jen's blog

God's Children Reflection

2009-06-16T11:37:00.000+08:00

This documentary "God's Children" shows people in the lowest levels of poverty fighting to survive; taking the most desperate measures. Before the landslide that killed thousands living on the garbage dump, the Smokey Mountain dump used to be a place of refuge where people can escape to once they're found out that they can't make a living in the cities. But after the typhoon loosened the ground on which the massive garbage mountains stood on and collapsed it to a heap, it ended and destroyed many people's lives. After that, the government thought it was too dangerous for people to be living there. Not able to physically force people out of their little shacks they called homes, the government issued an order to shut down the dump; garbage was not to be sent there any more.

Not only did it take away the garbage, but also the reason for people to be staying there. The government, however, didn't bother to think about where these people would go if they had to evacuate the dump. The many that remained on the garbage dump had to scavenge even harder for scrap that was lessening each day. Many large families went days without food because they had no money. When they did who says is was clean? It is very easy to fall sick with the lack of hygiene and the families have no money to afford clean and proper food, let alone medicine.

There is a scene where the refugees try to protest to the Philippine parliament to re-open the garbage dump. You see here that even though they already have nothing, they still have hope to go up to the authorities and ask what is rightly theirs. Even pregnant women traveled from the dump all the way to the city's government office to protest. They need this dump. To us, we might shield away from the very thought of living in a dump site, but these people are desperate to get it back.

The documentary features a family of 5 children, with the oldest of 12. Fighting to survive, the oldest child took on the burden of hard labour like the parents and helps support her large family. Before, they used to live in the city and she used to go to school. But once their family started loosing money, she had to give up education for hard manual labour. Education in these times was a privilege. One 50 year old man with a sick child and two other children told interviewers that the only education he got was from 1st grade of elementary school. He didn't get a math education and he's illiterate. The only thing he know how to write is his name.

I think that this documentary is very touching and it makes you realize how lucky you are. In other documentaries about animal cruelty and global warming, the directors like to show the lowest levels of these problems. In this documentary, the director didn't have to; it had been already done by him. He could have taken a simple video camera and taped a walk-through of the whole garbage dump and already it would have been disturbing for others. It's is very important to cherish what you have already because if you think that you have it bad because you're failing a class or your parents argue with you, one must always remember that someone else in this world-- maybe even at your age-- has it even worse.

Aphorism Blog #5

2009-05-26T10:21:00.004+08:00

Be hopeful but not foolishly hopeful.

When put under pressure or when under stress, humans tend to find a little spark of hope to look forward too. This is important in life because then what is there to live for or to push on for? This aphorism tells us that we have to look for that little hope in times of pain or sadness, but we cannot be hopeful for something you know deep down inside will never happen.
Why should anyone hope for something when you know it's never going to happen? Why should you waste your time on someone that you know will only disappoint you. That's being foolishly hopeful. Sometimes its just simple and easier to just give up when you know something won't happen (or will happen) or when you're waiting for someone you know just won't show up. When you know you shouldn't fall for someone who will never fall for you. That's when you should just give up because you don't want to waste your time and energy into something that has a lower chance of happening than global warming stopping.

How do Electrolytes work in our body?

2009-05-24T22:35:00.002+08:00

Electrolytes are ions that are electrically charged and can take the form of liquids, gels, or paste. Basically, it's the scientific or medical term for salt. Our body contains massive amounts of salt and we need them. It is important for us to have salt in our bodies so as the maintain a healthy lifestyle. We need them in order to function properly.
The foods we eat and drink contain a lot of mineral salts once consumed they dissolve and form electrolytes in the form of liquids. Like stated before, electrolytes are electrically charged. This helps us a lot because our muscles-- like our heart-- are sent electrical signals from our brain in order to move. Sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium and potassium are electrolytes and they can be found in our foods. If our body has too little electrolytes, the electrical signals from our brain cannot travel to our muscles, that's why sometimes when exercising, our muscles cramp up. Having a balanced electrolyte level in our body is crucial. All you have to do is remember that you're heart is a muscle too and without it functioning properly, you're dead man.

Other than helping your muscles function properly, electrolytes also help maintain your body's fluid levels. They are controlled by the moving of electrolytes into and out of your body's fluid compartments. Your kidney is an organ that filters your blood for electrolytes and keeps the level's balanced and constant. Your body does a bunch of acts that help balance your water and electrolyte levels. When you sodium (salt) level is too low, your kidneys are signaled to produce more urine (pee, we're gonna say pee from now on because it's cooler) which restores the balance by lowering the amount of water in your blood. When your sodium level gets too high though, your brains sends a signal to you to develop thirst. Once you drink more water, the body wants to keep that water so your brain sends more signals to your kidney to stop you from peeing.

And that's how electrolytes work in your body... :]

Aphorism Blog #4

2009-05-19T10:31:00.002+08:00

"When you are utterly frustrated or angry, express these feelings. You don't have to be nice all the time-- just most of the time."

Bottling it up is never good. Some people see these type of  stoic  people as nice people because they don't complain all the time. The truth is, not everyone's perfect. We all explode after a while if we keep it all in. So let it out. It's okay to complain and whine about something because life is full of disappointments. People who tell you to just deal with it should take a good look at themselves because they don't want you to let it out. They want the attention so don't give it to them. It's not a crime to express your feelings. Sure you can keep it all in and bottle it up but its healthy to let the emotions out once in the while so you won't explode-- exploding is never good. Like the aphorism says, you don't have to be nice all the time-- just most of the time. This means that you can let it all out in a swear word frenzy every once in a while.

What is Lightning? Why does wearing rubber shoes help you in a storm?

2009-05-17T22:26:00.004+08:00

Examples of a small-scale static discharge is like that static shock you get when you touch a doorknob. Now image that shock at a larger scale. That shock is lightning. Lighting is static electricity caused by storm clouds. The amount of electric potential in something is the measure of how much energy or volts something can produce in an electric field. Lightning has the electric potential of millions of volts which causes it to unleash large amounts of energy in different forms (heat, light, sound).

During a thunderstorm, lightning can strike the ground at any moment. Rainwater conducts electricity (because it's acidic) and with all the rainwater on the ground it is important to have rubber at the soles of our shoes. Should we have metal soles, the electric charges from the lightning -- which like said before has the electric potential of a million volts-- can travel to ground, through the water, up the soles of our shoes to our bodies. Since we do not want the charges to get to us we wear rubber at the bottom of our shoes because rubber is an electric insulator (they help prevent electric charges to pass through easily). That way we can walk, sing and dance our hearts out in the rain without being the night's special of "fried human on a stick".

Image Source: <Link>

Aphorism Blog # 3

2009-05-15T10:37:00.005+08:00

"Don't assume that it's too late to be involved in something..."

It's never to late to do something. Many of us think that once the deadline hits on a project or assignment or even a chance that's its gone forever. What we don't realize that the only thing that can be gone forever is time. The chance might not come again but it doesn't mean that you have to completely give up on it.

Morrie loved his life and lived it to fullest even before he knew he was going to die. When he found out, he didn't get angry about it and think "oh it's too late for me to go dancing one last time" or "its too late for me to experience the youth life because I'm too old".

When Mitch see his old professor on TV, he tries to push himself to contact Morrie. At first he thinks that it's too late to contact him then because either way, Morrie was going to die. But if he had not called Morrie up anyway, he would have never been able to spend time with his old teacher and he would have never started to think about what the meaning of life is from someone who knows how they're leaving. It wasn't too late for Mitch so never assume that it's too late for you, too.

Aphorism Blog #2

2009-05-15T10:31:00.003+08:00

"Learn how to die and you learn how to live"

Morrie lives life at his fullest even before he knew how his was going to die. Even as an old man, he went clubbing and dancing and ate his heart out because he loved life. When his body showed signs that he was going to die and when he finally got his death sentence, his first reaction is proactive and he wonders how he's going to live the rest of his life. He doesn't complain and sulk and think that the whole world should sulk with him because he's going to die. His reaction is calm and positive.

I think that everyone should react to life this way. Then again, not all of us know how we're going to leave this world but it is true that once you know when you're going to die, you start to think of how you're going to live. That is probably why we can't live the way Morrie did before he died. We all know that death is coming but though we don't realize it, we don't want to believe that it's coming.

A Life Without Electricity

2009-05-10T18:17:00.005+08:00

What would a day in your life be like without electricity?

Well, let's try and see what I use in a day that requires electricity?

Cellphone (as an alarm to wake me up, a communicating device...etc,.)
Laptop (used for leisure and for homework, to find out little answers to the little questions that pop up in my head)
AC (I'm a stay cool person, I don't like to perspire because it's gross-- healthy, but gross)
Lights (keeping my room bright, it helps me see things for the way they really are...)
Internet (no comment... )

Without my cellphone, I would not be able to wake up when I would like to. My body wants me to sleep-in, so I do. I would have gotten out of bed at 'round 11. The lights in my bathroom would not work so my bathroom would be all dark and I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror and see how messed up my hair became when I went to bed. The AC would not be working, so the fans in the vents would not work either. The air in the house would be still and by this time I would get pretty frustrated. My patience has always been low and I can't tolerate "still" and stuffy air. Now I would probably open a window and get even more frustrated as all the dust and bugs from the construction site fly into my house.
Breakfast, the most important meal in a day. I usually skip this meal on school days because my tastes buds don't work unless I'm "alive, awake, alert, and a wee-bit enthusiastic". I take cereal but since there's no electricity, my fridge would not work and the milk would be all curdy. No cereal equals no breakfast equals to me being pissed. I like cold stuff. I need my chilled OJ or milk. I don't like water when it's room temperature. Already 30 minutes into my day without electricity and I'm already irritated.

Now since I do not have my cellphone, mp3, CD player, laptop, or television I would just have to resort to the ol' paperbacks. I like reading-- in a comfortable environment which would usually be on a beanbag in a room with AC, with random music on (it doesn't really matter, just as long as I don't hear my family's ruckus). My only choice would be to go to the roof, still on the ledge and read. Without music, reading for me is tricky, but I think I can handle the silence on my apartment roof.

I'd read until 1) I'm bored and/ done with the book, 2) I start getting hungry, or 3) I get pissed and irritated of the drilling noises from the construction site. I'd go back to my apartment. I can't go any where else because that would mean to climb 11 floors down the empty, scary staircase (no electricity = no elevator). My whole family would be a wreck. The modern culture has convinced my family (heck, everyone) that we need all these little things that need electricity to live life. Lights, ventilation, entertainment, etc,.. the list goes on and on.

By dinner time, I expect my family to have turned barbaric already-- like those prep guys in Lord of the Flies. If we are still standing it must be a miracle. I'd be reading, my little brother would have playing with his toy trains. My mom would be trying to keep the house clean, my little sister would be in her room drawing or doing some creative %$#%!@, while my dad reads the paper or takes a nap. My older sister (haha) would be walking around complaining about life without electricity since she basically lives on the modern technology and communication to keep her sane.

Bottom line: I, my family, would not be able to live life without electricity. A day is all I can handle. Culture has caused us to believed that "we need entertainment" or "we need cool air" or "we need cars and transportation to get around" and "we need our cell phones because snail mail is too slow". We have evolve into such a planned life and we can't get out of that habit unless we find the meaning of what life is. Electricity is a need in our life. It wasn't supposed to be-- but it is now.

A/N: If there was no electricity, there would no internet, therefore it would have been impossible to complete this homework blog post assignment.

Aphorism Blog #1

2009-05-07T10:29:00.003+08:00

"Get as much help as you can when you need it"

This aphorism is taken from the book Tuesdays With Morrie. It's pretty straightforward, when you need help don't just take little bites, take as much as you can! It's almost like the French saying, "Croque la vie" which basically life life at the fullest.
I think that this is a great aphorism to live by. Say you need cash and you're offered about 5k from your parents, why would you take half of that when they are already offering a lot. One shouldn't be afraid to admit that they need help and they shouldn't be embarrassed to take it all. It's a blessing and once it's given to you, one should accept it with open arms.
Help from peers and family members or even random strangers are like little nudges to help yourself in life. Why take a little step when you can leap?

The Pearl: Moral

2009-04-28T11:38:00.001+08:00

The Pearl is definitely an amazing story to read. The author John Steinbeck keeps it short and sweet. It shows how something that most people would think as a treasure could lead you to your downfall or maybe like in the book, it could bring evil to others too.
Kino found the Pearl of the World in the beginning of the story and the rising action is mainly what happens after he found the pearl, how all this neighbors are suddenly very interested in it, and how thieves are coming in the middle of the night to try and steal it.

Since the beginning, Juana, Kino’s wife has always knew of how the pearl would cause great evil upon their family. She was looking ahead and she knew that Kino would be overcome with greed once the pearl took up such a big part of his life that he wouldn’t notice the evil it came with. He didn’t know when to stop being so greedy because he merely thought that this was a great blessing from the gods.

How could Kino have been so blind? Not only has attackers been coming from the outside of his family, but he himself is the “attacker”. When Juana tried to throw the pearl back into the ocean, how could he have not listened to his wife and tell himself that the pearl was causing him to go insane. He was thinking too positively and wasn’t looking at the effects that the pearl has caused.

Nearing the climax of this parable, Kino tries to run away with his family to try and go to the city and sell the pearl for a good price. By doing this, he led his family into great danger. Trackers were sent to find him because he had killed a man that had tried to attack him and steal the pearl. After dodging the trackers for a while, Kino eventually tries to get rid of the,. He attacks them and kills them without second thought but because he had become so insane, he accidently killed his own son.

That is the point where Kino finally realizes what evil the pearl has caused him. When he goes back to his village with Juana and their dead son, he looks into the pearl. On the surface of the clear, precious stone, Kino sees all the evil that it has caused and finally throws it back into the ocean.

The moral of this story is to not to be overwhelmed by greed. It tells us to be careful of our blessings because they just might be a curse in disguise. Kino had to find out that the pearl was evil the hard way; the death of his own son while trying he was to protect his family and more importantly (to him) the pearl, which had become his soul. It also teaches us not to grow too attached to something because you never know when it can suddenly disappear or turn its back on you. That’s when it hurts the most...

Earth Day

2009-04-24T11:18:00.002+08:00

On April 22nd, the world celebrated Earth Day, a whole day dedicated to appreciating the planet we live on. On this day, many of our classes didn't turn on the AC and even in French class, Kader didn't allow me to even charge my computer. We were very green-- just for that day though.
But being green is perhaps the only thing that is keep our future generations alive and happy. In a few more decades, many densely populated areas will be covered in water due to global warming. Our planet is dying as we speak. So how can we be more green? In school? Outside of school?

