Outside Reading Post #21

Today, I watched the newest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Personally, this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. The storyline and characters are played out perfectly and the action scenes are as intense as its gonna get. I would recommend this movie to anyone, regardless of their movie tastes.

Outside Reading Post #20

Today, I watched the new Indiana Jones movie The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. This movie continues the Indiana Jones legacy and does a good job at it. I thought it was good but the storyline seemed a little strange for an Indiana Jones movie. I would recommend it to anyone who likes the old style action movie.

Outside Reading Post #19

Today, I watched the movie Vantage Point. This movie is about a terrorist attack on the US President in a foreign country. This movie has an interesting format. It shows the same timeline from multiple people's perspectives to peace together the puzzle of who commited the crime. I thought it was a good movie although repetitive.

Outside Reading Post #18

Today, I watched the movie The Day After Tomorrow. This movie is about a father rescuing his son during a massive climate change the freezes the northern half of America. It shows their constant struggle to find eachother and how they survive in the meantime. I really liked the movie and would recommend it.

Outside Reading Post # 17

Today, I watched the movie The Matrix. This movie is about a small human civilization in the future using a system called the Matrix to carryout their doings. The movie shows their successes and failures against the Agents and the robot Sentinels. I really liked this movie and all of its intense action scenes. I would recommend it to any action/sci-fi movie fan.

Outside Reading Post #16

Today, I watched the movie Dodgeball. Tis movie is about two rival gyms, one of whom is buying the other. To get enough money to keep the gym, Peter and his friends enter a dodgeball tournament to win the prize money. I thought this movie was hilarious and would recommend it to anyone who likes comedy movies.

Outside Reading Post #15

Today, I watched the movie Deja Vu. This movie is about a governmental unit that has the technology to look back in time. They use this technology to catch a terrorist who bombed a ferry full of military personnel. I think this movie did a good job at showing potential technology and how it could be used. I really liked it and would recommend it.

Outside Reading Post #14

Today, I watched the movie School Of Rock. This movie is about a wannabe rocker who uses students to get him into a battle of the bands contest. They play the show, but end up losing. Although the ending wasn't ideal, I think the movie did a good job at showing that anything is possible if you really try. I really liked the movie and would recommend it.

Outside Reading Post #13

Today, I watched the movie Blades Of Glory. This is a comedy about two rival figure skaters who make a comeback as a pair after they are both banned from the figure skating championships. I thought this movie was hilarious. The storyline was great and clever. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a laugh.

Outside Reading Post #12

Today, I watched the movie The Island. This movie is about a race of genetic clones whose organs are used to replace those of their owners. Eventually, one clone starts asking questions and realizes the truth. You follow him throughout his need to find the truth and his later escape. I really liked the movie. It was suspenseful and well played out. I would recommend this movie.

Outside Reading Post #11

Today, I watched the movie Iron Man. This is based off a very old comic about a superhero wearing an iron suit. This suit has special abilities to let this hero do what he does best. I think this movie did a very good job at showing how Iron Man was created. It shows the evolution of the suit and the things it can do. I really liked the movie and would recommend it to anyone who likes superhero movies.

Outside Reading Post #10

Today, I watched the newer James Bond movie Casino Royale. This movie focuses on explaining James Bond's start as a double O. In this movie, 007 is required to go to a high stakes poker game in which he could help stop a terrorist, or fuel him with his government's money. Personally, I liked the movie even though I thought it was slow at times. The action scenes and cleverness of James Bond have made yet another successful movie.

Thesis Statements and Sentences

Open Ended Thesis Statement- The god with the most human characteristics is Calypso because she fell in love with Odysseus

List Thesis Statement- The god with the most human characteristics is Calypso because she fell in love, protected, and didn’t want Odysseus to leave.

Thesis Sentence 1- First, Calypso is the most human-like because she shows her feelings of love for Odysseus.

Thesis Sentence 2- Second, she protected Odysseus from Zeus’s messenger Hermes from taking him away showing her feelings of attachment.

Thesis Sentence 3- Last, she didn’t want Odysseus to leave so they could be together forever.

Outside Reading Post #9

Today, I watched the movie Shooter. This movie is about a man who is framed for killing a foreign leader. He is constantly running from the feds and you follow him through his adventure. Personally, I really liked the movie. It had a good story line along with great acting. I would recommend it to anyone who loves action movies.

