OUTSIDE READING #21

My blog this time is on the movie All My Sons. Personally I really didnt like it. I thought som of the acting was really bad and it could have been a lot better. I didnt really like the ending i thought it was kind of depressing when Joe shot meself. . Also I thought that all the actors made the characters seem different. I didn’t like the movie also because the whole story took place in the backyard. I think that there needed to be more scenes in different places. I think they should have had more scenes from the book and just not placed it all in the backyard.

OUTSIDE READING #20

On startribune.com their was an article called Man charged in shooting at Minikahda Club. So I read it because I have been there before so it made me interested. It explained how Joseph Conrad Rice, drove by the club and fired a total of 6 times at the big glass doors. He is being charged with drive-by shooting and reckless discharge of a felony. Joseph, 63, has been arrested three times in the last week. Once for not paying his cab fare for a bail of $60. Another for making terroristic attacks with a bail for $3000. The last arrest was when he shot the door which he is being housed in jail for and he will have to pay a $100,000 bail. He has been said to have a drinking problem. I think this is sad but somewhat funny. Especially since he shot at Minikahda in a red farrari.

OUTSIDE READING #19

I read an article on startribune. com called Rise and fall on Target. For the last 4 years Target has been having better discounts then Walmart but since November 2007 Walmart has been gaining more business while Target continues to loose more and more business. With how the economy is, Walmart has positioned itself so that it has better and cheaper prices for families that don't have or have very little income. Walmarts stock prices have gone up 13% even though Dow Jones has had record breaking lows. When Target was newer in 2003 Walmart was starting to bring in designer clothes and raised their prices because of the loss of customers. Target will not be the only ones selling products from the Apple Store, now Walmart will be selling iPhone's which will bring Walmart a even better outcome for incoming consumers. I personally like Target better then Walmart because there isn't a Walmart anywhere near where I live and because I feel like its really dirty in Walmarts, and i have been to plenty of Walmarts to know. The Walmarts in other states tend to be much cleaner then the ones here.

OUTSIDE READING #18

I read an article on cnn.com called Pennsylvania Teen Charged with Plotting to Kill School Enemies. Richard Yanis, a 15 year old at Pottsworth High School made a plan where he was going to take his dad's three handguns loaded with extra amunition in his pocket. He would alert a few of his friends he had to go home and then he was going to enter the school and kill every person who was in the school. A friend reported this almost attack and stopped it before anything could result of it. Yanis didn't have a record of doing anything bad and seemed to be a somewhat normal kid. I find it scary that a normal kid would think of and could do something like this.

OUTSIDE READING #17

I read an article in the People magazine called a Cyberbully Convicted. Its all about the case of Lori Drew who was seen to have led to a teen's suicide by cyberbullying on the site myspace.com. Myspace is a place where anyone can go, make a profile and upload pictures, write about themselves, and communicate with they're friends. Lori Drew is the mother of Megans best friend Sarah. She had created a profile and called herself Josh, pretending to be a boy. Lori could be charged with three Internet related misdemeanors which could lead her to a 3-year sentence and a $300,000 fine. The end result is not final yet. Lori has testified by saying that since Megan suffered with depression she was probably already suicidal which means that she thinks she had nothing to do with Megan's suicide.

OUTSIDE READING #16

I read this article on CNN.com about this 19-year-old's suicide and the reasons why he did it. This article was written by Oren Dorell. In this article, Oren talks about Abraham Biggs' suicide on his webcam and how other viewers could've helped Abraham finish what he was going to do. Biggs' father, Abraham Biggs Sr., said those who watched, and the website operators, share some blame in his son's death. "I think they are all equally wrong," he said. "As a human being, you don't watch someone in trouble and sit back and just watch." Although this is true, other viewers said they called the police while watching, but the police were to late. Briggs was found dead in his father's bed from overdoses of several medications. Other viewers didn't take Briggs seriously because they either thought he was joking or said that he had threatened to kill himself before so they didn't take him seriously. This was a really unfortunate event, hopefully this doesn't lead to more videotaped suicides. The author stresses his concern for this throughout the article.

