Welcome to Minnesota

Minnesota is my birth state, and I have lived there all my life. I was born in Rochester which is best known for its large medical facility known as the Mayo Clinic. There are several things that Minnesota is known for. One is its frigid cold winters. Living in southern Minnesota I felt that the winters weren't that bad, until I traveled up north to Duluth. I realized how severe the winters can be. Duluth's winters are full of blizzards and its snow falls reach several feet per storm. Another thing Minnesota is known for is its abundance of lakes. There are over 10,000 lakes, and is the state with the largest number of boat owners. My family and I have always enjoyed going to lakes. Fishing, boating, tubing, and waterskiing are some of the activities we enjoy. Another thing Minnesota is known for is being the hockey state. People live for hockey, and since I was young I was brought up around the game. Although I have never played, I love watching hockey. Minnesota is a great state and I plan to make it a lifetime home.

You know you're a Minnesotan if...

Weather is 80% of your conversation.

Down south to you means Iowa.

Snow tires came standard on your car.

75% of your graduating high school class went to the Univ. of Minnesota.

People from other states love to hear you say words with "o"s in them.

You have no problem saying or spelling "Minneapolis."

Your school classes have been canceled because of snow or cold.

You assume when you say "The Cities" people know where you are referring to.

Nothing gets you madder than seeing a Green Bay sticker on a MN car.

You own an ice house, a snowmobile, and a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

You have gone Trick-or-Treating in 3 feet of snow.

Everyone you know has a cabin.

You beam with pride when some King or Hollywood super star comes to the Mayo Clinic to save their lives.

Water Dog!

I have a black Labrador named Malley. We've had here for about 7 years now and I will never forget the day we picked her up. We drove out to a farm about half an hour away. When we got there we saw a rundown farmhouse, and a bunch of dogs running around. The owners of the farm walked us down to a little pen where the puppies were being held, and there was only one left. My family and I hung out and played with her for a while and decided this was the one. Once we got her into the car we noticed she was covered with mud, and had a disgusting odor. After arriving home we filled up a little kiddy pool with water and gave her a bath. A little skeptical of the water at first, Malley wasn't sure what to do. After getting used to the water she began to love it. She would splash and lay down in the pool. Ever since that day we have always had a kiddy pool in our backyard. Till this day Malley still loves the water.

We also took Malley to the Mississippi river where we would spend our summer weekends on a sandbar. She would swim for hours with us, fetching stick after stick. Once the weekend was over she would sleep for several days recovering from the workout. We recently sold are boat and no longer go to the river as much. We still try to take Malley to local rivers and lakes and let her swim. I will always remember her as my little water-loving dog.

Minnesota Twins

I just want to share with you a little bit about my background. I was born in Minnesota and I have always been a twins fan. Since I could remember my family and I have been going to the games. This is where I created my love for baseball, and my favorite player Kirby Puckett. I will never forget my first twins game when the twins announcer, Bob Casey, first announced Kirby's name. He said it in a way that was unforgettable. It's hard to express how he announced his name on paper but it was of the extent of Kiiiiiiirrrrbbbbbyyyyyyy Puckett. It was fun watching him play the game. He would always hustle and play his hardest. His career came to an end in 1996 and five years later he was inducted into the baseball hall of fame. A memorable quote I will never forget was one he said during his hall of fame induction speech. He stated,

"There may be a few people out there who remember a time when the word on Kirby Puckett was that he was too short or didn't have enough power to make it to the big leagues. Well despite the fact that I didn't get to play all the years I wanted to, I did it."

This quote was so memorable to me because throughout high school I was faced with a similar situation. Many of my football coaches told me I would have to work very hard in order to play. They said I didn't have the size or strength to play on the varsity level. Over the next couple years I worked my but off, and come senior year I was starting. Kirby recently died unexpectedly. He will never be forgotten and always be an idol in my eyes.

Rhetorical Analysis Outline

I. The Inconvenient Truth trailer previews the documentary featuring former presidential candidate Al Gore, and focuses on the effects of global warming. It’s effective due to its use of rhetorical devices which gives rise to the viewer’s emotions by the use of images, audio, and text.
II. Images
A. Dry Desert Climate
B. Power Plants
C. Melting Ice Bergs
D. Maps and Graphs
1. Discuss why the images were chosen and how they enhance the trailer.
2. Discuss the relevance and credibility of the images.
III. Audio
A. The pace of the music (speeds up and slows down)
B. The type of music
C. The parts in the trailer where there is no music and reason why.
IV. Text
A. Phrases and slogans
1. Discuss the use of questions throughout the trailer.
2. Discuss the effectiveness of the text
V. Conclusion
A. Wrap it all together and how the purpose of the trailer is to get people to go to the movie. Also, how the trailer draws the audience’s attention by triggering emotional responses.

The Time has Come

The calm, silent night was awaken by the door opening,

He stood in the door motionless

His face unrecognizable, undisturbed; emotionless

The thoughts began to race through my mind; why? Why again?

His somber look told a story no author could

It had been done. Done AGAIN.

For this was not the first time, nor the second, but weeks of this had gone on

Night after night I sit alone staring into the night, crying. Countless tears have been shed.

My two babies unaware; unaware of his whereabouts; unaware of my tears

All they hear is yelling; “Kill” “Black Boy” “All of them”

They hoped an end to the kayos was near. It must be done.

I must do something.