quarter two post ten

today i read an article about a girl that was walking in the snow and  she died. the father of the girl is being charged because he made his children walk ten miles to their mother's house after his truck was caught in the snow. One of the children was found in long underwear because he was apparently delusional from hypothermia. the father did not call the childrens mother to tell them that the children walking.  i think that is rediculous that the father did not first call the mother of the children, and secondly did not le t the children stay in the car/ truck since it would have been warmer than the cold, thirdly who does this to their kids, let alone on christmas day. if you are a parent i think that you are supposed to take care of them and not let them try to walk  their mothers house when the weather ranged from "27 degrees above zero to minus 5." . read the article here!

quarter two post nine

today i read an article about privacy rights, to be specific privacy rights for naked people. I personally think that it was hilarious because the guy taped his girlfriend naked and thought it would be O.K., without acknowledgement . To me i think why would you do this, and wouldn't the thought of getting into trouble cross your mind. personally if i were her i would be pissed off, and we would never speak to each other again. He was sentenced to three years' probation and six months in jail, i think that is to much time for the crime, since they were in a relationship, but when i think about it maybe with the changing of times and technology that punishments will change. i also think that when you are determining a crime that you should put yourself in the shoes of the other person and try to see it the way they see it.

quarter two post eight

today i read an article on cnn.com it was about the sun and depression. according to the article some people have seasonal depression, or depression that changes depending on the season (mainly winter). there is a specific gene for this type of depression. there is a way to combat this type of depression, it is light therapy. light therapy involves the person undergoing exposure to light that are closely related to the sun. the "disease' is officially know as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). i think that it is intersesting that people can be affected by not getting enough sun, when people are talking about getting too much sun and how it can cause skin cancer. i also think that is cool that the sun has such a big affect on our lives, in more ways that one, we need the sun to survive, so i think the sun should get a little more respect.

link; http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=8053012894346183000

quarter two post seven

i read an article about a teacher who punched an eight year old and picked him up and shook him because the kid broke a crayon!!! The student then was ordered out of the classroom where the student told another teacher the story who told him to learn not to complain. The other teacher states that the boy would not tell her what happened, though she could tell he was 'visibly upset.' the cops do not know who to believe.

i think this shows a lot about the school. the fact that they'll hire anyone (the teacher is also under investigation for hitting three other children) and don't even look into their backgrounds. i think it shows that schools aren't doing their jobs if that is the only kind of people they're hiring.

what else would they be doing with their time if not finding good teachers?
isn't that the whole point of learning? you need a good teacher.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/26/teacher.arrest/index.html

quarter two post six

Today I read an article on retailers being affected by the economy. The article was on time.com, and it focused on circuit city filing bankruptcy. The article talked about how circuit city will have to close 155 stores and cut a large amount of the workforce. According to the article this is not uncommon for retailers to file for bankruptcy during these harsh economic times. I think that it is the retailers faults for their own bankruptcy’s because they know that the economy is not the best, but they still try to push more things into consumers eyes. They could cut hours and focus on selling stuff that is appealing, and affordable but the retailers don’t get it, they want to get expensive items to make a large profit, which I think is greedy. I think this is also their fault because the consumers are going to be the ones bailing the companies out. 

quarter two post five

As i looked through my bookshelf, i realized i had nothing good to read, so i quickly turned to All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, a book that some enriched english students are reading.

Big mistake. I'd heard that it was not a very good book, but i didn't think it'd be so boring. I barely read the first chapter (which was very long) and i wanted to put the book down and never touch it again. It's about a young man names John Grady Cole who runs away from home with his friend Rawlins to Mexico because he wants to find freedom.

I don't know about you, but i think that John Grady Cole was very immature to run away. I think that maybe he should've just stuck it out at home. He ran away partly because his dad wouln't listen to him about quitting smoking. Which doesn't make sense to me..

Why would you run away from home to prove to your dad that your right and that he's going to die?

I do not think that you should read this book. :)

quarter two post four

Today I began reading the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan.

The first book (the vampire's assistant) is really good so far. It's about a young boy who goes to a freak show with his friend and sees a really good act. Then, he meets the guy who performed the act and finds out he's a vampire! Now that he knows, the vampire turns him into a half-vampire and making him his assistant. Now, he has to fake his own death just so he can live with the freak show.

