Admission questions to Oxford, Cambridge called 'out there' (#7)

Recently on CNN.com i read an article called Admission questions to Oxford, Cambridge called 'out there' by Atika Shubert. It talks about the questions asked in admissions interviews. You would expect they would ask complicated insightful questions but they are switching it up. Instead they ask surprising questions like "Would you rather be a novel or a poem?" or "How would you poison someone without the police finding out?" or "Instead of politicians, why don't we let the managers of Ikea run the country?". Mike Nicholson, Oxford University admissions director explained the reason for these odd questions "What we want to do is take them beyond that point and get them to start thinking for themselves." I think this is a great idea, i fully agree with Nicholson anyone can learn things but its much harder to think for yourself and not take information out of books to respond to interview questions. Although the questions are weired i think you would get to know someone quickly after hearing their responses to those questions.
link to article: CNN.com

Wal-Mart death preventable, union says. (#6)

Today i read an article on CNN.com about a tragic death of a Wal-Mart employee on black Friday. The death of Jdimytai Damour, a 34 year old, part time Wal-Mart employee occurred early the morning of the 28th. The security tapes show that crowds started to gather outside the store the night before and by 5 A.M. Friday morning there were about 2,000 people waiting. When it was time to open Damour struggled to open the door and eventually the customers pushed opened the door and trampled him. As customers came pouring in other workers tried to help him and when the whole crowd was in they attempted to give him first aid but it was too late. The retail workers union has always thought Wal-Mart has had bad health care and minimum wage for their employees, after this incident the union calls Wal-Mart 'blatantly irresponsible'. They say that if employee safety was a top priority this could have been prevented.
link to article: CNN.com

Should Obese Fliers get a Free Extra Seat? (#5)

The question of this article was should obese fliers get an extra seat on airplanes because of their size? recently in Canada a law has been passed that requires all public airlines to allow all obese passengers to have and extra seat for no extra cost. There is a lot of controversy on this issue some people think it is discrimination against obese passengers to make them pay for an extra seat and some people think that it is unfair. There is also another side, people who think that obese passengers are not entitled to an extra seat but other passengers are entitled to a seat with out the overflow of an obese person next to them. I don't agree with any side i'm in the middle. I understand that it is sort of discrimination to make seats on air planes a certain size but i also understand that giving an extra seat for free is taking away a seat that another customer could buy. I found this article at CNN.com it is by Jack Cafferty.
link to article:CNN.com

Japanese Team Drafts Teen Girl (#4)

On CNN.com i found an article called 'Japanese Team Drafts Teen Girl'. The title caught my eye because i was wondering what she had been drafted for and as i read on i figured it out. She was drafted for a Japanese professional baseball team, the Kobe 9 Cruise. Their newest players name is Erin Yoshida, she is 16 years old high school student, at five feet tall weighing in at 114 pounds. She is the first woman to play for a professional baseball team in Japan. She was drafted because of he interesting pitch, a knuckleball. She said that she dreams of making a good career off of her pitch like the Boston Red Sox pitcher, Tim Wakefield. But Erin Yoshida is not getting ahead of herself at a press conference she said "I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet." and i think its good that she realizes how much of a challenge this is and not to get full of herself. I liked this article because it is cool how all over the world girls are beginning to have amazing opportunities in sports.
Link to article:CNN.com

Seven Days Without Spending (#3)

I read this article on CNN.com called 'The Agony of Seven Days Without Spending' by Steve Almond. This article is the story of one week where he does not spend any money at all. Steve is a guy who buys all clothes second hand, eats all of the leftovers no matter how gross and takes all of the hotel soap. He hates to spend money and people notice. During this week he changed his ideas about spending money. At the beginning he thinks it is kind of fun having people pay for him. By the middle of the week his feelings about the experiment, he is beginning to itch to spend money. His friends want to go out to eat but he has to stay at home and eat leftovers and a little homeless kid came to ask for money and he had to say no. By the end of the week all he wanted to do was be able to pay for something. The last day was his wives birthday and he couldn't pay for dinner. This experiment taught him that every one has to spend money and although it can't fix everything it does feel good to even make the smallest purchase. I thought this article was very interesting and i know that i could never go a whole week without buying anything.
Link to the Article: CNN.com

