            I had a pretty d*mn fun time reading this guy, I’ll get after it again at some point in life. It was pretty liberating. The 60s, 70s, 80s were a time of serious independence and breaking away from social norms of being…NORMAL. They went for it, finding a lot about themselves, life, and what their little roles were in the scheme of things. You feel as if you travel through the story with Wolfe. He’s intimidated, pretty scared, and has no idea what to expect from such an awesomely strange group of people becoming his friends. As a new kid in a foreign land he was trying to fit in, trying to understand it all, just as you the reader are as well. He’s open and honest about his feelings and it’s an amazing time.

And so we sit, and read these tales, reaching a transcendence of our own: about what is possible in a life. It’s wild to think that these people really did do absolutely whatever they wanted, shamelessly, forging a bridge into an excitingly freaky new time.

Unbroken Book Review

Unbroken Book Review

Nathan Shane Loomis

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit, is an inspirational, compelling, and intense novel. The story follows Louis Zamperini, who was one of the fastest runners of the first half of the 20^th century and later entered World War II as a pilot. The book starts from the start of his life when his parents migrated over to United States from Italy and continues into Zamperini’s life in modern times. As a reader, you can admire amount of detail and care put into this book, but Hillenbrand was just telling us what happened to this American hero. It’s almost unbelievable what Zamperini achieved and went through during his days of running and during the war.

The story begins with young Zamperini living in Torrance , California with his parents and his older brother, Pete. As a child, Zamperini was a delinquent. Every day he would find something new to upset his teachers, his family or even the police. Bullies picked on him since he was an Italian immigrant, but not for long, since his father taught him how to use his fists. "Kids who crossed him wound up with fat lips, and bullies learned to give him a wide berth.” One day he ran away from home with one of his friends and lived under a bridge for a week living on nothing but lizards and dead birds. When Zamperini became a freshman, in high school his brother, Pete, wanted to clean up his act. Pete saw potential as Zamperini as a distance runner for the high school track team. Zamperini had been running away from trouble for years whether it was bullies, clerks, or the police. Pete motivated Zamperini to train for the track team through fall and winter, and Zamperini hated the training. Pete trained with him almost every day. As Zamperini would do workouts runs, Pete would be on his bike shouting out times and would never let Zamperini slack off. Finally, when track started, Zamperini joined the team and found that girls were very attracted to track runners. This motivated Zamperini to stay on the team, and by the end of his freshman year he ran a 4:50 mile (1600 meters). Zamperini excelled during high school, and his times were legendary for back then. Zamperini got an athletic scholarship to USC and was the top runner in the nation. He attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics and ran the 5,000 meter. He got 8^th place in the race with a time of 14:45. He ran his last lap in 54 seconds and he passed seven runners during that lap. He was so fast that he even sparked the attention of Adolf Hitler. Hitler called up Zamperini to his office and congratulated him personally by giving him a handshake. When Zamperini came back from Berlin, he was treated as a hero. Ironically, Zamperini’s USC track coach said the only runner that could beat him was Seabiscuit. In Zamperini’s final year at USC, he ran a 4:08 mile and it stood as a national record for 15 years.

After college Zamperini dreamed of flying and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941. After Pearl Harbor he was stationed in Hawaii. After a couple of months of flying around the Pacific and fighting in colossal air battles, Zamperini was sent on a rescue mission with a crew of eight other men to find survivors of a lost plane. When he and his crew were about 800 miles south of the base, one of the engines lost power and they crashed into the ocean. Only Zamperini and two other men survived the crash, the men took refuge on two little life rafts (which eventually turned to one). For more than a month the three of them lived off rain water, and they were able to catch fish and seabirds that would come by their raft. After 30 days tail-gunner Francis McNamara died, but Zamperini and pilot Russell Phillips survived in the open sea for 47 days. They drifted for 2,000 miles. During those 47 days they encountered sharks that tried to attack the boat (they were able to beat some of them with their paddles and eat them). They also faced Starvation, the scorching sun, dementia and were attacked by a Japanese plane. Finally, they reached the Marshall Islands, but the next day the Japanese Army captured them. They took the two into a Tokyo prison camp. Zamperini was brutally beaten, tortured and humiliated in the prison camp. The Japanese army gave no mercy to Zamperini. One of the grotesque punishments they gave Zamperini was shoving bamboo up his fingernails, and then punching his face until he got knocked out. Zamperini was held in prison camp for more than two and half years. When America nuked Japan, Zamperini and other American prisoners were set free, ending his three years of torture and survival.

Zamperini returned to Torrance, California, but he still wasn’t at peace. Like many other veterans Zamperini suffered from alcoholism and was haunted by night terrors and rage. In 1946, he married Cynthia Applewhite, and three years later he converted to a Christian and renewed himself. He later became an inspirational speaker and one of his main themes was forgiveness. He even went back to Japan to find many of the officers that tortured him in prison. He got a translator and told them that he forgave them.

