Q2 Final Blog Post

I was inspired by one of Maya's former blog posts to start reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard. As I read, I was so happy to see that there was commentary by Albus Dumbledore. The worst part of the series was when he died- I cried. (I never cry at books.) Harry Potter is one of my favorite series out there. This also tied in well to some of my other blogs, as I read the 6th and 7th books for previous posts over Thanksgiving break.

There were many different stories that made you feel as though you had grown up in the wizarding world. Some of my favorites included "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump" and the story that was a huge part of the seventh HP book, "The Tale of the Three Brothers".

It was interesting to read the full version, as in the seventh book it only gives you a brief verbal explanation of the story. In our Muggle world, classic bedtime stories teach us life lessons and morals that we should adhere to and uphold. Stories such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Chicken Little, Old Mother Hubbard, and the Boy Who Cried Wolf teach small children to appreciate what they have and to be strong morally and not lie. In "The Tale of the Three Brothers", wizarding children are taught the same things- albeit with the addition of magic. Inevitably, you cannot escape a lot of things (In this case, death), but if you lead a virtuous, not greedy life, you can live happily and peacefully until your end.

I was glad to have another dose of the wizarding world- HP is basically amazing.

Q2 Blog Post #9

For my ninth blog post, I read an article on Carl Pohlad, the owner of the Minnesota Twins. He died Monday in his home here in Edina. He was 93.

The article states that he was always a hard-worker, and smart too. As a kid, he "organized a group of boys to pick cockleburs out of cornfields for 25 cents an hour, pocketing a nickel from each as commission." He was a child of the Great Depression, and took that with him as he became an adult.

He married a woman named Eloise, who died recently in 2003. One of his greatest accomplishments was that "in 1986, Pohlad sold MEI Inc., a Pepsi-Cola bottling company, for more than $600 million." In 1992 he also "sold Marquette Bank to First Bank System, now U.S. Bancorp, for $230 million." He kept the rights to the Marquette name, building another banking entity, and in 2001, Pohlad sold Marquette to Wells Fargo for an estimated $1 billion in cash and stock. He was a savvy businessman, and knew what he was doing.

The article also states that "The Twins, which Pohlad acquired in 1984 for about $38 million, are worth more than $300 million, according to estimates."

It was also good to hear that the Pohlad family has given over $10 million dollars annually to charities.

Being a Twins fan myself, I was sad to hear that Pohlad had died. I am friends with his great-niece, and she said her family had been expecting it for a while. Pohlad lived a long, prosperous, and successful life- that is mostly all that anyone could want, right?

Stacey

Q2 Blog Post #8

For my eighth blog I read Midnight Sun, the version of Twilight from Edward's perspective. It is online on Stephenie Meyer's website.

What interested me in this manuscript, other than the fact that it was more Twilight, was that someone leaked it too early. Meyer wrote a foreword of sorts stating how she had given these drafts to people she trusted, and one of them had betrayed her trust. She put Midnight Sun on the internet for everyone to see, because she was so upset with the fact that it had already been seen by so many- and it wasn't anywhere close to "her best work". She called it "sloppy" writing, although I disagree myself. She felt like she couldn't finish it, as well.

Reading Midnight Sun was interesting, because Bella's perspective is completely and utterly clueless about Edward's thoughts and feelings when they first meet. Seeing how Edward had to cope with his mixed emotions for Bella was really very interesting.

I read this right after seeing the movie as well, so it was like a refresher almost from reading the original novel such a long time ago. The way that Edward was portrayed in the movie was very different from what Midnight Sun and Twilight made me think of him. The movie made him seem awkward rather than intense and almost intimidating. Bella's character was almost exactly what I saw in my head, so that was a nice surprise. Jasper was a little off as well, but I now understand that he always looks like he is in pain because he is- he is thirsty.

I adore this series.

Stacey

Q2 Blog Post #7

**Do not read if you want to read the Twilight Series.

For my seventh post I reread Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I got so into it again that I read it from start to finish without putting it down.

What I really like about the Twilight series is that it lets you wander into a world completely different from your own. The way Meyer writes makes you feel like you are a shadow following Bella and Edward around, completely immersed in their lives, and not your own.

