... sector, when in fact, these two industries were actually complicit in pushing for more lenient guidelines so that they could build and sell homes. Florida was the hardest hit of all by the construction bust. Already the fastest growing state in the nation, it dove headfirst into the construction and sales of new homes. In bedroom communities of larger cities, entire economies were built on ... to find work. Those people who were foolish enough to think it would last forever bought homes and set up shop in areas where the construction boom was going strong. They were making money, so the...

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• Grade Level: High School

... live television no matter where you are. Some offer a GPS navigational system to help you find driving directions. Of course, many people would be lost without the option to text their friends and family, as well. Cell phones have become a part of people, a way to establish a unique identity. It's not ... to them, with favorite songs, pictures and more. Some people even choose to personalize their key pad with different colors and options for each number on the phone. A cell phone is now such an integrated part of society, it is almost abnormal for someone not to own one. Unfortunately,...

• Word Count: 418
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... diagnosed with allergies and sinusitis. Why can't our children breathe? What is happening in our world to make the very air they need all but toxic to them? According to an article in Time magazine one culprit is undoubtedly global warming. Global warming increases ... good news for plants since they breathe in carbon dioxide, it's bad news for our children who are being deprived of oxygen. Plants, especially the weedier plants, are thriving and producing pollen out of proportion to their growth. Our children's respiratory systems, already struggling to take in oxygen are ... heavy air...

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... absolute living hell," Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr., and Jason Baldwin were released from prison, where they were currently serving out their sentences for the murder of three second-graders in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. Steven Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore were found dead in a ditch with ... Misskelley entered his plea to one count of first degree murder and two counts of second degree murder. This rarely used plea, which lets the boys still maintain their innocence, requires them to state that there was evidence that could be used to convict them. As a res...

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... , solar power is a necessity. Wind power is not reliable enough to provide all your electric needs. Still, adding $10 to $30 thousand dollars to the price of building a home is cost prohibitive for most of us. If you know a little bit about electricity, are good at building simple structures, and ... simple instructions, there are sites online that can teach you how to build a solar cell for less than $200. Of course, you still need the batteries and other accessories, but according to these sites, you can purchase these pretty cheaply on auction sites. It would probably take about 8 of ...

• Word Count: 752
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... agendas, Mr. Obama uses language like "I support" and "I believe we need to." Neither is a lie, but one speaks of promise to act. The other, of promise to react. In other words, on some issues, Mr. Obama has every intention of taking his cause to Congress, and seeks to bolster ... that cause by creating public outcry through the internet, using the amazing network his campaign created during the election season. On other issues, he is merely indicating what his inclinations are should someone else's pet project arrive on his desk ... Biden support a system that allows undocumented immig...

• Word Count: 515
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... command begged Lincoln to fire U.S. Grant, Lincoln's answer was "I cannot spare this man. He fights!" In the end, Lincoln and Grant split the credit when they won the war, neither of them having likely seen the white of an enemy's eyes in battle. To say Grant "fought" was to say that men fought for ... it too. Eisenhower was so unsure of his plan that he wrote two letters, one praising the valiant men who stormed the beaches in the event of success, the other taking full blame in case the offensive was defeated. The men knew what they were heading into, and they went anyhow; not for a ...

• Word Count: 401
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... physical impediments- Christina is an intelligent, funny, well read, educated woman, who everyone agrees has a wonderful personality. She has a pretty face, but she tips the scale at nearly 400 pounds. While a woman this size has a chance of meeting a "chubby chaser" on the internet, the chances of finding such a man in real life in her locale are slim to none. Most men will overlook ... parties can be dicey. People in real life generally meet in workplace situations, or in similar social settings, or because of mutual friends. It's hard to simply cut bait. On the internet, you can gene...