Can 'Dark Knight' Beat Turkish Mayor? (#2)

i found an article on CNN.com called Holy Court Action! Can 'Dark knight' Beat Turkish Mayor? The article explained that there is a small town in Turkey called Batman. This small oil rich town with a population of 250,000 people that lies near the Batman River. The mayor of the town wants to sue the director of the newest Batman movie 'The Dark Knight' Christopher Nolan for using the name of their town with out permission. The royalty of the name Batman belongs to this small Turkish town and it is the only Batman in the world. Warner Bros the production company responsible for the Batman movies who made about one billion for the movie say that they missed the time period to complain about infringement of the name. Also they would not sue the producer of the movie because the movies are based on the comic book written in 1939 by Bob Kane. Warner Bros say they haven't received any legal papers and they have only heard about this through the media and papers.
Link to article:CNN.com

Improve your Attention Span (#1)

Recently I read an article on CNN.com called Fuzzy Brain? Improve your Attention Span. This title caught my eye because I have trouble concentrating and I wanted to get some tips on how to stay more focused. I learned a lot from this article; first of all I learned the causes of you being focused. Your brain focuses when you have high levels of dopamine in your brain, which you get from new and exciting experiences. Then it explained the causes of little spurts of ADD behavior. The two main causes are lack of sleep, and stress/anger. Lack of sleep causes you to be deprived of oxygen that is necessary to make chemicals that help you focus and you are also not running on much energy. They suggest that to focus after a bad night of sleep you should have water and a healthy snack and do not drink a lot of coffee because that causes a short burst of concentration but then when you crash you are worse off than you were before. Stress and anger because you to be distracted because you are so focused on your anger alone that you can't focus on the task at hand. Ways to relieve stress or anger induced distraction are aerobic exercise and if you don't have time to go out for a walk or work out you can just stand up and that helps a lot. This article was interesting and helpful and I will definitely use these tips to help me focus in school.

Link to the article: CNN.com

Why Family Meals Matter

I recently read this article on CNN.com it was called "Why family meals matter" by Karen Ansel. It discusses the importance of family meals and the long term effects of eating regularly with your family at home. The article talks about how when surveyed and studied children and parents who eat most of their meals at home with family were healthier. It explained that when you eat a solid dinner at home with family you are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables and less trans fat. Not only did they talk about how it can physically benefit you it can also improve your mental health and family relationships. Researchers had found that teens who eat dinner with their family feel more comfortable taking with their parents about issues. Also they found that the teens who eat dinner with their family have better grades, are less likely to do reugs or drink and have higher self esteem. The main idea of the article was to eat dinner with your family because in the long run it will benefit everyone.
Link to article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/07/cl.family.meals/index.html

Thwonk2

Sometimes in the most desprate of situations so of the weirdest people or things can help you out. In the book thwonk that i have been reading, A.J. and artsy girl living in Manhattan, is having a lot of problems in her school choices, family and relationships. She thought all of the help she was going to get was the encouraging words of her best friend but as the book goes on she finds that there is someone else there to guide her. While she was out driving she cam upon a ripped cupid doll and when she brought it home to use as a photography subject it suddenly came to life. As she comes to terms that the doll is actually talking to her he explains that he is there to help her. He said that he had come because he knowsa about all of her problems and has come to improve her confidence in herself and trust in others. As far as i have read she is still hesatant about the situation. So far this book is really weird and i don't really like it.

