#9

I recently read an article in the Sun Current about all the Edina robberies taking place. This is affecting our peaceful community greatly, and lots of effort should be put towards apprehending the criminals. Many families are getting nervous as well. For example, one of my neighbors is a single mom, so she is taking extra precautions to keep her kids safe. She added another lock on each door, and put a bell on the inside. Even if it seems like no harm would ever come to you, it is very sensible to park your cars in the garage and keep it closed, lock your doors at night, and if you have a security system, use it. It's good that the media is reporting these incidents so that citizens of Edina can be aware.

Hero In A Box

Researching people involved in animal rights was an easy way to distinguish common traits of heroes. Protests and lobbying are common, and this particular group of people is very determined to make a difference. These heroes have willpower, courage, drive, and support. I noticed that they aren't afraid to stand out, or what the public will think of them. I think that people who support animal rights can either be activists or spreaders. One type will chain themselves to a road, while others will use demonstrations as their way of conveying beliefs to the public. Each group is usually effective, and shows a lot of leadership qualities. This is what I think it means to be a hero.

"Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment."

-PETA slogan

Jill Phipps was a hero to Animal Rights. She was protesting outside of Coventry Airport in England, when the very lorry she was trying to stop, ran over her, fatally crushing her spine. The lorry was carrying veal calves to be distributed across Europe, and would not stop, even for the woman who chained herself to the road. Jill sets a great example as a hero, because she never gave up, no matter the consequences. She shouldn't have died, but it was for a cause she loved.

Ingrid Newkirk is an animal rights hero. She is the co-founder of PETA, an animal rights activist group. PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, started in 1980, and have been working towards stopping animal cruelty, and promoting their rights. She shows the makings of a hero in her work. Newkirk has devoted her life to this organization, and it has become internationally popular. There are many branches of PETA; people coming together for a cause they believe in.

#8

Last weekend I saw the movie Max Payne with a friend. We both like thriller/action movies, and the trailer looked pretty good. It was directed by Oliver Stone, who has made pretty good movies in the past, but this one was just okay. We decided that the beginning of the movie was hardly like the end, and very confusing at that. Throughout the film, characters took shots of a blue liquid, which turned out to be a failed military drug, which lead to the main character's wife's death. Very random. Another strange twist were the side effects of the drug... users hallucinated about birds killing them, and they would die in similar ways to the hallucination. Max Payne had a very twisted story line that was hard to distinguish, but lots of great explosions and shootout scenes. I liked how sometimes in the movie the good guy was confused with the bad guy as well.
Overall, it was a movie that made me think, and that is a big part of what counts.

#7

In the morning during breakfast, I usually read the "Dear Carolyn" advice column next to the crossword puzzles. A lot of times they are about failing marriages, weddings, or etiquette, but a few weeks ago, I came across a very unique call for help. A woman wrote in about how she had been married and divorced, put her kids through college, and now is in a relationship with another woman. Since she has been previously married, co-workers may have a hard time coming to terms with her sexual orientation, and she is struggling to come out, or if she should say anything at all. Another issue at hand is the upcoming vacation with her workplace. She says she's been on vacations with her partner's company and wants to return the favor, but can't figure out how to tell her co-workers. I can't decide if it would be better to just bring her along and let them figure out what is going on between them, or just to introduce her as "my partner".
The fact that this is a problem for her is kind of frustrating to me, because if she were straight, it would be easy to figure out. This woman is counting on the prejudice of others and it's stressing her out. I think that she needs to feel comfortable with the way she is, and I hope that other employees around her are respectful of that.


http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/family/29944534.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DU2EkP7K_V_GD7EaPc:iLP8iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

#6

Today I finished the Jodi Picoult book that I blogged about earlier. The plot did end up diverging from that of See Jane Run, and although the two books had similar concepts, I liked Picture Perfect a lot more. Picoult's writing style is a lot more fluid, and her books keep you on the edge of your seat without being frustrating. The end of See Jane Run wasn't as solid or satisfying as Picture Perfect; the woman wasn't the hero as she should have been. Another reason I was happy with this book is because it didn't really fit the mold of most of her other novels. There weren't any court/trial scenes, and little dropped hints throughout that give clues to what really happened. Picoult did stick to her usual Native American importance, and it provides a good insight to the Sioux. I'm glad I didn't put this book down right away, because I really would have missed out on a good Jodi Picoult classic.