OUTSIDE READING #15

I read an article about a mother who allegedly made a fake myspace of a boy named Josh, to see if Sarah Drew, her daughter's friend Megan, had been spreading mean rumors about her daughter. After trying to get back at Megan, Sarah Drew's mother proceeded with telling Megan to kill herself and that the world would be better off without her. Soon after, Megan was found hanging in her room with a belt and died the next day. This is the first cyber-bullying trial for the nation. Instead of being blamed for Megan's suicide, the mother is only being charged for violating the myspace terms of service. I think this is stupid, and she should be charged with homicide because she clearly created a person who Megan would fall for with the intent of turning on her. I think she fully knew the consequences of it all.

OUTSIDE READING #14

I read an article on Startribune.com from a couple of weeks ago called Mr Prisident! You must get off the Blackberry! It's all about how Obama is attached to his Blackberry and when he enters the White House this may not be possible. There is a law called the Presidential Records Act that makes it legal for anyone in public to be able to view the presidents emails. With it being the 21st century, it is only going to be harder and harder for presidents because of all the technology they've grown accustomed to. Although Obama wants to keep his blackberry and have a laptop, computer professionals said that it will be hacked into no matter how much they try to prevent that from happening. Many people are upset with the fact that he is trying to impose this and they've stated that they would rather have McCain because if he was the new president there would be no issue of technology.

OUTSIDE READING #13

This week i read and article on CNN.com called Boy,8, charged with murder says he came home, found men dead. its about an 8 year old boy, who is found guilty to killing his father and a man who rented their apartment. In a recorded questioning session the boy admits to killing his father, he shot him twice. he says that he shot his father and the renter Tim Romans with a .22-caliber handgun. After his confession he started bawling and couldn't continue anymore questioning. He boy exclaims that when he returned home from school after going for a walk he got there and both of the men were dead. He then ran to a neighbors house where they called 911. Although later he admitted that he murdered them although police don't know the cause of this. Charges have not been pressed especially since defense attorney bash the police for not giving the boy a lawyer for his questioning session.

OUTSIDE READING #12

The book i'm reading is called Twilight and it is written by Stephenie Meyer. In the first couple characters,Bella, has to move from her mother's house to her father's house. Bella and her father have never quite clicked. Going into this new journey she was aware it would be tough. She has to change schools and get used to all these new surroundings. Bella and her father spent talk-less nights at the dinner table, trying to get used to having one another present. Going into a new school, Bella noticed and was keeping her eye on certain people. One of the which was named, Edward Cullen. Edward and his siblings seemed to be perfect. Bella couldn't keep herself from being interested in him, and soon enough she was placed next to him in a seating arrangement in class. Rainy days passed and Bella Frequently was receiving e-mails from her mother, who was constantly interested in how she was doing with her father and her new life. Back at school, Edward seemed to have his "days." One day he would be attentive and talk to Bella, while the next day he was physically placing himself as far away as possible from Bella.

OUTSIDE READING #11

Today I read an article on Startribune.com titled Woodbury Woman Winning the War at Her Life. It was all about a woman named Kathy Miller who at the young age of 34 was diagnosed with breast cancer causing her to undergo a double mastectomy and lymph node removal. Kathy has three kids aged 8-months, 2 years old and 4 years old who is also autistic. Kathy was determined through all her surgeries and treatments to stay alive so her children wouldn't have to lose a mother. With her having cancer, her children also have health problem's of their own making their household a busy and hectic place to be. She has been named the "Beautiful Warrior" award from Ford Motor Co. and Reader's Digest, which is an award given to 3 cancer survivors and she will get her picture posted in the newspaper.

OUTSIDE READING #10

Today, i read another article in the startribune. This article was about a car crash that happened a couple weeks ago. This took place near city town in down town minneapolis, and killed the driver. There were 2 people in the car, the driver and a woman, and they hit a planter head on. The car was traveling at about 50 mph when they crashed. They hit the concrete barrier, flipped over a couple times, and skidded about 4 feet. The man died at hennepin county hospital and the woman is seriously injured.