Thwonk

Sometimes you feel like no one understands what you truly want except you. This is the tough situation A.J., a senior girl at Benjamin Franklin High School is stuck in. She is a passionate photographer who wants with all of her heart to go to art school. Although the thing you may think is the toughest to do would be get but in her case it is convincing her dad to let her go. Her dad at one time was a creative film maker, with a lot of almost hit documentary's. In fact he is even the one who turned her on to photography, when they were on vacation in Italy she became attached to her camera and hasn't let it go since. Her school and family troubles aren't all thats going on in her life there is also a boy that she is convinced she is crazy in love with that she doesn't even know! I an only about one chapter into this book and i can't wait to see how it unfolds.

9-11 Heroes

For the hero in a box project i decided to do mine on heroes of the world trade canter attacks of september 11th 2001. I thought that that would be a good section of hero''s because they are current and i was alive when they were in service so i may have more of an opinion and idea about the attacks of that day. Also there were so many heroic stories to chose from and all of the people helping that day were truly heroes so i had great subjects to reasearch. The following articles are all things that i found online, there are videos, articles, songs and quotes describing and telling the stories of the heroes of those attacks.

Name: Welles Crowther
Age: 24
Residence: Upper Nyack, New York
Story: An equities trader on the South Tower's 104th floor, Crowther helped dozens of people to safety on September 11. His body was found in March 2002, alongside several firefighters and emergency workers bunched in a suspected command post in the South Tower lobby.
In their words: "I see this incredible hero, running back and forth and saving the day... People can live 100 years and not have the compassion, the wherewithal to do what he did."

-- Judy Wein, who credits Crowther with directing her and several others on the 78th floor to safety on September 11

The man in the red bandanna

Family, survivors bonded by man's heroism

NEW YORK (CNN) -- They sat bloody and petrified -- the lights out, smoke engulfing the room and pain searing through their bodies. There was no escape from where they were in the South Tower, in pieces after being hit by United Airlines Flight 175 as far as they could tell. Then out of nowhere, a young man burst in and took control. In a strong, authoritative voice, he directed them to the stairway -- which was veiled by darkness, wreckage and haze -- telling the injured to get out and the healthy to help them down. "I see this incredible hero, running back and forth and saving the day," recalled Judy Wein. "In his mind, he had a duty to do -- to save people." "He's definitely my guardian angel -- no ifs, ands or buts -- because without him, we would be sitting there, waiting [until] the building came down," echoes Ling Young. Wein and Young were separated by a few minutes and a few floors that day, but they share a similar story and a single hero: Welles Crowther. Both women credit the equities trader and volunteer firefighter with saving their lives and dozens of others on September 11. But until a few months ago, Crowther was just an unforgettable face to Young. Wein remembered his penetrating eyes, firm voice and the red bandana he wore over his nose and mouth that late summer day -- but didn't know his name. That changed late last May, when a New York Times article featuring a description of the man in the tell-tale bandanna led Welles' mother, Allison, to Wein and then to Young. "Everything we shared -- all the details -- led right to Welles, so it was really beautiful," Allison Crowther said from her Upper Nyack, New York, home. "I am just so proud and gratified that he had the strength of character, the courage, the sense of duty to help others."

Family and firefighting

Welles Remy Crowther was born the oldest of three children, displaying his fearlessness, spirit and selflessness early and often growing up in the New York's northern suburbs, his parents say. He doted on his two younger sisters and followed his father Jefferson's lead, always carrying a bandanna in his back pocket (Welles preferred red, his father blue) and joining him as a volunteer firefighter as a teenager. A star student and lacrosse player at Boston College, Crowther joined Sandler O'Neil and Partners after graduation, settling into his office on the South Tower's 104th floor. While he loved his job, Welles told his dad that he really wanted to join the FDNY -- or possibly the CIA or FBI -- so he wouldn't be stuck behind a desk and would be able to help others. But that's where he was, behind his desk, on the morning of September 11. He made one final call to Allison from his office at 9:12 a.m., minutes after his tower was struck, leaving a brief, calm message saying, "Mom, this is Welles. I want you to know that I'm OK." That call was all the Crowthers knew about their son's final moments until police knocked on their door last March. Allison said the New York medical examiner's office told them Welles' body had been found intact, with no signs of burns, alongside firefighters and emergency workers then running a command center in the South Tower's lobby. Authorities speculated, according to Allison, that Welles was aiding the rescue effort as a civilian usher when he died, suddenly and painlessly, when the building fell. An official from the medical examiner's office told CNN the office does not release information on the condition and whereabouts of Trade Center victims, adding that relatives are welcome to share such details with the media. "We took great peace in knowing that [Welles] didn't suffer and that, up until the end, he was being very courageous, doing what he wanted to do," said Allison. "So he must have felt very fulfilled that day, knowing he was helping others."

