Thanksgiving

What is Thanksgiving? Sure, it’s the day you eat turkey, watch football, and celebrate with family. But, isn’t Thanksgiving a time you’re supposed to give thanks? You may claim that you do, but really, most people just, out of habit, mumble a few words about what they claim they are grateful for, than start to eat. There is no meaning in that. What we should be thankful for are all the blessings in our life. Blessings are not always physical. Things that can be blessings are life, health, family, friends, and faith. But it is also important that you are thankful for all of your physical possessions, too. Most people think world hunger is a joke, but it’s not. It is real. People waste food by stuffing themselves every day, or ordering meals they don’t finish. So be thankful you don’t know what real starvation is. Be thankful you can feel warm in your home. Be thankful that your drinking water is clean. Because we take all these things for granted, but the truth is, life would be miserable without them. If you think you have nothing to be thankful for,you are wrong. Everyone has something to be thankful for, they might just be little things, almost unseen. A good quote about thankfulness is by Irving Berlin, in " I got the Sun in the Morning"
"Got no chekbooks, got no banks,
still I'd like to express my thanks-
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night."
Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks. What are you thankful for?

Dachshunds

Dachshunds are the most intelligent, entertaining and stubborn dogs out there. If you are reading this, you might also know them as the Doxies or the infamous wiener dogs. This interesting dog, a symbol of Germany, is most known for its stubby legs and long back- making it look like a hot dog. This inspires people still today to dress them up in a bun and some ketchup. There are even Dachshund races held in many places, including here in Milwaukee, during German Fest. But at first, these interesting dogs used their low bodies for more useful things.

Originally, they were bred to hunt. Some might find this a silly thought, but it actually makes sense. The main animals hunted by these dogs were badgers. The name Dachshund even comes from German roots, meaning "badger dog". Badgers live in narrow burrows under the ground, which meant big dogs couldn’t get in. The Dachshund's low body actually gave it an advantage, making it very easy to get into the burrow and retrieve the badger. This also applied to foxes and rabbits. But the earlier form of the breed of dachshunds weighed between 30 and 40 pounds on average, much heavier than the modern breed, so they weren't as petite. Though dachshunds were probably created by German breeders, some people believe they go as far back as Ancient Egypt. There were carvings of hunting dogs with short legs found by the American University of Cairo, and also found in some Egyptian tombs, were Dachshund-like dogs that have been mummified. They are not sure what their purpose was at that time, but it was possible that they were simply favored by the Egyptians. Even if they weren't actually there in ancient Egypt, it is sure that they do have traces of some French and also English hounds and terriers bred into them. The breeders mixed the dachshund for the reason of adapting it to make hunting less of a hassle.

Breeders purposely bred the long ears into Dachshunds, for the reason that dirt, seeds and other things don’t get into the ear. The long, curved tail was also added so the dachshunds could be easily spotted in fields. This was also done because it could be used to pull the dog out, if stuck in a burrow. Some other main appearance characteristics have to do with its long snout. It is very good in absorbing odors and sniffing out animals. Dachshunds have large paws, handy for tunneling, and a deep chest, for easy breathing. Doxies' coats can vary from short, long, or wire-haired, and can be found in almost any color that a dog's coat can come in, besides all white. However they can be cream colored. Wiener dogs' coats can be dappled, meaning many different spots and areas of color. Though very small, dachshunds are extremely muscular and well built. They are very speedy, too, despite their short legs. And obviously, its long, lean body. Though it helped them in hunting, it makes their back very fragile and prone to intervertebral disk disease, so they have to be handled gently. Other than their appearance, Dachshunds' characteristics stand out very much, too.

Dachshunds aren't always the classic dog that follows your every command. If he doesn’t want to sit, he won't sit. Not that they aren't intelligent, because they are. Dachshunds are just very, very stubborn. These dogs are also extremely dominant, acting like they're in charge. Wiener dogs will be very loyal to their owners and a few others, but will bark and growl at strangers. They surprise many people by how loud and deep their bark is. They will usually tolerate kids, but might bite if they feel threatened. Regardless of being independent, most Doxies love to play, especially chase things like toys, tennis balls, or any animal they might see. But the reason that Dachshunds are 5th most popular dog breed in America is because they are so determined and lovable.

Lots of people have owned Wiener dogs, even some famous people. E.B. White, William Randolph Hearst, and even Pablo Picasso were proud Dachshund owners. But these dogs weren't always so popular. During the First World War many dachshunds were killed. Some were tortured by being stoned to death. Anyone owning a dachshund was considered "Un-American", because wiener dogs were German. After the war, their popularity slowly came back, and currently, they are one of the top breeds in the country. Now many people favor these beloved pets. Dachshunds really are man's best friend.

