Tuesday, December 16, 2008

blog #10

As you probably know, Jingle Ball was last night. It featured Rihanna, Chris Brown, T.I., Boys like Girls, David Archuleta, Lady Gaga and Chantel. The article I read was titled Rihanna red-hot with Brown at Ball by Chris Riemenschneider. Some say that Rihanna and Chris Brown stopped dating but after last night's performance, no one believes that. The both performed there own songs, plus one together called Umbrella while holding hands. This was a almost sold out show at the Xcel Energy Center and was headlined by rap star T.I. He performed for awhile, cutting down all of his songs cramming them together. It was one of the best concerts of the year. I was at this concert and I liked it a lot. All the artists were amazing. My personal favorites were Boys like Girls and Chris Brown. They stood out to me. But overall this was a very successful concert and it will hopefully have fun artists next year too.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

blog #9

I read an article called "Twin Cities gets blast of Will (Smith) power" by Colin Covert. Will Smith appeared at Edina's AMC Southdale theater for a premiere of his new film and a fundraiser for the Second Harvest Heartland (the state's largest hunger-relief organization). The first 250 people who donated nonperishable food to the charity received tickets to his new movie "Seven Pounds". This movie opens nationwide next weekend. But other than the premiere of his movie, Will was trying to send a message. He said, "What I'm really promoting is a much bigger idea, and this one film is part of a bigger message of hope and the power of a single human spirit. These are ideas connected to this film but the film is not the whole of why I'm here." Will also spoke saying "The value of a human life is not measured within itself. It's measured by its qualitative and quantitative effect on the lives of others. It's cool to have the goal of being the biggest movie star in the world. But why? It's been revealed to me that the question is: Whose life is better because you woke up today?". I personally think that Will Smith is a hero and he shares a great message. He also went to schools to talk to children and even hospitals. He is doing a great job promoting his movie and sending a positive message.

Monday, December 8, 2008

blog #8

I read an article titled Minnesota teens cutting tobacco use, state says written by Paul Walsh. The article was about how the use of tobacco of teenagers is declining. The Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey has previously been conducted in 2000, 2002, 2005 and now 2008. The percent of middle school students that used any tobacco products in the past 30 days fell from 9.5-6.9%. The percent of middle school students that smoke cigarettes in the past 30 days fell from 5.2-304%. The percent of high school students that used any tobacco products in the past 30 days feel from 29.3-27%. Also, the percent of high school students who smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days fell from 22.4-19.1%. In the past 8 years, for middle schoolers, smoking dropped by 63% and tobacco used dropped by 45%. For high schoolers, smoking dropped by 41% and tobacco use by 30%. The state really encourages this decline and hopes to make it decline more and more over the next years.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

blog #7

Who would have ever thought to have kept a fruitcake thats 97 years old. I definitely wouldn't have. The article titled, Hear the one about the fruitcake made in 1911? It's still a holiday joke, by Bill Ward is a popular article being read. This cake was baked just a few months before the Titanic sank, and was found in St. Louis Park closet shelf while doing an estate sale assessment in 1992. The resident had passed away and Pierre Girard inherited the gift from Staber and Scheimo. The cake came in a box labeled "Xmas cake Baked in dec. 1911" on the top, and "Xmas Cake baked by my mother's brother Alex died Dec. 27 was operated on Xmas day". Girard decided to keep the cake surprisingly. The cake is hard as a rock and has a slight scent of spice with knob-like mints on the sides. Most people responded to it saying, eww im not touching that or why would you keep that in your house! I would react the same way. This is a very interesting story and amazing that one would keep a cake thats 97 years old. 

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

blog #6

I read an article from cnn.com titled Customers injured in crush suing Wal-Mart by Kristen Hamill. The article was about the rush of post Thanksgiving bargains that left one employee dead and others injured. The Wal-Mart worker Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed by customers when opening the doors at 5am. He died of asphyxiation after being trampled. Also, Fritz (51) and Jonatan(19) Mesadieu are suffering pain in their neck and back from the rush of people with a sum of $2 million. The police department realized there were many ways this could have been avoided, with more security, police and barriers. The officers were said to have been back and forth to check on the crowd but had noticed no disturbance. But there was obviously more assistance needed. I think that this situation should have been handled better and that people shouldnt have been so careless. I hope these problems will be solved in the future.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