'I wouldn't have made it'

Judy Wein was working for the insurance firm AON Corp. right below Welles, on the 103rd floor, when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the adjacent North Tower. Ignoring an announcement telling her building's occupants to stay put, she began heading downstairs. Ling Young, in her 86th floor office of New York's Department of Taxation and Finance, took an elevator to the 78th floor sky lobby. She was waiting there to board an express elevator to the street when the United jet tore through the floor, sending a rush of flames and debris that knocked her to the ground. When she got up and cleared the blood -- her blood -- from her glasses, Young saw "nobody -- almost everyone was dead." She and a few survivors huddled, waiting for help. After several grueling minutes, Welles popped onto the floor and made his remarks. Badly burned, Young and her fellow survivors obediently followed Welles, who was carrying a young black woman on his back. He dropped off the woman some 15 floors later and headed back upstairs, according to Young, saying that more people needed assistance. When he returned the 78th floor, Wein was waiting in pain, the impact having broken her arm, cracked her ribs and punctured a lung. Welles, now wearing his favorite red bandanna over his nose and mouth, burst into the room and, as he had with Young's group, loudly and calmly directed people to the stairs. This time, Welles went his own way as Wein headed down. "If he hadn't come back, I wouldn't have made it," said Wein. "People can live 100 years and not have the compassion, the wherewithal to do what he did."

A day of action begets a legacy

As fall rolled into winter and 2002 began, the two women still couldn't get the image out of their heads. Wein said she'd go on the Internet and cover up the noses and mouths of those in the towers, hoping to identify the man in the red bandana. Young said Welles' face would pop into her head several times a day, because "he is the one who actually saved me from the start." The pieces all came together late last spring. Allison talked with Wein on the phone, then met with Young days later. One early summer Sunday, both women and their families went to the Crowthers' house for a picnic. While they're recovering from their physical injuries, both say the pure, powerful connection with the Crowthers has expedited their psychological recovery. "It does help me put myself in a lot more peaceful mind than I used to be, especially now meeting his family, who are like our extended family," said Young. "It really helped me tremendously, and helped me heal a little bit more, at least mentally." For the Crowthers, the details of Welles' final minutes reaffirmed their belief in his kindness and courage. And they are committed to making sure his life, and death, were not in vain. Jeff Crowther hopes his son's story will inspire people to become a volunteer firefighter, to give money to the homeless every day like Welles did, to set goals and follow through. "If Welles' story helps people to think of others then God bless them, God bless him," said his father. "He didn't live long enough to be head of a corporation or do good works or endow a museum. But what he did on September 11, that's his legacy." CNN correspondents Greg Botelho and Maria Hinojosa contributed to this report.

This article describes the heroic actions of a regular guy stuck in an unimaginable situation. Although it wasn't his job he still felt the need and want to help others while putting his own life in great danger. I think that this is a primary quality in a hero that when he or she is put into a situation they can instantly decide that others come first and thats a quality that Welles Crowther had.

OFFICER CHRISTOPHER C. AMOROSO
New York/New Jersey Port Authority

The last time anyone saw Chris Amoroso alive was the morning of September 11, 2001. He had just led a group of frantic office workers to safety out of the burning Tower One, and headed right back in. Just minutes later, the north tower collapsed. He lost his own life, but was credited with saving numerous others.]

Chris loved his job. "For Chris, it wasn't a matter of just enforcing laws, but being part of a community," his father said.

