"The Thin Red Line"

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/jjones.htm

The Thin Red Line is author James Jones's fictional account of the World War II Galloping Horse portion of the Battle of Mount Austen, specifically Hill 53, during the Guadalcanal campaign, which he experienced firsthand in the United States Army's 25th Infantry Division. The novel has been adapted for motion pictures twice, first in 1964 and then in Terrence Malick's 1998 adaptation. Like Jones's two other World War II novels, the story focuses on a number of characters and their differing reactions to combat; the central characters are actually the same in all three books but their names have necessarily been changed, since Pvt. Witt's counterpart in From Here to Eternity (Prewitt) died at its conclusion. While none of the characters are particularly attractive or warm, Jones effectively conveys the alienation and horror that characterized the Pacific theatre of war for the American Marine rifleman. Instead of a conventional military adventure story, the author presents a more realistic depiction of battle where ordinary people experience a mix of murder, fear, homosexuality, dread, helplessness, frustration, meanness, terror, and emptiness. The novel depicts (but is careful not to judge) acts most readers would consider repellent, such as disinterring a Japanese corpse for fun, summarily executing Japanese prisoners or extracting gold teeth from corpses. These acts are shown as natural reactions to the soldiers' environment. This article is mainly about how the book came about to what it is today. James Jones got his ideas from his own military experiences in World War II. This is why te book seems so real.

Suicide Bombings

“Suicide bomber kills 6 troops in Afghanistan”

By Ernesto Londoño

Washington Post Foreign Service

Sunday, December 12, 2010; 2:58 PM

Ahmadulla, a member of the Taliban, created a suicide bomber attack surrounding a farming village in a Zahari district in Kabul where American troops were trying to restore Afghan government control for the country. This man drove a minivan filled with 2,000 kilograms of explosives into a building, which killed six U.S. troops. This was a newly built building in the Kandahar Province. This is just one of the many casualties the soldiers have been recently facing while trying to build small outposts in the country’s second largest city. This city is also the birthplace of the Taliban movement that has affected many for the past few years because of their want to regain stronger control. Two weeks earlier, Afghan guards located at the country’s border killed six U.S. trainers adding to the 670 NATO troops killed. Mines and roadside bombings have caused some of the deadliest incidences. Members of the country’s commission led by Fazl Ahmad Manawi have also been arrested based on fraud charges interpreted as signs of intimidation on the government during its recent parliamentary election. Even though the Taliban has caused so many deaths and troubles for the U.S. troops and citizens of Afghanistan, it is the courageous efforts of the American men and women that will strengthen and provide a just government for the country to abide. You have to sometimes think, what is going on in the minds of those suicide bombers? They must be really dedicated to their countries and leaders to do that, or they are just really messed up. There are definitely a lot of better ways to go about fighting, and not going about killing yourself. The United States troups have been very effective with their strategy without doing suicide bombings. I guess its just the Taliban that’s produces these crazy people to go out and fight against us. It is very scary sometimes to think what they will do in order to attack the United States.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121200857.html

Auburn vs. Oregon

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2010-12-05-bcs-title-game-preview_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

This article is mainly about the new national championship contenders in college football. Oregon and auburn will be competing in January for the BCS title game. This is an unusual championship game because the two teams have never been in the nation championship. Will it be Darron Thomas, LaMichael James and Oregon or Cam Newton and Auburn who win the BCS National Championship Game? It's hard to pick against James or Newton, who will likely be the top two vote-getters in the Heisman Trophy voting. And it's hard to see either one of these teams get outscored for the first time all season. But someone has to win, and Auburn has knocked off five top-20 teams and four top-12 teams. The Tigers have also come from behind in eight of their victories. They define resiliency. Auburn will probably fall behind once again. And I don’t think that Auburn can come back this time because of the great second half team that Oregon is. Also it will be hard to catch up to Oregon fast offense. Another key for Cam Newton is to watch out for linebacker, Ryan Matthews. He is probably one of the better backers in the nation, and a true threat to any quarterback. In Oregon’s last game, Ryan Matthews crushed the quarterback the first play of the game! It is crucial for him to have a big game. With all this said, I think Oregon will win, but it will definitely be close with Auburns powerful offense.