blog#5

I read an article called `Twilight' takes $70.6M bite out of box office in opening weekend
by Christy Lemire. The article talked about the new movie Twilight reaching $70.6 million in the opening weekend. Teenage girls surrounded the theaters, who fell in love with Stephenie Meyer's novel of forbidden love between vampire Edward Cullen and high schooler Bella Swan. The estimates even said $20,636 per theater. The director had said that they will be discussing the filming of 'New Moon' based on the second book of the series. But they want to make sure the movie will be done right and not rush into it too fast. Hardwicke (director) also mentioned that they want the movies to inspire other women and young girls to pursue a career in filmmaking. I think that this will happen because I saw the midnight premiere of the movie Twilight and it was really good. It was well organized and had an amazing scenery. It costed $37 million to make said Summit Entertainment. Overall, Twilight was a huge success and everyone fell in love with it.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

bloggg#4

Currently, I have been reading the book Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. I got this book a week ago and I'm almost finished. The book is about a girl named Bella, who moves from living with her mother in Phoenix, to Washington State with her father. She was the outcast at school in Phoenix, but turned to be the center of attention in Washington. Bella meets Edward Cullen the first day of school and falls in love with him. She has a near death accident but Edward saves her. She also notices something different about Edward and his family throughout the book. The part I recently read, (within the last 2 nights), was when Bella goes to the Cullen's house to meet the family. She hears many stories about their family and their family history. She also gets to watch their family Baseball game. But this is not any baseball game, because the Cullen's are not a normal family. Bella is promised to stay right by Edward's side no matter what is to happen. I am at a very intense part of the book right now. I am also excited to finish this book in the next two days. I will be seeing the midnight premiere of the movie Twilight on Thursday. I recommend this book to anyone. It is AMAZING.

Monday, November 17, 2008

BLOG #3!

My friend just recently gave me a book he wanted me to read, titled 50 Things every young gentleman should know, written by John Ridges and Bryan Curtis. The book contains 50 chapters on ways to be a gentleman. I read through a few of them and they did contain useful information. One chapter, called "Opening the Door for Other People" was one of the few I read. It talked about opening the door for someone you see coming behind you and the responses the people might say. The chapter also ended with advice saying "If a gentleman is walking a long way behind a lady, he does not rush forward to open the door--unless he sees that the lady is carrying a number of packages and may have difficulty managing the door on her own. He may say to her, 'May I open the door for you?'". Another chapter i read was called "Taking Pride in Your Appearance". It talked about wearing the appropriate clothes for every occasion and knowing what to wear. Also, to ask for help if you are unsure if the outfit matches. The chapter ends with advice saying "A gentleman buckles his belt at his waistline. He does not let the waistband of his pants or jeans slip down over his hips, and he does not let his underwear show in public". I think this is all wise information a young man should know. 

Monday, November 10, 2008

blog #2

I read an article titled 'Madagascar' sequel No. 1 at box office from the associated press at cnn.com. It talked about the new movie Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa just released on Friday. It led the weekend with a $63.5 million debut ranking higher than Madagascar (the first movie) with a $47.2 million debut. This was a big start to Hollywood's holiday season. The movie's audience were from parents with children to even teenagers. Madagascar 2 is in second place premiering with $19.3 million behind the new comedy "Role Models". Another new release called "Soul Men" opened with $5.6 million. Bernie Mac is featured in this film, as well as the voice of Zuba in Madagascar. Now, Hollywood's domestic revenue for the year stands at $7.96 billion for the year, a fraction ahead of the pace in 2007.  The number of tickets sold tis year trails last years admission by 4 percent. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa looks like a really good movie and I can't wait to see it this upcoming weekend!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

blogggg #1

I read an article from the Star Tribune called  Taylor Swift: On the fast track. It was written by Jon Bream. The article shared about Taylor Swift and how her fame started and  her accomplishments. Taylor's first CD, self-titled, released in 2006 won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award and sold 3 million copies. But since then, she transitioned into a more professional appealing person. She has a new album titled "Fearless" which will be in stores on Tuesday. She wrote 8 of the songs herself about her personal life. Mainly about boys, love and relationships. On a recent phone call Taylor had, she asked "Guess what I just did" and her answer was "I voted! I just stood in line for 2 hours to vote! It was the most amazing feeling to cast your vote!". Taylor is said to be a very assured and well spoken person. This article also talks about her relationships, myspace, clothing and what makes her happy and sad. Overall, Taylor is an accomplished young singer and a role model.