But more than anything, Chris loved his wife and infant daughter, Sophia. When Sophia was just 10 weeks old, Chris wrote a letter for her to read when she was older. He wrote in part, "I consider myself to be the luckiest man to ever walk the face of this earth. If anything were to happen to me, I could honestly say I've known true love and happiness ... because of your mother and you .... I love both of you more than you will ever know."
http://www.nleomf.com/911heroes/

This is another example about a hero who lost his life while helping others. Although his job was to go in and help he also had friends, family and a great life but he cared so much about others he was still willing to give his own life for others to keep living as long as his family knew that he loved them.

A Hero

A charity song for children who lost
a firefighter/police parent in the 911 attack.

The morning froze in silence
as the terror filled our hearts
we stared in disbelief at what we saw.
Through the dust we felt so helpless,
wishing that we could have known.
We hold our families close, as we watched them fall.

Some people didn't waiver, they had a job to do.
There was nothing that could keep them away...

Oh, it's a special kind of hero
who would sacrifice themselves - so I could spend another day with you.
And for all the fallen heroes who saved a life that day
your courage unites a nation, and we'll remember you.

So many people crying, walking in a daze
holding pictures of their loved ones
through an empty haze.
Our Heroes didnt falter, they held out a helping hand
remembering their own children, as they rushed inside again.

They didnt waiver, they had a job to do
and some never made it home that day.

Oooh well remember you. We honor you, salute,
respect and cherish you.
Not many people can do the duty that
you knew on that cold September day.

Lyrics by Amy Matthew ASCAP 2008,
music by Karen Mack from KAR Records.

This song expresses the amazing feats and bravery of everyone in the building while it was hit and expressing how we will never forget that sad day or the amazing people who saved all of the lives and all of the people who lost their lives.

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “
- President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. “
- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

These two quotes from president Bush describe what the whole nation felt when those brave men and women saved our loved ones lives and put down their own or put their life in danger but still survived.

This video is showing how everyday people with friends, families and jobs risked their lives that day.This shows that heroes of the 9-11 attacks were regular people laying their lifes down for others without a second thought.



This is a video of a song written by the band Yellowcard thanking and remembering all of the heroes and victims of the 9-11 attacks. The video shows the terror that the workers going in to help had to face. The video basically says that if they didn't hear it before we want to thank every rescuer for all that they have done.

The following video show the story of Seargant Thomas who had helped find two people hidden in the ruble of the world trade centers. After he finished helping he went home, he thought mission accomplish and didn't share any details of his heroic deeds with anyone... After a while producers heard about this story and turned it into a movie.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2006/08/18/tuchman.911.mystery.hero.cnn?iref=videosearch

He exhibited an important heroic quality, doing things for the right reasons. He didn't save people for the glory or fame but only to save them and to not make their friends and family suffer the loss of a loved one. You know he was in it for the right reasons because when he was done with his work he didn't go around and do tons of interviews of star in the movie but he went home and continued serving people in his community like a true hero.

Conclusion-

In my research of heroes of the attacks on the world trade center September 11th 2001 i came to many conclusions. The first idea that i came to was that no matter if the hero died or lived through their heroic deeds in the world trade center their memory lives on and stories are shared. Another conclusion that i came to about heroes is what qualities ar their most important. First i think they should be modest, because if you are only helping for the glory and fame then you are not a true hero. The second charicteristic a hero should posses is selflessness because if you think of yourself before others you would never be able to make a split second decision to save someone else and lay down your life for them like all helpers in the falling buildings. The third and final trait i found in the heroes of 9-11 was willingness to help anyone in any situation. Officials like Chris Amoroso or regular guys working in the building like Welles Crowther showed this quality. They were carrying around, calming down and helping any stranger that they saw who was no already being helped. Those are all traits found in all of the heroic rescuers of the 9-11 attacks. We will always remember the Heros and Heroines of September 11th 2001.

Hey! Who Put the Caffeine in My Soap?