Outside Reading Post #8

Trick-or-Treating is Possible Again Thanks to a Small Boy
I just read an article about a small town in which trick-or-treating was banned until a small boy started a petition to make it possible. Trick-or-treating was banned in this Pennsylvania town due to a incident 16 years ago. A girl was kidnapped and killed. Many kids decided they wanted to take part in a tradition so a young boy started a petition to allow trick-or-treating. After many people had signed the petition, trick-or-treating was officially legal. I think this is a good thing for the town. Every child deserves to experience Halloween and the fun that comes with it. I also think parents should be aware of there childrens locations and actions. Even though the murder happened 16 years ago, things could happen and parents should be aware of that.
Article from AOL.com
http://news.aol.com/article/16-years-after-murder-halloween-returns/231661

Outside Reading Post #7

Car Crashes Into A New York Restaurant
I just read an article about an incident in New York. A car drove into a restaurant in Manhattan and hurt nine people. The New York Fire Department said that only two people suffered serious injuries and the rest were all minor. I think that accidents like these should never happen. This type of thing is totally preventable if they had just been paying attention. There is a good chance are they were on a cell phone when this happened...
Article from AOL.com
http://news.aol.com/article/9-hurt-as-car-hits-manhattan-restaurant/226125

Heroes In A Box

Superheroes

Superman is the superhero of superheroes. He has probably saved more people's lives than you could imagine. It seems like he has a new person to save and villain to defeat everyday. With his ability to fly, x-ray vision, and incredible speed he is truly one if not the greatest superhero of all time.

Spiderman is one of the most amazing superheroes there is. Being able to hang on to a web-rope and swing from building to building is a remarkable feat. Even with no "supernatural" powers (like flying), he is still able to defeat the villain and save the citizen.

Batman is one of the darker superheroes but nontheless still super. Saving Gotham City from constant attacks from the local villains is no easy task. Using his nifty gadgets, Batman always comes away with the win against his enemies.

Conclusion-

Even though none of these heroes are real, I think they all play an important part in today's society. These characters have inspired songs, movies, and people's thoughts on superheroes. If they didn't exist, many people would think that the idea of superhuman abilities to be crazy and stupid. From adults to kids, they have played an important role in many people's lives.

Outside Reading Post #6

Hostage Rescued
I just read an article about a daring mission in Afghanistan. Recently a U.S. Special Forces team infiltrated a enemy stronghold and rescued a kidnapped Army soldier during the night. It is believed that several enemy threats were killed during this nighttime operation. I think this was a very brave thing to do by the Special Forces team. Just imagine having to sneak into an enemy base with dozens of men armed with weapons wanting to kill you around every corner. Personally, that would be terrifying. I think this operation showed a lot of courage and deserves recognition.
Article from AOL.com
http://news.aol.com/article/us-hostage-rescued-in-daring-operation/221478

Outside Reading Post #5

The Unspeakable Odyssey of the Motionless Boy
This boy's story is truly amazing. After experiencing a terrible car crash, Erik Ramsey was diagnosed with "Locked-In Syndrome", a rare condition that doesn't allow you to have any control over your muscles. Luckily, doctors are experimenting with a technology that may allow Erik to talk through his thoughts. This involved placing wires in his head that would read his thoughts and convert them to words through a highly advanced computers. This would be one of the worst things I could possibly live through. Not being able to move, speak, and live a normal life would be a nightmare. What this boy has gone through is remarkable to say the least.

Outside Reading Post #4

Boy Is Safely Returned Home
I just read an article about a boy in Las Vegas who was abducted this last Wednesday. Two men entered the family's home and took the boy hostage, but he was found and returned to his family. Police believe that he was kidnapped by Mexican drug dealers trying to send a message to the boy's grandfather who had stolen millions of dollars from these men. I think that it is sad that there are grandfathers in our country in the drug business and putting there families and themselves in danger with dangerous people. This incident is a perfect example of wh people should stay away from drugs and the people involved; especially if you have a family.
Article from AOL.com
http://news.aol.com/article/abducted-child-returned-to-his-father/215402

Outside Reading Post #3

Space Shuttle Lifts Off
I just read an article about a recent space rocket launch. Instead of some astronauts doing some important mission, this rocket held American computer game millionaire Richard Garriott. Garriott is the latest man to pay for space travel. I think that this could be the start of a slowly growing trend. I believe wealthy entrepeneurs will find space travel intrigueing and potentially spend the money on the ultimate vacation. As technology progresses over time, these kind of actions should become more common and frequent. Even though some people are traveling to space now, I don't think the average people will be up there for quite a while.
Article from AOL.com
http://news.aol.com/article/us-space-tourist-blasts-off-in-soyuz/207302

