Book report 4:
Sold - Patricia McCormick
Is about a sweet young girl from Nepal. She tells of the rules of where she lives such as the city rules are "Don't drink the city water." or the fifferent customs they had to go through, the strangw way of life and how she had to through so much in order to make it through the world. He tells about the strigant security and what is gon on there. The danger that is also faced in her life. She is very elaborate and describes things in very interesting quotes, poems, words, journal enteries and limericks. fascinating
It is a fascinating book of copurage and different ways of life, It is essentially putting yourself in someone else's shoes.
I liked it, I found that it was very much eclectic in so many ways, it was an eye opener and I found that it was profoundly different then the USA. Luxeries are not always in other countries as they the U.S.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Book Report 4
Book Report 3
Book Report 3: The Notebook
I read the Notebook by Nicolas Sparks, that has recently been made into a major motion picture.
About a young boy and girl. A fairly conservative young girl and a boy from the wrong sides of the tracks get together and hand do many wonderful things such as they go to an ice cream parlor, they spend nights together in Noah’s beautifully renovated southern mansion that he renovated with his own hands. They have a beautiful relationship, but, later in life they find that Alli the girl has Alzeimers and she can’t remember Noah. Their love lasted all their lives and they were childhood sweethearts , it even lasted through other relationships because their love was so strong that it even overcame the love Alli had for her fiancé. In the end throughout the hardships their relationship faces, Noah is forever by Alli’s side as he coniously reminds Alli of their love and relationship in little ways and details when her memory slips.
I really enjoyed the book and movies as it was a sweet preminse. Many cry at the though of the final ending and the story as a whole, however, I look at it realistically as very sweet and endearing love story.
Book Report 2
Colleen Hughes
Elika’s Humanities Class
Book Report: How To Expand Love, His Holinesss The Dalai Lama
I’ve read the book How To Expand Love by the Dalai Lama about widening the circle of relationships. It teaches that you have to think about people around you differently and with kindness. Instead of thinking about things they say to you think of it in context of moods, such as when they say you look nice, they are in a good mood. It teaches how to deal with enemies, how to deal with coworkers, or peers, relationships, family, and friends. It teaches you how to learn from tragedy, How to detach from being clingy or attached to material things and people, How to let go and let things slide of your back, tolerance, enlightenment and human rights as well as meditation. It was all fascinating, and I still re read it to make sure that these life lessons are engrained in my daily life and actions. I’ve been going through a lot of stress lately and this made me see from different view points. It brought me down to earth and made me relize that I could think about other things rather than suffer as I have been. Such quotes as these, get me through “Like salt water, pleasurable things increase attachment no matter how many times they are used The altruistic practice by viewing them as like a summer rainbow, appearing to be beautiful but, untrue. Thereby avoiding lust and attachment.” –Bodhissativa Tokmay Sangpo
Or “Demonstrate warm feelings for all, if you want a friend, demonstrate warmth and compassion.” And “Help anyone if you notice they are in their time of need.”
I really enjoyed this book as it’s helped me through troublesome times.
Book Report 1
Colleen Hughes
Elika’s Humanities Class
Book Report: Guidebook For Marines Eighteenth Revised Edition
I read a book called Guidebook for Marines. A friend of mine who is a Marine gave it to me and I learned a lot from it. The reason I originally picked it up was because I intended on joining the military. Through this book, I learned the intended excercises such as how to do a proper crunch at a 90% angle or an exercise called a dirty dog. It teaches you about all the clothing and equipment that Marines have to wear. How to properly clean equipment as well as displaying it, and different types of weapons as well as how to position them and how to properly shoot them. It also teaches you basic CPR training, amongst how to treat a snakebite, how to handle minor wounds, someone who is unconscious, how to transport a victim without a stretcher. Of course presumably this would be in combat and even though I am a woman, this is still important stuff to know even if I don’t end up going into combat. Amongst other first aid measures and instructions, I learned how to treat electrical shock, burns, jaw wounds, how to dress a wound and how to control bleeding as well as shock control by making a tourniquet. Amongst so many other useful things in life. Overall, I benefited by reading this book because not only have I learned alot in CPR, and how Marines operate in daily life, but, I set aside a misnomer in my mind that Marines don’t know much except for hand to hand combat or how to shoot guns. Fully assembling and unassembling a rifle is hard work, carrying a Marine pack is a lot of work and has a lot of complicated compartments, the impression of freshly pressed clothes isn’t just there, its precise dedication to creases and detail, you can’t operate weapons in all climates, shooting is not easy, there are many types of guns and many ways to shoot them, Marines fit and lean bodies are not just from running they put a lot of time and effort into the way they work. Finally, Marines are not just made, they put a lot of effort and dedication that goes along with being one and this book really helped educate me on proper responsibility. I gained a lot from this book.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Colleen's Junior Year of Math
Improvement in:
- Linear Equations - slope
- Geometry
- proabability
- Overall Algebra
Over the course of my Junior year I have overcome many of the obstacles I had in Algebra.
