Current Event - What should a Billionaire give?

   I have recently read "What Should a Billionaire give- and what should you?" by Peter Singer. In this story Mr. Singer talks about what he thinks billionaires should do with their money and give a very good example!
    The age old question, "what is a human life worth?", is a hard one to answer because life is worth more than all the money in the world in my opinion. In the story Peter talks about the Gates Foundation and how they put money, $67 Billion, in a foundation to buy vaccines for children that can't get them because they life in a third world country. This is very important because innocent children shouldn't die every year because they can't get the vaccines that they need because the are to poor. I do think billionaires should help people in our own country if they are willing to just give it away! Peter also says,  "During the past 20 years of economic globalization, although expanding trade has lifted many of the worlds poor out of poverty, it has failed to benefit the poorest 10% of the worlds population." I think that the millionaires are trying hard to help them but it will not work with every country because they are way poor and don't have anything to trade. Then the other Billionaires feel obligated to help these countries that can't help themselves. Peter then makes the comment, "The rich should give.", because even though Gates has given away $50 Billion he is still on the top of Forbes list. I disagree with this statement because the rich shouldn't be fired to give and if they don't thats fine its their money that they worked hard for. The rich should be allowed to do whatever they want with their money and I don't think being forced to give your money away makes you a philanthropist. Therefore Mr.singer thinks the rich should give away more money than the have for themselves and I don't think thats right and the rich also shouldn't give money away for the wrong reasons.
    Mr. Singer wrote a very moving paper and every billionaire should read it and think about what he says. It may make them choose to be philanthropist for the right reasons and help the very needy people out of choice. Peter is most definitely a philanthropist  inside and out!  

bi weekly paper- Steve Francis

“This is probably the biggest one of my career and like I said I mean no disrespect to the World 100.” Those were the words of Steve Francis in victory lane after he took a late race lead and won the 9th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals. The win paid the Ashland, Kentucy driver a cool $40,000. Francis was clearly headed for this first place finish as he placed 3rd and 2nd in the Thursday and Friday qualifiers respectively.

As the 33-car field pulled away after driver introductions it was apparent that Earl Pearson Jr. was unable to start. Even after he was pushed around the track he was not able to get the car to fire. In his place Jared Landers joined the field. Pearson rejoined the field at the lap 13 yellow and finished many laps down.

Once the race began it was a tug of war between the Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens, the two front row starters. Owens quickly faded and that allowed Brady Smith to duke it out with Bloomquist. Smith was very game in this pursuit and had just taken the lead when the first yellow of the 100 lapper flew for Brian Shirley who was running fourth at the time. Shirley, who started third, ended up going to the pits and staying there.

The restart saw Smith at the point as Brian Burkhofer made a pass of Bloomquist sending him to third. At this point Francis and Owens trailed the front running trio.

As Smith brought the field past the 25-lap mark a yellow was thrown for Landers (my brother!) who had stopped on the track. Smith had pulled away from his pursuers with relative ease and now under the caution those cars were once again right behind him. The ensuing restart saw Birkhofer take his only leading lap as he bested Smith in a blanket finish at the flag stand. That lead was short lived as Smith once again passed and pulled away from “Berkie” on the next go around.

The lap 35 restart saw Francis take the runner-up spot from Birkhofer but each time the race went yellow Smith would pull away from them easily. His race-long line was to power into the turns and at the mid-point he would drift to the top and then power away down the chutes. This worked so well for him that it looked as if no one would be able to replace him at the front.

Winner Francis really came into contention on lap 43 as he replaced Birkhofer temporarily as the second place car. At this juncture the top three cars had come into heavy lap traffic. Bloomquist was still the fourth running car but he never seemed to have that look of a contender. At the half-way point it was Smith, Birkhofer again in second, Francis, Bloomquist, Mike Marlar in the top five spots.

Most eyes were transfixed on the Birkhofer-Francis battle which had broken out early in the race and would not be settled until Francis finally put him away on lap 64. Smith looked like the sure winner as he would always pull away on the restarts.

Lap 71 saw all of that change as Francis caught and passed Smith in lap traffic with the actual pass coming out of turn four. Smith, who had lead so much of this race stayed with Francis, remained close for about five laps then fell back to battle with Birkhofer for the runner-up spot. Francis would later say that he conserved his tires in order to make a late race bid.

The waning laps on this big half-mile oval saw Francis clearly being the car to beat. With these laps going all the way to the finish in green condition, the front runners faced many back markers who were obstacles in the path to victory. Though Smith forged the way, in back of him Smith was able to keep that second place. Birkhofer again battled with Bloomquist and Owens came into contention with both of them.