• "Dachshund." Dog Dow — The Dog Training Resource. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://dogdow.com/20080325-104931.php>. 
• "Dachshund - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachshund>. 
• "Dachshunds." Free Web Site Hosting - On A Mission - Free web site hosting for businesses and personal use . N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://oamweb.com/educational/dachsiefaq/dachshunds.html>.

Under the Grave

 Author's note: a stream of consciousness

It is Halloween night. My friends and I are sneaking around the graveyard. Gregory says this is a bad idea, but what does he know? My brother is always worrying and being a goodie goodie. I cannot believe I had to take him with me trick or treating. AGAIN. But that gives me a perfect chance to get back at him for getting me grounded. AGAIN. Gregory, Nikko (my best friend), and I jump over the fence, and as soon as my feet make contact with the ground, something eerily cold seems to pass through me. But we continue on. As wear near the gravestone we are headed to, the one we planted a trap in, Gregory gets more and more reluctant.

"Please stop!" he whines "We can just go home and trade the candy we already have!"
But I tell him

"You don't have enough candy to last the week. I told you, there will be more candy than your little heart could ever desire under this grave. But if you don’t want to come you can go back alone, but we're not coming with, are we, Nikko?"

"That's right, but I'm sure you'll be fine, zombies only like nine year old boys."

"But I'm nine!" yells Gregory.

"Ooh," fakes Nikko "We'll it was nice knowin' ya!"

We snicker and start to walk away, knowing Gregory would stop us and say

"OK, OK I'm coming! Wait for me!"

But he didn't.

And when he didn't, we turned around, only to find Gregory's spilled trick or treat bag spilled out all over the grass.

Panicking, I say

"Gregory this isn't funny, come out!"

Silence.

"Gregory?"

I can't believe it. He must be playing a trick on me. I'll be in so much trouble if I can't find him!

I turn to Nikko for help, but he's gone. I spin around in circles trying to spot either of the two, seeing nothing but endless graves.

Now the fog is getting thicker, stinging my eyes. The silence is ringing in my ears. There is no wind, nothing to carry my scream when I feel something grab hold of my ankle, and pull me under, into darkness.

                                                                               To be continued...

Ted Talks: Saving the Ocean One Island at a Time

The video "Saving the Ocean One Island at a Time" is about Greg Stone's experience with the country of Kiribati, a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Greg is in the marine sciences and goes undersea exploriong in many places. He was asked to explore undersea life in the Kiribati waters. He found some of the most dense, colorful marine life that he had ever seen, so he talks to some of the Kiribati government because he dosent want the beautiful reef to be destroyed by overfishing (many countries pay to fish there). So he sets up a program where he pays the country to not let fishing be done in their waters. Greg Stone believes that we could set this program up to protect many other reefs in the Pacific and all other oceans around the world. This video has a strong message that there is still some natural beauty left in the world and we need to protect it. I would recommend this video to anyone interested in the ocean or environment.

Will Ferrell

Author's note: This is a speech I originally wrote for forensics.

     Will Ferrell, born July 16, 1967, is a comedic actor, known and loved by many people. A lot of entertainers these days were inspired by a devastating event in their life, but not Will. Even though he hasnt, he still just as talented as other Hollywood comedians. Will had a very normal, uneventful childhood, growing up in California suburb, Irvine, making many people wonder where his humor comes from. Ferrell says it is because of his drama-free hometown, because there wasn’t much to do for fun so he loved to make his friends laugh. He claimed that maybe his childhood was “too normal”. Ferrell went to elementary and through high school in Irvine and afterwards he studied sport broadcasting at the University of Southern California. He graduated with a sports information degree in 1990, and afterwards joined a comedy improvisation group. Five years later, in 1995, he met his future wife, Swedish actress, Viveca Paulin, and they now have three sons. That year,  Will also joined Saturday Night Live, a live show of musical guests, impersonations, and comical skits. He stayed on the show for seven years, then quit in 2002 so he could do more movies. Even while he was on SNL, he appeared in a few movies such as A night at the Roxbury, The Ladies man, Drowning Mona, Zoolander, 2 Austin Powers movies and Superstar. The first movie he got the starring role in, which was after Being on Saturday Night Live, was Old School, which he got an MV nomination for. After that he starred in many more movies like Elf, Wedding Crashers, Kicking and Screaming, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, Land of the Lost and more. He got many nominations including Emmies, Golden Globes, MTV, and teen choice awards. The awards he won were an ESPY, guys choice, teen choice and MTV.Will has many more movies planned for the future including voicing Megamind, The Other Guys, and Casa de mi Padre. Will Ferrell is as interesting to learn about as he is funny to watch.

Bio Hazard!