- Turning off the AC: In a classroom, the AC uses the most energy and electricity. We live in Hsinchu, the windy city, open a window or two if you feel uncomfortable in the heat.
- Don't charge your computer if you don't need it: If you're not using your computer, put it to sleep or shut the whole thing down
- Don't turn on all the lights: Our classroom's use fluorescent lights which saves more energy than normal lightbulbs, but this doesn't mean they still don't take up energy. It's summer! Open the blinds and let the natural light in!
- Carpool/Walk/Ride a Bike to school: Many of our teachers ride their bikes to school and a couple of students carpool. You don't need a personal car to get you to and from school. Why be a loner when you can call up a nearby friend to drive you?
- Don't use too many electrical devices: This may be pretty hard as most of us at least use our cellphones, mp3s, computers, etc.,
- Stop Cows & Sheep Farts: This is almost close to impossible but here are the facts: Cow and sheep farts produce more greenhouse gases then our car exhaust. This does not mean that we should nuke Wales and New Zealand...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The Pearl Blog #1

2009-04-15T11:00:00.003+08:00

1. How would you change if you had a lot of money? Would your personality be different?
I think I would. Of course I would spoil myself a little bit more due to the significant amount of money increase and my view of life would change but I don't want the people to treat me different or vice versa. I have no right to lower my respect of others just because I'm rich. But even though I know that is the wrong thing to do, I think I have no control against my self and would become a little bit snotty and my expectations will be raised, even though I will try not to.

2. Would you ever take a risk to reach a goal?
Knowing me, I don't really think too much before I take action. I guess that it depends on how big the goal is and what risks I have to take. If the risk is only self-inflicting, I would take it. But if it involved hurting others, I wouldn't take it. As said above it all depends on the goal and the risk I have to take to reach it.

3. Would you ever hurt member of your family just so you could be accepted by friends?
I really don't want to but I know that I always hurt my friends and family even if I don't realize it. If wanting to be accepting by my peers meant hurting my family and one's I love, then it's not worth it. If it meant protecting the ones I love in danger, I would take the risk but if it was only for my worth, it's not that important.

Passenger Lands Plane After Pilot Mysteriously Dies

2009-04-15T01:22:00.001+08:00

Just recently, a passenger is forces to land a plane with it's pilot becomes incapable to. Luckily this passenger had a pilot's license and had already flown 130 hours before. On April 13, Doug White and his family were passengers on a small plane with one pilot flying them to Jackson, Mississippi from an island off the Florida coast. Just as the plane was going over 9,000 the pilot mysterious becomes unconscious and dies. So Doug had to take over, however, he had never flown this type of plane before. He radioed with the air traffic controllers and they helped guide him to land in a nearby airport. Though he did not know who to land that plane model he still knew generally how to land a plane and some buttons to push. After all this, the cause of the pilot's death is still unknown.

"Passenger land turboprop plane after pilot dies" CNN.com. Apr 13 2009. Apr 14 2009.

The YouTube Ban

2009-03-25T23:00:00.002+08:00

Everybody know YouTube, a video-streaming site owned by Google. But today China banned the Web site and didn't explain the reason. Some people think that the ban might have been caused by some videos of abuse of Tibetans on YouTube.
When you're in China and try to access the site, all you get would be an error message saying "Network Timeout. The server at youtube.com is taking too long to respond."
This however is not the first time YouTube has been banned in China. In March 2008 during the riots in Tibet, China also blocked YouTube. This led to protests and vehicles and shops burned down. 18 civilians died just from a ban of one of the most important web sites in the world.
But the question is, why now? Why ban it again?

"YouTube blocked in China" CNN.com. Mar 25 2009. Mar 25 2009.

Image link

Dragon Attack

2009-03-25T20:32:00.000+08:00

In Indonesia, a fisherman trespassing in the Komodo National Park was attacked by a Komodo dragon. A Komodo Dragon is the heaviest lizard in the world. It could grow up to 3 meters and they have a toxic bite that they use to kill their prey. These lizards can eat big animals like buffalos.
Fisherman, Muhamad Anwar, bled to death on the way to a clinic after he was biten by a komodo dragon while looking for a sugar-apple, a type of fruit. The area was closed because of the wild Komodo dragons.

Neild, Barry. "Komodo Dragons kill Indonesian fisherman" CNN.com. Mar 24 2009. Mar 25 2009.

Culture of Living in Scotland

2009-03-17T19:54:00.002+08:00

In Scotland, most of the poorer people lived in little "huts" that was built out of mud and stone with a thatch roof. This means that whenever it rains (which is very often), you would have to change the roof because it's so wet.
For the people, they are very unhygienic. Since there's no place for baths or a sink to wash their hands, these people are almost always dirty. Their faces are always covered in grime and dirt. The men's hair are mostly long because they don't have time or equipment to cut it properly. Since they don't bathe, have long hair, and almost always working, their hair is matted and knotted.
Their clothes are just as worse. Poor people can't afford silk and satin clothing so most of their clothes are just rags sewn together. Clothes weren't used for fashion, but just to keep warm and to cover their bodies.

There was one scene where there was a marriage celebration going on in the Scottish village. The villages were dancing and singing and drinking. Some food was available and games were happening. Then soon the English "knights" interrupted and took the bride away to the lord where she would spend her first of her married life with the lord of the manor or they would kill the husband. This shows how much little power the poor people had against the lord of the manor.

Reading Resonse Journal

2009-03-13T11:34:00.005+08:00

Reading Journal: A River Runs Through It
Jen Quan

Journal 001: March 11th 2009
Quote #1: “In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing”
Quote #2: “Although Paul was three years younger than I was, he was already far ahead of me in anything relating to fishing..”

I have two sisters and a little baby brother. I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I’m almost better at everything artistic than my older sister. I find that maybe Paul at first was trying to hard to live up to his older brother that in the end he was better and didn’t need to feel better anymore because he brother didn’t care. It’s the same thing for me. When I was younger it seemed that my older sister was good at everything she did. I tried so hard to live up to her and find something I was good at and when I was finally better at her at something (art, being artistic) I realized that she didn’t care about beating me at something. I’m sure she’s proud at me for being better at something, but she will always be older than me and better at everything then me and now, finally, I accept that.

[No questions so far... :) ]

Journal 002: March 11th 2009
Quote #1: “She was a beautiful dancer as he was a fly caster”
Quote #2: “It is like a rattlesnake striking, with a good piece of his tail on the ground as something to strike from.”
Quote #3: “At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear”

Norman had to get up in the middle of the night to pick his brother and his brother’s girl from jail. Norman is like the person who picks up the mess that his brother leaves. I guess I could say that I can relate to both Paul and Norman. With Norman, I can say that I am sometimes left to deal with the mess that other people create. When I was reading the part where Norman picks up Paul and Paul’s Native American girl that I found it very coincidental because this reminds me-- and in a very exact way-- of my everyday life. I guess I could also say that I related to Paul because I usually leave a mess behind me as well, metaphorically...

What is the Indian girl’s real name? Because Norma gave her a name but it’s not her birth name...

Journal 003: March 13th 2009
Quote #1: ““Brother,” he would say, “there are no flying fish in Montana. Out here, you can’t catch fish with your flies in the air.””
Quote #2: “His flies were in the water at least twenty percent more of the time than mine”

At the part when the weather changed and many fish started jumping I can relate to how when the weather changed, someone else happens, especially my mood. There are many people out there that love it when it rains. I hate it. I hate being wet and when the sky is dark. I hate it when it’s snowing really hard too. I only like light flutters. For me, snow is frozen rain and rain is wet and I don’t like to be wet. When it rains or there’s a blizzard my mood changes almost immediately from content to sad and moody. Just like the fish suddenly jump out of the water when the weather changes, so does my mood.

Why is fly fishing so important to everyone?

Journal 004: March 16th 2009
Quote #1: “That's one trouble with hanging around a master–you pick up some of his stuff, like how to cast into a bush, but you use it just when the master is doing the opposite”
Quote #2: “In death it had its pattern, and we can only hope for as much”

The two brothers had buried their beer bottles in the stream to keep cool but couldn't find it later. I find this a connection to my life because I always live thing behind me. Not necessarily objects but ideas and feelings. Later on when I come back to them, I can't feel them again because I've lost it and have forgotten how it's like to have that emotion. I would resort to just having a feeling that is like the feeling I lost but it would never be the same. Just like the brothers having to drink stream water instead of beer to quench their thirst, anyone would have wanted the beer instead.

[Questions]

Journal 005: March 17th 2009
Quote #1: “It's like the auto-supply shop over town where they always say, 'Sorry, we just out of that part'”
Quote #2: “Whenever we had a family reunion, Mother and Paul were always the central attention”

Most of the school knows that my older sister had relationship problems. Most of the time when she cries, it's weird because she doesn't like me comforting her, yet allows my best friend to do it. It's like my best friends are more closer to my sister than I am. Just like my first quote, my sister doesn't accept help from me. Later, my friends would ask me, accusingly, why I'm not helping and comforting my sister. My friend and her sister and close and both sisters accept help from each other.
I guess my sister's ashamed of me because I'm not ashamed of myself. I'm not afraid of what people think of me because it's always my life to live. I want to live my last few months of freedom in this school with fun and with my friends- not sulking around because I'm moving. I guess you could say that I'm immature, but I don't want to be mature all the time because before long, you realize that you missed you chance of being a kid. I want to be a kid until I'm 27 because after that, life really starts calling you.

I would want to give help to my sister, but if she doesn't want it, and I shouldn't waste my time.

How can someone get burned from head to toe when they're wearing clothes?

Medieval Life after the collaspe of the Roman Empire

2009-03-11T22:09:00.001+08:00

The time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance Era was the Middle Ages. But what were the affects on life in the medieval ages after the collapse of the Roman Empire?
Most of the cities and states between isolated because the European trade had been destroyed. The stone road system between prosperous cities were abandoned, segregating the cities. If people tried to trade, they were usually stopped by bandits living in between manor states. Because of all the cities and states breaking away from each other, communication slowed down and if there was an attack, there was no way to warn other cities in time. At around the 9th century, most of the western Europe was divided into large manor estates ruled by landlords.
While inside, people who did not farm or were artisans were forced to leave the manor and moved alone and unprotected in the country-sides; this was because they couldn't afford to barter off money and protection.
Since there was no trading business, whatever the manor estate they needed they had to get it within their walls. The manor was supported only by its inhabitants.
Later on, the schools close and education and cultural activities became forgotten because it was so hard to get by. Many people were illiterate the arts were almost forgotten.
There was almost no order. The coin system was not really used and people fell back to trading and bartering. The times were harsh and unhygienic. Many people died young, from sickness or by murder (there was no "officiers" to maintain peace and protect people). Even the knights, who were supposed to be the protectors turned rogue and used their authority in the wrong way.

On the good side, slavery slowly and gradually died out.
___
"Medieval Times: The Basics" 42explore.com 10 Mar 2009.

Blog #6: My Favorite Place

2009-03-10T10:58:00.003+08:00

Since I move around a lot I haven't really found my favorite place. For my family, we haven't stayed in a house for more than a year; always moving, house-to-house, country-to-country.
But so far I've found my favorite place to be wherever my family and friends are. That's where my real home is. There isn't a day that ends where I find myself wanting to run away from my favorite place.
My family and friends are what keep me sane. Wherever they are, I feel safe and free because they are the ones that make the atmosphere feel comfortable. I could do whatever I want around them. There are no physical walls around me. But my friends and family are the four walls that will move and change whenever.
With them, I there are no limits. If I wanted to suddenly play basketball, my friends and I could go to the basketball court and that would be where my favorite place is. I could be just hanging out with my friends in the student lounge and that would also be my favorite place.

Nitrogen Passport Reflection Questions

2009-03-09T00:01:00.000+08:00

1. There are so many choices that a nitrogen atom will go in a nitrogen cycle. Each of us would roll a number each time and it will lead us to different places. There were about three options at each station, when we rolled the die, it would tell us which of those three options to go to. No one (unless in a weird coincidence) would go in the same cycle because we rolled to a different option each time.

2. Cycles are not just "once-you-go-to-one-place-you-can't-go-back". Nitrogen cycles are not all the same. It just shows that all the different situations are connected whether you were animal waste of surface water.

3. Yes, I think that the atmosphere station was pretty popular. This is because evaporating into the air is more "common" for a nitrogen atom because evaporation is pretty quick.

4. Probably the main point of this activity was to show that the nitrogen cycle is all connected. You could be in animal waste then turn up in the atmosphere then somehow back to animal waste. Also I teaches use where nitrogen atoms can turn up.

The Sun Also Rises: Behind the Title

2009-03-06T00:45:00.003+08:00

What does the title of the story mean?

Well to me, the title shows that everything is a cycle. Just like the sun rising is a constant cycle, so are the lives of characters like Jake and Brett. For Jake, his life is basically helping Brett with get another man and keep him, then saving Brett from herself and falling for her. For Brett her life is all about playing with men's hearts; She attract them like magnets, then she goes off with the guy, and then finally rejecting them. "The Sun Also Rises" shows that there is a cycle in life, just like the run rising and setting.

The "also" part of the title, however, makes me think that even though there's bumps along the way of the cycle, the sun will always rises and it will continue again. Lady Brett falls for someone then runs away with them or does something crazy. But in the end, she would always reject them. It's like she's just a trip, but not a vacation. However, "the sun" will also come up no matter what. Life goes on, it's crappy, but it goes on. C'est la vie...

Image Source: http://daskull.deviantart.com/art/The-start-of-the-sun-rise-27328966

Feudalism

2009-03-04T23:33:00.003+08:00

Feudalism- Widespread in Europe

Feudalism was the dominant form of political organization in Europe during Middle Ages. The system was mostly used in western Europe. In the feudal life, a noble lord(who can also can be a King or Queen) will grant a fief to a vassal (who was any free man who receives a part of land). In return, the vassal provides military and other services. Later the vassal can still grant parts of the fief to other free man; The lord can give a land grant to serf farmers (they were semi-freemen) to grow crops and also provide protection and then the lords get crops, livestock, and also military service from his vassal.

But though that is what the simple definition everyone has been studying, on technical terms, the feudal system wasn't the "dominant" form of political organization (classing people into different groups). Feudalism was not what connected everyone in the society together. All that stuff said about the serf farmers working for the lords in return for protection is called manorialism (or seignoialism); this was not part of feudalism. The kings and queens did not use the system to exert control over their subjects, during their challenges and weaknesses.

So if this is saying feudalism never existed, where did the idea come from? In my opinion, all the little connections, like the serf and the lord, etc., where called different things and all were different types of politial organization, but the general idea of giving and taking something back is feudalism. Sure you could say that is never existed because it wasn't the dominant form of political organization but just the way that they did it. I think that the definition of feudalism should be revisited and to be tuned out.