Outside Reading Post #2

Ship Splits In Two
I just read an article about an accident in the Strait Of Gibraltar. A 35,000 ton ship smashed into rocks in extreme winds after two tug boats failed to save the massive ship. Fortunately, all of the crew members were saved thanks to a successful rescue effort. Even though strange stuff like this does happen, I find this kinda odd. The ship got pinned against a rocky cliff despite two tug boats pulling it away. I don't understand why this ship would be out on the water next to rocky areas in the middle of an extremely strong storm. Although I'm sure they have a schedule to stick to, I would think they would put the crews safety first, or at least that's what I would do.
Article from AOL.com
http://news.aol.com/article/crew-rescued-as-ship-snaps-in-half/208594?icid=100214839x1210886617x1200704778

Siddhartha Blog Assignment #3

Advice Column

Dear Allie,
Hi, my name is Billy. I have a from named Siddhartha who lives in the same area of India as me. Honestly, I am worried about him. He hasn't made very good decisions lately. He decided to become a Samana before realizing what life would be like. He has also been gambling and drinking. He needs some help.

One of Siddhartha's main goals is to reach enlightenment. I believe that if he had some help reaching this goal, he would realize that he could do something good with his life rather than throwing it away.

Sincerely,
Billy


Dear Billy,
Your friend Siddhartha sounds like a very confused and troubled man. I don't think he knows what he should do next. I believe that some reassurance of his actions could go a long way. If he knows what actions are good and what are not he will know what to do in the future. Do what you can to help him with whatever he needs whether it be money or the path to enlightenment. Being a good friend could really help.

Sincerely,
Allie

Outside Reading Post #1

Division 1 Lacrosse For The First Time In Minnesota
I recently read an article about the first Division 1 lacrosse game in Minnesota coming up this weekend. Although many people won't find this very exciting, it is a huge deal for the midwestern lacrosse community. Lacrosse is a sport dominated by the east coast; you could say it is equivalent to Minnesota dominating in hockey. So when two of the top college teams in the country come to Minnesota to play an exhibition game, it is pretty exciting. The Notre Dame and Army teams are coming here thanks to the Minnesota Swarm (our state's indoor lacrosse team) who are helping host the game. The game will be played at the National Sports Center in Blaine in conjunction with the 2008 Hotdish Classic Tournament (which I will be playing in) from October 11-12. Being one of the fastest growing sports in the country, exposure to the game in the midwest shows college coaches that good lacrosse players can come from all over the country. In addition to the Notre Dame/Army game, the two teams have agreed to play the team from the University of Minnesota Duluth; one of the top club programs in the country. For these reasons, you can bet that stadium will be sold out and filled with thousands of cheering Minnesota lacrosse players excited for a once in a lifetime oppurtunity.
Article from NLL.com
http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=3593

Siddhartha Blog Assignment #2

Part 1
Text Messages between Govinda and Billy

Govinda- Billy, Siddhartha has left me.

Billy- Im sorry to hear this, what happened?

Govinda- We were listening to the Buddha's teachings; I pledged my alliance to the Buddha but Siddhartha did not, he said I have finally chosen my own path.

Billy- Sometimes it's good to make our own decisions and follow what ou believe in rather than just copying a friend.

Govinda- Your right, it's time I made my own decisions. Thanks Billy.

Part 2
Govinda

I think Govinda is really hurt by Siddhartha's decision to leave him. They had been friends for a long time and I don't think Govinda was ready to let go of their connection. Siddhartha's main goal is to find himself and I don't think he was ready to do that with Govinda at his side. Govinda needs to stay with the Buddha and learn his teachings. They both needed to choose their own paths.

My Avatar

Billy

Hey everyone, I'm Billy and I'm one of Siddhartha's good friends. I like to hang out and have fun. Even though we don't have a ton in common, Siddhartha is a very nice person so he's nice to be around.

About Siddhartha

My friend Siddhartha lives in ancient India. He is very religious and feels incomplete. While a group called the Samanas was passing through his village, he believed that joining them could fulfill his missing feeling. While he's traveling, he hears of a man called Buddha and decides to leave the Samanas. He decides that the Buddha's teachings are not what he needs and leaves the Buddha and his friend Govinda behind.

About Me

My name is Geoffrey and I go to Edina High School in Minnesota. I enjoy playing lacrosse and listening to music. I live with my parents and sister along with our dog and cat. I like to hang out with my friends and have fun.