OUTSIDE READING #9

I read an article on startribune.com called Matthews sentenced to life for former girlfriend's murder. It explained how in December of 2007, Zachery Matthews killed his girlfriend Kristine Larson. He killed her in their apartment right in front of their two year little boy. He shoved her body in the trunk of his car and attempted to burn the car and the body. He was convicted of first degree murder, plus two murder accounts and interference with a body. While Kristine's family and friends went up to testify Matthews couldn't look up and even started to plug his ears. Their relationship was abusive right from the start but Kristine wanted to try to push Matthews away from his gang and make him a better person. In the end he received a life sentence and their child was put in the care of family.

thesis statements and topic sentences

Thesis Statements

1) The goddess Athena has the most human-like qualities because she acts like one, helps others, and is in human form.

2) Athena's interactions with humans and how she acts around them makes her have the most human characteristics.

Topic Sentences

1) Athena acts like a human because she disguises as a human.

2) Throughout the book, Athena is helping Penelopeseus, Telemachus and Odysseus.

3) Lastly, Athena demonstrates her human-like characteristics by talking to humans on earth.

National hero of the year

Theres always a hero somewhere, Someone who you can trust and who you can look up to. I chose Athena to be the National Hero of the Year. I chose Athena because she helped many people through the book, she has human like qualities and she helped people when they were in danger. All the qualities Athena has, i thought made a great hero.

Through out the story Athena helps many people. One was Telemachus, when she helps him by moving the winds that will lead him to Sparta to find his father. Athena also helps Penelope by becoming really close to her to comfort her when she needed it, she awlays told Penelope that Odysseus will be back. Last, Athena helps Odysseus get his house and wife back.

Athena has the most human-like qualities because she acts like one, she acted like a human because she disguises as a one. she interactes with humans, she's in human form. she always developed human characteristics because she talks to humans and because she helped many on earth.

Another reason i chose Athena for national hero of the year is because she rescued people when they were danger. An example of this is when she rescued Odysseus from Poseidon’s storm. Homer writes, “A heavy sea covered him over, then and there unlucky Odysseus would have met his death—against the will of Fate—but the bright-eyed one inspired him yet again” (V, 479-482). This shows that Athena was always watching over others. Poseidon would not be a good choice for national hero of the year because he holds grudges. He made stroms to try to kill Odysseus because he blinded Poseidons son. By helping others out Athena has really showed that she can be a hero.

In conclusion, Athena rescues people from danger, she has human-like qualities and she is always helping others. All these things make up a hero and that hero is Athena. This is why you should vote for Athena for the national hero of the year.

OUTSIDE READING # 8

I read an article in the Star Tribune. This article was about an 18 year old boy, Jesse Mickelson, who was killed in minneapolis. He was 18 years old, and he went to highschool at Roosevelt highschool. His cousin was having a birthday party and when he went to go get a ball that had been thrown behind his home a group of kids came and shot him to death. It was a drive by shooting and they were driving a white dodge intrepid. Jesse was shot 6 to 8 times. Jesse's guardian suspects that the shots were meant to be for some of his neighbors, who were also outside at the time of the shots, but ran and hid when they heard the gun shots.

OUTSIDE READING #7

I just saw the movie High School Musical 3, It was about Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) facing the prospect of separation as they head off in different directions to college. Troy and Chad had always planned to go to college together to play basketball but Troy wasn't sure if thats really what he wanted to do. Joined by the rest of the seniors, they had a spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes , and fears about their future. Troy and Gabriella were suppose to do their song together but Gabriella got offered to go to college early and Troy told her to go. Gabriella told Troy that she couldn't come back for their senior prom because she doesnt want to have to deal with saying goodbye again. Troy couldnt stand being without her so he went there for prom so he could be with her. They came back together and ended up singing together. Troy chose to do both basketball and acting so he could stay close to Gabriella.

OUTSIDE READING #6

In the October issue of People Magazine, I read an article about a man named Lance Merrill and his story about his 19-year-old daughter, Jani's death.Jani died in 2006 of a heroine overdose after three times in rehab and many attempts to quit. Lance started DADD (dads against drug dealers) after she died. He put his daughter's drug dealer in jail for 81 days and is still catching many more. People are questioning him and his authority but also many are very thankful for what he has done for this huge problem in Utah. The Merril family has helped an enormous amount of drug addicts and their families because they don't want the same thing that happened to them, happen to others.