For this blog assignment i read an article from the times about rising concern for caffeinated products on the market. Recently there have been many new products containing loads of caffeine and the main problem is the consumers are sometimes not even aware of the content. When you think of caffeine you usually think of coffee or pop but in this case it is a growing market with soaps, lotions and even caffeinated potato chips, the issue with the soap products are that they deliver about twice the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee because you are lathering it directly on your skin. The other main concern is that these products appeal to children like caffeinated jelly beans and energy drinks this is a problem because doctors all agree children should not have any caffeine. Although it is recommended for kids to have no caffeine some go to the extreme, four middle school boys had to go to the hospital because they drank too many energy drinks and were sweating so much they thought they may have been having heart attacks. Personally i think it is good to get this message because no one should drink or eat that much caffeine. I think this article will make people more aware of how much harm caffeine can do to your body and although it doesn't seem so bad there are chances of extreme and deadly cases.
link to article
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1851855,00.html

'SNL' encore as Gov. Palin, but you betcha she's busy

Recently read an article on CNN.com about Tina Fey and her recent appearances on SNL. Although she is no longer on the cast they have invited her back to portray Sarah Palin. Senator McCains running partner. The article was about how she doesn't know how much longer she will be asked to appear and how much longer she can handle it. She says she is so busy with her show "30 Rock" where she is a writer director and star of the show. That is a very demanding job and she may not be able to keep up with that and appearances as Sarah Palin. In the article she also talks about how she can work out her busy schedule, because SNL is on Saturday nights she goes in on Friday night and practices that goes Saturday and does the live show than the rest of the week she works on "30 Rock". I can see why she wouldn't be able to juggle all of this but i hope she can figure it out because i would love to see her on SNL again soon.

Concert review: Chicks dig Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift

This week i read the review for the Rascal Flats and Taylor Swift concert. The review was written in an interesting format, it was like you were listening to a boy and a girl talking about the concert. I thought that this was a good way to rate a concert because men and women sometimes have very different views on concerts. But the general opinion of the concert was that it was a girly concert, the guys opinion was that the music was like a bad boy band singing country. Also it said that it was mainly girls like a four girls per guy. I was actually at this concert and although i totally disagree with their opinion on the music their statements about the number of women are pretty accurate, if you look around there were probably only about 2 to 4 men in your row. Other things said in the article was that Taylor Swift really pumped up the crowd and got the show off to a good start. All in all the review sounds about right and it sounds like i wasn't the only one who enjoyed the concert.
click here to go to review on startribune.com

Link Between Creativity and Mood Disorders

It is said in a article on CNN.com that there may be a connection between creativity and mood disorders. Although it says that it is a loose link that it is somehow related. They said that having a mood disorder doesn't make you creative and being creative doesn't give you a mood disorder but that many who are one end up being the other.Examples used in the article was a writer who recently committed suicide who was bipolar and suffered from depression for 20 years. They found in his writing that he was obsessive and thought things over and over again, which made him an amazing writer but eventually lead to his death. They also did a study comparing students with degrees in the arts, people who are bipolar and people who aren't. The results showed that the bipolar group scored higher on the creativity tests as well as the art students and the regular control group scored average. This article clearly states that this is a connection but it is very loose and still needs further research.
link to CNN article http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/10/07/creativity.depression/index.html

Eclipse By Stephanie Meyer

This week i have been reading Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer. I just started it, eclipse is the third book in the twilight series. The series is about a teenage girl from sunny Arizona who moves to a small always rainy and foggy town. While there she finds herself falling in love with a vampire and finding herself in unbelievable amounts of danger. In the beginning of the second book Edward leaves without a word of goodbye leaving Bella in a zombie state for months until she finally went to Italy where Edward was and saved him from killing himself and brought him back safely home. Beginning in the second book Edward and Bella are back together but without Charlie, Bella's dad's approval. As far as I’ve read Edward is aloud to visit Bella one a day for a few hours and Charlie is still worried Edward will take off again and he doesn’t' think that Bella could handle that. I am excited to get further into this book and see how this unfolds.