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/34053944.html?page=1&c=y

Sunday, October 26, 2008

blog #9

I read an article from Startribune.com titled 'High School Musical 3' head of class with $42M weekend; 'Saw V' still slays with $30.5M. It was written by David Germain. It was talking about how both Saw V and High School Musical 3 came out on friday and High School Musical 3 (rated G) beat the Saw V movie on the charts (rated R). It sent Hollywood revenues soaring. The good vs. evil at the box office this weekend; with completely different audiences. From the horror crowd to the teens, young children and parents. High Schol Musical 3 also beat out the summer hit Mamma Mia with $27.8 million. High School Musical 3 also pulled $40 million in 19 other countries. The movies Max Payne, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Pride and Glory, and a few more, came in in top 10 for this weeks movies. After the number one High School Musical 3 and number two Saw V. I watched High School Musical 3 in theaters yesterday and thought it was faily good, and I am still hoping to see Saw V very soon.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

blog #8

I read an article titled Edina 49, Minneapolis Southwest 6, written by John Millea. This article was about the football game tonight at Kuhlman Field in Edina. The coaches of Edina and Southwest ended their conversation before the game saying, "Hope you have a lousy night". Luckily for Edina, the game ended happily. Edina won 49-6 playing in the Class 5A, Section 6 quarterfinals. Edina will be playing Eden Prairie on Saturday night at Eden Prairie. Early in the game, Zach Budish suffered a knee injury, but we do not know the seriousness yet. Anders Lee, Edina's quarterback, scored 3 touchdowns at tonight's game making his record 36. Southwest had a bad punt giving Edina a short field for it's first score. Southwest also opened the third quarter by losing a fumble on it's own. But Edina knows that Eden Prairie will not make the same mistakes as Southwest. They are trying their hardest to prepare for this upcoming game on Saturday.

Monday, October 20, 2008

SUPERHEROES




SUPERHEROES


GOOD vs. EVIL

Superheroes are fictional characters that have extraordinary powers and abilities. They are divided into many different categories. They range from armored heroes to possesseed heroes. They are also exist throughout films, radio, animation, comic books, computer games, novels and even music videos! The debut of Superman in 1938 was the beginning of the superhero career. In my research, I found that there is a ratio of one good superhero to one evil superhero. When good and evil collide, it creates a rage between both superheroes trying to accomplish what they are working for. I chose this topic because I thought it was something everyone could relate to.


This is a song called "Spiderman" by the Ramones. It shows Spiderman's superpowers and how he defeats the evil superheroes. Spiderman is one of the most popular superheroes for teens and children. He also has three hit movies and a cartoon. This song expresses Spiderman in a powerful way showing his abilities.








This is a poem about a person wanting to be a superhero but not possessing the right qualities. It helps one understand the qualities superheroes have and how difficult it is for humans to achieve those. It also creates an understanding of what it would be like to be a superhero. To me, superhero powers are unatainable. (No one can scale buildings like Spiderman). But, there is no perfect superhero. There is a good and bad in every superhero.


If I could be a Super Hero
By: Steve Lazarowitz

I don't think I could be Superman
I'm sort of scared of heights
I'd sort of like to be Spiderman
But I'm afraid of spider bites

I suppose I could be Wolverine
But I'm afraid people would stare
I'd consider being the Incredible Hulk
But radition's bad for your hair

The fantastic four, now there's a thought
But I'm not sure that's for me
Ben's too ugly, Johnny too hot
And Sue I just can't see

Maybe though I could be Reed
And lead the other three
Well maybe Reed's a bit of a stretch
I can barely take care of me

Captain America, him perhaps
I love his mighty shield
But I fear I'm not brave enough
When things get rough, I yield

If I could be a superhero
I would wonder which I'd be
Or maybe it's time I tried to find
The hero inside me


Sky High

This is a movie called Sky High that was released in the summer of 2005 about a young boy growing up with two famous superheroes (his parents). He has not discovered any powers of his own but attends a school called Sky High for kids with superpowers. He goes through lots of crime-fighting events and finally discovers his powers. He trys surviving his freshman year while dealing with an evil villan threatening his family. He works his hardest and learns from his experiences. I think this is a great film describing superheroes and how they achieve what they have. This is just a young kid trying to live up to his parents expectations and be just like them. Along the way he learns it takes loyalty and teamwork to become a hero.