In the end it was Francis taking the win, his first at this historic racing oval. Smith came across for second and claimed $20,000 while Birkhofer captured third and a $10,000 paycheck. Bloomquist and Owens rounded out the top five finishers.
I can relate to this story becasue racing is my life and my families life. I know every one of the racers in this story personally. My brother races with them week in and week out in the lucas oil dirt late model series!I even was there for this race considering i go to most and even race myself! I really love writing about racing stories and if I dont make it racing I might choose to be a reporter for these races!
C.C.
http://dirtondirt.com/National_6271.html

Narcissus and Echo

The man and the woman in the photo are Narcissus and Echo. In the story it says that echo was following Narcissus through the wood and it talks about how he can only se his own beauty. She     really loves him and he loves himself. "Oh,ye aisled wood was everman in lovemore fatally than I?" (Paragraph 435 sentence 3). Like I said she is stalking him And he doesnt even motice because he's so amazed by his beauty!

Bi Weekly Paper (Mike Marlar)

     Even though he had to come from the last starting spot to get it done Mike Marlar piloted his #5 Bryson Motorsports/Rocket/Clements Super Late Model to the $25,000 win in the 44th Annual Hillbilly 100 on Sunday evening at I-77 Raceway Park. Mike Marlar and Bryson Motorsports enjoyed a huge Labor Day weekend with their #5b Rocket/Clements Racing Super Late Model. Action began on Friday night with an $8,000-to-win, UFo Super Late Model event at Tyler County Speedway (Middlebourne, West Virginia). Seventy-six Super Late Models entered the event, and with the starting lineup for heats determined by the pill draw Mike started fifth in the fifth heat. He advanced to a third place finish, but with only the top two finishers transferring to the feature he was relegated to a consolation event. In the consolation event Mike registered a second place finish to earn the nineteenth starting spot for the feature. In the main event Mike passed twelve cars on his way to a seventh place finish.

      On Saturday evening the Black Diamond 125, which was sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Super Late Models was slated for Tyler County Speedway, but Mother Nature intervened and forced the postponement of the event. Sunday night was another career evening for Mike Marlar as he traveled to I-77 Raceway Park (Ripley, West Virginia) for another running of the 44th Annual Hillbilly 100. The $25,000-to-win, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event drew a talented field of 52 entries. After not registering a good qualifying lap Marlar started eighth on the grid for heat race action, and would fail to make up any ground in the heat, which left him starting deep in the grid for a b-main. The b-main again found Mike failing to reach a transfer spot as his night came to an apparent early end. However, moments before the feature was set to roll Marlar was notified that he was being awarded an LOLMDS provisional. As a result he started twenty-fourth on the feature grid. As the race went green Mike rapidly began racing his way forward, and on lap 77 he raced past leader, Don O'Neal for the lead. Once out front he never looked back on his way to his second Hillbilly 100 title, which came over O'Neal, Ray Cook, Earl Pearson Jr., and Brian Birkhofer.

"I have to thank my car owner Norman Bryson and Rocket Chassis; the car was just great, it moved around all over the place. I want thank all of my sponsors for their support. To win this race twice is really something special. This was a tough field of cars tonight, and to be able to pass them all is just awesome" noted an elated Marlar in victory lane. I can really relate to this one because about 4 years ago I meet Mike a Lucas Oil Speedway in wheatland, Mo and he was struggling to keep his ride and his only crew person was his girlfriend! When a trailer door fell on my head he was the first one to come help and prolly the nicest racer I know! He has been a long time family friend!

C.C.

http://dirtondirt.com/National_6139.html

My Bucket List 2012-2013

1. Boys on the Tracks by Mara Leveritt- This is from the town where I was born in. It involves many people that mom and dad know and people were killed in the same place as my mom and she knew them really well.

2. Hatchet  by Gary Paulsen-It shows how a boy our age tries to live in the wild and I want  to see if he makes it out there and how because there is no possible way i could make it in the canadian wilderness.

3. Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen- It is the next book in this series and it must mean Brian has survived until winter time, which is really bad where he is in Canada and I wanna see how he makes it through winter.

4. Brian's Return by Gary Paulsen-This is another book in this series which show me that he got out of the wilderness alive and it must me he is returning for some reason. I bet he left something important and he has to go get it.

5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Book 1 by Jeff Kinney- I really love reading series and someone gave me the entire series and it is about a wimp in school and i want to see how he makes it because most wimps get beat up.

6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Book 2 by Jeff Kinney- This is the second book and that means a new year in school and I wanna see what its like to be the biggest wimp in a school and how he's coin it!

7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Book 3 by Jeff Kinney- This will be the third book in the series and he's got to be getting close to high school and that will be bad if he is still the biggest wimp in the school. He will get beat up a lot.

8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Book 4 by Jeff Kinney- This is book four and I'm not real sure what else to say other than I can't wait to get started on these book because they will be great I hope and i can finish them all!

9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Book 5 by Jeff Kinney- This will be the fifth book and i noticed these books are illustrated by Jeff so that will give a lot more visual  aid while I'm reading all these books!

10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Book 6 by Jeff Kinney- This is the sixth and final book that is out in this series that is out right now and Greg has the be getting close to graduating and I am wondering how his years have been.