• Word Count: 499
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... something was missing in his life and he felt drawn to be in Church," (Fairchild, Christianity.About.com). The story goes: one day Obama decided to visit Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, the same church which drew heavy criticism during the election. The now retired pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr., later made some critical remarks on both race and America itself which ignited ... candidates for president, Obama has made faith a centerpiece of his campaign," said the Ariel Sabar of CSMonitor.com. The cord of religion came into play during the George W. Bush campaign for the oval o...

• Word Count: 544
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... of friends, family and colleagues right along with you. And you thought having a laptop made your life mobile! The iPhone has made the globe just a little bit smaller, too. In a successful effort to keep pace with the "trend to optimize geographic locations for [its] users", the iPhone features applications that are capable of putting your very existence into context. Well, geographically, anyway. No matter ... where in the world you are, you are just a few clicks away from the nearest restaurant or clothing store. Don't know how to get there? The iPhone has you covered there, too: it w...

• Word Count: 414
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... of Somalia more than doubled in 2008; as of late September 2008, a total of sixty ships had fallen victim to pirates. The upshot of this is that international trade has become pricier, which in turn gives these seafaring terrorists a new way to line their ... pockets. And these tyrants mean business. During one incident this year, a showdown between government officials and pirates saw the latter holding a Ukrainian ship ransom for $20 million. That money, which has been as high as $30 million in some cases, has helped to finance ... fuel consumption and, ultimately, higher shipping cost...

• Word Count: 419
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... of women - and, in turn, infiltrated the social conscience of American youth. The message in the music altered the way its fans thought, spoke, and behaved. The result: A generation of young people who think that gangbanging, violence, the degradation of women and a life of crime is what the cool crowd does. The music is no longer about the music, the story, and the enjoyment of a good beat. Being a fan of dancehall ... it portrays. And unfortunately, it's not a life to which most of us would want our children to aspire. The dangerous effects of the dancehall culture aren't just on boys...

• Word Count: 446
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... was stopped in 1996, when crude oil prices dropped, but has recently been revived. Investors are writing huge checks. Many see algae fields developing into the oil fields of the future. Why is algae farming so exciting? First, it doesn't use valuable farm land, leaving it available for food production. This would reduce our dependence on foreign food imports. Second, ... , nitrogen, and benzene which contaminate regular crude oil. In simple terms, gasoline made from algal oil is, at worst, carbon neutral. As an added bonus, the byproducts of the process, which include fats, sugars, and ...

• Word Count: 539
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... they were already hooked with heroin and their lives are ruined. History of Heroin The heroin comes from morphine which is a natural substance extracted from seedpod of opium poppy. The opium poppy was discovered and cultivated in Mesopotamia about 3400BC. It was until the 19th century that the chemical analysis of opium was revealed. Most of its content could be ascribed to ... when he re-synthesized it 23 years later. Hoffman works with the Bayer, a pharmaceutical company in Germany. Hoffman was tasked to produce codeine, which is less potent and addictive, however, the experiment prod...

• Word Count: 367
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... sample received from Dr. Bruce Ivins was not properly submitted and was destroyed. He was required to give a second sample, but this sample was of a different anthrax strain than the first. Luckily, a duplicate of his first sample was submitted to Dr. Paul Keim who is a geneticist at Northern Arizona University. That sample is what linked Ivins to two ... Evidence A news conference was held to explain the scientific case that was brought against Ivins. Those presenting the case contradicted themselves during the course of the news conference. Understandably, this did not instill confide...

• Word Count: 417
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... turnips were shipped from Mexico. There are other reasons why consumers choose to eat local foods. The most important of these is the transparency of the production process. You can see the farmer that grew the tomato or see the cow that ends up in your freezer. Domestic food is processed using domestic laws. Foreign ... can be used and what safety rules meat cutters have to follow. In many cases, stores import goods because they are cheaper. Frequently, the goods are cheaper because the quality isn't as high or safety standards as strict. Another reason often cited for eating locally i...