It's a lot better than it sounds, haha. I think that everyone should read this series because it's an actual good vampire series, not just those stupid books that tried to copy the Twilight series, which is also, so i've heard, a good series.
It shows vampires in a different light than i think books usually do. They aren't killers, except for some of them..it's really hard to explain. But super amazing to read.

post 3 quarter 2

Today I read an article about the air quality in southern California, in the star tribune. The article was about how more people die annually from the poor air quality, compared to car deaths, and how improving the air quality would save twenty-eight billion dollars in health care annually. I think that it is ridiculous that we have such bad air quality in this part of America that we can compare it to car deaths. I also do not understand how this was able to go unnoticed for so long to become such a problem that it is being reported in the news in Minnesota. One last thing that makes me disappointed is the fact that the government can spend money on a “war on terror” to keep us safe, but we can overlook the problems that are going on in our country. Its more than just air quality that we overlook, we need to focus on things closer to home like poverty and homelessness in America.

Cold case: Best friends shot 13 times, left in ditch

My article is about two best friends who were shot and killed and left in a ditch in Weleetka, Oklahoma. Two young girls, Taylor (13) and Skyla (11) were said to have left Taylor's grandfather's house around 5pm to go for a walk. A little bit later, her grandfather tried to call Taylor's cell to tell her to be home by dark, there was no answer.
The two girls were found side-by-side in a ditch near a bridge just off the road. Skyla had been shot eight times, Taylor five, all in the head and chest area. There are little to no suspects and the one obvious question still remains: Why?


I think that this is just ridiculous to think that two fragile little girls in Oklahoma cannot even go for a simple walk. What is this world coming to? I mean, really, they're KIDS. there is absolutely no reason that they should be killed. And the fact that there are barely any suspects?! Goodness, the coppers are losing their touch!

check this article out!

quarter 2 post 1

Couldn't find anything to read, so yet again, I was forced to look through my brother's war novels. Down Range by : Dick Couch, is a book about navy SEALS and their missions. I personally don't care for the book and will no longer read it, because i think it is terrible. Firstly to even understand this book you have to have basic military terms down, and have to understand what is going on ( very hard, believe me). And secondly you have to get into the weird writing style ( can't explain it, just really odd). I would not recommend this book for people who don't want to waste time reading military novels, unless of course you like them then go right ahead. FOr me i think i am done reading military novels =), if you have any suggestions on what i should read i would be glad to hear them.

"Prep"

Lately, I've been reading the book "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld. The book is about a girl named Lee Fiora who goes to the Ault Academy. It's an extremely prestigious boarding school. Lee doesn't have many friends and she is painfully shy around her peers. The plot of the book mainly describes Lee's interactions and analyzations of the people she is around. Lee is very observant and she sees what people do, almost better than they do. 

During her time at Ault, Lee changes drastically. She goes from being a charming southern girl to a witty and sharp Ault student. The change that we see in Lee isn't necessarily all positive. The book also shows how other people start viewing her after her time at Ault.

I would highly recommend this book to other people, even though it's kind of a girly book. My mom made me read it and i ended up actually semi-liking it.  :)

what i am reading

this weekend i reread one of my favorite books ( not on my favorite book list for some reason) Double luck by: Lu Chi Fa and Becky White. this book is about a young orphan growing up during the communist takeover in china. In this book Lu chi fa overcomes many obstacles to ultimately survive. The book starts with the death of both of his parents, and soon you see lu chi fa bouncing from relative to relative, like a hacky sack. As the novel progresses his life gets worse and worse, until finally there is some light in the tunnel, he breaks free, and becomes his own person. In the end of the novel Lu chi fa is in America reminiscing on his times in china, mostly bad although some are good. If you have some free time, i would definitely suggest you read this book, because i think that it is just great ( i reread it).

what i am reading

today i read some articles online, mostly about politics which is boring to me(and boring to write about!!), so I'm going to write about my sisters favorite book, Olivia by: Ian Falconer.If you are unfamiliar with the theme of the Olivia books, it is in my opinion: to be yourself. I think this is an interesting theme because very often people do not act like themselves, because they want to be accepted by certain people or groups. An example of this is in high school where people trade their true identities for fragments of respect and so called friends (unless you have read Olivia of course). On the positive side of Olivia, it teaches kids to be themselves, and not be tricked into loosing their identity. SO if you are tired of reading articles or books that bore you, pick up Olivia as a mental pick me up, thats simple and fun to read.

