Go Diego!

A Washington man who was late for work decided to drive with his daughter's in the passenger seat. He wanted to drive in the high occupancy lane so he could get to work quicker. Officers were pulling over cars who had single occupants in the vehicle. Officers said the non-blinking stare of the doll made them question the car and pull the driver over. The man was cited for an HOV lane violation. This story made me laugh because the guy was really clever to use to the doll as an “imposter” passenger. It's too bad the man got caught, but it still makes for a funny story. 

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/weird-news/article_6bc041c6-0143-5e19-bbea-e30d213c7cf2.html

Stealing from the Salvation Army

A bell ringer in Eagen, Minnesota was caught trying to steal money out of a Salvation Army red kettle. An employee at the Cub Foods grocery store saw the man use tweezers to pull the money from the slot. The store's video cameras confirmed the theft of $40. This story sickens me because people thought this man was doing a good deed by volunteering at the Salvation Army. All this man was trying to do was make some money for himself. There is so many unfortunate people who need the money. And if this guy really was that poor, he could have gotten help from the S.A himself. People who are greedy like him disappoint me. I am glad to know that there is good people out there who volunteer for the right reasons. I'm glad this thief got caught. 

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/state-and-regional/article_1f3f2904-0911-11e0-a220-001cc4c002e0.html

Tainted Eggs

An estimated 380 million eggs have been recalled last week because of concerns that they were tainted with salmonella. Hundreds of Americans have gotten sick from the tainted eggs. The FDA stated that some of the eggs were not pasteurized. This outbreak of tainted eggs could have been prevented. Thoroughly cooking eggs usually kills the bacteria. But cross contamination usually is the biggest problem. Undercooked food also leaves the consumer at risk for infection. This article grosses me out because I already don't like eggs. I got food poisoning when I was younger and the thought of it still makes me sick. This is another thing that could have been prevented. 380 million eggs is a large number. 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/19/eggs.recall.salmonella/index.html

Nursing Home Accident Blamed on Inadequate Training

A nursing home in St. Paul Minnesota is being blamed for the death of a resident. A woman had slipped out of a medical chair and hit her head on the floor. She died a few days later. It was found out that the two nurses had no training on how to use the lift. It was also stated that the nursing home did not have proper supervision and didn't require that their staff knew the proper techniques with the machines. If this was my family member I would be outraged at the nursing home. It it totally irresponsible and pathetic that this woman could still be alive. All nurses and nursing homes should have the proper training and supervision. This is yet another life that was taken too soon. Because of the negligence of the nurses, someone died. Although I am sure the nurses who were working with this lady feel terrible, it is the nursing home's fault that they did not have the proper training. 

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/state-and-regional/mn/article_a65c9c1a-08ac-11e0-987d-001cc4c03286.html

Marijuana Use More Common Than Tobacco Use in Teens

This article stated that more children and teens smoke Marijuana than cigarettes. Over 20% of seniors in high school smoke pot, 19% of seniors smoke cigarettes. They stated the reason that many teens believe that smoking marijuana is safer than tobacco. Pot doesn't have any of the bad chemicals and additives as cigarettes. Marijuana usage rates significantly rose in 2010. More than 6% of teens smoke pot on a daily basis. They believe the rates got higher because now that it has been legalized in some areas of the country, teens believe that it is safer to smoke than cigarettes. On the other hand, drugs like cocaine and crystal meth have been on the decline. I guess I wouldn't know why smoking has been on the rise. But I think that smoking cigarettes is worse than smoking pot.

Woman Sues McDonald's over Happy Meal

A woman in California is suing the McDonald's Happy Meals because she claims that the toys are making her children only want McDonald's. She said that the Happy Meals mess with her children and actually make them change their minds on food. She believes that the toys are a form of bribery to get her children to eat the unhealthy food. I think that this story is outrageous that she wants to sue McDonald's. I feel like people these days will look for any little thing that they can make money off of. I hardly ever ate fast food when I was younger. And if I did happen to eat a kid's meal; it wasn't because I was going to get a cool toy. This mother should already have instilled healthy eating habits in her children. Then she wouldn't have the problem with her kids always wanting McDonald's and she wouldn't have embarrassed herself trying to sue the company. 

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/15/woman-sues-mcdonalds-over-happy-meals/

Another Life Taken Too Soon

My friend and classmate, Brandi Lynn Allen was killed in a car accident this Monday afternoon. I am still in denial. It scares me to know that people's lives can be taken away so easily. The town of Holmen where I grew up has last five students just in the past year. That fact absolutely devastates me. So many young people have died before they even had a chance to grow up and live their lives. Brandi was an outgoing girl who was friendly with everyone. I honestly believe that nobody ever once disliked Brandi. Brandi and I had talked a lot because we had gone to the same school together since kindergarten and because of our love for horses. This is a second student from the class of 2010 who had been killed. The deaths of so many of my friends really make me want to live my life to the fullest. I try not to complain as much either, because my friends are no longer here. No matter what, I could always be in a worse situation. So many of my classmates from Holmen have died. I want to better my life for them. It's true that you should never take anything for granted, and always be thankful for who and what you have in your life.