• Word Count: 506
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... breakthroughs may soon lead to alternative energy sources. Solar energy in particular will become a physical reality instead of just an eco-friendly dream. Amazing Potential The problem with solar energy has often been its practicality or lack thereof. It is expensive and not all that durable in real life conditions. This is ... a large part of what keeps solar energy on the drawing board. Advances that could change all that, however, are not far away. Instead of building solar energy panels out of glass, scientists are working ... not be there yet but is making impressive strides. To B...

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... citizens help to supply their own needs as far as vegetables are concerned. Its original intention was one of being a civic duty that would support the war effort. It was not meant to be a chore but a matter of pride in their country. It allowed everyone to do their part even ... being costly, this method of obtaining food has a large, and often unnecessary, contribution to the problems of pollution and global warming. You will also want to keep in mind the natural disasters that have interfered with the supplies of certain crops. By growing foods in your own backyard, you will know where...

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... , parodies, and even some serious discussion. In Great Britain, in October of 2007, a London High Court judge in an uncommon ruling on what secondary school children could be shown in the classroom determined there were nine key errors in scientific fact. Mr. Justice Burton was quoted as saying that some of these points he determined as untrue had been "in ... the context of alarmism and exaggeration," according to The Times Online Edition of October 11, 2007. However, a look at recent news seems to show that Mr. Gore's critics are and will continue to be proven ... wrong at calling him...

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... million Americans, many of whom do not even know they are infected. These new recommendations are critical to identifying people who are living with the disease without the benefits of medical attention," said John W. Ward, M.D., director of CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis. "Testing is the first step to identify infected persons so that they can receive lifesaving care and treatment, which can break ... people know that they have it, they can keep from giving it to others and get the treatment they need for a longer life. With the new medicines that have come out in just the last five...

• Word Count: 375
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... is particularly noticeable during hurricanes as they crash into shores with an average category rating of 2 and 3. As if this wasn't enough of a threat oil industries, congress, and the white house now want to allow offshore drilling. Let's look at the Georges Bank area off Cape Cod Massachusetts. According to geologists there are approximately 57 million barrels of oil lying there beneath ... could keep running for another I love this 2 ½ years! Wow. That's all I can say about it. We can get another 2 ½ years plus 2 days of fuel for the low cost of future damages. This is like buying...

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... industry has brought in people from all over the country. With the crowds of decent upstanding people that have migrated to the area, another element has moved in as well. The criminal element has grown as the city has grown, and with it has come more organized gang activity. The gang element has gotten increasingly worse over the years while locals have turned a blind eye and pretended ... , or markings, are everywhere. It has gotten out of control. Among the gangs in the Charlotte area are the Bloods, Crips, and MS13s. All of these of course are dangerous, but the MS13s seem to be the ...

• Word Count: 426
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... Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as other cities (Bly). One breakaway group called Occupy Chicago held a "huge afternoon march." Another denomination saw 700 protestors get arrested for blocking the Brooklyn Bridge. Occupy Boston marched for "an economy that works for all of us." Occupy Los Angeles followed suit and marched on City Hall. A group in Seattle called its protests ... (Silverleib). Giles Clarke, an out-of-work photographer with two children, agreed with Vincent. "People have simply had enough. We're living in an age where the inequality between high-end Wall Street ...

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... viewers protesting against NBC's omission. NBC's announcer publicly apologized on-air just three hours after the montage aired, highlighting the large number of protests they received online. The announcer said the "feature was edited" and "not done to upset anyone" (Chavez). The host, Dan Hicks, read the following statement during the coverage: "It was our intent to begin our coverage of this U.S. Open championship with a ... feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being here in our nation's capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of A...

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... to be autobiographical (Miranda, Claes, 113) or in other words, specifically addressing their unique situation and challenges. As rap artists often resort to drugs, sex, or violence as the means to resolve the conflicts in their songs and videos, adolescents often model this behavior, seeing it as a proven path to getting what they want. This is particularly troubling in young African-American ... life worth emulating? When one has to live in a fortress and travel in bullet-proof vans to award shows, in a moment of honesty Snoop Dogg would be the first to admit all of the success may ha...

• Word Count: 1019
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