Poe Toaster is a No Show

January 19, 2010, was the birthday of Edgar Allen Poe. This year is the 201st reunion of his birthday. On his birthday every year the Poe Toaster pays his grave a visit in Baltimore, Maryland. This mysterious masked figure in a cloak, top hat, and cane leaves a half bottle of alcohol along with three red roses. Why he does this, nobody really knows. This is a big deal; the Poe Toaster is taken very seriously. Every year people from all over the world come to see the Poe Toaster. It was very disappointing that the Poe Toaster did not show. It makes certain people feel they can no longer trust him to show up so now when you visit his grave on his birthday everyone will have to bring roses and alcohol.
This incident made eighth grade teacher Mrs. Weaver very upset and puzzled. The idea that the Poe Toaster is unreliable can hurt the tour site in Baltimore. This is an exact quote from Mrs. Weaver, “I am very surprised that the Poe Toaster did not make an appearance this year. It seems a shame that a 60 year tradition might not continue. I think the Poe Toaster adds to the mysteriousness of Poe, and his absence really takes away from this very unique way of honoring and celebrating Poe’s birthday. January 19, 2011 will hopefully bring the return of the Poe Toaster so the tradition can continue.”

Spring Movie Preview

Valentine’s Day: This is a new romantic comedy due out on Feb. 12 of this year. This movie brings together some of the most famous actors and actresses. For example the main characters are: Bradley Cooper, Taylor Lautner, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Joe Jonas and Taylor Swift.
Leap Year: A romance comedy comes to screen when Amy Adams play the star Anna who wants to propose to her boyfriend. Along the way, she meets Matthew Goode who plays Declan, and something clicks between them.
When in Rome: This movie stars Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Dax Shepard and Jon Heder. Kristen Bell plays Beth; she is a young New Yorker trying to find love. She takes a trip to Rome hoping to find a boyfriend when things turn upside down.
Dear John: Originally a novel, the movie will be released in February. The plot of this story surrounds the time after the September 11, 2001 attack. The main character played by Channing Tatum is on leave (from the army) and meets Amanda Seyfried a college girl he falls for.
Beauty and the Beast in 3D: This Disney classic is being brought to theaters on Feb. 12th. This movie is a cartoon about a French girl who lives with her father. The Beast wants to take Belle’s (the French girl) father prisoner; instead she offers herself and finds a prince within the Beast.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: This popular book is now a major motion picture. The plot of this movie is based upon Percy finding out he is the descendant of a Greek God. This action film is a battle between gods and half bloods.
Alice in Wonderland: This classic Disney hit directed by Tim Burton comes to theaters March 5th of this year. The Mad Hatter is played by the famous Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen, Stephen Fry plays the Cheshire Cat and other stars are cast to make this an enjoyable movie. Alice in Wonderland is about a 19 year old girl who gets knocked into a magical world where characters are crazy of their rockers!
How to Train Your Dragon: A new animation movie due to hit theaters March 26, 2010. This is a fantasy movie with magical dragon duels and Viking fights. Some familiar voices in the movie you will hear are: America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel.
The Last Song: Successful singer Miley Cyrus debuting this new movie on April 2nd, 2010.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome® is Google’s web browser. Chrome starts up much more quickly than Internet Explorer® and is downloadable for Windows XP, MAC, Linux, and Windows 7. Being built for easy use, Chrome allows you to search and move to new web pages in the same box, organize tabs however you wish, and get to your favorite websites with just a click, from the thumbnails of your most visited sites in the New Tab page. Now Google Chrome also features the stylist option to be able to pick and choose between many different styles and backgrounds for your browser. Another great tool is the ability to search straight from the address bar. No more switching the website and loosing concentration. Just go straight to the search, and if you want to order something for someone or you just want to have a surprise, go to tools and click on incognito to search and browse undercover. It is featured on the Google website. You can get to the download by going to the “more” tab on the website, and clicking on “even more.” It is easy to download and quick to start. So get on the site and download now!

The iPad: Apple’s New Great Idea

I’m sure a few of us have heard about the new device being released by Apple. As of January 27th, 2010, Apple has released the information of the iPad to the public. In this article, I will try and do a brief summarization of the iPad. Let’s start with its appearance.
The first thing noticeable about the iPad is its very thin, sleek design. It almost looks exactly like an enlarged iPhone. Aside from the design, there are a lot of tricks Apple had up its sleeves for this new device. Let’s start with the apps. There was a good bit of talk on the apps for the iPad, and how those related with the iPhone’s. As released by Apple, every app from the iPhone will work on the iPad, just at a smaller size. That’s over 50,000 apps, all accessible with the iPad. As we all know, Apple never fails to impress its fans. They are also releasing many apps just for the iPad. Of most of these, many are excited about iBooks. iBooks is a new store on iTunes with books that can be viewed on the iPad. It includes an outstanding collection of books. Pages are turned by simply sliding your finger across the screen. Kindle, meet your new rival!
Another topic about the iPad that had people talking was the internet. The iPad will feature multiple data plans for the iPad’s internet. These plans all mix and match the price of the iPad. For example, at the base price of the iPad, you get wifi capabilities included, and for around $130, plus a monthly fee, you can have access to the AT&T 3G network, which means you can connect to the internet from almost anywhere with no contracts. That means no hidden costs, and you can cancel it anytime.
The iPad will also include many accessories. One that caught my eye was the special case for the iPad. The case is made of very nice leather, and works as both a stand and a protective case. Anybody interested in the iPad should consider this case.
Here are the prices of the iPad. The base price for the 16 GB iPad with wifi is $499. For $599, you can get the 32 GB model, and for $699, you can get the 64 GB model. However, if you are also interested in the 3G network package capabilities, you can add $130 to whichever iPad you choose. That of course also includes $30 per month that you are subscribed to the 3G network. Just remember, you can cancel the internet subscription anytime you want because it has no contract. Of course, that takes the purpose of paying extra money for an iPad with internet capabilities in the first place. Truly, the iPad is really something to think about.