TWILIGHT

This past weekend I was consumed in Stepenie Meyer's new hit, Twilight, soon to be made into a major motion film. The story takes place in Forks, Washington where 17 year old Bella Swan moves in with her dad, Charlie. Forks is muggy and wet 24/7 and Bella cannot stand the thought of living there for a whole year...until she meets Edward Cullen. He's handsom, charming, and breathtaking...literally. At first Edward seems to despise Bella, he couldn't even stand to be in the same room as her, but as the story continues Edward and Bella form an intriguing relationship. Instantly Bella falls in love with Edward but she knows he's not normal, not like the other people in Forks. Eventually she realizes the love of her life is a vampire, surprisingly, she still loves him for what he is. Edward adores Bella and loves with all his heart but because he is a blood thirsty vampire things are bound to get complicated...

Like most of the Edina girls population, I LOVE Twilight! It was a very easy read, well written, and it always kept me interested. Following Bella and Edward's relationship was so fun to read I actually couldn't keep this book down. I read it in class, I read it in the hall ways, and yes, I even read it on the weekend. I love the mix of Edward's mysterious personality and Bella's silly humor. The dynamic duo is the perfect couple and I cannot wait to see the book as a major motion film this November! It's extremely hard to talk about Stephenie Meyer's novel, Twilight, without giving too much away so all I have left to say is READ THIS BOOK. Its great for anyone 10 and up and its the best book I've read this year. If anyone wants to talk about this book with me I'll be there in a heart beat :)

-Laney Sheehan

Photography: Learning the Basics

"The purpose of photos are to communicate ideas. " An expert from the book, "Beginner's Guide to Nature Photography" gives advice in hopes of helping aspiring nature photographers. This expert, Cub Kahn, says that by incorporating different aspects such as; lighting, angle, focus, color, and tone to compose nature photos, pictures can really be brought to life. Kahn explains another key factor for a good outcome is to ask yourself two questions. 1. What is the message of this photo? 2. What is the best way to communicate that message? When you can create a clear message with your nature photos you are on the road to becoming a smart photographer. By creating a clear message you need to be able to keep the idea simple so viewers can recognize the meaning of the photo and so its a photograph worth looking at. 

My dad is a professional photographer and I hear about his shots ALL THE TIME. I know that in order for his succession he is always following the basics. He spends an overwhelming amount of time making sure the lighting is just right, focusing on the product, creating a clear message with each photo. I told him about the article I read and he said the information given was right on. An accomplished photographer needs to be patient, consider angles and lines, and keep the message simple. 

Marci! Picture Post

Hungry?

Everyone experiences hunger. This is a feeling experienced usually followed by a desire to eat. Some people choose to over react and eat a bunch of junk food, and others choose to have a nice snack. A researcher at Cornell University conducted an experiment where children were given cookies in a plastic baggie or were allowed to choose cookies from a platter. The kids eating cookies from the bag were satisfied that they had eaten their portion and didn't want any more, but the kids who ate from the platter wanted more even when the platter was empty. This experiment proves that by giving yourself a normal portion of a  snack you will be more satisfied than continuously eating without a stopping point. Unfortunately many Americans do not bother to look at portions and therefore gain excess weight. The article I read gave a few simple 100 calorie snacks that are easy to grab and eat on the go: 10 ritz bits peanut butter cracker, 2 sugar cones, fat-free yogurt, peanut butter on a celery stick, an apple, and one serving size of popcorn. There thousands of fine snacks its just important to eat the right portion of the food to stay as healthy as possible. Hunger can become overwhelming but by being smart about eating a small amount can make a big difference to your health.

Article By Anthony Lonetree from Startribune

Outside Reading 2

A St. Paul man's good Samaritan act ended up with an arrest for kidnapping. Ali Abdilahi of St. Paul was falsely accused for kidnapping a 14-year-old girl. He's a married father with two girls and he was arrested in April. Then in July the Ramsey County attorney's office discovered the victim was not credible. Last week Ali recieved dozens of cards strangers sent to show their empathy and gratitude for helping a girl who was bleeding alongside a road.
I chose to write about this article because it shows how risky helping a stranger can be. Many people don't stop to help either because they are afraid they can accidently injure the victim futher or are freaked out by the situation and choose to avoid getting involved. These are a few of the reasons I really respect Ali Abdilahi for stepping in and trying to do something good for society. Its unfortunate that he was falsley accused but without the people in the world like Abdilahi there would be no love.

Homer, an Olden Day Sexist

In my opinion Homer was an old fashioned sexist. He demonstrates this through The Odyssey when he frequently writes things that signify how women are judged and fail to be appreciated. My first demonstration of Homer being an old fashioned sexist is through Odysseus. Odysseus is on his way back to Ithaca where his wife Penelope has been faithfully waiting for 20 years for his return. During Penelope’s devastating years when she long for Odysseus, he has been fooling around with other women. In this quote Homer writes of Odysseus’ encounter with the temptress Circe; “Straightaway she began to swear the oath that I required—never, she’d never do me harm—and when she’d finished, then, at last, I mounted Circe’s gorgeous bed…”(245). This quote shows how undervalued Penelope is by Odysseus. This is one of the many times in the novel where Odysseus is only thinking about himself and not respecting his wife of more than twenty years. Odysseus has another encounter with a beautiful nymph, Calypso. Despite the fact Odysseus is on a voyage home to be with his wife and son, “as soon as he can”, he chooses to have sex with this immortal. Homer writes, “Even as he spoke the sun set and the darkness swept the earth. And now, withdrawing into the cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love.”(159). Calypso is just another woman used as a sexual toy and is not recognized for her own achievements but because of her beauty. This instance really indicates how Odysseus treats his wife Penelope and Calypso with such disrespect which leads me to believe Homer was sexist.
Not only does Homer write about Odysseus’s unfaithfulness, he writes about how women are used as servants without any recognition. While Odysseus is in the land of the Phaeacia’s he is warmly welcomed by all of the people and there are frequent quotes of women doing work just because of his arrival. Homer demonstrates this by simply stating, “A maid brought water soon in a graceful golden pitcher and over a silver basin tipped it out so the guest might rinse his hands, then pulled a gleaming table to his side. A staid housekeeper brought on bread to serve him, appetizers aplenty too, lavish with her bounty.”(185).This is just one of the hundreds of times Homer describes women working for men. Another time when women are being used for their help is when suitors come crowding Odysseus’s wife Penelope. They surround the kingdom trying to please Penelope in order to get her wealth and kingdom, not because they are infatuated by her as a person. Homer illustrates the women in the novel as not remembered for their accomplishments but used for wealth and physical desires.