my heroes project- everyday people

when you ask someone what comes to mind when you say hero, most of them are quick to say"superman", or "batman". I rarely hear someone say "My doctor is my hero" or "my teacher was my hero", so for my heroes project, I'm going to focus on the everyday heroes. The people who risk there lives everyday, who serve our country,who help heal our wounds, who save our life , who protect us from harm, or even those who help us grow into good people. The thing that i noticed about all the traits listed above is; they are all traits that describe ordinary people, not a person with super powers and

     
 A Teacher for All Seasons

A teacher is like Spring,
Who nurtures new green sprouts,
Encourages and leads them,
Whenever they have doubts.


A teacher is like Summer,
Whose sunny temperament
Makes studying a pleasure,
Preventing discontent.


A teacher is like Fall,
With methods crisp and clear,
Lessons of bright colors
And a happy atmosphere.

A teacher is like Winter,
While it’s snowing hard outside, 
Keeping students comfortable,
As a warm and helpful guide.


Teacher, you do all these things,
With a pleasant attitude;
You’re a teacher for all seasons,
And you have my gratitude!

By Joanna Fuchs

This is significant because it shows that heroes help those in need.I chose this poem because it shows teachers are heroes, and sometimes we don't even realize how much they are helping us, or trying to help us.

Brave Soul

This Video makes us understand the tough  things that heroes go through. I chose this video, because it  is showing that firefighters are heroes, risking their own lives (tough thing)  to save our own when we are in our time of need.

I've Got Your Back


I am a small and precious child,
my dad's been sent to fight.
The only place I'll see his face,
is in my dreams at night. 
He will be gone too many days
for my young mind to keep track.
I may be sad, but I am proud.
My daddy's got your back. 

I am a caring mother.
My son has gone to war.
My mind is filled with worries
that I have never known before.
Everyday I try to keep
my thoughts from turning black.
I may be scared, but I am proud.
My son has got your back. 

I am a strong and loving wife,
with a husband soon to go.
There are times I'm terrified
in a way most never know.
I bite my lip, and force a smile
as I watch my husband pack.
My heart may break,
but I am proud.
My husband has got your back. 

I am a soldier, serving
proudly, standing tall.
I fight for freedom, yours and mine
by answering this call.
I do my job while knowing,
the thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home
and remember who's got your back.

by Autumn Parker

This is significant, because it shows how all heroes must give up something to become a hero.I chose This poem because it  shows that soldiers are heroes, because they give up a piece of their own lives so that we can be safe.

conclusion

While i was studying heroes, i came to a realization, there are two types of heroes. The first type of hero being someone who is idolized and has superpowers , like superman, and the other being a normal person doing the right thing like a firefighter. The heroes with powers are the ones that always get recognition for saving a life or city... etc..While the ones who are just doing the right thing, go unnoticed, even though i think that they are more important because they keep everything in order ( running hospitals , saving people, teaching the people of the future etc.). Heroes that have super powers also live a secret life, while normal people live "normal" lives. As you can see there are two types of heroes in the world that we live in.

what i have been reading

Today, for english; I was reading one of my older brothers books about the french foreign legion called : Legion of the Lost: by Jaime Salazar.  the book starts of with Salazar's before he was in the legion, and shows how he progresses with each chapter. unless you have a pretty good understanding of the french foriegn legion, this book might not be for you, as it is not for me. With the integration of  french orders in nearly every paragraph the book seems more difficult to understand.On the plus side, there is action and adventure around every corner, from training to field action, you are sure to come across something. So if you are a die hard action fan or non-fiction war story fan i would suggest this book for you, but if you are like me and you dont care for it then you should definitly not read this book( i personally am no longer going to read this book). 