Problems: I've always had a problem with setting up the problems and doing the steps. Proabability problems, Linear equations, sequence of operations.
Through working with Samantha, I have really improved the way I work through problems. Like Chuck Norris...rather stopping at obstacles, I go through them.
How I've overcome or what works: relating, making math fun, learning to embrace a one on one atmosphere, laughing through the tension
Ex: seandor, Little Angry Leprechuam with a club, Labrinth
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
2 Lawmakers say Computer HackedBy Chinese
By PETE YOST and LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writers 25 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Two House members said Wednesday their Capitol Hill computers, containing information about political dissidents from around the world, have been hacked by sources apparently working out of China.
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Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf says four of his computers were hacked. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith says two of his computers were compromised in December 2006 and March 2007.
The two lawmakers are longtime critics of China's record on human rights.
In an interview Wednesday, Wolf said the hacking of computers in his Capitol Hill office began in August 2006. He says a computer at a House committee office also was hacked, and he suggested others in the House and possibly the Senate could be involved.
The FBI declined to comment.
Wolf said that in his office, the hackers "got everything," including all the casework regarding political dissidents around the world.
In comments to The Associated Press earlier in the day, Wolf suggested the problem probably goes further. "If it's been done in the House, don't you think that they're doing the same thing in the Senate?"
"I think this is very bad because you have the Chinese compromising and gaining access to computers of any number of members of the House and a major committee of the House," Wolf said. "We don't know how many others."
In calling for hearings in both the House and Senate, Wolf said there "probably are members serving in Congress whose computers have been compromised and they may not even know it."
Separately, U.S. authorities are investigating whether Chinese officials secretly copied the contents of a government laptop computer during a visit to China by Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and used the information to try to hack into Commerce Department computers.
The FBI declined to comment. In Beijing, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no immediate comment. Last week, China denied the accusations regarding Gutierrez's laptop and the alleged effort to hack Commerce Department computers.
Wolf said he has known about the hacking for a long time but was discouraged from discussing it publicly by people inside U.S. government, whom he refused to identify.
"The problem has been that no one wants to talk about this issue," said Wolf. "Every time I've started to do something I've been told 'You can't do this.' A lot of people have made it very, very difficult."
Wolf plans to introduce a resolution that he says will help ensure protection for all House computers and information systems. In a draft of prepared remarks he planned to deliver on the House floor Wednesday afternoon, Wolf says he is "deeply concerned that Congress is not adequately aware of or protected" from cyber attacks.
"My own suspicion is I was targeted by China because of my long history of speaking out about China's abysmal human rights record," Wolf says in his remarks. He said Congress should hold hearings, specifically the House Intelligence Committee, Armed Services Committee and Government Operations Committee.
Wolf's resolution calls for the chief administrative officer and sergeant at arms of the House, in consultation with the FBI, to alert House members and their staffs to the danger of electronic attacks. He also wants lawmakers to be fully briefed on ways to safeguard official records from electronic security breaches.
Speaking generally in May 2006, Wolf called Chinese spying efforts "frightening" and said it was no secret that the United States is a principal target of Chinese intelligence services.
Current Event
Sudoku addicts halt drugs trial
Wed Jun 11, 10:20 AM ET
An Australian drugs trial lasting more than three months and costing taxpayers over A$1 million ($947,000) has been aborted after a number of jurors were found to have spent up to half the time playing Sudoku puzzles.