In Breaking Dawn, Bella and Edward are finally married and go to a honeymoon on a private island. They soon find out that Bella's most prominent wish as a human was not a wise choice, as she is pregnant- and they don't know what the baby will be (human or vampire). To keep her child, Bella enlists the help of Rosalie (who had always wanted to be able to be human and have children). As Bella becomes more and more pregnant, it is evident that the baby is killing her. Until they find out that Bella needs to drink blood, despite the fact that she is still a human, to help the baby. She is seconds from death when the baby's air flow gets cut off and breaks her spine, and Edward has to fight to save her with his venom. She has Renesmee, a baby girl, and Jacob happens to imprint on her.

Long story short, they get reported to the Volturi because they think Renesmee is something illegal, but she isn't, so they have others stay to witness that she is fine. The volturi come, and Bella is able to save everyone with her shield.

This book is honestly so good. The humor is mixed perfectly with seriousness, and it really is plain fun to read.

I kind of wish that Edward and Bella were real, because they are so likeable. I would love to be a part of the Cullen family, because they are such inviting characters. I am sad that the series is over!

Stacey

Q2 Blog Post #6

For this post I read Tempted by Cecily Von Ziegesar. It is the sixth installment to the It Girl series.

Although this book was only remotely interesting, it did spark a few trains of thought in my head.

The setting of this book is at Waverly Academy, a private boarding school (made out to be only for the "privileged"). The main character is Jenny Humphrey, who has encountered her fair share of drama and mischief at Waverly, along with her roommate Callie; her friend, Brett; the "queen bee" of the school, Tinsley; and of course various boys.

The content of this book did really nothing for me, because it's all about drinking, hooking up, and stabbing friends in the back- with the occasional good deed. What interested me was the fact that in between chapters there were "screenshots", persay, of e-mails, text messages, and instant messages. I thought this portrayed perfectly how connected our world is in this day and age.

Nothing could happen at Waverly without at least one person forwarding out a mass text or e-mail about it. Nothing was private; nothing was considered "too personal". It is much the same in the real world- no one cares much what they gossip about or to whom they are gossiping, but apparently, it is imperative that they do. The newest news is the fastest spread, and if you can't keep up, you're simply considered out of the loop. The book also portrayed how twisted things can become if you don't know the information first-hand. Two girls hanging out suddenly becomes two girls hanging out drunk, which suddenly becomes 2 guys and 2 girls drinking together, which suddenly becomes those 4 people hanging out in a bedroom alone- You get the idea.

One last thing that bothered me is the fact that girls (and boys... I guess...) way younger than me are reading these books and getting the idea that a life like the girls' of Waverly is glamorous. They'll get the idea that all of the actions and ideas of those girls are okay. That bothers me, a lot. Hearing things about younger kids that want to do stuff like that leaves an uneasy feeling in my stomach, especially those that I have faith in to become someone, someday. I hope that they realize there is so much more to life than being the coolest kid in the grade.

Stacey

Q2 Blog Post #5

Handwritten, turned in on time.

Stacey

Annotated Citations

My question is:

Should smoking bans be put into place when smoking becomes a health hazard to others?

Belluck, Pam. "Maine City Bans Smoking in Cars Carrying Children". New York Times 19 Jan. 2007: A14.

Pam Belluck is a well known author who writes regularly for the New York Times. In this particular article, she notes the reaction to the smoking ban in Bangor, Maine- it is now illegal for anyone to smoke in the car with a child present. The majority of reactions that she reports have a connotation of reluctant acceptance. Belluck also reports many other instances that have led up to this smoking ban, such as a petition made by a ten-year-old to ban smoking while driving. The general public of Bangor agrees that it is not fair to subject children to secondhand smoke- although many do admit it is more of a hassle. Another interesting argument that Belluck reports from her interviews is that smokers could "go through withdrawal symptoms while driving and become more of a danger on the road". Finally, she says that many believed the boycott of Bangor would be minimal- the facts are that it benefits the kids.

Griffith, Martin. "Activists Continue Smoke-Free Push".
Reno Gazette-Journal 20 Jan. 2007: N.P.

Martin Griffith is a writer for the Associated Press. Griffith reports that "more than half of Americans live in a city or state with laws mandating that workplaces, restaurants or bars be smoke-free, according to Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights." He reports that non-smoking bans are sweeping the nation, with more bans having been put into place than ever before, after a Surgeon General's report that even a few minutes of inhaling another's smoke can do damage to a non-smoker's health. An opposing side to these bans is that they drive away customers in certain businesses. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is reported to have said that they will continue to fight these bans as they "adversely affect businesses." Griffith ends with the information that these smoking bans that have already been put into place may swing other states into action- benefiting non-smokers' health everywhere.