It's Not What You Take, It's What You Leave Behind

      “I need to speak with Cody Smith’s mother or father, is that you?” the lady on the other end of the line asked me. I expalined that I was his sister and gave her my mom’s cell phone number. I never would have known that that phone call would be the thing that let my family know that our lives had changed forever. I was in eighth grade at the time and it was the Monday after Easter. Everyone was to return to school the following Tuesday, unfortunately one Holmen High School Sophomore did not. My brother, Cody had just gotten his license early in the year so he was a new driver. That Monday before he left the house he told me he was going into work early and I believed him. Instead he went to go pick up his friend Conor McLaughlin who lived down the road from us. Cody wanted to go for a drive before Conor had to leave for his track practice that afternoon. So they drove through the country and turned around at the bottom of a hill. They started heading back towards home and when my brother hit the top of the hill his car hit gravel and started to spin out of control.  The car spun to the other side of the road, went down a steep ditch where the front passenger half of the vehicle slammed into a tree. The front half of the car was ripped off and Conor was killed when the car connected with the tree.  There was a house right across from where the crash happened and the people living there called 911 immediately.
    Conor and his best friend Kyle rode the bus with my brother and I for about five years. We all got to know each other really well. Conor and my families knew each other and were friends. Conor was just two weeks short of his sixteenth birthday when he died. He was known around Holmen High School for being friendly with everyone. Conor was known for having a permanent smile on his face and a warm heart. He would help out with the Special Education students and was a great athlete. The week before he died he had placed second at the track meet.  He ran the two-hundred meter dash and got a time of 23.08. That time and those seconds will stay in my mind forever.
                My parents got the call that their son had gotten into a car crash and they were asked if they knew who was with him. My parents immediately thought it was me and that I was dead because they were unsure of who the person was.  They quickly raced to the scene of the accident just when the first ambulance was leaving with my brother inside. A woman police officer tackled my mom to the ground as soon as she tried to get out of her car. My dad got passed the other officers and saw Conor dead in the car. My parents were thankful that I was alive but devastated that it truly was Conor who had been killed.  My parents then had to leave the scene to go see my brother who was just getting to the hospital.  My grandparents came to pick me up from the house and they told me that it was Conor who was with Cody and they said that they were both okay.  Of course I believed them. I was taken to my grandparent’s house and was eventually told that Conor had died in the crash. I didn’t even know how to react to the shocking news. Conor and I had been friends for many years and had always ridden the bus together after school.  I didn’t want to believe that it had happened. How could my brother have killed someone? I was extremely angry and hated him.
        The next few days I spent in the hospital were a blur to me. So many of my brother and Conor’s classmates stopped by. That was the hardest part, seeing everyone who loved Conor heartbroken by the loss. The funeral was impossibly hard for my parents and I. Cody didn’t go because he was still in critical condition at the hospital. I didn’t want to be seen in public and be known as “the sister of the boy who killed Conor McLaughlin.” Both mine and Conor’s families were friends, and it was all I could do not to curl up in a ball and cry when his parents and older brother came in to hug me. I still remember looking down at Conor and wishing it was me instead. I wanted to take away all of the sadness and pain that everyone was feeling. Watching Conor's best friend, Kyle walk up to the front of the church to give his speech was unbearably hard.  The service was emotional and after it was over, going home made us all feel miserable. Now that the funeral was done, what were we supposed to do? There was nothing left that we could do except to cry. Were we supposed to just pick up our lives and continue where they were left off?
     For the longest time, I refused to let myself be happy. I felt like it wasn't fair for me to feel happiness. Conor was dead, Kyle lost his best friend, Emily lost her boyfriend, his parents lost their son, and Holmen lost an amazing person. There is still a part of me that blames myself for the accident. I wish so bad that I would have stopped Cody from leaving the house that day.
    I still feel sensitive and get emotional when people bring up the subject of Conor. It will be five years next year since Conor died, yet I still remember April 17th, 2006 as if it were yesterday. I know that God took him for a reason, and I definitely was taught that life is precious. Conor had a Myspace at the time of his death and his display name was "It's Not What You Take, It's What You Leave Behind." Wow, those words will stay with me for the rest of my life. I've learned to appreciate everything and everyone around me, because you never know how long that happiness is going to last. Life is so fragile, and I will never let the memory of Conor Rylan McLaughlin die.