Seventeen Magazine

This week i was reading Seventeen magazine, the issue i was reading was an old issue with Amanda Bynes on the front cover. I have always thought she was funny so i flipped to the back of the magazine where her interview was. When i read it it made me like her even more. The things she said made sense to me and i agreed with her on a lot of things, like what a friend should be and how you want to have only true friends who care about you in your life. Also I thought her clothes in the magazine were really cute too. This article made me admire her even more for being funny, talented and down to earth. Altogether i liked the article a lot and showed a new more mature side of Amanda Bynes.

1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die

Recently I read an article from the star tribune called "To Die For." by Jon Bream. This article discusses the new book by Tom Moon called "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die" it is a long list of musical artists and their albums that are a must hear before you die. There are many obvious bands and artistes on the list like the Beatles and Bethoven but there are also some surprises like Britney Spears. The author did make a good point that with out all of her problem in the tabloids she is a talented artist. I don't really agree with the author because although i am fine with Britney being in the book but i still think that some better artist are not in the book, they said in the article that the book had Britney but shut out people like Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Barry Manilow, and Christina Agulera who i believe that their music is more important to hear before you die. Although i think that there were some bad picks i think the author did an good job with some choices. There were even some Minnesotans in the book like Bob Dylan, Prince, and The Replacements. But all together this article did make me want to check out this book and see all of the other picks for recordings to hear before you die.
link to the Article from the Startribune
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/28624464.html?elr=KArksD
:aDyaEP:kD:aUnOiP3UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

Compare and Contrast Animal Dreams Characters

Animal dreams is a book filled with interesting characters who are similar is some ways but totally different in others. For Example Codi and Emelina, they are best friends and love each other but somethings about theme are polar opposites. First of all Emilina is very social, she is very energetic and loves to talk to every one and Codi isn't social like Emilina, keeps things to herself and doesn't mind being alone. For example at Emilina's fiesta the book said Emilina had to keep giving Codi people to talk with "Emilina, my guardian angel, kept setting me up in conversations before running off..."(pg 59) Emilina knows everybody and can always get a conversation going. But for Codi the fiesta was a bit of a social struggle and she found herself on the out side of the party "i moved out of the way of the principal rush and stood near the gate to the side yard near my little house..."(pg. 63) she was uncomfortable with all of the people so she kept to her self unless she was set up to talk. Although they Emilina and Codi are different in that way they are also alike in other ways. They are both very caring people although in different ways they are both caring none the less. Emilina care for her children and husband almost constantly. It was made obvious by her reaction to leaving Grace for a few day s with out her husband or kids, "Emilina hadn't gone anywhere without a child in thirteen years. Out of habit she packed a roll of paper towels in her purse. As we drove out of Grace she gasped for air, wide-eyed, like a hooked fish. "I can't believe i'm doing this,"She kept saying."(pg 193) Her shock of not having to be doing things constantly shows how much she cares. Codi cares in other ways that are a bit less evident. For example in class when she created the birth control unit in her class "i was disappointed and unsurprised to lose Rita. I'd been watching her jeans get tight. The pregnancy drop out rate at Grace was way ahead of motor -vehicle accidents... On Tuesday I made my own announcement: we were doing an unscheduled unit on birth control." (146) this shows how she wants all of her students to be able to stay in school and not have to go through what she had to and i think that shows how deeply she cares. Codi and Emilina are so alike and different at the same time.

adjective paragraph

I am a very caring person. I love to volunteer and working with others to solve their problem. One piece of evidence that displays my caring nature is that I have a letter in community service. To receive this letter you have to log 120 hours of community service and do a project showing the things you did during you hours, to most this may not sound like much fun, but for me it is one of my passions. I got the bulk of my community service hours from being a camp counselor. As the week went on I became like my campers second mom. Almost constant caring was demanded of me. That may sound hard but most of the time it came naturally. My willingness to care for others is one of the things about myself I take pride in.