Sydney District Court Judge Peter Zahra cancelled the trial of two men on drugs conspiracy charges after the jury foreperson admitted that four to five jurors had been playing the addictive number sequence game, local media reported. The judge was alerted after some of the jurors were observed writing their notes vertically, rather than horizontally. The game involves completing a grid of numbers in the correct sequence.
One juror said the game helped them to pay more attention by keeping their mind busy.
"Some of the evidence is rather drawn out and I find it difficult to maintain my attention the whole time," the juror was quoted saying by the Australian Associated Press.
A new trial is expected to begin in a few weeks once a new jury has been called.
(Reporting by James Thornhill; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Friday, June 6, 2008
Music project
My Genre is: Country western
The history of country western all started in the Southern United States and the Appalacian Mountains. Its roots stem from traditional Folk music, Celtic Music, blues, gospel music, hokum, and old - time music and evolved into more in thAnother type of stripped down and raw music with a variety of moods and a basic ensemble of guitar, bass, dobro or steel guitar and sometimes drums became popular, especially among poverty striken white southerners. It became known as Honky Tonk and had its roots in Texas. It would later be called "traditional" country. In this post WWII period "country" music was called "folk" in the trades, and "hillbilly" within the industry. e 1920s. There is all kinds of country music. Rocability, Country pop, hillbilly music, Honkytonk, Country Rock, etc.
I like Garth Brooks and Faith Hill so I might use them as muses, er inspiration for the type of country western song that I write, such as a slower country western song.
The history of country music, began in the early 1920s originating in folk music allegedly from the Appalachians in the first quarter of the twentieth century introducing a more sophisticated styling of the ‘hillbilly’ sound. Overall there are three types of country. Honky Tonk Sound, Western sound, and Rockability sound of country. HONKY TONK SOUND In the eighty plus years of country music history, its has gone through drastic changes. Honky Tonk was mainly defined by Guitars and drums. Al Dexter cut the first record with the actual words ‘honky-tonk' in 1936, ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart,’ cut by Hank Williams in 1953, is perhaps one of the best-known records of the honky-tonk era.
WESTERN SOUND OF COUNTRYCountry Western music is defined by a lonesome whistle from the flute or other mellow-sounding wind instrument. The lyrics centered around the pain and sorrow of life on the western frontier. Some examples include Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans.
ROCKABILLY SOUND OF COUNTRYIn the early 1950’s, rockabilly emerged with a mix of southern hills music and the blues. Famous examples are the Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
Despite the fact that many of my peers are doing cover and original songs. I decided to be creative and merge the two. I am performing my version of Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin with original lyrics by me. I call this “My Cheesy Country Song.”
"My Cheesy Country Song"
I walked in a room, saw you standin there
Heart fell to the floor as you stared through my soul
If I'd only known then what I know now
I need to move on and get over you
I tried to forget that I ever... loved you
I guess it goes to show, I just never knew
I can't shove you away and (get) rid of you
Your too much a part of what I used to know
Instead I'm stuck in a blast from the past... when I saw you sittin there
I find myself in the darkest.... fog of mind...
I can't help but think back to that day in the car
When you picked me up for our first big date
I see us swimming together as you pull me near
I felt your whisper grazing my ear
Then I come back here and we're apart
No longer my friend and my ripped up heart.
Instead I'm stuck in a blast from the past, when I saw you sittin... there
I find myself in the darkest fog of mind
Glimmer in your eye..., the love there
It's all a facade, all a cheap lie
That (corner)... smile of yours brings me back
I felt your eyes starin... at me
Instead I'm stuck in a blast from the past when I saw you sittin.. there
I find myself in the darkest fog, A memory, trapped in the past...
Trapped in a memory, I can't seem to bury
My long lost friend, my love from the past
Remnants of love that used to be there, I struggle on and on
Friday, May 30, 2008
Current Event 5/30/08
Japanese man finds woman living in his closet
Fri May 30, 4:41 AM ET
A Japanese man puzzled by food mysteriously disappearing from his refrigerator got a shock when he found out a woman had been living in his home for months without permission, police said Friday.
The 57-year-old man living alone -- or so he thought -- in the western city of Fukuoka installed a security camera and called the police when he saw images of someone walking around his home while he was out.