Over the years Zamperini has gotten many awards like the NCAA 2012 Inspiration Award. He was also conducted to many Hall of Fames, like the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. The book closes with Zamperini returning to the Berlin Track Stadium for the first time since the 1936 Olympics. The moment is truly powerful.

Unbroken is one of the best books I’ve ever read. As a track star, myself, I completely related to Louis Zamperini. His story is extremely unique and epic. Zamperini has been through it all from competing in the Olympics to being a prisoner of war. Zamperini is 93 years old and still stands as one of the most inspirational WWII veterans. Louis Zamperini is truly an American hero and a national treasure. 

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Kira Hamblin

Holiday Book Review:

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris

            The autobiography Me Talk Pretty One Day by the author, comedian and humorist David Sedaris is a wonderfully written book that depicts Sedaris’ life from childhood to himself today. The book runs the course of him in as peculiar young child, to his bizarre career path and finally to his move to France. The book written in 2000 is a collection of essays written by the author about his life.

            Through out every essay in the book there is an underlying theme of him reasoning for his sexuality. He explores even in the first essay how even as a fifth grader he knew he was different from the other kids. Sedaris has a wonderful voice in the autobiography, and brilliantly form his autobiography into multiple short stories that have defined his life.

            Not only does the author have a pleasing way of telling stories, but also he formats them in an order that after every chapter it feels like you are digging deeper into his brain. He skillfully combines the dark satirical language with a hard-hitting hilarious punch line, which makes it incredibly enjoyable to read.

            I recommend this book to someone who maybe doesn’t want to read a large novel and is looking for a book that changes paces and doesn’t continue on with same story. I for one am the kind of person who likes to mix it up, and enjoys that every essay is different. Sedaris is a genius in terms of how he formatted his autobiography; easily keeping people engaged and excited to read about his life. An author who can successfully portray his or her life in an easily read way is impressive and truly shows how talented an author is.  I highly recommend the book Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, to those who like comedic and sometimes-dark humor writing, and those looking for a good read that will keep you intrigued and want to keep reading. 

Under the Banner of Heaven

Dorosi Valle                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

            Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

On July 24, 1984, two brothers, instructed to “remove the following individuals” by God, murdered a woman and her infant daughter. Under the Banner of Heaven reveals the details behind this murder, exploring the obscure world of fundamentalist Mormonism. In this investigate work of non-fiction, Jon Krakauer examines extremes of religious belief through unbelievable findings, keeping even the most unmotivated reader flipping the page.

Under the Banner of Heaven begins with a general background of Dan and Ron Lafferty who murdered Brenda and Erica Lafferty, Allen Lafferty’s wife and daughter. As the book later explains, Brenda had been bad-mouthing the Lafferty brothers’ new fundamentalist beliefs. Ron, who succumbed to fundamentalist Mormonism thanks to his brother Dan, blamed Brenda for his recent divorce. Soon after, Ron received a revelation from God to “remove the following individuals” so that His “work might go forward.” In July 24 of 1984, Dan Lafferty entered his younger brother’s house, murdering Brenda and Erica Lafferty. Dan now is serving a life sentence and feels no remorse about the murders. He says “I was doing God’s will, which is not a crime.”

To ground the reader as Krakauer embarks on this “violent faith” journey, he provides a closer look at the Mormon religion. From Joseph Smith’s childhood to the angel Moroni, Krakaeur traces the foundation of fundamentalist Mormonism, establishing a clear difference between mainstream Mormons and fundamentalist Mormons. From a general standing, Under the Banner of Heaven doesn’t just specifically focus on the Brenda and Erica murder case. Instead, he uses the murder as a window into revealing much more. Krakauer exemplifies fundamentalist lifestyles in Colorado City, Arizona. He exposes the world of plural marriage hidden within small towns. Through jaw-dropping descriptions, Krakauer gives an understanding of fundamentalist Mormonism as the more violent faith.

This eye-opening novel examines an American religion practiced by millions. The compelling true story of Brenda and Erica’s murder is one of tragedy and sorrow. Under the Banner of Heaven discloses an in depth investigation of fundamentalist Mormonism, making this obscure religion vivid and terrifying. In conclusion, this is a book that must be read.

The Help

Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, was born in Jackson, Mississippi. This is her first novel. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and creative writing, she decided to start writing this book. She never thought that it would be as popular as it was, and quite frankly never thought anyone would even read it, which is why she wasn’t exactly trying to achieve anything with it. But since it came out, this story about the relationships between African American servants and the white women who employed them in Mississippi, spent over 30 weeks on the New York Time’s best seller list. She started writing the book after Sep. 11^th, when she was living in New York City. She started to really miss home, seeing as she couldn’t talk to her family to tell them she was fine. She started to write in the voice of her maid Demetrie, the maid she had while she was growing up. As she kept writing, personalities from that voice developed into her characters, and she then made it into a book.