Image Source: http://web000.greece.k12.ny.us/SocialStudiesResources/Social_Studies_Resources/GHG_Documents/European%20Feudal%20System%20Chart%2006.03.jpg

Snell, Melissa. "The F-Word" About.com. 4 Mar 2009.

Benjamin Button TED talk

2009-03-02T10:55:00.005+08:00

The Science of Benjamin Button
The film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button features a lot of special effects to create a very genuine idea of who this person is. Their purpose was that they obviously didn't want this person took look so fake so they put in a lot of effort into making sure this character looked truly old; they spent a lot of time in the lighting and the face, making the cheeks and muscles move like they should in real life.
Their hypothesis for this was probably: "If the put in a lot of effort (time, money) into making this look real then will it look truly genuine to everyone?". They managed to put a lot of facial markers into a form or make-up so that the computers and cameras would be able to detect the facial expression of the actor.

It's pretty obvious that their procedure took a long time; 2 years, did they say? All this just for that one hour of the movie that the actor had to look 40 years older. First they had to do a lot of research and find ways to create the face. Then they had to get the equipment and do many tests. After bringing in the actor, they still had to do all the scenes and put it together with the special effects. With all the faces done, they had to settle the lighting so that the face looked like it was still in the scene. When they were all done they had to work with the people for the movie and put it all together so it would be the great film.

Their analysis for was probably to go through the whole movie and to check whether it looks real by showing it to people who haven't seen it before and know what they were doing. Once the testing audience approves that it looks real, then can they show it to the public.

The First Crusade

2009-03-01T23:21:00.002+08:00

To me, the First Crusade was just a death trap from the very beginning. It was all about trickery and death. More people died in just the journey rather than the fights along the way.

The First Crusade's point was to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims in the Middle East because the place where all events of Jesus Christ was happening, happened in Jerusalem. Then the religion was overtook by the Muslims. In my opinion, I think that they should not have started a crusade for it was useless and because different religions will spread whether you like it or not. Then again, it was the Holy Land, where Jesus Christ was supposedly crucified on a hill but cultures and religion will always be shared and changed. People have their own opinion of who to worship.

Spreading Catholicism became pointless not only through the journey but already from the start! Most of the people that joined the crusade only hopped on the wagon for riches and a free card to heaven. Tricking the people into a trap that will lead more that half of the people to their ends. Is killing another and sinning truly the way to walk with God? Did the Bible tell them to go on a long journey and end lives so you could reclaim religious land? Why did people take the risk of life of death with riches and wealth in the Middle Ages just because the opportunity popped up? When what they wanted was the be more Christian they became what they were trying to fight from the very beginning.

The Pope and the Emperor of Byzantine were the minds that brought death to thousands so why weren't there people to oppose them. Was everybody so convinced by the Pope and the Emperor that they were completed blinded to what they have been believing in for so many years?

Interesting stuff about "Blood Red Horse

2009-03-01T23:03:00.002+08:00

Blood Red Horse is a story was William's road to becoming a knight. He has just gotten a horse that is not necessarily the giant war horse he was expected to get. Hosanna is the blood red horse that seems to fit William's personality. Both of them seem to get on really well.

I find the character Gavin, the older brother of William, a nice feature in the story. In every story whether in movies or novels, their has be that annoying character that brings out the worse in everybody. In this case, it is Gavin. He rode Hosanna to death just for a hunting trip and wasn't even concerned for something that isn't his. I'm amazed that Ellie even like Gavin before for his selfishness and rude attitude. I enjoyed the part when Ellie told Gavin off for almost killing William's horse.

Medieval Simulation Blog Post

2009-02-18T20:59:00.002+08:00

Greetings. The name's Joan. I'm the local blacksmith here in this city; well there's the other old, fat blacksmith on the other side of the village but he hates me 'cause I'm of the female society. Oh boo, you Henry! Female blacksmiths are so in right now! And to think I studied the art of making things from metal from him!
Anywho, as a blacksmith, I'm pretty important to the society. I make all these types of weapons and armor for the knights and soldiers. I get a lot of customers from the noble lot, all wanting shiner swords and this and that. I make the fine swords used by the good and brave knights of our city. I also make keys if anyone wants to keep closets locked or doors barred. Also chains for the prisoners; the guards usually come in with a whole lot of orders 'cause their chains from the con-man Henry keeps rusting and bending. Heh.
As an artisan, I sell and make for my town and also support my family in our house above my shop. I must say, they complain so much about the "banging" and "clanging". But that "noise" is merely the sounds of my best friends hard at work.
You can probably already guess that because I'm so busy, I ain't got real friends. That's pretty true but I don't like people much; they talk a lot, complaining all the time. My friends are the anvils, hammers, rasps, files, chisels, and pincers. I absolutely love my hammer 'cause I made it myself. They help me get on in life and support the people I love. The hammer helps me flatten and shape metal. I bang it on hot metal when it cools a little after coming out of the furnace. My anvil is used as a template to shape the metal. I use the file to smooth out rough edges. I like this tool quite some too, but as my usual orders are swords, I can't use them.

___
"Blacksmiths" 11 Apr 2003. 18 Feb 2009

Blood Red Horse

2009-02-17T22:46:00.002+08:00

Two Main Characters of this story are Will and Gavin. Will is the younger brother of Gavin. He is the one that is trying to prove to everyone that he is prepared and a candidate for knighthood. He doesn't like this older brother, Gavin, but he likes Ellie. Gavin, Will's older brother, is the teasing type. So far, not much has been told about him, but we can tell that he too likes Ellie. Both sons are candidates or being knights because they are sons of a lord.

Will and Gavin are part of the nobles' society. Because they are the sons of a noble/lord, they live in a manor. The have a nurse that takes care of them, sort of like a baby-sitter. She probably belongs in the servants group.
If a lord/noble's son does not get picked for knighthood, they head off to to be monk or a bishop. Gavin hints to Will a lot about the local monks that are trying to build a monastery (where monks live and have scheduled times to learn and pray...etc) that he should go hang out with them to get used to the daily life in the future. Here, Gavin is simply competing with his brother and teasing him that Will will become a monk and not a knight, because Gavin will...

Author's Note: Doesn't that last line confuse you? Will will become a monk and not a knight because Gavin will...

Blog #5: Bull Fighting- Humane or Inhumane?

2009-02-17T11:08:00.005+08:00

Do you think Bull fighting is a humane or an inhumane sport? Why do you feel that way? Please explain....

Bull fighting is a dangerous sport, true. There are many other sports that are dangerous like racing cars, or skateboarding, or gymnastics. But unlike those dangerous, I think that bull fighting is an inhumane sport. Bull fighting is in my opinion, a derivative from the gladiator fights in Ancient Rome. In the Gladiator fights, they put people in a "ring" to kill each other, just to see who is the strongest.
Bull fighting is similar except that they kill the bull at every fight. This is actually such a waste of bulls because nothing actually happens to the bull after it dies. Also, it is also not respecting animal rights because they bring a bull into a ring, anger it and kill it for entertainment. Would we consider it humane and a sport if bulls suddenly took over the world, use us in a fight? Waving a red cape in front of us, get us frustrated and angry and then eventually kill us while the herd of bulls celebrated around us? No. This is totally barbaric; playing with your food before ending its life.

Blog #4: The Clock of Life

2009-02-13T11:31:00.003+08:00

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at a late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, Love, toil with a will. For the clock may soon be still." - Robert H. Smith

This quote basically tells us that you only have one life to live, therefore you have to life it as it's fullest.
The first line where it says "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop at a late or early hour" is a metaphor. The clock symbolizes our life and no one knows when our life will end, whether you will die at a young age or live many decades. The second line, " Now is the only time you own. Live, Love, toil with a will," means that you have to do what you want in your life and take risks because now (meaning your life) is the only time you'll get to experience many things. The last sentence basically tells us why we should "Live, Love, and toil with a will," and that is because the clock will soon stop. This means that life is short and yours might soon end.

SMASH Day Reflection

2009-02-12T18:52:00.002+08:00

For this SMASH day, we did another mission scenario. This time, we were on a submarine under the water. We were trying to find out what the "treasure" was. The problem was that the treasure was in a box and our periscope was too small for us to see into the box. So, we had to make another longer periscope using cardboard and mirrors. Mrs. Smith gave us a piece of card board, some paper, tape, and four mirrors.
Our group modified our periscope twice. First we had the angles right, but we couldn't see clearly into the box. So we changed our design just as spy time started. We folded the tope part of the box so that it will be holding the mirror deeper into the box. In the end, we could see the items in the box without using angles but only one mirror.
Each of us gave ideas and listened to each other. I think that we communicated very well but we had so many ideas that we had to rush.

I would advise others to talk to their team carefully and to plan it out first, that way you won't have to rush in the end. Also, don't think so deep because our team didn't even need to set angles in the end. Plus it makes it hard to see the items when you're looking through two mirrors.

Blog #3: Mirror Image

2009-02-10T11:33:00.003+08:00

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you think others see you as you see yourself?

I think I'm a bit conceited and arrogant at times- or most of the time. I know that others see me as a little selfish sometimes. But I know that I'm not a bad person. No one is born a bad person but becomes one through experiences and tough times when growing up.
Yeah sure, sometimes I annoy my sisters and friends by being so selfish. I know that I sometimes only want to do my homework first before I help others. At times I can be nice when I want to.

A lot of people say I'm easy. I don't know why and I don't think I'm that but they do... which is weird because I'm selfish...not easy..

The Death Field

2009-02-08T23:54:00.001+08:00

As we all know, serving your country in the military can be either a very harmless job like sitting behind a desk and reporting to stations or you could be doing field work. Field work in the military is like a big game of life and death.
In every scene, someone is saved and someone dies.
Recently in southern Afghanistan, two U.S. soldiers and three Afghans were killed while the soldiers were trying to disable a bomb.
While accompanying Gulab Mangal, a governor of the Helmand province, the convoy of soldiers came across two bombs stack on top of each other. After the soldiers tried to disable the bomb, one of them blew up and killed the five people.

The soldiers were part of a convoy of soldiers to go with Mangal to a village where they farm opium. Mangal was going to talk about alternatives to harvesting drugs. South Afghanistan provides two-thirds of the world's drugs, opium and herion.

Article: <LINK>

Free Food

2009-02-08T23:30:00.000+08:00

As American falls more deeper into recession, some families have jumped on board with food stamp programs.
Before 52 year old Walter Thomas joined the federal aid program, he used to skip meals because his cabinets were emptying and his savings was running out. Walter was one of millions who have lost their jobs in this recession and now him and many others keep from going hungry by relying on food aids.

One in 10 people in the the U.S. depend on aids like these to get by in life.

In some cases, "need" is not the excuse for using food stamps. With the government setting up aids like food stamps and food banks, many people jump on the idea of free food given by their tax collectors. I think that those people should just take a look at the people around them that need the food and money. People shouldn't be so greedy and take what they want. Something should be done to tell the people that if you don't need to aid don't take it, because other people's lives may very well depend on them.

________

Article: <LINK>
Image Source: <LINK>

Blog #2: An Effective Communicator

2009-02-03T11:10:00.003+08:00

An effective communicator in my life is one of my friends Jean- and also Ariel. When explaining things I do not understand, both of them can easily explain it without using difficult words. I think they really possess this trait because they have the ability to communicate with me, even though English is their second language. They are also very good listeners because they understand pretty fast when others explain to them, too.
One example of them being effective communicator was one of the first SMASH days we had with Mrs. Smith's class. Both Ariel and Jean were in my group and we have to communicate to build something. Only Jean knew what the original piece looked like and only she could talk to Ariel without showing her the item. Ariel could not see the item but using the information Jean told her, she had to tell me (I was all the way across the room) and describe how the object looked like so that I could build a replica of it. This proves we shared effective communication as our replica was the exact same thing as the original object...

Reflections on Video Project

2009-02-02T11:18:00.004+08:00

My humanities Research Report video took a lot of effort in piecing it together. I used some of the 5 Learning outcomes while working on it and presenting it.

I think being an effective communicator is one of the learning outcomes you can't help but use while showing this video. I communicated to the audience through pictures and voice-over. My pictures showed what I had to say and nothing was out of place (eg. wrong information with wrong picture). The pictures were clear and easy to understand. My voice-over recording also showed being an effective communicator because I spoke clearly and used strong adjective to describe each picture.
I was also an active learner because I went further and did more extra research and went deeper in the areas of religion, economy..etc. I compared the culture areas of both ancient Greece and Rome thoroughly and explained the details.

I most of the content knowledge from this research report video comes from the original research report which is a written report sharing my thesis of how Ancient Greece and Rome's culture was entwined with each other. I did most of the research for that paper then used the content and showed it through a video.
I learned how to effectively set the time of picture in iMovie to fit the voice-over. If not, the voice-over would not match up to the picture I'm describing. I also learned how effectively showing pictures are than just writing a picture. The audience can understand better as a picture tells a thousand words. Instead of just typing stuff up on keynote, it's much easier for the audience to understand if it was just pictures...

Blog #1: Effective Communicator

2009-01-23T09:55:00.003+08:00

Being an effective communicator is not just being able to talk properly but also to listen. To effectively communicated with another is to be able to communicate and ideas and listen to others.
Communication also involves a lot of body language and being able to explain clearly.

Effective communication is very important. Without it, people won't be able to communicate and talk with one another. Ideas are not understood and words are not comprehended. The world will be living in confusion and so will classes. Heck, classes would not exist because the idea of "school' will not be understood!

To be an effective communicator, you have to be able to explain and idea or subject to another. Not just verbally, but through action and writing. If the person listening understands what you are trying to put out, this is effectively communicating. Listening is also effectively communicating because you need to break down what others are trying to say in the way that you understand and reply if you have to. Body language and the way you present yourself to others is also effectively communicating because the atmosphere will change to the theme of what you are trying to say. I find acting out a word or phrase easy to get through people who doesn't understand something. It's so easy because if you are trying to say to kick the ball to someone who only speaks Arabian, you can act out kicking a ball.

Ben-Hur: Reflections on Culture part 3

2009-01-11T22:01:00.003+08:00

Before the chariot race in the men's "lounge" the floor showed culture factors of art. The pictures and designs where made up of mosaics, which are little colored tiles cemented on the ground to create a picture. Mosaic can be seen everywhere today to depict pictures or even scenes.

Throughout the whole movie, the chariot race has to be the best part. It was amazing how even technology back then was so durable to force. The chariots have to be my favorite contraption so far. It could stand the speed of the horses, the sharp turns, and the weight of the racer on it. It really showed how advanced these people were, even back then.