This is a song titled Batman and Robin written and sung by Snoop Dogg featuring Lady of Rage. Snoop Dogg sings about the adventures of Batman and Robin. He also critizies Batman and Robin for their superhero powers and wonders what would happen if they failed.

Conclusion

I learned about the heroic deeds of superheroes. They are very powereful and brave and are role models to most. But their are also evil superheores that try to destroy the world and other superheroes. As shown in the spiderman video, spiderman uses his superpowers to defeat the evil ones. I also discovered many videos that involve superheroes and show the events and struggles one goes through to achieve what they earned.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Blog #7

I read an article from the November issue of Seventeen magazine about Ashley Tisdale. The article was wrriten by Jane Nussbaum. Ashley Tisdale, who plays Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical Movies, is filled with excitement and warmth. She is also known for her hugs and called the "life of the party". She's been acting since she was 3 and had always imagined her career being successful. She knew if she quit and a young age, then her dream would never come true. Luckily it did come true. Other than the HSM movies, she is also starring in a film They Came From Upstairs in theaters February. Her two best friends, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are also her co-stars in the HSM movies. They also live in the same neighborhood, along with Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. In the article, Ashley also shares about her boyfriend Jared Murillo and talks about her past love. She explains that whoever she dates has to be comfortable with her schedule, has to know she's always surrouned by good-looking guys and be supportive. Overall, Ashley is a really outgoing person and always likes to have a good time.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Blog #6

I read an article from the Star Tribune by the Associated Press called "Life after Brady". The article was about Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on the show "The Brady Bunch". The show debuted on ABC when she was 14 and she played a role as a sunny Miss Perfect girl. Off camera, Maureen struggled with anxiety and insecurity, whose father abused and cheated on their mother. This led Maureen downward into depression and a drug addiction. Now, she writes about her struggles in a memoir titled "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brday and Finding My True Voice". It discusses her romance with Barry Williams (Brady Bunch sibling played as Greg), Michael Jackson and Steve Martin. It also describes the parties at the Playboy Mansion and Sammy Davis Jr.'s home she attended causing an unwanted pregnancy and sex for drugs. But, Maureen pulled herself together, and became sober in 1985. She married Michael Cummings and they have a daughter named Nataile. She was also featured on the shows "Gone Country" and "Outsider's Inn" for her singing ablility. She even became the winning contestant of VH1's reality show called "Celebrity Fit Club". After all Maureen's struggles and addictions, she will still be Marcia Brady to those of us who watched The Brady Bunch.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Blog #5

I read an article about Heather Locklear. This article was in In Touch magazine with no specific author listed. On September 27th, two days after Heather's 47th birthday, she was spotted behaving strangely in a parking lot in Montecito California. Witnesses say she drove back and forth over a pair of sunglasses and then sped off. The police arrived and Heather was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance but was released later that day. Heather has been feared of being suicidal and had checked into a rehab center battling "anxiety and depression" said a close friend of hers. But she didn't take treatment seriously.  She continued to drink and has been spotted at bar's drinking alone and looking sad. If Heather doesn't turn her life around soon, she may lose custody of her 11-year old daughter Ava. Ava already splits time between both Heather and her father Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi guitarist). Now, Heather is being encouraged to go back to rehab and take it seriously but she has to make that decision herself.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

britney and jamie lynn spears

I read an article about Jamie Lynn Spears and Britney Spears from In Touch magazine. It does not list the author for the articles inside the magazine. The first part of the article was about Jamie Lynn Spears now living alone. She has thrown her finance Casey Aldridge out of their $300,00 house after hearing he had been cheating on her. She heard that he had been carrying on an affair with Kelli Dawso. Jamie felt so humiliated by his behavior and couldn't trust him again. Casey is now sleeping on a friend's sofa living the life he used to have. The second part of the article was about Britney Spears. Britney is working on getting her life back on track, both personally and professionally. She is putting her Beverly Hills home for sale. Her home represents bad times and Britney wants a much better place to live. She wants a fresh start. Her two sons Jayden and Sean Preston have also witnessed many of her breakdown's and bad times there. Britney and a psychic both decided it would be a good idea to move into a new house and leave all the bad memories behind. Overall, Jamie is now living alone raising her 3-month-old daughter Maddie while Britney is preparing to move houses.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Outside Reading #2