9/11 HEROS

THE HEROES I CHOSE

The Heroes that I chose to talk about were the heroes who helped pick up, rescue, and rebuild in the September 11th terrorist attack. I chose this as my topic because I think that what all of the people did to help out was amazing and they all should get recognized for what they did and how they helped. Their accomplishments cannot be put into words, not only do they save lives but they protect us and our cities.The tasks that they did were not easy, they have the qualities of bravery, courage, to be prepared and loving people. After reading and learning about the people who helped pick up the after 9/11, i've really started to notice the heroes they truley are.

I used this picture because i thought it was a good way of showing how many people helped out and cared during 9/11.

To those who died when the towers crashed down
A deep memorial in our hearts,of pain, of shame, of love, of blame,In these mixed feelings we must admit.Thou know none who's gone in vain.Though people think they died in vain,yet their legacy still lives today.Of valour, of peace, of love, of courage,These men gave their lives to serve and save.
Posted on 9-11heroes.US site by Anonymous

http://www.9-11heroes.us/

"We want to especially remember the firefighters, the policemen, the medical personnel, rescue workers, and all the common people who helped others on the attack sites during the actual disaster days, and those who helped to clean up in the aftermath of 9-11-01. Some of them accomplished some truly heroic tasks, and deserve to be called heroes!"
"In addition to the heroes in the Twin Towers in New York, there were also people on the airplanes that made important calls to let people know what was happening to them. Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett Jr., and Jeremy Glick all made phone calls from the plane. Some to mothers, some to wives, and to a GTE Airfone operator, but all gave some clues as to who the people who hijacked the planes were. Todd Beamer said, "They've knifed a guy and they've said there's a bomb." Their calls helped the people on the ground understand what was happening so that the airports could be shut down."
"When this thing happened he had every chance of running out, but he went in to help people out."

POEM-
Towers of Life
They stood hushed and glimmering in the night,Giants able to frame the moon,Slumbering magnificently in their might.Day breaks and the sun gently warms their skin,Veins begin to pulse with life,The sprit of a thousand of kin.
Evil tears towards them through the brilliant morning sky,Propelled by the blackest of hate,Guided by a lie.Barely risen they stand with no defense,Innocent and distracted they are not prepared,The pain about to be inflicted intense.Like a bolt of lighting that shatters the morn,Evil crashes once then twice into their sides,Their bodies are scorched and torn.Horribly crippled they continue to stand,Holding onto life until the last,Orders are given, they take the command.The battle is brief, the giants begin to yield,Life drains from every artery,Their fate is sealed.Collapsing to zero,First to one knee then to the next,From their dust will emerge so many a hero.The question is asked,How can such evil exist.

JDK

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, i have realized that heroes are everywhere, in any job or career anyone has. i dont really think that we have noticed of all the heroes there are. Also in conclusion i dont think that the 9/11 heroes were recognized as much as they should have been for all that they did.

OUTSIDE READING #5

i just started reading A Million Pieces by James Frey. Its about this guy James, who at the age of 24 woke up on a plane and had no idea where he was going or why he was on it. he had his four front teeth knocked out, his nose was broken and had a hole through his cheek. He had been an alcholic for ten years. he could barly walk when the plane landed and had to be pushed in a wheel chair. His family met him and checked him into treatment.

OUTSIDE READING #4

I just finished reading the book Just Listen, its about a young girl and her family's life journey. She deals with the life struggles and learns to deal with them by listening to music. She also realizes that she has to fend for herself sometimes and she learns to deal with life and their difficult situations and that lifes not perfect. She meets this guy who is obsessed with music and has a radio station. She starts talking to him when all of her friends turn against her. She decides to give him music and she turns out liking it when she actually listens to it. This girl used to be a model but decides to quit that because she learns more about herself and decides modeling isn't going to be a part of her life anymore. She also learns how to take care of herself and not get dragged into her familys problems. I think this book really shows that music or finding something that interest you the most can help someone take their mind off of the things in life that are the most stressful.