The colors of the horses and the chariots and even what they wore symbolized on what grounds Ben-Hur and Messala stood. Black and red, which are said to be the colors of the devil (the bad side) was what Messala wore. He chariot showed the same effect and all four of his horses were black. What was even worse that showed Messala as the bad guy were the spikes on his wheels that could saw and rip through the wood of opponents' wheels and the metal of the chariots. Messala was also the one whipping his horses to go faster; at one point also started whipping Ben-Hur into stopping him to win the race.
Ben-Hur, on the other hand, came in like an "angel". Donned in white and bright colors, he also sported a blue sash while entering the stadium with the white horses he rode with. The chariot he used was an egg-shell color with golden designs.

Above the valley of Lepers, the men used a pulley system to drop food and supplies for the lepers below them. The use of gears started with the Romans and Greeks and now people use them all the time.

Current Events: Gas dispute leaves thousands freezing

2009-01-09T09:45:00.003+08:00

Hundreds of thousands of families throughout central Europe and across the Balkans went through a freezing cold weekend as a deal between Russia and Ukraine of settling an argument stayed uncertain to follow through.
But now those families can turn their heaters back on as the Siberian gas flows through theirs and many other's houses as they go through the snow in. Many areas of eastern and southern Europe were covered in snow as one of the coldest weather in 10 years. Since the gas cutting off on Wednesday, panic was gone through parts of Bulgaria, Madeconia, Serbia, and Bosnia where they almost entirely depend on Russian gas for heating.
The gas begin cut off not only kept people freezing but also closed many companies, factories, schools, clinics and hospitals.
Because there isn't any gas, nay families revert back to the old fashion way of burning coal and wood and electric heaters, causing many people using the power systems. This surge in power threatened to break down the electricity under the strain.
All this trouble was just caused when the Russian gas leader, Gazprom, refused to send gas through the Ukraine pipelines to people in Europe. Gazprom claims that Ukraine was using the gas for its own use after not paying the Russian monopoly's gas price.

Article (link): EU says deal struck with Russia over gas supply
Ian Traynor, 9 January 2009
Guardian.co.uk

Ben-Hur (continued...)

2009-01-09T00:13:00.001+08:00

As we continued to watch Ben-Hur at the part where the battle on the sea starts. The battle is against some pirates. Ben-Hur has been on a galley as his sentence for three years so far, rowing the boats for the Romans as a slave when he used to be a descendent of a nobleman.
During the battle, both sides use these type of catapults to throw balls of fire onto the opponents ships. Catapults are kind of the ancient day's cannons. These ideas of inventions came from the Greeks. So did the gears and the levers idea to catapult the flaming balls over a long range and height.
When Ben-Hur escapes from his position and everyone is trying to escape, he killed a man that was trying to kill Arrius (the general of the ship who was testing Ben-Hur earlier with the rowing speed) using a spear. When I watched this, I had some sort of flash back to the beginning of the movie where Messala and Ben-Hur play with the javelins and Ben-Hur is good.

An example of how a slave is rewarded is when Ben-Hur saves the life of Arrius when their ship sinks. When they are pulled out of the water by another Roman ship, they are told that they won the battle. Arrius is pretty happy that he lived to learn of victory and is happy with Ben-Hur, even if he is a slave. He gives Ben-Hur water and later tells about him to Caesar. He is even allowed to ride with Arrius on a chariot.

During a party of the adoption of Ben-Hur, we can see how wealthy Romans entertain themselves. There were dance acts and throughout the night a live music performance. Large numbers of people gather to acknowledge Ben-Hur because now he was part of the elite.

We can see the power of Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. When he was going to speak, he could just raise one hand or gesture and the whole city would be quiet. Everyone practically worships Caesar but they fear him as well.

We can see social classes at work. When Messala receives a gift from the son of Arrius, and finds out it is Ben-Hur, he can't do anything about it because Ben-Hur is more important and well-known than Messala.

Current Events: Kidnapped European Journalists Freed

2009-01-07T01:09:00.002+08:00

In November just last year, two journalists were kidnapped in Somalia. Now the British and Spanish reporters have been released, says a Somali press group.
Both journalists, Colin Freeman and Jose Cendon, both worked for London's Daily Telegraph newspaper. According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the two journalists were reporting the Somali pirate activity in a port city of Bosasso, Somali when they were captured. Along with the European journalist abducted where two Somali journalists.

So far there have been no details about the conditions of the reporters and the release. Nothing so far has been said about the two other Somali journalists that were kidnapped with the European ones. Omar Faruk Osman of the NUSOJ said in a statement, "...it is intolerable that [the two] journalists [were] kidnapped for their legitimate work in order to get ransom,"

Article (link): Two Kidnapped journalists reported freed in Somalia
January 6, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events: Death Toll In Gaza Rises After Missile Shootings

2009-01-07T00:55:00.001+08:00

For months already has the terrorist group, the Hamas, been firing rockets towards Israel from Gaza City. The Israeli government had been trying to fight peacefully and support their country but enough has been enough for them. On Saturday night, January the 3rd, the Israeli government fired back missiles into Gaza city and the crisis has begun.
So far the death toll of Palestinians caught in the range of the Israeli missiles have bumped up to 555 people. Though most deaths are of military officers, at least 100 civilians have been killed too. Most of the injured are civilians, making the injured list to come up to 2,750, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Though the Israeli are only trying to defend their nation, and their goal was to hit at homes of people linked to the Hamas, recently they have hit an elementary school where it is to be known that 400 Palestinians were taking shelter. On this attack, three Palestinians were killed.
Just in, as an Israeli missile hits near a U.N. school, 10 people just outside the school have been killed while 3 people inside the school have been injured.

Though many nations are now sending in their diplomats to try and get a cease-fire (countries like France and the United States of America), both the Hamas and Israeli leaders seem to want to end the fighting. The Palestinian organization says that he firing may go on for several months.

Article (link): 10 dead as Israeli missile hits near U.N. school
January 6, 2008
CNN.com

Ben-Hur: Reflections of Culture

2009-01-06T20:31:00.003+08:00

The Roman soldiers wore helmets and breastplates; underneath them they wore their togas and the different colors and stripes represented their level of authority. In one scene where Messala, Ben-Hur's childhood friends is talking to his other officer. Also later, when Ben-Hur arrives to meet his old friend. Messala and all the other soldiers where helmets, capes, and breastplates. Because Messala is the commanding officer, he sports high level garmets, like red togas and crafted and designed breastplates. His helmet top has red feathers instead of the average broom brush on others' helmets.
Later when Ben-Hur and Messala are greeting each other, they test their sporting skills. Probably, when they were young, they competed in javelins and other sports activities together. In this scene, they play a short game of javelin against the door arch.

Jewish people too owned slaves. Ben-Hur's family has two (showed in the movie) slaves, Simonides and his daughter, Esther. Simonides isn't like a slave who is badly treated and punished and made to do everything the master wishes. Simonides travel around to gather fine items to bring back to Ben-Hur for him to trade. When Simonides returns with more items, Ben-Hur greets him like family, almost as if he wasn't a slave and Ben-Hur didn't own him. Later on, even Esther, whom is about to go into an arranged marriage is given freedom as a wedding present by Ben-Hur. She even says that she doesn't feel like she's lived a life of a slave. This shows that different familes treat their slaves differently.

When Ben-Hur's sister accidently injured a soldier, and are arrested immediately by Messala's soldiers. Even though Messala knew it was an accident, he doesn't give hims old friends a trial. Maybe it was to show and warn the other Jewish people who tried to interfere with the Roman Empire taking over. This shows how social ranks can differ whether someone gets a trial or not. In this case, Ben-Hur was one of the many Jewish people who didn't get a trial and was sent to the galleys.

Galleys were the large Roman boats with a small sail. The real power comes from the many slaves rowing oars below deck. Those slaves are chained to the boat that when the boat sinks, all the slaves die with it; an example of how slaves were not cared and made no difference to the lives of the Roman soldiers. Ben-Hur now is a slave and with the other men down there were only put there as if they were sentenced to death. The Romans keep them alive so that they can row their ships until they die, then they can be replaced by other slaves. The slaves here are treated poorly. They were whipped when they weren't going by the rhythm, when they were doing a poor jobs, or when they were tired and passed out or stopped rowing.

Current Events - At least 55 killed in Iraq suicide blast during restaurant talks

2008-12-12T01:10:00.000+08:00

On Thursday morning in northern Iraq, a suicide bomber killed at least 55 people when a the restaurant was holding a talk with Arba and Kurdish politician who were trying to create peace.
This bombing injured 109 others, but the politicians that were present were not seriously hurt.
There hasn't been a motive for the attack, says an Arab official.

They picked the most perfect time, of course. The lunch hour where everyone breaks from their jobs to eat. The bombing occurred at Abdalla Kabab restaurant when people were also celebrating an event.

December 11, 2008
CNN.com

Link to Article

Current Events - Protesters Clash With Police in Greece

2008-12-10T22:58:00.001+08:00

Outside an Athen's courthouse in Greece today, a riot broke out just as two police officers accused over a fatal shooting of a teenager were due to testify. There was a big clash of the riot police and the protesters outside this Greek parliament building. Police were seen wearing body armor and holding riot shield to help stop the protesters; officials had to fire tear gas at the protesters to stop them, but not to harm them.
However, this incident is not only occurring outside this particular building, but many other protests occurred all around Athens after the death of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos during these 4 days. Alexandros was killed by a ricochet warning shot fired by a police officer. Thousands came to his funeral while another ten thousand protested on parliament.

Because of these riots banks, schools, and even hospitals were closed on Wednesday. Roads were closed, and buses and the subway were shut down. Also, many flights were canceled.

I don't really think that the people should act like this. Some many have been injured because of the riots. I don't think Alexandros Grigoropoulos would have wanted that on his head while resting in peace. They shouldn't shut down roads and close hospitals. What if there was a major crisis and many people were injured. It takes time to re-open the roads and have the hospitals up and running again.

December 10, 2008
CNN.com

Link to Article

Hanging Fire - Poem Analysis

2008-12-07T22:13:00.000+08:00

The poem Hanging Fire is about a boy being neglected and the troubles he faces. It can be about any boy, depending on the reader. It can be a boy living in New York and goes to school or in poverty in Africa. The poem is made to show that there are many perspectives of what kind of boy this is because its very vague.

The speaker is a boy. His identity shows that he faces many problems like having the wear braces, living in a dirty place, and not being picked for the Math team. He's afraid of having too little time and whether he was going to die very soon. With addition with all his worries and troubles, he is being neglected by his mother who is always "in the bedroom with the door closed".

The poem is written in stanzas and always ends with two lines:

"and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed."

There are 11 lines in the first stanza and 12 lines in the second and third stanza.

This poem doesn't rhyme. There are no rhyming words in their whole poem. The two lines that end off every stanza (see above) sort of conclude each stanza, signifying that the paragraph has ended. The poem has a rhythm with those two lines at the end.

The poem has a lot of imagery -almost in every sentence. In lines 6 to 7, I can picture a young boy with dirty and ashy knees from living in the streets. I can also see a bedroom door closed whenever I read the last two lines of a stanza, showing the mom's door closed and keeping him from approaching her. He is still in an empty small room when I read line 14 and I also hear sad songs when I read line 15 to 16, like it was at his funeral. He's now wearing braces when I read line 30 and only having one set of clothes. As the poem dies out, I see the boy standing outside a door, supposedly to be the mother's bedroom door; as if she didn't want to care about him.

Education - What is it?

2008-12-03T22:28:00.001+08:00

Education is the process of learning new skills and developing the knowledge that we have; applying it to different situations whether formal or informal.
Education is important. People may have the skills to do simple things like get food and trying to earn money. But using those simple everyday activities, they can achieve so much more. They will know how to earn more money through spending wisely and knowing how to get more money. They can get a job and support their family. They will learn from their mistakes quicker and learn how to avoid them.

Current Events

2008-12-01T18:57:00.004+08:00

Shuttle Endeavour lands at California air base

Image Source

After a two week mission in space and several delays, the American space shuttle, Endeavour, finally lands in California's Edwards Air Force Base instead of the Kennedy Space Center. The weather in Florida had been bad with the wind, rain, and thunderstorms 30 miles from the Kennedy Space Center and forced the space shuttle to land at an Air Force Base in California.
The mission to the International Space Station brought important stuff like exercise equipment, sleeping berths, and a pee recycling system. All these equipment was for a project to double the capacity of the people who can stay at station.
There was one incident that occurred while on this mission. When one of the astronauts was on a space walk, a grease gun leaked in her tool bag causing everything inside to be covered in grease lubricant. Then when she was trying to clean the mess in the bag, it floated away. The items and equipment into the tool bag was worth $100,000.

December 1, 2008
CNN.com
***

Israel to free 250 Palestinian prisoners

Israel holds more than 9,000 Palenstinian prisoners.
250 Palestinian prisoners in Israel has been approved by the government to be released as a goodwill gesture for a Muslim festival happening next week. This release is meant to strengthen the peace talks that they have been holding with the Palestinian government (Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas) for the past year. All the prisoners that are to be set free are members of the Abbas' Fatah Party.

November 30, 2008
CNN.com

Spoken Word Poetry Reflections

2008-11-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

Spoken word poetry is a story poem about what people really feel strongly about and they say it out. The "Hawaii" video was about two girls talking about how racism is bad. This was their interest and they made it into a poem form so more people will listen to it and understand it better. The "Superman" video was about a guy who told a story through poetry form about his encounter with Superman and the Justice League. He told Superman about how his super power was with his words because he thought that words are very important and are very powerful.
Spoken word poetry is kind of like a persons opinion on something.

Spoken word poetry elements are very similar to normal poetry but they are stronger because it's spoken and you can here the emotion in the voice of the speaker.
The voice may be the most important element in spoken word poetry because it shows the emotion and shows a little bit of the identity by their voice and how they tell they poem. Subject is also another important element in poetry because there has to been a very strong reason why we do spoken word poetry because we want to write a poem, but have it spoken so it's stronger, therefore the poem's subject must be very strong and have a great impact on the audience.
The subject of a spoken word poem can be anything, mostly a speech/story to tell the audience about what they are interested in or what they are concerned about. They use poetry to spread their idea because they want to show their identity; which could be a concern for global crisis, or their identity.
The imagery for a spoken word poem has a great impact on the audience. When reading a normal poem, the reader has to pay attention to reading the words and also at the same time imagine the images in his/her mind. For spoken word poetry, you don't have to worry about reading the words because it's already being read out for you. So, imagery in a spoken word poem must really be descriptive and with the voice of the speaker, you can really imagine the scenes in your mind more clearly.