The Help is story about two black maids, Aibaleen and Minny, and a white “socialite” who takes on the task of writing a story about what it is like to work as a black maid in the South’s white homes. This novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Aibaleen works for the Leefolts, a white family, and takes care of everything while raising their daughter, Mae Mobley, who Aibaleen calls her “special baby.” Mae Mobley is physically abused and neglected by her mother. Aibaleen tries to build up Mae Mobley’s self esteem and teach her about racial equality, throughout the entire book, telling her always “you is smart, you is kind, you is important,” while making Mae Mobley repeat it. Before Aibaleen started work at the Leefolts, her son died in a workplace accident, something that could have been prevented if his boss would have just helped him. You feel the pain she is going through throughout the entire novel, as she is trying to raise another baby, constantly thinking of her own being gone. Her life with this family is way better than, say, Minny’s, because Aibaleen actually knows how to keep her mouth shut and just do her job. You almost feel like she is some what respected in this household, compared to the way others are treated and talked to. Minny, on the other hand, takes care of Hilly’s mother, Miss Walters, while constantly being scrutinized and put down every second by Hilly. Hilly is an awful woman who treats Minny like dirt. Miss Walters seems to actually like Minny, treating her with some respect. You get a good taste of how the book is going to go from the first paragraph of the novel: spoken by Aibaleen, “MAE MOBLEY was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960. A church baby we like to call it. Taking care a white babies, thats what I do, along with all the cooking and the cleaning. I done raised seventeen kids in my lifetime. I know how to get them babies to sleep, stop crying, and go in the toilet bowl before they mamas even get out a bed in the morning.”   

This novel is very touching, constantly making you want to keep reading. It just seems so real, and makes you really think of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and imagining what life was like for women back then. I have never been so intrigued in a book, never wanting to put it down. These woman spent all there time raising other people’s children, when most had children of their own, along with everything else that needed to be done in the house. I just can’t believe that Stockett wrote this without thinking people would read it or that it was even any good. She did an incredible job portraying something that is so intense to try and talk about, because in today’s society, this topic is something that people don’t want to remember, let alone speak about. I applaud Kathryn Stockett tremendously.

Kisses From Katie

Kisses From Katie Review

A.P. Language

Ryan Niebruegge

Kisses From Katie, the life of Katie Davis, is about a teenage girl and her adventures in Uganda. During her senior year of high school, she confronted her parents about taking a gap year before she went to college to try and share the love of Jesus to people in a country that are less fortunate than she is. Her parents weren't very willing, so they told her she could go for Christmas break. Katie's parents were hoping this would make her change her mind about spending a whole year there, but her time in Uganda made her want to be there even more.
         As Katie's senior year was coming to an end, a man from an orphanage offered her a job as a kindergarten teacher. It didn't pay well, but he also gave her a place to stay. She left the comfort of her hometown, friends and family, and life of an upper-class citizen. Schooling in Uganda is very expensive for most people, but she was offering a cheap education, which resulted in having over one hundred students in her small classroom. But she managed, and fell in love with all the kids and decided she should start her own Ministry.

At the age of 19, Katie Davis started the Ministry Amazima, which means Truth in the main language of Uganda. Through this organization, she was sending kids from very broke families to school, using money raised in America, and she ended up buying her own house and adopting twelve little girls. She went to hospitals with these girls to feed the patients, and share the love of Jesus Christ. Through the last five years, she has shown so many children how much Jesus loves them, and has helped them through anything illnesses that have come across them. 

The main purpose Katie had to wrote this, was to spread awareness of what she was doing. It was a great way to help get money for her organization and to help send kids to school. Katie says the kids of Uganda are who can change what it is like there. The best way to help the kids change their country is to send them to school. This is exactly what Katie is trying to achieve with the book; a better education for the future of Uganda. She is really doing great things there and deserves to have as much money for the children of Uganda as she can get her hands on.

I highly recommend this book. It is very inspirational and shows you that no matter what your age is, you can change the lives of so many people. The main writing style of Katie Davis was to make it just like her journal entries. At the end of each chapter, she would put an entry that related to the point of the chapter. This showed the reader what it must have been like living at that exact moment. She did a great job of showing what happened earlier on in her life, but with the journal entries, you could get into her head and see what she was feeling as these life changing events were happening.

All in all, this book is a great way to inspire the reader and to show there are people still doing good in our world. It shows that you can do these things as well, just to follow where you feel God is calling you to.

Welcome! I know, I know...it's a new year; but I thought I'd keep the posts from last year up so that you might get a sense of what your predecessors thought when they encountered much of the same material with which you'll be presented this year. Keep in mind, though, blog first (read and comment on other posts only after you've formed your own ideas. I look forward to reading your thoughts!