#5

Today an article caught my eye about a girl named Lindsey Evans. She was recently arrested at a local eatery in her hometown of Blanchard, Louisiana for eating dinner with three girlfriends and then leaving the restaurant without paying. She would have gotten away with it, except for the fact that 18-year-old Lindsey left her purse behind. When the friends went back to the restaurant the police had already been called, and she was greeted with an even bigger surprise. The authorities arrested the three girls on charges of "dining & dashing", but Lindsey had another surprise coming. Police had discovered marijuana in Evans' purse, so she was also charged with posession. The most ironic part of this story? Lindsey Evans is Miss Teen Louisiana USA. It seems like all of the supposed role models for girls are making very bad choices. Take Hannah Montana for example, posing half naked for Vanity Fair, or Vanessa Ann Hudgens, appearing naked all over the internet. These are the actresses and women that young girls are looking up to, and right now there doesn't seem to be much hope.


http://www.theinsider.com/news/1280252_Miss_Teen_Louisiana_USA_Busted_After_Dine_Dash

#4

I just recently started a new Jodi Picoult novel, and at first I was really excited. She is one of my favorite authors, and I get so into her books that they only take me a few days to finish. Picture Perfect on the other hand, has been really disappointing at first. Not because it doesn't have an interesting story line, not because its poorly written... I'm on page 110, and this book so far has been a copycat of one I read this summer. See Jane Run it was called, and in both stories, a woman goes through a traumatic event in her life... and then proceeds to lose her memory. She is then seen in a newspaper by her husband, who appears to be "too good to be true", and can't recall his serious character flaws. Seriously. Almost identical story lines. As I get farther into Picture Perfect, I will make sure to update on the similarities & differences.

#3

CBSnews.com is the homepage on my parent's computer. As I was logging on today, a story caught my eye about a six-year-old boy who was kidnapped and then returned to his home almost four days later. This scenario seemed very strange at first, but as I continued to read, there are many pieces of the puzzle. Wednesday morning, the kidnappers posed as policemen and tied up his mother and her boyfriend, while taking the victim, Cole Puffinburger, to an unknown location. Cole has described his captors to be of Mexican descent, and they are believed to be part of a methamphetamine ring in Las Vegas. The worst part about the kidnapping is that it may have been the fault of Puffinburger's maternal grandfather, Clemens Fred Tinnemeyer. The kidnapping is believed to be a message to Tinnemeyer, who may have stolen millions from Nevada drug dealers. He will be a primary witness to the kidnapping in court on Monday.
An article like this is extremely disappointing to me, especially because Cole's own grandfather put someone he loves in jeopardy because of a drug habit or stolen money. Of all the selfish things you can do, playing a role in a 6-year-old's kidnapping has got to be at the top of the list.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/20/national/main4531624.shtml?tag=topHome;topStories

#2

A Minnesota poll conducted Thursday and Friday of this week has shown that Barack Obama continues to have more supporters than John McCain. The biggest reason? A better economy. Results are similar for a National poll conducted Saturday-Obama is ahead by approximatley 6 percentage points. Wisconsin and Iowa are almost identical to Minnesota in the political standings, but the most surprising statistic appeared when participants were asked who would do a better job stabilizing the economy. Obama is favored over McCain, 55% to 35%.

#1

When John Thompson was 18 years old, both of his arms were ripped off by a spinning power takeoff shaft on his father's farm in North Dakota. It is estimated that fewer than 10 people have had successful arm reattachments, so Thompson is very lucky.  He credits this luck to his surgeon, Allen Van Beek. The doctor grew up in North Dakota as well, and can relate to this particular patient because he was run over by a tractor when he was thirteen.  All of Van Beek's hard work on John Thompson and many others has paid off, because this week he was one of the Sioux Award recipients. This award recognizes great accomplishments made by UND alumni, and is very much deserved. 

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/31234184.html