Anyone could do Spoken word poetry. They must have a cause of why they are doing in, an interest or concern they have. If they have in opinion on a concern or global crisis or the current events, they show it through spoken word. Forming it into poem form just makes it easier for the audience to take in information.

I personally enjoy listening to the "Superman" spoken word poem because I agree with the guys idea that words are very important and have a great impact if used correctly. The guy says to Superman that he can help save the world by words and poems, and I absolutely agree. Anyone can make a difference without violence --but through words. Spoken word poetry is a great way to have your say.

Reflections on Dongmen (2)

2008-11-27T10:00:00.005+08:00

What were your reactions to the location in general?
- It was quite dirty. I would sit on the floor --it's still okay. But there were many dusty and dirty places I wouldn't dare to sit. On the higher levels during the night time (the first time I went there) it was pretty scary because the building was so quiet with exceptions of some distant voices of people talking and TV sets playings. With some light flickering, I was kind of scared. But if you think very logically, it's just another home to people- like being in another person's house; you don't know where is where and you're cautious of what you enter and where you step.

What is it like for you to witness people living in relative poverty in a place like DongMen surrounded by the relative wealth of Hsinchu?
- There was one time when I was going around the escalators when I saw a man setting up his cardboard "bed". After seeing the rest of Hsinchu, coming from such a good privileged school and then I see the people here, I felt really sad. However, I saw some really happy people, like the man playing with his dog and the woman who gave us drinks, and even though they lived in an old run-down building, they were still able to be happy. How can they we so happy with so little money and we have so much money yet we are never happy? I really helped me reflect on my life because in order to fully understand your culture, you have to submerge yourself into another culture. We are very privileged to go to a good school and get a good education and live such a special life.

What would you do with a place like DongMen if you were the mayor of Hsinchu? Would you tear it down? leave it? try to revive the industry there? allow people to live there or not?
- DongMen to many people is a sactuary -- a home. Tearing it down would not be one of the options if I were the mayor (unless we had a cleaner and safer place to put them). I would start up the industry on some of the levels; giving some more people jobs. But I would also let the people living there keep their homes because they have a right to live there and that mall has been their home for many years.

Current Events

2008-11-25T00:04:00.003+08:00

Town brought to life by solar-paneled graves

Solar Panels. Image Source.
***
Everybody knows about solar panels and how they are found on houses and building to uses the sun's light as power instead of electricity. Well in a town in Spain, just outside Barcelona, called Santa Coloma de Gramenet, solar panels have been built on top of mausoleums in the cemetery.
This project began three years ago and it started working on Wednesday.
The reason why they decided to put the solar panels in a cemetery, was because that the small town are so dense and they had no where to generate it.

The power these 462 solar panels produce enough power for 60 homes, goes to the local energy grid and for use of normal consumption is one of the weird ways this town fights against global warming.

Esteve Serret, a director of the company that runs the cemetery (and know also works in renewable energy) says, "[It's] the best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations. That is our leitmotif."

Some people have disagreed with the idea of putting these solar panels on the remains of so many dead people. However, the excuse was that the panels only take up 5% of the total surface area and will keep about 62 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. I think that the dead people would have agreed too with save the world they had left.

24 Nov 2008 CNN.com

*****
Deadly flooding leaves thousands homeless in Brazil

Flood affects. Image Source
***
A flood in Santa Catarina, Brazil has killed 28 people and left more than 18,000 homeless. the flood affected 1.5 million people and cut off 4 cities from the rest of the nation: Rio dos Cedros, Pomerode, Itapoá and Benedito Novo were the cities. The mayor of Blumenau, Joao Paulo Kleinubing has declared a stare of emergency on Saturday. Aid has been sent to most of the cities and towns to help the now homeless people and only 2 helicopted have been sent to Blumenau to help victims.

23 Nov 2008
CNN.com

The Element of Poetry - Identity and Elements

2008-11-23T01:29:00.001+08:00

The Last Good-by

How shall we know it is the last good-by?
The skies will not be darkened in that hour,
No sudden blight will fall on leaf or flower,
No single bird will hush its ceaseless cry,
And you will hold my hands, and smile or sigh
Just as before. Perchance the sudden tears
In your dear eyes will answer to my fears;
But there will come no voice of prophecy,--
No voice to whisper, "Now, and not again,
Space for last words, last kisses, and last prayer,
For all the wild unmitigated pain
Of those who, parting, clasp hands with despair:"--
"Who knows?" we say, but doubt and fear remain,
Would any choose to part thus unaware?

***

The form of this poem is in paragraph form and in each line, there is 10 to 11 syllables, though mostly 10 syllables per line. The words in a line is from 6 words to 10 words. However, the number of words in a line can change the rhythm of the poem. The syllables, to me, are the ones that really count because if each line has the same number of syllables, then the rhythm and the beat of the poem will be even.
When I read this poem, I think about the time I had to say goodbye to someone. But for lines 3 to 4:
"The skies will not be darkened in that hour,
No sudden blight will fall on leaf or flower,
No single bird will hush its ceaseless cry.."

They are very descriptive and they make me think of the sky at twilight, a flower dying, and a cawing of a raven. These images will make one sad because those are the times and things I'm most afraid of in a day; having the day end, a flower (life) dying, and a shrieking call of bird. Especially the last line; I imagine a barren corn maize with only a scarecrow in the middle and two crows circling the field.

All of the ending words of each sentence rhyme with another word. There is some sort of pattern in the poem. From the line 1 to line 7, the rhyming sequence goes by: A B B A A CC. From line 11 to 14, the sequence goes by D E D E.

Reflections on DongMen

2008-11-17T16:49:00.003+08:00

How did the site of DongMen alter the choreography that you created in the classroom?
- Originally, we had this cool dance effect we wanted to do with the clothes line that was supposedly there and white sheets. When we got to the site, there was no clothes and there were no white sheets in hand. Ms Sheilah had recommended to use the stuffing (the clothes) of the "dead bodies". Eventually, the clothes were taken out the choreography.

If you were to go back to DongMen what would you add or subtract from your choreography to make it stronger?
- I still the clothes line idea was perfect and added to the creepiness. :) But when I got there, there were a lot of puddles of water. If the water wasn't so dirty and I wasn't afraid of getting my clothes wet, I would have added somethings with the water. Also, the covering the bodies with clothes was a good idea but I think we should have gotten up and then thrown the clothes on them. Maybe we trip and stumble a little then the clothes fall on them to created the effect that we're dead and they just died.

The Elements of Poetry in "The New Colossus"

2008-11-17T16:15:00.007+08:00

The New Colossus
By Emma Lazarus
Image Source

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lighting, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

***

There are many elements of poetry in this poem. There are metaphors, similes, alliteration, rhyming, and even a hyperbole.
Metaphor is a phrase or sentence that compares something to another without using like or as. An example of a metaphor in this poem is in the phrase "...whose flame, Is the imprisoned lightning...". This compares the flame (or the fake build flame in this case) to lightning that was kept in the metal torch.
There are many examples of alliteration in this poem. One of them is in the phrase "wretched refuse", and though they don't start with the same letter, they start off with the same sound which makes it easier to understand and memorize and also take in the information. Another Example of alliteration in the poem is on the third line, "sea-washed, sunset gates". I think this shows good alliterations because "sea-washed" and "sunset" start off with the same sound and makes the phrase sound better. A third example of alliteration is "world-wide welcome". Not only does it make the phrase sound better, it's easier to understand what the poet is trying to say.
Similes are phrases of comparison. These are similar to metaphors except these are less vague about their comparison by using words like as and like. "Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame" in the first line is a simile because it compares the Statue of Liberty to the great Greek statue, Helios, using the word like.
Hyperboles are phrases of exaggeration. Lines 11 and 12 are hyperboles because they exaggerate that the "refuse" - which are like the people that others don't really care about (esp.: beggars, homeless...) - being wretched. Not all beggars and homeless are un-happy though they can be un-fortunate.
Rhyming is everywhere in this poem. The words with matching colors rhyme with each other, thus, making it is easier to take in, understand, and memorise the poem.

What did a daily life is Ancient Greece look like?

2008-11-16T22:47:00.004+08:00

For poor families who didn't have slaves, the wives would run the house and raise the children. In households that had slaves, the wives would simply supervise the slaves who were taking care of the children and doing most of the work. Spinning thread and weaving cloth was usually what the women would do in every family, rich or poor.
Usually in their mid-teens, like our age, girls would get married whilst the men would get married around 30. The girls were then under legal control of their husbands (it was passed from the father to the husband). When married, a girl was get a part of the family's fortune (the property and money) as a gift from the parents (or dowry). The husband would ben own and control the money and property until they divorce, which is when he has to give it back to the family. If a divorce does not happen, they would simple pass the dowry to their children.

In Athens, the children, usually just the boys and very few girls, would go to school is learn to read, write, and quote literature, as well as learn and instrument and sing. They would also play sports as this was the start of their military service. All this studying was not so that they could get a job; it was so they could be an effective citizen.
For girls, they only learned to read, write and simple math during their childhood s that they can run their own household in the future.
The education in Sparta was different because Sparta thought that education wasn't really important. When boys turned 7, they would be sent to the barracks where they were put through harsh training. However, they learned basic reading, writing, and math. Girls were also put into physical competition.
Young children in both Sparta and Athens spent their days playing with toys before they turned 7.

In a household, husbands was in charge of all the members of his family and was responsible for them. Greek men, after their service in the military was over, hung out in the agora, which was a marketplace were people would chat, gossip, buy and sell items or food. In the morning, they would buy the supplies and food they need then return home.

Here is a picture of an agora which was Greek market place. Image Source.

Either that or they were playing sports and exercised in public sports facilities.
When democracy (or Demokratia in Greek) was created in Greece, men who were citizens were allowed to and had the right to attend assembly. There, they had the right and freedom to speak and vote. Assemblies sometimes had debates and these debates decides how the city was run -- all decided by the people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sources

http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar234900&st=ancient+greece&sc=2#h5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece#Education

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ancientgreece/athens/rule.shtml

Current Events

2008-11-13T21:38:00.002+08:00

German economy now in recession

Recession basically means when a country's economy declines significantly and thus, the trade and industrial activity are reduced. A country is classified in recession when the the GDP of the country falls in 2 successive quarters.

Another country has gone into recession after the country's economy fell by 0.5% in their third quarter. The fall of GDP in Germany was much bigger than analysts had expected and they have also predicted a fall in Europe by 0.5% in the next year.
A couple other of European countries are also in recession.
France, Ireland, Denmark, Singapore and New Zealand are some countries that are in recession.

November 13, 2008 BBC.com

*****************

Kids' dancing causes Haiti school collapse, Red Cross says

Who would have thought that a musical could bring down a school -- literally. In Haiti, the dancing and jumping in a musical caused the Grace Diving Primary and Secondary School to collapse. Luckily, though there were no deaths, nine children were injured.
The school, which consisted of a few small buildings built on top of each other, was built on the side of a hill. Of course, the jumping and dancing could not possibly bring our school down, because this school was not constructed properly.
When the school collapsed, the ground shook and another school about a mile away felt it. The children in that school had thought that they're school was collapsing and they panicked, which caused two students to be injured.
This is the second school collapse in this month. The previous happened last week, but of course, that incident was much more fatal. That school has three levels and when it collapsed, it killed more than 90 people, most of them children. No survivors have been found since Saturday in the rubble of the school. The owner of the school, Fortin Augustin was questions by the police and turned himself in for the collapse. No charges have been pressed against him. I would consider him loyal to the school because he turned himself in when so much has happened and blamed himself.
There is no need to worry for this year's musical at our school. I highly doubt our dancing can bring down the school -- we're not that good. Also, some of the schools in Haiti are not well-built and are easy to fall whilst ours is....well I'm not so sure...;)

November 12, 2008
CNN.com

Image Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/12/haiti.school/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Education for All

2008-11-13T00:26:00.003+08:00

If people were more educated in the countries simple things like farming to health care and over population would all be solved. Because people are not educated, they don't know how to handle a business or to raise a family.
Countries in poverty would gradually become successful from the inside out -- by that I mean the people of the country solving their own poverty troubles without charity groups to come and try and stop them.
I'm not saying that the charity groups or even the government isn't helping. But for the government to give each family in South Africa living poverty a thousand dollars will only help them for a few months or so.
Because they do not have the education, all they know is to pay off their debts and buy food for the big family. The thousand dollars isn't enough from them to have live through years to come. Plus the government can not just keeping giving each family money because then the nation's income will grow lower and lower and the country will be even more in poverty. Things will just get worse.
If they were educated, they would know how to start off their (eg.) farming land. They would know how to raise their crops or livestock so that they will have a consistent income.
More doctors and hospitals could be build because of more people becoming educated and thus, more people wouldn't have to suffer the pain of AIDS every day 'til they pass from this world.
Children and even adults can finally go to school because people from their country got the chance to become a teacher.
Everybody knows that the jobs that are the toughest, are the jobs that pay the bills. Once people get an education, they can choose a well-paying job and get a decent salary that they can benefit from.

Non-educated people are being mis-treated because they do not know how to handle business and the world. They tag along the rich and smart people because they do not know what else to do. Once people get a decent education, they can stand up for themselves and actually know what they are speaking up for. Most of the community would be middle-class and the number of poor people would go down.

Education for all is very important for the developing countries and even in developed countries like the US or Canada or even Taiwan. Everyone would be treated equally and no one would be living under poverty...

FAT Questions

2008-11-12T21:47:00.002+08:00

Why did Sparta decide to be a military state rather than a democratic like Athens? See mindmap..

How did Greek mythology affect the daily lives of middle class Athenians? See mindmap..

How did democracy first help Athens decide government?

Which one was better for the poor living in Athens: Cleisthenes' way (by dividing people into groups depending on where you lived) or Solon's way (by dividing people into ranks of wealth)? See mindmap..

Why were Spartan women put into training when Athenian women weren't? See mindmap..

Language Arts - Culture

2008-11-11T22:44:00.000+08:00

Culture is the way of life. It's the way a person lives and how they live. It is their customs and their behavior towards each components of culture (history, religion, food, clothing..etc). Cultures does not have to be about the culture of your country, but also what you're interested in.
I am part of a lot of cultures. I'm part of the culture of the people who love to sleep, love to eat, dance, love to read, Singapore, Taiwan, America, the laptop community, the HIS community, the grade 8th community, just to name some...
Culture is exclusive because you can't be in all of the cultures of the world. You can't be both old and young at the same times. You can switch from the young to the old but its impossible to be both at the same time. There are many other cultures out there that we do not know about. To give an example, I am not part of the culture of Uzbekistan or Iraq or South Africa.
When people see my grades or my work, they think that I study a lot and is an active learner. I'm not. The first thing I do when I get home is procrastinate. I play with my baby brother, mess up room up, yadda yadda yadda. But I don't start my homework until 9. Just because fair enough grades are part of my culture doesn't mean studying hard is.
People shouldn't mix up culture with identity. The culture is the way they live by. Their behavior, as to say. Many other people can be part of that culture. But your identity is yours, not for anyone to share because we were all made unique. Culture is the way of life, but an identity is who you are.