OUTSIDE READING #3

I just watched the movie Matilda, It’s about this girl, Matilda, who gets adopted into a family who doesn’t really appreciate her. She pretty much grows up on her own because her family was never there for her. One day she asked her dad if she could go to school and he just made fun of her. Matilda realizes that she has magic powers which she uses to make things easier for herself and also made things harder for her family. Her dad owns a car dealership where he meets the principle of a school, where he got Matilda into to. On her first day of school she saw her principle throw a girl over the fence by her hair, and saw a kid get forced to eat a whole chocolate cake, when she realized her principle was mean and insane. Matilda was way to smart for her grade and became really close to her teacher Ms. Honey, who’s aunt was the principle. Ms. Honey invited her to come over to her house for milk and cookies. On the way there she saw the principles house where Ms. Honey used to live. She decides one night to go there and to get a doll that belonged to Ms. Honey. She did all her magic and made the principle move out of the house. Ms. Honey moved back in and adopted Matilda, and they lived happily ever.

Outside reading #2 p.1-25

I just started reading Charlotts Web, its about a little girl named Fern and her pig,Wilbur. The story begins with the father walking towards the pig pen about to kill piglet when Fern sees him and makes him stop. She told him that he cant kill the pig and that she wants to keep him. He decides to let Fern keep the pig and to take full responsibility of him. She names him Wilbur. Wilbur grows a ton, and has to be sent down the road to Ferns uncles farm. It is within walking distance of her farm, but to Fern it feels like miles away. Fern everyday after school has stoped by see to wilber. Wilbur trys to make friends with the other animals at the burn but no one wants to play with him, but he heard a vioce from the corner of the doorway and thats how he meet Charlott, the spider.

Siddhartha assignment #3

Dear Advice Person,

My friend Siddhartha has changed a lot and im worried. please help me, he has left our town to try to reach enlightenment. He is not seeming himself lately and is becoming someone he's not, and i dont really like it. He's started to drink and he's eating strange. i dont understand why he's changing, i really want me to be himself again. can you please help me?- Siddhartha's worried friend

Siddhartha's worried friend- Sometimes in life people just go through tough times and/or phases. He'll come around soon. In the mean time i think its best if your their to support him with anything he needs. talk to him and tell him you dont like the way he's acting, and ask him if he's making the right choice. i hope everything turns out okay with your friend- Advice person

Siddhartha assignment #2

Govinda: hey kathena. i dont understand why siddarths just left me?
Kathena: hey. i just think he left because needed to find peace and himself
Govinda: yeah i guess. but i just dont understand why i couoldnt go with him
Kathena: i think he just wanted time to himself to figure his life out. maybe you could do the same
Govinda: you're rigth Athena! thanks for the advice, you always know what to do!
Kathena: anytime, bye!

I think that Govinda will handle it pretty well because I gave him advice to go explore for himself. He doesnt need to be with Siddhartha all the time. Even if he misses Siddartha, i think that it will be better at the end when they both find them selfs. Both of them will make friends along the jway and you never know they may end up back together later on.

OUTSIDE READING POST #1

I read an article from the October issue of Seventeen magazine about America Ferrera. The article was written by Jane Nussbaum. America grow up in the U.S, when her father left, her mom raised six kids alone. They lived in San Fernando Valley in California. America Ferrera is the star on the show Ugly Betty (playing Betty) and a star in the movie's of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. America likes to turn down party invites and hang out with her sister, friends and boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams. They had to fight hard to pursue their dreams of acting while promising to keep their grades up. America also had to work extra hard to convince the movie industry that she was star material. Before America entered the set of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants she decided that she'd act professional and not be the girls best friend. America likes to always put her family first.

Chapters 1-4
In the story of Siddhartha, he embarks on a journey to find happiness and self. Siddhartha is a very religous person and really likes to learn.Along the way he writes to me, telling me that he is not happy at home. He felt that he had learned everything about religion and life and that he didnt belong anymore. Siddhartha and his dear friend Govinda leave their families and become followers of the Samanas, in the Samanas they fasts and had had meditation. Then the two of them hear about the followers of Gotama and buddism. Govinda ends up becoming a monk of buddah and Siddhartha goes on his way to find peace.

I'm Kathena, i'm good friends with Siddhartha. We do everything together. We are such fun people to be around. When we were younger we would always play together by the big oak trees. I Would have have to say that i'm more outgoing then Siddhartha and he's more intelligent. We always have a good time when were together.