My first trip to six flags last summer was one I will remember for many reasons. I was going with my friend and her family. At first, it looked like it would be a very boring day because as soon as we got there, her parents made us ride this little kid roller coaster with her sister and sister's friend. And it was practically the longest line we waited in all day! We stood there for about 45 minutes and finally, when we got to ride it, it was the most boring ride ever- slow and short. After that, the parents decided to let us split up. So my friend and I started going on as many rides as we could, all morning and all afternoon. One guy who worked at six flags to take pictures of random people even stopped us to take a photo.
Later, about an 45 minutes before we had to leave, we were looking for one last ride we hadn't gone on. But all of the good rides were at least an hour's wait. We decided to check one last ride before we left. We walked over to V2, one of the most fun looking rides at the park, and saw that, it too, was an hour's wait. We were devastated. Maybe so devastated that we weren't the only one to see it. Because that’s when a stranger walked up to us and asked,
"Do you want to go on that ride? I have this wristband that will let you skip the line if you want to use it."
We were shocked. The stranger was letting us borrow his pass, which he paid extra for.
"Aren't you going to use it?" we asked him.
"No I don’t need it. And I could sense your disappointment from all the way over there, he joked.
So we thanked him and ran all the way to the ride and up the steps and got into a line. There were only three groups of people ahead of us and we were psyched . So we waited in line for a while, until I heard some people beside me whispering and giggling, so I glanced over. And there, right in the line next to me, was a boy, who looked about ten or eleven, with a stream of water ( actually something else) coming from you-know where! At first, I thought it was a joke, maybe he was holding a water bottle there. But, no. Then lots of people started staring at, him. He didn’t even look embarrassed, just bored. Well, the people running the ride eventually found out and when they did they came over and the look on their faces were priceless.
"Really?" one of them asked.
So they had to stop the roller coaster for about half an hour to clean up his mess. Apparently it was a bio hazard.
So after that was finally over, they started up the ride again. They still let the kid who peed go on the ride. Disgusting! I would understand if a three or four year old did that, but an eleven year old!
We finally got our turn on the ride, and it was definitely worth the wait. It was the best ride of the day. On the way home we had a lot of laughs because we would definitely remember our trip to six flags.

Obstacles

"Obstacles are what you see if you take your eyes off the goal."
-Henry Ford

I like this quote because it is very inspirational and I thought it relates to the Rising Stars program. It means you can really do a lot if you focus on the goal instead of all the obstacles you'll have to get over.

Orange Skies

Do you ever stay up so late, that you feel like the only living thing on earth? On those Friday nights,when you have nothing to do the next morning, and nothing that night, except for watch a movie or old TV series. Then you look out the big glass windows, and there's not a star, moon or cloud in sight. The sky has turned an odd shade of orange, and it looks as if something is casting an unnatural light from behind a filtered screen, but yet, it's the middle of the night. No wind, no noise, just a picture. There are no feelings of sadness or joy, stress or relief. You don't feel anything, like your life is just a dream, not moving. No idea what to do next, but go to sleep, hoping to wake up to find a sunny Saturday morning.

A Start and an End

I am sitting under a lone oak tree at the top of a bluff. I am facing the setting sun in the west. Sitting there, knowing that the warm breeze flowing through me will be the last one I feel until summer comes 'round again. It fills me with a sense of sadness, loneliness, and aggravation because the first day of fall is tomorrow. But then I remember feeling the crisp air cleanse my skin, and the leaves crunching under my feet. And I smile to myself. Because Fall is the season where your mind feels refreshed coming out of the deep spell that is summer. It is a season that most people think of as a time for preparing and finishing what you started before winter comes and covers everything up. A  time of focus on what matters. A start and an end. I tingle with warmth knowing that something great is coming. Not just the start of a new school year, but the start of a new you.

The Clique series

The Clique is a very dramatic series about a group of girls, called the Pretty Committee, and all of the drama in their lives. It takes place in Westchester, NY, mostly at the girls' school, OCD. In the beginning of the series, the main character, Massie, has a new family move into her guesthouse. The parents are old family friends, so they are more than happy to have the Lyons family move in for a while. But Massie can't decide if the little 4th grade boy who has an eavsdropping problem is more annoying, or if Claire, a girl that is similar in age but couldn't be more different otherwise, is. The Pretty Committee all do their best at disincluding and publicly humiliating Claire for a while, but Massies mother insists they include her. In the end of the first book, when Claire saves Massie from a humiliating event, Massie decides she might not be so bad after all. The rest of the series just gets more and more dramatic each book with plotlines like; the Pretty committee breaking up, getting expelled from their fancy private school, Claire starring in a major motion picture and more. All in all, even if your not a girly girl but still find teenage drama amusing, this is a very entertaining series.