ESPRAT+G and My Passport Country

2008-11-11T19:40:00.002+08:00

Singapore

1. What is the Economic (business) system?
The economic system for business is capitalism.

2. What does the Social system (daily life, classes, customs, etc.) look like?
It’s mandatory for all children to go to school. Singapore is known to have to top schooling educational system because it’s so strict and harsh.

3. What is the Political (government) system? Who has the power?
Socialist-democratic. This basically means that the citizens can vote for the president and such however, the government can intervene (like a republican country) with anything. For example, the government can hold a criminal without trial.

4. What are the Religions? Describe them in detail.
We don’t have any special religions for our country and we take off from other countries’ religions. Buddhism is very popular in Singapore and so is Christianity. There’s also Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, and many others.

5. What are the various Arts (especially those your nation is known for)?
Singapore has never been famous for its arts. The art that we do is very similar to the art many other countries do. Dance, painting, drawing, literature, etc. are all the same as other countries.

6. What are various Technologies that are a part of life in your country?
Laptops, computers, and cell phones run the life of an average worker. Everyone has a camera on their phone because all the phones sold there all have cameras installed. Either that, they have a normal cameras.

7. How does Geography affect ESPRAT in your home country? Go into rich details breaking down each component of ESPRAT.
I don’t know how to answer this question and my mom and dad just said that our geography doesn’t effect us much.

What does a government do?

2008-11-10T23:53:00.000+08:00

A government's job is to lead and govern the nation peacefully and maintain order. They do this by making and passing laws. Thus, the nation will keep order and peace. They deal with everything that falls under the politics and laws.

Current Events

2008-11-10T16:37:00.000+08:00

Iraq twin bombings kill 25

On Monday in Baghdad, Iraq, two bombs went off killed 25 people and injuring 48 other people.
The first bomb was in a car parked outside a crowded marketplace. This is a very smart tactic because people started to crowd around the exploded car, another bomb -- from a suicide bomber, went off, killing 25 people that had surrounded the car.

November 10, 2008
CNN.com

Afghan governor: U.S. forces killed guards

After Afghan millitants shot at the U.S. military forces, the U.S. military said that they killed 14 people. However, says the provincial governor, the 14 that died were merely security guards who were protecting the road construction crew during the shooting.
When the U.S. military stopped 3 cars they had been tracking, coalition forces for the U.S. military arrived and the militants in the cars fired on the help that had arrived. Then a helicopter was called in and they killed 14 people while trying to shoot the 3 cars.
The U.S. have been tracking those car for a long time and they needed to catch and question those people before they got away. They had been waiting for the cars to get away from the crowded cities because if there was trouble, no civilians would get killed to injured. And they were right to call upon those cars because they later found rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, and AK-47s in the vehicles.

November 9, 2008
CNN.com

Display the 5 student outcomes

2008-11-06T15:22:00.001+08:00

Active learner. Critical thinker and Problem solver. Person of high character. Effective communicator. Community contributor.

During these past two weeks, I assume that I've display all five of the student outcomes in Humanities. Most of these examples of me displaying the 5 student outcomes happened during working with the team but also individually for the Modern Nations project.
I was an active learner these two weeks. While taking notes on my research of Colombia I wondered how they gained independence. So I added a few more questions I wanted to find out in the mind map research. This showed that I was an active learner because when I finished finding how the nation of Colombia was started, I went further and added questions because I wanted to. I would also like the recognize Cindy in my group because she's always so curious and asks a million questions. It can get annoying sometimes but its awesome that when she knows she doesn't understand something, she will push through anything to get her answer.
I showed that I was a critical thinker and problem solver this week when I was helping Jacky with writing up the presentation proposal. We knew we had to assign the jobs to the people who would be best in that particular area. We both evaluated each member of our team and chose the best jobs for them to do. Also, we did the same evaluation when assigning questions for the group mind map to make a page from the keynote.
Being a person of high character is very important. I guess I have been a person of high character. I did the work that the team captain assigned and I constantly remind my team mates to send me their presentations so they can be edited. Though, I think that that is not being a person of high character because I start to get annoying after pestering them to send me their presentation sections.
I managed to accomplish being an effective communicator even when I'm an English speaker in an all Chinese group. All the members of my team are all in ESL and sometimes its hard to communicate with them. However, I managed to explain to them what they wanted to know with not much problem. I think that all the members of my teams were great effective communicators, too, because they were able to listen and communicate with me effectively.
Contributing to my community, or in this case, group was fairly easy because contributing its just participating in the group meetings and when we go over what we plan. I think that all of the members of the group is community contributors because we all engage when we're in class and going over the project. I help remind people what to do for homework.

What science skills did you use during the SMASH Day activity? How do these science skills help us be better scientists?

2008-11-03T21:32:00.001+08:00

What science skills did you use during the SMASH Day activity? How do these science skills help us be better scientists?

Thinking outside the box. When we couldn't find a sturdy way to have the "tower" stand, we decided to use the scissors because Mrs. Smith didn't say that we couldn't use the scissors as part of the "tower" and it was under the list of supplies we could use. The scissors was a great idea and it actually held all 50 grams when we were testing it (but now when we actually did it because our group did it more gently than Mrs. Smith).
Thinking outside the box can help us be better scientist because sometimes we make the experiment more complicated than it is and we totally miss every little thing. When we think outside the box and consider every view, we could make the "tower" stand up.

Current Events

2008-11-02T18:10:00.002+08:00

Note to readers: The direct link to the article is and has always been in the title of the article. I've placed another link on the news site below the date that the article was published.
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Obama, McCain campaign through swing states

The U.S. elections are just two days away the the candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are neck and neck in the polls. Just yesterday, both candidates spent the whole day holding campaign rallies on the battleground states, which are the states that have an almost even number of votes on both sides or the majority of the state supports the other candidate.
As both side attack each other in order to persuade the citizen of America, all trying to convince everyone that they would be a better president than the other.
Now it all comes down on the Americans themselves to pick who will be the better president after the disappointing 8 years.

November 2, 2008
CNN.com

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Saddam Hussein Reportedly Stabbed 6 Times After Execution

The body of dictator Saddam Hussein, who was executed in 2006 for crimes against humanity, was found stabbed six times after being hanged.The chief guard at Hussein's tomb said that there were stab wounds all over the dictator's body and another injury to the face. 300 other people also saw these injuries when the body was being buried, but yet the world only knows 3 years later? Officials are still investigating how the body came to these injuries because it might have been a soldier or guard who did this because according Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraq’s security advisor, Saddam Hussein wasn't harmed before and after his execution.

November 1, 2008
TheLondonTimesonline.co.uk

Current Events

2008-10-27T22:31:00.003+08:00

U.S. helicopter shot down in Afghanistan - CNN.com

It was very lucky that all U.S. 10 soldiers survived when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan today. The Taliban fighters used a rocket-propelled grenade to bring down the U.S. Chinook helicopter about 30 miles west of Kabul in the Wardak province.
The helicopter, says a U.S. military spokesman Major Redfield, went down in the Wardak province after an exchange of fire with enemy on the ground.

Also, another suicide bomber killed two soldiers and injured 3 others in north Afghanistan. This bombing took place when the U.S officials were to gather and meet with the police in chief of that province. An american soldier and a small child were killed. The Taliban also took responsibility of this bombing.

October 27, 2008
CNN.com

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2 Dead in Arkansas campus shooting; one suspect in custody - CNN.com

A police van , just outside the dorms of the university where the shooting took place

This is the second campus shooting I've heard of since the summer vacation. 2 students were killed at a shooting in the University of Central Arkansas on Sunday. Shots were heard near the Arkansas Hall and the Snow Fine Arts Center at 9:22 pm, says Freshman Sam Hausen who was only 50 feet away from the shooters. One student died on campus and the other in a hospital. Hausen actually saw vans speed away but wasn't sure those were the shooters or just students trying to get away.
After the shooting, the whole campus was put on lock down and all classes were canceled.
One person, we don't know whether it was a student or part of the faculty have been held for questioning but not yet arrested.

October 27, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events

2008-10-23T22:43:00.000+08:00

Suspected U.S. missiles kill 8 in Pakistan

Just hours after the Pakistan parliament passed a national security resolution, 2 missiles from an unmanned drone (a remote controlled aircraft or missile) hit a religious school in a village in North Waziristan. This is kind of ironic because the national security resolution stated that "the nation stands united against any incursion and invasions" and the country's national security was in need of a review of the way it was trying to stop terrorism.
Why do they suspect the U.S? Well the United States is the only country that posted there and have the capability to launch missiles from drones. The U.S military hasn't said anything about the incident. The 2 missiles filled 8 people and injured 6 others, says military sources.

October 23, 2008
CNN.com

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Ballesteros faces 3rd and 'complex' brain op

As said from my last current events, the famous Spanish golf legend Seve Ballesteros had a recent surgery on his brain tumor where surgeons tried to remove as much as the brain tumor as possible. Ballesteros was said to be in stable condition after the surgery. On Friday October 24, Ballesteros will again for the third time undergo a more "complex" surgery, says the La Paz hospital, where Ballesteros has been staying at at his current situation.
This time, the surgeons will try to relive some pressure on his brain that was caused by bleeding after the first surgery.

October 23, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events

2008-10-16T20:24:00.001+08:00

Ballesteros conscious in intensive care

World know gold legend Seve Ballesteros is conscious after the surgical removal of his brain tumor. Most people don't survive these operations and while performing the surgery, you have to be extremely careful as one small mistake could kill the patient.
Ballesteros is a 51 year old Spanish golfer who won a record 50 times on a European golf tour and the British Open 3 times and many other competitions before retiring last year. He is right now in stable condition when doctor tried to remove as much of the tumor as possible.

October 16, 2008
CNN.com

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Spain: Mechanic of crashed plane questioned

A few months ago in August, a plane crash in Madrid killed 154 people. They're still investigating the plane crash and the court will be questioning three plane mechanics suspected of tempering with the plane. Two of the mechanics were working on the plane the day of the crash and the third was the head of maintenance.
What most people found out so far from the investigation was that the plane's wing flaps didn't deploy while the plane was taking off. The cockpit warning system didn't work and it didn't warn the pilots on time to the problem. However, they did not say that this was the reason why the plane crashed and only left 18 alive. This plane crash was the worst the Spain had had all this year.

October 16, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events

2008-10-12T11:44:00.000+08:00

Earthquake kills 12 people in Chechnya

More than 100 people injured and at least 12 people were killed yesterday in a 5.3 magnitude earthquake. This earthquake took place in Russia's Chechnya region.
Many buildings were destroyed and many roads cracked in some areas including a district called Grozny. The British Virgin Islands were also shaken with a stronger earthquake However, this earthquake held less deaths and damages.

*****

Suspect in High-profile murder case kills himself

In 1981, thats 27 years ago, a Japanese couple came to visit Los Angeles. The husband, Kazuyoshi Miura was shot in the long and hiss wife was shot in the head and died a year later.
The Los Angeles officials thought that Miura wanted to kill his wife so he could get the $750,000 of her life insurance policies. Miura was accused of killing his wife and was arrested on February 1988.
Just a few days ago on Friday night, Miura arrive in Los Angeles to face conspiracy charges on his wife's murder 27 years ago. However, within the 24 hours of him in Los Angeles, Miura committed suicide in his jail-cell by hanging himself with a piece of his shirt. Officials found him dead after routine checks of the cells at 9:45 pm on Friday. Miura was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
His attorney, Mark Geragos said, "I'm shocked. One of my lawyers was with him for 12 hours yesterday and he seemed in good spirits.."

Which is more dense -- A stack of 20 NT coins or a stack of 5 NT coins

2008-10-12T10:32:00.000+08:00

A stack of 20 NT coins would be denser than a stack of 5 NT coins. This is because to find the density of an object, you have the mass divided by the volume. The mass of the 20 NT coin stack would be more than the mass of the 5 NT coin stack. The volume would be different too because there are more coins in the 20 NT stack than the 5 NT stack. Thus, the data in the density formula would be different and the stack of 20 NT would be more dense because it has more coins than the other stack.

How 'A Tell Tale Heart' relates to me

2008-10-07T19:26:00.002+08:00

The story A Tell Tale heart is a horror story about death and how when you do something wrong, the guilt will always eat you up from the inside. Right now I'm not feeling any guilt 'cause I haven't done anything wrong yet.
But I guess it could relate to my life how the man tried every night to kill the man but couldn't because the eye wasn't hunting him as the old man was asleep. I'm a procrastinator. I guess this stroy can relate to me when I tell myself to do my homework but I can't seem to do it. I get distracted very easily and I usually drift away in my mind I guess only when it gets really late at night, around 12 midnight (just like the man) do I complete my homework. Today I seem to do my homework really early, probably because this is due tomorrow and I have a lot of other homework that I have due tomorrow (that was assigned today).

Current Events

2008-10-07T18:28:00.002+08:00

Tibet quake toll lowered to 9, hundreds homeless - CNN.com

Just yesterday, two earth quakes (one with a 6.6 magnitude and the other 15 minutes later at about 5.1 magnitude). This earthquake killed about nine people which is a smaller number than the original toll of 30, this was inaccurate because it used "unauthoritative sources" (CNN.com). These earthquakes caused 147 homes to collasped, leaving 153 families homeless. The government has sent tents to the areas of the damaged. About 19 people were injured.
This is really said because you don't actually see news about earthquakes in Tibet on the news. Tibet has already experienced many more that 5.0 magnitude earthquakes this past few months since May. Even though this area is really accident prone though it doesn't turn up on the news that other people know of. China has an earthquake and the whole world knows.

October 7, 2008
CNN.com

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Death toll rises amid India ethnic violence - CNN.com

Fights between tribal people and Muslims in India have raised the death toll to 47 since Friday. This "decade-old rivalry" (CNN.com) between the Muslims and tribal people has sent about 100,00 people to escape from the deadly riots to 50 relief camps.
The rioting started on Friday between the Bodo tribesmen and probably the Bangladeshi settlers in India's remote northeastern state of Assam.
The riots have so far stopped since yesterday. "But some people injured in the clashes have died in hospitals, and some more dead bodies have been recovered." said State home commissioner Rajiv Kumar Bora. 22 people died from police firing.
The police are looking into the fact whether it was the decade-old rivalry between the Bodo and the Muslims that made the attackers attack each other with traditional weapons like arrows and spears.