I read an article about Tom Petters by Jon Tevlin. Tom Petters owns Polaroid, Sun Country Airlines, Fingerhut and other small industries. Tom and Larry Reynolds (business associate) were charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, money-laundering and obstruction of justice on Friday. Investigators came to arrest Tom at his Wayzata home on Friday and he was taken to jail. He had been planning to flee the country before the presidential debates cause he knew that his improper business transactions were being investigated.  Tom's business associate Larry Reynolds was secretly recorded last month saying fraud could exceed $2 billion.  Tom is now in jail now awaiting his charges because the FBI had every reason to believe he would flee the country. This is upsetting for my family because we knew Tom Petters and my sister is good friends with his daughter Jenny who graduated from Edina High School in 2002.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Outside Reading

 I read an article from the October issue of Seventeen magazine about America Ferrera. This article was written by Jane Nussbaum on pages 126-131. For those of you who don't know, 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. She is also a girl who is as real as it gets. She likes to turn down party invites and hang out with her sister, friends and boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams. America's parents came to the United States from Honduras before she was born. But once her father left, her mother raised the six children alone. They lived in California's San Fernando Valley and 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. But that changed when she met the girls and started hanging out with them. She discovered new friendships with her fellow actors and encountered new personalities. America has also learned a lot through her past experiences and because of her experiences she has a lot of advice to offer.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Codi and Hallie

In the book Animal Dreams, Codi and Hallie differ in many ways. Although they are sisters, each of them have their own unique traits. Hallie is adventurous and travels to Nicaragua to help the families grow crops more efficiently. Codi moves back to her original town and is considered more self-centered and lacks self-confidence. "No, that was Hallie. She's the one that has such a soft heart. We've always been real different that way. She'd cry if she stepped on a bug." I drained my beer. "She's still like that, except now she cries about bag ladies. I swear. She gives them quarters and then wishes she'd give them a dollar."(pg.29). Hallie is more determined and has her mind set on what she wants to do. Codi is lost and unsure of her outlook on life. She is yet to discover her true self. "I am the sister who didn't go to war. I can only tell you my side of the story. Hallie is the one who went south, with her pickup truck and her crop-disease books and her heart dead set on a new world."(pg.7). These sisters may seem very different, but they do share some of the same qualities. Both girls are very tall and went through some of the same experiences. "The height, at least, wasn't lost on Hallie and me. We turned out to be six feet on average--Hallie one inch over, and I, one under."(pg.46). They also are very smart, caring and industrious. Codi and Hallie differ in many ways but also are alike. The relationship between them is strong but distant since they are living far away from each other.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Math doesn't Suck by Danica McKellar

Algebra is a language of math that uses different elements to symbolize "math sentences". Danica explains algebra in a way that interests females. In the chapter entitled Who's the cute new Foreign exchange Student, an excerpt read "Say you get one of those 'free gift' with purchase of makeup bag. There are a bunch of lipsticks included in the bag, but you don't know exactly how many. Now let's say you give your bag to me, and I magically make the amount of lipsticks double, then I take three lipsticks out of the bag, and hand it back". In another chapter entitled Romeo and Juliet, there was a chart relating English to Math language. The chart states the math symbol and the english definition. 
English Math
of (only when surrounded                                              x (multiplication)
immediately by 2 numbers)

per, quotient, a     / (division)

sum, and, total, more than     + (addition)

difference, less than     - (subtraction)

is, are     = (equals sign)

what, how much      x or y or m, etc.

My interest for math is held by the way the author relates algebra to a female teenager. I would recommend this book to other female teenagers. It relates math to female interests and presents it in a humorous and appealing way.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Adjective Paragraph

I am an interesting person and I love to have a good time. I have the most fun dressing up in wacky clothes and going out in public. It's embarrassing but it's so much fun. I also enjoy taking crazy pictures with my friends. That always seems to amuse us. I also love editing pictures on the computer and putting funny captions on them. For me, it doesn't take much effort to have fun.