Writing Assignment #5

Foster

Last summer Alyssa Blackwell was a volunteer foster parent for a two-month-old puppy named Blue Bell.

“I fostered her for a few weeks until she was found a permanent home,” said the 19-year-old Towson University student. “While people are looking for the perfect, expensive dog in the mall they don’t realize there are puppies being put to sleep all the time.”

Blackwell has offered her time and patience several times in order to foster an abandoned dog.

“I help train and house break them, but I get to play with them too and get them ready for their adoptive home,” Blackwell said.

Blackwell discovered Family Pack Rescue two years ago when her friend and creator of the organization, Heather Sloan, 37, requested her help by fostering a dog. As a young college student it may be difficult to buy and make the commitment to an animal. Family Pack Rescue is a great way to not only help save the life of a dog but also have a temporary companion.

Many shelters cannot afford the space or money to maintain a proper environment for these helpless animals. Over the past three years Sloan has created a relationship with these shelters and is contacted each time a dog needs to be fostered.

Sloan has created her business through word-of-mouth with friends and family members. Volunteers range from animal transporters, foster parents, and even donators/sponsors.

One significant task Family Pack Rescue would like to reach is to help people realize the importance of a dog’s life and how easily it can be achieved. “You can save thousands of dollars and gain a very loyal companion,” says Blackwell.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Heather Sloan at hubba7fromMD@aol.com or go to http://www.petfinder.com/.

Writing Asssignment 4

Wall

A 10-day-old infant survived an accident early Thursday when the ceiling above his crib collapsed around him due to an explosion in the apartment above caused by stove combustion, Southeast officials said.

Arnetta Sands, 36, of the 200 block of North Aisquith Street, was spraying insecticide from an aerosol can causing the nearby stove to ignite. The fire caused the wall between apartments 10C and 10B to collapse around the infant, Andre Henderson, who suffered minor smoke inhalation. Firefighters removed the portion of the wall that fell on Henderson’s crib.

Henderson was treated and released by John Hopkins and is doing fine, say officials. Sands suffered 1st degree burns on her back and arms and was treated and release from Church Home and Hospital. Mother of the infant, Renee Henderson, 23, was uninjured.

Fire investigators believe the fire to be an accident. For more information or questions contact 301-555-1234.

Writing Assignment 3

A holdup occurred Wednesday afternoon at Provident Savings Bank when three male suspects entered the bank, ransacked several tellers’ cages and fled with an undisclosed amount of money, said Northern district officials.

One of the suspects entered the bank, located at the 3000 block of Greenmount Avenue, armed with a .22 caliber sawed-off rifle ordering four employees and two customers to lie down on the ground while pointing the weapon at the bank manager. The two other suspects then leaped over the counter and stuffed money into white pillowcases.

The three suspects then fled the scene down the north side of the bank where they dropped the rifle and were lost from sight. There were no injuries and no arrests made.

Any further information may be obtained by contacting the Northern district police department at 301-555-1234.

Writing Assignment 2

Craigslist is a nonprofit website that can be used for almost any shopping and career needs especially for new college graduates including recent Pittsburgh alumni Amanda Meiers.

“The first time I used Craigslist I found a posting for a babysitting job which turned out very well,” said Amanda Meiers, 24, teacher in the Pittsburgh area. “Since then I check it almost every day for everything from job postings, to furniture, to concert tickets.”

As Craiglist becomes more of an everyday necessity for Meiers she has taken it upon herself to initiate postings. Although there are hundreds of postings to search through it may be difficult to find the desired topic. As a recent college graduate focusing on a career in the education field, Meiers has outreached on Craigslist by posting her capabilities and availability targeted towards her local community.

“I’ve had a lot of people respond and learned through experience that you have to be very cautious of some of the people,” Meiers said. “Sometimes they ask for personal information like your social security number which puts up a red flag for me because I know it’s not necessary.”

With a competitive job market upon us Craiglist opens up hundreds of opportunities to perspective employees as well as setting the grounds for other websites that outreach to the community making it easier for nervous graduates.

Writing Assignment 1 Post 2

As the 81st annual Academy Awards ceremony began Sunday it was a time for the red carpet to roll out for all the A-list celebrities. Actors, producers, directors and agents alike gathered Sunday night at the famous Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Ca. All coverage of the Academy Awards may be found at www.nytimes.com/awardseason including blogs, pictures, and video clips of the event.

The night began with an award presented to Penelope Cruz for best supporting actress for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona as the ex-wife of amorous artist. The award was presented by former best supporting actress winners including Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Marie Saint, Tilda Swinton and Anjelica Juston who each dedicated a monologue to each nominee. Each of the four "big wins" including best supporting actress, best supporting actor, best actress, and best actor were presented in such a style.

Host of the ceremony and recently dubbed "Sexiest Man Alive" Hugh Jackman gave a performance dedicated to all musicals along side singer Beyonce Knowles, High School Musical Stars Zach Effron and Vanessa Hudgens, and Mamma Mia stars Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper. Jackman even performed a solo musical skit during the opening of the ceremony which earned him a standing applause which is very rare at the Academy Awards. Some may say the X Men star even made the ceremony what it was.

Another entertaining moment was given by actor Ben Stiller who mocked former actor and now aspiring rapper Joaquin Phoenix. Stiller wore a long, messy beard, dark sunglasses and chewed gum much resembling Phoenix during an interview with David Letterman a few weeks back. The crowd laughed throughout the entire presentation because of Stiller's lackadaisical attitude and exact replica of Phoenix's look.

On the other side of the spectrum the award for best supporting actor was presented to the late Heath Ledger creating a somber moment throughout the audience. Ledger's father, mother and sister accepted the award on his behalf and dedicated the Oscar to Ledger's three-year-old daughter Matilda. The big winners of the evening went to the cast and crew of indie film Slumdog Millionaire which took home 8 awards including the most honorable of the evening, best picture. The night ended with the the award for best picture presented by Steven Spielberg which drew to stage every actor, actress, producer and writer of the film.

Between the somber moments dedicated to those lost, exciting moments including dance and song numbers, and glamorous moments on the red carpet The 81st Academy Awards was without a doubt an unforgettable ceremony for all.

Writing Assignment 1 Post 1

As the 81st annual Academy Awards ceremony began Sunday it was a time for the red carpet to roll out for all the A-list celebrities. Actors, producers, directors and agents alike gathered Sunday night at the famous Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Ca. All coverage of the Academy Awards may be found at www.nytimes.com/awardseason including blogs, pictures, and video clips of the event.

The night began with an award presented to Penelope Cruz for best supporting actress for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona as the ex-wife of amorous artist. The award was presented by former best supporting actress winners including Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Marie Saint, Tilda Swinton and Anjelica Juston who each dedicated a monologue to each nominee. Each of the four "big wins" including best supporting actress, best supporting actor, best actress, and best actor were presented in such a style.

Host of the ceremony and recently dubbed "Sexiest Man Alive" Hugh Jackman gave a performance dedicated to all musicals along side singer Beyonce Knowles, High School Musical Stars Zach Effron and Vanessa Hudgens, and Mamma Mia stars Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper. On the other side of the spectrum the award for best supporting actor was presented to the late Heath Ledger creating a somber moment throughout the audience. Ledger's father, mother and sister accepted the award on his behalf and dedicated the Oscar to Ledger's three-year-old daughter Matilda.

The big winners of the evening went to the cast and crew of indie film Slumdog Millionaire which took home 8 awards including the most honorable of the evening, best picture. The night ended with the the award for best picture presented by Steven Spielberg which drew to stage every actor, actress, producer and writer of the film.