October 7, 2008
CNN.com

How 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' relates to my god damned terrible life..

2008-10-06T21:26:00.002+08:00

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge tells a story about a man's imagination; how it got in his mind making him think that he was escaping and going to live. I think the theme of this story is how our minds can trick us as to believe something else. I can relate to this story at this very second as I type this and as my eye gradually become more puffy.
I know now that I shouldn't trust anybody, not even my mind. I thought that my life was starting to get better. Turns out things always get worse when the fat lady sings -- or in this case, my dad. I feel like the last few days since Friday have been quite easy; my dad ain't yelling (my mom yells on a regular basis), I had steak for breakfast yesterday..etc. Now I feel my neck breaking, like Peyton Farquhar. My dad is apparently on some drug or something. I was doing my homework when he barged in and yelled at me and my sisters to go shower then continue our homework on the dining table. That's quite ironic as last time when I did my homework at the dining table, he told me to get the hell away and "I gave you a desk for a reason...". As I sit here laughing to myself, I silently laugh how lucky I am. I was pretty stumped an hour ago at this particular question, and now my dad comes in and hangs me and somehow in a way gives me the answer to the question.
I indeed am the Peyton Farquhar in this story except it was worse; I actually did (physically and mentally) experienced the dream...

Current Events

2008-10-05T11:48:00.003+08:00

More melamine found in chocolate bars - CNN.com

China's Milk Power Scandal has caused countries like South Korea to order four more Chinese-made food products to be destroyed. Right now, the number of tainted products known to South Korea that have melamine in them are 10 products. About 430 products have already been pulled down from stores for testing. South Korea, like many other countries, has stopped all Chinese-made products that have milk (or in general dairy) altogether.
The poisonous melamine was found in Snickers bars, M&Ms, and KitKat. These products were made from different companies like Mars and Nestle. Though Nestle comes from China, I know that the Snickers were made in Russia. So right now, you'll never know where your food comes from; the milk powder may have been made in China.Lotte and Mars Korea has said they're taking back all their products and foodstuff.

October 4, 2008. CNN.com

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Four pirate attacks off Somalia in 24 hours, U.S. says - CNN.com

Pirates in the coast of Somalia have gained the international attention after a recent attack on a Ukrainian ship containing 33 Soviet-designed tanks and weaponry. Now in one day, there have been 4 pirate failed pirate attacks, although there were 6 American warships being sentinels on other ships filled with weapons.
3 of the 4 attacks were able to escape because they were so fast. The fourth, however, were foiled due to the fact that the ladder that they had brought to climb up to the ship was too short.
These failed attacks after some 26 ships successfully attacked and hijacked this year is probably because of the ships have taken these as a major priority after the attack on the 33 tanks. Already 8 European countries have offered Somalia coast to form an anti-piracy force.

October 4, 2008. CNN.com

Why Did We Spend 3 days Answering the Wrong Question?

2008-10-03T18:51:00.002+08:00

Why did we spend 3 days trying to figure out what mass, volume, and matter is when the question is "Can matter disappear?". This is because matter is made up of mass and volume; weight and space being taken up. To find the answer to this question, we have to first find out what matter is made of and can that stuff disappear. When matter disappears, that would have to mean that the weight that was there on the Earth is gone and the space that was being taken up is empty.
See, if we study about what really is matter, then can we fully understand and answer the question of Can Matter Disappear?

Current Events

2008-09-30T18:32:00.003+08:00

India temple stampede kills 100 - CNN.com

More than 100 people killed and 50 others were wounded today in a stampede on The Chamunda Devi temple in Western India. 25, 000 devotees had been trying to get to the hill-top temple though a steep and narrow pathway because they were having a gathering to celebrate the start of a religious holiday.
This is the start of a holiday known as Navaratri (or nine nights) and for nine night and 10 days, Hindus worship the different forms of a Hindu goddess.

The police do not know what caused the rush but many people said that they heard rumors of a bomb and reacted. Though these rumors where spread without a "baseline" these people would be scared anyways as across India, they have had a recent string of deadly bombings. The minister for the region has said that they had assigned 'enough' officers for crowd control but the large group of people had 'overwhelmed' them.

This stampede is a follow-up of last months, similar incident. More than 130 people were killed when the panicked worshipperes tried to run down a crowded street from a mountaintop Hindu temple in northern India when they heard of a landslide on the mountain above everyone. This landslide, of course was faked.

So much of these accidents were caused by faked panic and so many people had to die because someone started a rumor.

September 30, 2008
CNN.com

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35 people killed in Pakistan bus accident- CNN.com

In Pakistan, at least 35 people died when their bus crashed into a milk tanker and caught fire.
This happened in central Pakistan late Monday near a city of Muzaffargarh. The bus speeding on a narrow road when it collided with the milk tanker and immediately caught fire. Authorities still can't identify the bodies of the 35 killed. These kind of accidents happen almost everyday in Pakistan because people don't care about the safety rules of the road.

September 30, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events

2008-09-29T18:40:00.003+08:00

Kidnapped European Tourists Freed - CNN.com

Tourists in Egypt...

10 days ago, 11 European tourists and their 8 Egyptian guides were kidnapped from South of Egypt in Wadi al-Gadid, which is about 400 km from the Southern Egyptian city of Aswan. They were all traveling in 4 jeeps when they were apparently taken to Sudan. This kidnapping cause a start of a small conflict between Egypt and Europe.
The tourist group included 5 Germans, 5 Italians, and 1 Romanian. The guides were all Egyptian; 4 drivers, 3 security guards assigned to accompany the group and the owner of the company.

Today, all of them have been released unharmed.
All of them now are on a military flight back to another military base near Cairo, the capital of Egypt, reported Magdy Rady, a spokesman for the Prime minister of Egypt. However, the officials have not released the information of where they were kept and whether they made any arrests of the kidnappers.

September 29, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events

2008-09-25T21:46:00.001+08:00

Tainted Milk Scandal Worries

After all this melamine-tainted milk starting up in China and it's products many countries all over the world, like Singapore and Taiwan, have been taking down food items that have milk in them and are from China. Now with this milk scandal, scientists have began to look into other products of China. Some crayons have already been tested and passed for a poison toxic chemical.
People everywhere have to be very cautious of what they consume now. In every foodstuff made in China, people everywhere are looking very closely at the labels to check whether the milk or milk powder came from China.
"(There's) no confidence any more. I'm now looking carefully at everything that's made in China," said one Singapore resident.
Some traditional Chinese medicine shops in Singapore said that business has been cut down by 20%.
Its very confusing why people would chose to cut corners in making these stuff when they can produce good items and have good feedback instead of the millions of emails, phone calls, and faxes of complaints and threats.

Written by Ryan Huang and S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
September 25, 2008

Culture of where I'm from

2008-09-23T10:58:00.003+08:00

I come from Singapore, which has many different races; Chinese, Eurasian, Malay, Indonesian...etc. The cultures may differ from our race but I'm from the Chinese culture. Though my family isn't really deep into the Chinese culture, we still celebrate some Chinese events like Moon Cake festival and Chinese New Year. Those are probably the only celebrations related to the Chinese culture that I celebrate.
During Chinese New Year, we would have a family reunion where all my cousins and my aunts and uncles come together at my grandparent's house. When we get there, we would have to present 2 tangerines to the grandparents and wish them a happy new year. We would eat and hang out and the elders would give red packets or 紅包 to us. Then our parents would just store them in our banks.
On Moon Cake festival, it isn't so intense as it is here. We would just buy moon cakes and eat them and when we were young, we would get lanterns and walk around the block at night with all the other children. I didn't actually get why we had this but I appreciated the moon cakes and their sweet savoring taste.
Singapore has a lot of religions and it usually matters on your race. Then again, you could be from Indonesia and still become a Christian at your choice. My family is Christian because my grandfather (on my dad's side wanted to go to church after one of his friends brought him there). Originally my ancestors were probably believers of those Chinese gods. But both of my parents' side became Christian on my grandparent's generation.
Transportation in Singapore. Singapore is really small and it's pretty easy to get to places. Most people use the public transport like the MRTs, or the buses. The taxi fares has raised since the gas prices rised and more tourist became interested in Singapore. Though people use the public transport a lot, slightly more than average families have at least 2 cars. Well- at least where I lived, I lived in the city.
The arts of Singapore. We don't actually have a specific way of design, we follow the arts and music of, like, America. There are very few popular bands in Singapore and I, for instance, always listen to the American broadcast on the radio. The way we dress can either be really expensive and fashionable or those dis-colored cheap second-hand clothing you buy in super markets. Most kids my age don't really get the chance to buy clothing because they're always so busy with work and they only spend an average of S$150 on clothing the whole year. But the normal clothes fit for Singapore is probably a tank and shorts with flip-flops.
Education in Singapore means everything. The schedule of an average Singapore student would be:
7:00 - 1:00 = School
After school = ECA (extra curricular activities...mandatory)
Evening: Tuition or Swimming or Music
9:00 - Arrive home and eat.
9:30 - Study
1 am - Sleep.

This is why you don't see much Singaporeans go into high classes colleges. Everyone gets such a good score, who can you pick is the best to go to your school? Friends are hard to find in Singapore, even at work, because everyone is trying to beat each other out and get to the top.
Economics: Singapore's money. I'm not all sure about it. We're known to be really rich from the outside, but while you're in Singapore, you seem really poor.
Food: Yes. We have a lot fo famous food. The Chili Crab. The Hainanese Chicken Rice. The Ba kut teh. The Chili crab is known to be really good but really spicy. Chicken rice is not just chicken and rice, the rice has a certain flavor that makes the dish unique. The Ba Kut Teh, most people know as drinking/eating in the morning is a bitter and sweet herb soup we drink. It's really deliecious with various veggies, herbs, and meat.
Singapore is pretty okay. It the place I feel the most comfortable.

Is Air Matter?

2008-09-22T19:12:00.003+08:00

Air is matter. I think that takes up space is matter. Why do you ask? If you blow air into a balloon, it inflates. This is because air is pushing the rubber of the balloon to expand and to create space for itself.
Air contains, carbon dioxide, oxygen, dust, and all those junk we have in the air now in the 21th century. Dust is actually dead skins cells and bacteria and a lot of other stuff, dust can make dustbunnies. Dust bunnies, lots of dust stuck together. This creates a mass and it takes up space. Carbon dioxide and oxygen and other stuff in the air is made of elements in the Periodic Table. They contain atoms and they take up space. Just because we can't see them or weigh them, doesn't mean their not matter. After all- they do matter.

Current Events

2008-09-22T18:22:00.005+08:00

Obama Heckled By Protesters

The African American protesters that showed up at Obama's recent rally. ^

Protesters being escorted out of the University of Miami's hall by the Secret Service.
***

This has not been the only speech that Sen. Barack Obama has been interupted by protesters. In one of his other rally (in the beginning of August in St Petersburg, FL) Obama was similarly interrupted by a smaller group of protestors with signs saying, "What about the black community, Obama?"
On his recent rally, just after he did his introduction, Obama was heckled by a group of 20+ blacks holding signs like "Blacks against Obama" or "Obama edorsed by the KKK".
Obama, instead of ignoring his protesters at first, handled the situation that should be greatly coveted. Once noticing the interruption, Obama stopped and allowed his crowd to try and drown out the chants from the protesters with "Yes we can".

"Hey young people out there – it's no problem for you to put your signs up," Obama says to the protesters, "but let everybody – let me finish what I have to say, alright? Come on guys."

After this, Obama headed straight back into his pre-written speech about everyday jobs and watching the prices go up...

As the group of African American protesters were being escorted out of the hall of the University of Miami, Obama says, "Alright guys, see ya" and waves along with the crowd to the leaving protestors. He continues with a, "Alright, let's get back to work."

September 19, 2008. www.abcnews.com

HIS Culture

2008-09-21T01:51:00.000+08:00

HIS Culture

- Camp Taiwan: We've done it every year.
- Musical: We've done it every year.
- Family School: Every one treats another like family
- 1:1 Laptop School: We use technology and laptops instead of books
- Small School: We're a small international school
- WASC: An example of our school trying to grow and expand.
- 5 student outcomes; Active Learner, Critical Thinker and Problem Solver, Person of highs character, effective communicator, and community contributor.

Current Events

2008-09-18T16:54:00.004+08:00

'Post-Olympic Era' Off to a Rocky Start - CNN.com

China has recently finished their Olympic Games. But all this excitement, or as they call it, "post-Olympic euphoria", everyone is ignoring all the "economic worries and safety crises" [CNN.com]
People all around the world saw the Olympic Games as something that will effect the political and social change of China.
Many citizens of China sent in compliants to the government over the China's Human rights record and "treatment of minorities".
Even before then, however, reality showed itself with the collapse earlier this month at an illegal mine waste dump that killed at least 259 people and forced the resignation of a provincial governor.Now, the contaminated milk powder has killed the fourth baby, and more than 6,200 in critical condition, the government isn't paying enough attention to them and the only times we read about them are in international records. The rest of the world is worrying while China is still celebrated their success of the Olympic Games.

September 17, 2008 CNN.com

Current Events

2008-09-14T21:10:00.000+08:00

Rove: McCain went 'too far' in ads - CNN.com

This year's Presidential Elections in the United States has been in the top news globally. This fierce battle with Barack Obama against John McCain is what most of the world is talking about. After Sen. McCain announced his pick, and took the world by surprise, as Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, and after her speech that included many attacks against Obama, it's been a full out debate between the two parties.
Sen. McCain has had the experience, being in Congress, but many think that he may lead America to another four years of disappointment. Obama has very little experience, but he has fresh ideas from this very "young" mind of his. I think it's almost even ground here. It's like a playground fight where two kids are trying to claim the swings and the slide but to persuade the other kids they have to give them jellybeans. Both kid leaders have the same amount of jellybeans. Would American want another "Bush" as President? Or someone that doesn't have that much experience?
How are those two parties get so much votes when they are about even? To beat out the opponent, one has to persuade the citizens of America what they can do and what the opponent can't. Former Bush advisory, Karl Rove says that McCain has gone "one step too far" with the attacks against Obama in his ads. After this comment from Rove to Fox News, the Democratic party "leaped on the quote" [CNN.com].
Rove then said that both parties need to be careful what they say to each other.