Texting Kills

There is a new program in Iowa that gives out blue and pink thumb “bands” that have the words, “Texting Kills” printed on them. Teachers and police officers are distributing the bands out to students and drivers. This is to stop drivers from texting while they are behind the wheel. There have been many people killed due to texting and driving. I am against irresponsible driving and wish that all of the states would give out these bands. These are a good and simple everyday reminder to people, asking them to please drive safely. If just one person was saved because of these thumb bands, then they have made a difference. It's sad to think that something as simple as a text could take away a person's life. These could potentially save hundred's of people's lives and have an impact on drivers' habits. I am hoping that the “Texting Kills” will spread around the country and be seen on the thumb's of students here at Western. The Iowa Traffic Safety Bureau originally bought 30,000 of these bands and they were distributed to drivers. I am hoping that people realize that texting is dangerous while driving, but so are other distractions. Eating, applying makeup, and playing with the controls on the car's dashboard are also dangerous. There are so many unseen things in the car that can serve as distractions to the drivers. I could not imagine how guilty I would feel if I was texting while driving and caused an accident where a person was killed. Was my text really that important? This is why I never text while I drive and I never plan to. I want to be the safest driver possible because I am aware of all of the dangers that come along with driving. 

http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/10/20/txtng-kills-anti-texting-thumb-bands-get-thumbs-up-from-police/?icid=main|main|dl11|sec3_lnk2|180509

Obsessed with Facebook

My article was about how Facebook is now so important in many people's lives. A college student's mother gave her $300 to not use the social networking site for a month. The girl made it through the thirty days, but said she felt anxious and was going through “withdraws.” I often have found myself going on Facebook, planning to be on for a short time; only to end up being logged in for an hour. We spend our lives being nosy and snooping around learning about how others are living their lives. It's crazy to think that not even ten years ago people didn't even know what a Facebook was, or what the affects of it would be on their lives. I definitely agree that this social networking craze mostly affects the younger generation. I have seen second graders with Facebooks, and the thought of that scares me. People are joining when they are way too young. I feel that people are more comfortable socializing with people online rather than in person. In a way, social networking is related to cell phones and texting. My grandparents always say that kids these days don't know how to talk to people because they spend so much time on computers and cell phones. I agree with them, and it makes me wonder how kids with talk with each other fifty years from now. People need to spend less time on Facebook, and spend more time actually being with the person. 

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/27/mom-gives-daughter-300-for-facebook-fast/?icid=main|main|dl11|sec1_lnk1|180521

Tinkering School

I agree with the idea’s through the tinkering school. I believe that hands-on learning is the best kind of learning. It was shown in the video that the children are responding very well to the school and have achieved a lot. Schools today should be more similar to Tulley’s way of thinking. Instead of children sitting bored in classrooms not paying attention and learning anything, they can be interested and learn useful things that will help them later on in life. Throughout my elementary school I always had fun in art classes but would find myself to be very bored with the actual school work. I also am not a big fan of tests. No matter how much I study I still struggle with tests. Teachers should not base the students grade and how well they do in class by grading a test. When would I ever use half of the stuff  I’m tested on in real life anyways? Homework is another subject I do not agree with. Students spend eight hours a day at school. Then they go home and spend more hours studying and doing homework. I enjoy my time at home and dislike having to spend time away from my family and friends because I’m doing school work. Add in the fact that I work about thirty hours a week, I barely have time for a social life. I wish more schools were tinkering schools. Not all children are the same, and I think that many children would have benefited greatly from learning in this style. I also have worked with and tutored special education students for four years and I definitely know that so many of the children would have gotten along much easier if they had more hands-on work at school. Maybe eventually sometime in the future the tinkering school idea will catch on with more people and we will see more of them throughout the country.

Labor Day Weekend

I spent my Labor day weekend working and spending time with my family. The Outback stayed pretty busy over the holiday weekend due to a lot of people having time off from their jobs. I enjoy staying busy and I love being around people, so my job didn't seem too much like work. My family had our grandparent's over for dinner on Sunday night. My grandparents are two of my favorite people who I adore very much. Three day weekends are definitely fun and relaxing; and being able to spend more time with my family is always a plus!

Introduction

Hi, my name is Karley Marie Smith. I am 18 years old and I am a freshman at WTC in the Liberal Arts transfer program. I have lived in Holmen, Wisconsin my entire life. I live with my parents on a beef cattle and horse farm. I nanny in the summer and work at the Outback Steakhouse in Onalaska. In my free time I like to be on the river, hang out with friends, eat, and ride my horses. My favorite food is cheese fries. When I am older I want to be a Special Education teacher or a luxury car saleswoman.