What i have been reading

The book i have hust finished reading is A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini. I dont want to give anything away to future readers, so im just going to say that all of the negative conflicts of the story get resolved in one way or aother. The theme is still: even though all odds may be against you, you must keep going. All of the characters that have stuck with this theme have gotten paid of in the end, but thay had to persevere, and be determined to live another day (literally for some of the characters).  At the end of the novel, its like a new beggining for the two main characters, because of their lives and because of something else... SO if you have npot picked a Hosseini book yet , you tdefinitly should, to be taken away by a beatiful story line.

what im reading

The book that i am reading right now is A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini. I am in part four, and the book has had a drastic change of events since i last posted. The main character of part four is reunited with her love after being seperated in part two. The story is starting to turn from bad, to worse, to good. In the beggining it was gloomy, and the book got more gloomy, and now its finally looking up for the characters. so i must stick with my theme  of the book is: even though all odds may be against you, you must keep going. i say this, because all of the  characters kept going no matter how tough it got, and it worked out for them. read this book. it is GREAT.

what i"m reading

Today i read several articles on Msn.com. As i was reading i came across an interesting story about how often kids committ suicide. In the article it says a boy was found hanging from a hook, dead, but the police report says it was not suicide, but the boy was caught by the hook. WHich i think is ridiculous , to try to hide young kids committing suicide.

Later on it says that kids committ suicide spontaneously, or without the plan, or though to do it, which i thought was odd. Kids dont feel like committing suicide like teens, because there is not that much per pressure. So next time you see a kid died by a hanging, it could be a cover up for a spontaneous suicide.

what i am reading

today i read an article online, from Time magazine. the article was about young girls losing weight by reading. the article said that the girls who read a  book with an overweight protagonist (or any book) lost weight, while other girls who didnt read, didn't lose weght, but gained it. I think that the article was total bs because the girls lost weight by reading, and not getting active. in my opinion you have to move to lose weight, and not just sit around, where did the extra pounds go, under the bed?So what i have leared from this article is, if you want to lose weight go outside, and dont read.

Book that i am reading!!

The book that i am reading right now is A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini. I am in part two of the book, and it is still pretty depressing. I still believe that the thesis is: even though all odds may be against you, you must keep going. I think this because the main character has had everything that could possible go wrong, go wrong, her family dies, she is hit in an explosion, ect. . Although i do not agree with the theme , i still want to read the book, because it has so many twists and turns that i just have to find out what happens next, no matter how gruesome. Overall i would say that this is one of the best books that i have pickled up in a long time, because of the change of scenery, characters, and plot. If you have not already, pick up this book!

Loyd Vs Codi

I think that Loyd and Codi are very different. i think they are very different, firstly because Loyd wants to settle down, and Codi wants to be free, and attached to nothing. An example of Loyd wanting to settle down is when he says, "i want more than i'm getting. More than sex.pg 182" this shows that Loyd really wants to settle down, and not mess around like he did in high school. An example of Codi  showing that she wants to be free is how she always talks about leaving, and not being rooted in one place. Another way in which they are different, is by the way that they talk to each other. Loyd always answers all the questions he is asked in a serious manner, while Codi is very mocking in the way that she asks her questions, and even answers his. This is shown when Codi says " I could have told Loyd i lived on Neptune, and he'd say,"uh-huh? was it cold?""pg 220. One last way in which Codi and Loyd are different is by the way they think of each other, neither of them see eacher as equals , but as people that are almost on different planets. this is shown several times for Loyd, when he refers to himself as a native american railroad worker dating a doctor, and when in the beggining of the novel for Codi when she thinks of Loyd as a womanizer. As you can see, Loyd and Codi are very different because Loyd want to settle down, and Codi want to be free, the way they talk to each other, and by the way that they see each other.

What i am reading at the moment....

The book that i am reading at the moment is A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini. So far the thesis of the book seems to be even though all odds may be against you, you must keep going. The author proves this by creating a character named Miriam, who even at birth has to struggle to stay alive. I personally do not agree with the authors' position because i just do not like to see, read, or write about people suffering. Although i do not agree with the author, i still believe that this could turn out to be a wonderful book, because of the the amazing characters, and because i have read another great book by him, The Kite Runner.  SO, i must say, if you have not already picked up a book by Hosseini, you really should, to start on a new adventure.

trying something new

Octopus, the gigantic roller coaster, trying to learn a new language, but later accepting defeat. That pretty much describes me, always willing to do something without really knowing what i'm getting myself into. Even as a child, my parents would call me the "outgoing one", and i guess i have lived up to that, since i'm always up to trying new things. It usually shows at the ice cream shop or state fair, ordering grapefruit sorbet and fried alligator. SOmetimes it may even be talking to someone that is doing something interesting, and seeing how i can get involved. So, if you want to try something new, but you are cautious , i'll be glad to help.

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