On another hand, Former nominee from the Democratic party, Hilary Clinton, says, "Barack and I may have started out on two separate paths, but we are on one journey now." This, to me, shows that even though they were opponents, Clinton still remains on the Democratic side.

CNN.com September 14, 2008.

Why Students Should Blog

2008-09-08T16:34:00.003+08:00

When I watched the Youtube video first about "Why Let Our Students Blog" I found the fact there are younger students (grade 2s - 3s) that are a 1:1 laptop school too. It's pretty cool to see what younger students have been doing stuff with the computers, maybe even better than us.
I enjoyed the part where the person who made the video included the part for our "digital future". As we go further up the years, our lives will obviously become incredibly "digital". With all the technology being created every day, we can't start learning about the electronic world when we're older. We have to start young and we'll obviously learn more stuff in the future. Gradually, we'll learn more more the gadgets and wizzes as we're in a 1:1 computer school. We can obviously learn all this stuff too...through blogging. :]

For the blog post about 20 (its actually 21 reasons) reasons why students should blog, I liked the part that states "Students are digital natives - blogging is a natural element of this." Yes, because we are children living in this generation, writing a lock-and-key diary is the same writing a blog. It's natural for us.
"Prepares students for digital citizenship as they learn cybersafety and netiquette" This is good because in the future

Current Events

2008-09-05T13:33:00.004+08:00

"New Orleans Starts Up, but Not at Full Power" - NYTimes.com

Residents of Louisiana line up for a free meal from the Salvation Army.

Hurricane Gustav was thought to be a repeat of Hurricane Katrina, luckily, the city of New Orleans escaped with little serious damage. Although the power to tens of thousands of homes have been knocked out, the evacuees pile into the city again, rebuilding this lives. The small cafes and restaurants are packed full with people, the grocery stores, holding long lines, and the traffic on the streets keep rolling.
Mayor C. Ray Nagin said, "90 - 96 percent of the power will be back on by the weekend."

"The city is still improving, and improving rapidly, " Mr Nagin said, "Any business person who’s out there and not open yet, [should return] because you're losing a lot of money."

Many cities of Louisiana, were hit harder than New Orleans. But the recovery of this Hurricane Gustav seems to go by faster because of everyone' experience and easier.

Article by Adam Nossiter of the NYTimes.com published on September 4, 2008.

Current Events

2008-09-05T13:05:00.004+08:00

"Bhutto Widower With Clouded Past Is Set to Lead" - NYTimes.com
Last year, the world was taken by shock when Prime Minster Benazir Bhutto, who was leading a rally for her Pakistan People's Party in the parliamentary campaign was killed in a suicide attack.
Many people then questioned, "Who will lead us now?" Her son was one of those people that others thought would carry his mother's legacy. However, he was still too young.
But now, the widower of Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, is expected to become the president of Pakistan on Saturday. He has never been know as a leader in anything yet, but he said, "[He] wll learn on the job."Mr Zardari has "shown canny political skills" [NYTimes.com]
Hopefully, he will be able to lead this scarred country.

Article written by Jane Perlez of the NYTimes.com. Published on September 4, 2008
PHOTO: NYTimes.com "Asif Ali Zardari"

China Recycling Wastes

2008-06-02T23:00:00.006+08:00

This is a picture of all the radiators and generators that can give off dangerous gases. [Picture 3]

Above is an example of a three-wheeled bike. [Picture 2]

[Picture 1]

When the US or Europe wants to send China more recyclables, they usually send it by cargo ships. It is rare that they use a plane because that is more expensive.
You can see all the time in Beijing, three-wheeled bicycles carrying junk and trash [Picture 2]. Well, these people who ride them collect trash and items that can be recycled they can make a living out of it. When they collect plastic bottles, they can get a refund of 0.1 yuan (US $0.10) which isn't much. But once they've collected dozens and dozens, they've got money! Stuff like toys, ACs, TVs and computers, the riders of the three-wheeled bicycles can take them apart and sell the parts. Great, we've got all the good stuff about recycling in China. How 'bout the negative side of it?
What if there are wires and small particles of those toys, ACs, TVs and computers can't be used again or they can't find anything to do with them? Well, if they are those people who ride on those three-wheeled bikes, they just dump it at the local dump site [Picture 1]. This is a picture of a woman trying to dig out useful wires that she can use for something else. Maybe she found some parts that she can use for something. Or maybe she works there. The government takes people for jobs and put them at the dump sites to burn the items that can't be used again and can't be recycled. This creates air pollution with all the smoke. Some of the generators from the electronical items give out weird and dangerous gases [Picture 3].

Olympic Games - Beijing

2008-06-02T22:00:00.004+08:00

"China is sparing no expense in preparing Beijing for the Olympic spotlight—including providing English classes for cab drivers and a government-sponsored etiquette campaign."[MSN]

China is doing everything they can to make their country presentable on August 8, 2008 when the torch finally reaches Beijing and the start of the Olympic Games. With all the foreigners pilling in so fast, China is begun to take in any help they can. The organizers of the Olympic games expect 550,000 visitors to comes and so, they've lined up 550,000 locals to help - "one for every guest" [MSN] With all the excitement going on, they've expected 22,000 journalist to come too. Well if journalists and reporters come, then China's going have to put on their best shoes. This may even help their community as now even the government etiquette campaigns are work to "stamp out bad manners like jumping ahead in line, spitting, littering, and reckless driving" to impress the foreigners that have already arrived ahead of time. Cab drivers are now under pressure to learn English so that they can communicate with foreigners when they want a ride. The government has even drawn up a program called "Crazy English" with 10,000 volunteers so that people can learn English and impress the world. Officials are trying to wipe out "Chinglish" which is a mix of Chinese and English on posters, billboards, menus, and storefronts.
The China streets are beginning to grow busier and busier. But now the "city's choking pollution and snarled traffic"[MSN] will finally be controlled during the Olympics; at least 1/3 of 3.3 million vehicles will be banned so that the streets are less polluted.

China has really put everything up front, making an obvious good impression in preparing for the Olympic Games. Now all we have to do and wait to see what their "final presentation" would be when the Olympics start.

To find out more click here

Current Events

2008-05-30T15:04:00.003+08:00

"Stonehenge was a place of burial, researchers say"[CNN]
Most people thought that Stonehenge, a couple of incredibly heavy rocks that form is circle (located in England) was placed there by aliens. Reason? Because back then, cranes weren't invented and they were too heavy to lift. But now, researchers find out that it was just a burial areas.
But since when that people start burying their dead there? Get this. Since 3000 BC.
And the homes near the site used to house people from 3000 BC. Cool~!

"The burying started at 3000 BC and continued for 500 years, said researchers" [CNN]

Well at least now I know that those weren't from aliens...woo.

China - Recycling - USA - Europe

2008-05-27T09:11:00.003+08:00

China has been getting exports from the USA and Europe. Why? And which countries?
Why? - "As China threatens to supplant Japan as the third-largest U.S. export market, local companies are finding that China's appetite for everything from old paper to chemicals to semiconductors"[CNN]
Los Angeles has been one of those countries that send paper to China.
In Florida, there is a China-Latin America Trade Center for Recyclables.
Mostly places where there are many industries in America, they sometimes send their waste products to China.

Sometimes though, China asks the companies to send their waste products to China. It seems that China is really serious about the green movement.

In Europe, countries like England and France are sending their waste products to China and China has been converting them into recycled paper. China has been saving many forest with their new improved technique, especially in India and Russia where many people get their paper.

Current Events

2008-05-26T21:42:00.002+08:00

The FIFA world cup is a soccer game that every soccer player in the world knows about. Recently, the Iraqi soccer team has been banned from the games for a year. This was due to the Iraqi government dissolving all national sport federations. I think that this is unfair to the players on the team. They love soccer as much as every other player who is taking part of the FIFA world cup. So why do they have to be banned doing something they love because of politics and government?
Should Ariel be taken away her freedom to go shopping if someone else did wrong? Should boys stop playing computer games if someone else did wrong? No.
Just because the government dissolved all national sports federations, now they can't play the World Cup.

Current Events

2008-05-19T23:24:00.004+08:00

[In this picture, police are firing rubber bullets at mobs and protesters. Rubber bullets are rubber made bullets that hurt as much as real bullets but do not go through the skin or enter to skin and "bounces off" the person, though it hurts like a real bullet]
Just recently in South Africa, there have been mobs and protests directed at the foreigners in Johannesburg. At least 22 people were killed in the small village at the mobs attacked at, and the Red Cross estimates that at least 3,000 more were displaced. The police also arrested at least 200 people for offenses including rape, murder, looting, and destruction of property.
"Police said those behind the attacks accused the foreigners of stealing jobs, criminal activities, and benefiting from social services -- such as free housing --meant to benefit South Africans. Police said at least one foreigner was burned alive over the weekend, while others had their houses torched, their shops looted and their possessions stolen. Many have sought refuge at police stations." [CNN]
They attacked those small villages "where locals are jobless, hungry and in need of basic services such as clean water, sanitation and housing" [CNN]. These attacks were meant to drive out the foreigners, like escapes from Zimbabwe from South Africa.
Its amazing that after everything that happened after the apartheid nationality is still a problem in South Africa.

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References

Mabuse, Nkepile. "Anti-foreigners violence kills 22 in S' Africa" CNN. May 19 2008. May 19 2008.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/19/southafrica.deaths/index.html>

Current Events

2008-05-15T22:21:00.005+08:00

Picture 1

Picture 2

We've heard about wars and riots and protests all around the world. Sure, man-made disasters. But so far this far 2 weeks there have been two NATURAL disasters in our continent of Asia. A cyclone in Myanmar and an earthquake in China. This topic has been very popular in our school too. Even here in Hsin-chu, people claimed that they too felt the tremors of the quake, which epicenter of located in the middle of China.
I believe that the real bad thing about natural disasters is the aftermath. The destroyed homes, the death tolls rising each day after new findings.
In China, many believe that their death tool from their 7.8 quake may hit 50,000 people. There have been stories of the sorrow in China. *Of "two grandparents carrying their dead grandson because they didn't want to put him down on the ground and destroyed areas". **Another story of how a "live baby was found under his dead mother and father because they had protected him with their lives". About 3.5 million homes were destroyed form this terrible earthquake. It is told that this is the largest most damaged earthquake in the last generation and that last largest earthquake was also in China in 1976.
While in Myanmar, the death toll could hit 100,000 people. And theif government still isn't letting any aid get in without their control over it first. They only allowed the helicopters from the US to hover over the land and drop the aid boxes so the Myanmar government can be the one who controls everything and delivers the aid to the people in need.

Its amazing what nature can do and how many lives it can take in just a few minutes or hours.

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* , ** = <http://his-jordanw.blogspot.com/2008/05/chinas-quake.html>

Picture 1 =
<http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/15/quake.thursday/index.html?iref=mpstoryview>

Picture 2 = <http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/15/myanmar/index.html?iref=mpstoryview>

Current Events

2008-05-11T20:59:00.004+08:00

So far, the Olympic torch has been around the world. Today (May 11, 2008) the torch is in Fujian. The torch has been in many protest and rallies throughout the world. The following pictures are sections of the route that the Olympic torch has taken. The first picture shows the route of the Olympic torch from May 2 to August 6. The second picture shows where the torch is right now, which I had already said, Fujian, which is somewhere in China. link

CNN Student News

2008-05-08T22:11:00.002+08:00

I watched a podcast of CNN Student News and I saw that actions of the school taking control of the drinking on prom nights.
I believe that this is a good way for keeping the students safe and get these situations under control. Theses schools cannot stop everyone because there will always be some students who find loopholes and use it against the teachers. Although I do not disagree that the teachers should be doing this because kids' life should not be interrupted by stupid things like drinking. Those teens who drink should really think about what they are about to do and what might happen after you and and the people around you.

Current Events

2008-05-08T22:01:00.003+08:00

The Olympic flame reached the top of the world Thursday morning, carried to the summit of Mount Everest by climbers wearing oxygen masks to breathe in the thin air of the earth's highest point. A 23-year-old Tibetan woman, Tsering Wangmo, carried the flame atop the peak. She was the last of five climbers -- three Tibetans and two Han Chinese -- to pass the torch to each other near the summit.
Once there, the mountaineers removed their masks so television cameras could record their faces and so they could shout and cheer their feat.
The climbers, braving gusty winds and freezing windchill, relayed the flame -- ignited from the main Olympic flame, now making a course across China en route to host city Beijing -- to the summit by 9:18 a.m., about two hours ahead of schedule.
"They were very motivated; they were very excited," journalist Tomas Etzler said from the Everest base camp at 5,200 meters (17,060 ft). The climbers started their ascent at 3 a.m. Thursday (3 p.m. Wednesday) along the Tibetan side of Everest, known there as Chomolungma. Twenty-two of the 31 climbers were Tibetan.

Student 2.0

2008-05-05T23:08:00.002+08:00

Think that the posts at Student 2.0 is kinda not really interesting to me. Most of the authors are all high school students with problems that high school students have. Like college? Do we really need to be worrying about college right now when we're only in middle school.
If we wanted to talk to people in Korea or Sudan, I think then we would have showed more interest in those countries. What people our age like doing is hanging out. Having fun for the few more years until we have to worrying about everything else.
We don't really bother about somethings that happen in another school. Will it have an impact of out school?
I think we should look into something and write about something that interests us...not something that might interest people who are older than us and have better will to do something they want...like blogging.

Three Lessons from High School: Student 2.0

2008-05-04T22:50:00.000+08:00

I listened to the video of "Three Lessons from High School 2.0" and i think that Anthony Chivetta, the student who posted that blog post has many good advice, for someone in another type of school. Those kind of advice would have worked, depending on the school's situation and the type of relationships that people have. His school must have been a large school where you don't know the names of a person a year older than you. That is the school where no one really cares about what you do. His advice would have worked if you found some logic in it. Like what would happen in reality if everyone could track your mistakes and hold you to it forever. Those advice, in my opinion, expired about 10 years ago when everyone was best friends with each other in a school and there were no complications along the way.

I think that its better that the author, Anthony Chivetta used video as a post but he could have made it a little more interesting. Halfway I started to get bored and i almost fell asleep. An advice would have been to make the video presentation a little more interesting and something that would have caught the attention of normal students that may have other problems.

Current Events

2008-05-01T20:00:00.000+08:00

This is a picture of an artist who is finishing up his sand sculpture in Vijfhuizen, Netherlans where there will be a SandSculpFestival. It was a big indoor exhibition of sculptures that are completely made of sand.

Current Events

2008-05-01T19:40:00.002+08:00

These women are receiving rice at a local shrine in Islamabad, Pakistan because of rising populations and strong demand from developing countries and also because of crops that need bio-fuels and sent the food prices very high.