"We searched the house in the man's presence. We found the woman in the closet," said a local police spokesman.
The woman, named as 58-year-old Tatsuko Horikawa, was found in a flat storage space only just big enough for a person to squeeze into lying down.
She had sneaked a mattress and several plastic bottles into the cubby hole, police said, adding that the women had been arrested.
"She told police that she had nowhere to live," the spokesman said. "She seems to have lived there for about a year, but not all the time."
It is unclear how she managed to enter the home undetected. Police suspect she might have been closet-hopping, moving from house to house.
This is sad, it kind of scares me about an idea that a woman I don't know would be living in my house, under my nose. But, the poor woman, she had nowhere to live. It reminds me of the book "The Mouse and The Motorcycle". She was quiet and she just needed somewhere to live. A closet/ scary...in the corner... It shows that you just never know and that something like that can go on.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Reflection on Architect Movie
Ya ya ya...This better be 500 words. Its not like we had other work and deadlines or stuff due for exhibition, or deadlines for the non profit organizations that we were dilligently working on. No, I forget, that we are just stupid kids sitting here that have to write this pointless reflection. We have to write this pointless 500 word reflection on a movie we can barley hear instead of actually getting work done. I have WORK THAT HAS TO GET DONE AND THIS IS TAKING AWAY FROM MY TIME.
Ok so, this architects son is in a quest to find out about his dad and in the process comes to find out about that his dad had three familys all within blocks of each other. weird. He had two sisters all older then him. His father had him when he was 61 years old.
His fathers name was Lou , he was Irish, German and Jewish, evidently so is his son. This movie is all about architecture where his son interviews other architects even though his father died 25 years earlier in Philidelphia. The son went to his father's architecture and some are very bland. Very mathamadcal and straight, semitrical, no pizazz or fun, nothing for it to get noticed, just the plain, brick, wood, or cement buildings occassionally with a waterfall. Yea...
Lou, the architect, this guys dad, was said to be very ambitious, secretive, perfectionalist etc etc. The architects that this guy is interviewing, make everyone in the room feel awkward, they are emabarrassed as well because they barley know him. It was said that his dad would phone his fellow architects in projects and asks them to make them for him at the last minute. Then he is nasty, and calls them up and says the model is nasty. (for lack of cursewords) Um, then we see the son rollerblading on his dad's architecture set to music...ok then...Louis I. Kahn, is the architecture he was found dead found face down in a restroom in manhatten at Grand Central Station. Suprisingly, it looks very familar to Union Station in Los Angeles, CA. Noblody knows exactly how he died, they are trying to identify him, and his son meets someone at the station to try and findout more, he finds out that his dad died from a heart attack...very sad.
Apparently Lou was born on an island, we can't really hear this movie, but it was North Philidelphia, the whole family lived on a top floor of a tenant. They were poor. He won a scholarship from Univirsity of Penselvania, he married Esther, sleek steel arhitecture, in 1947 he started his own office, we only see a few sketcheds, in 1941 he was invited somewhere important, though, I can't really hear because people won't stop talking. But, it involved architectiure and impacted his life. Then he worked in his office around steel.
We can't hear any of this movie and it pisses me off. Please give us a summary when you get back so we can understand this movie, because this is inadequete on its own.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Current Event 2
ABC7 Traffic Center
5 Freeway crash kills 3, injures 2
Friday, May 16, 2008
COMMERCE (KABC) -- Traffic was back to normal on the southbound 5 Freeway after being shut down for more than three hours Friday morning because of a head-on collision in Commerce at the Slauson exit.
A wrong-way driver slammed into an oncoming car full of teens, killing three people including himself and critically injured two others. The wrong-way crash happened Friday just after 3 a.m.
Click in the Eyewitness News Story Window above to watch Leanne Suter's report from the scene.
"Just scared to think of that. It is not suppose to happen that way. It just seems to young," said Brent Hellesen, a neighbor of one of the victim's.
Story continues below
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The CHP says that 27-year-old Steven Quintero was driving northbound in the southbound I-5 lanes. He slammed head-on into a silver Nissan Sentra carrying four people and died at the scene.
The impact of the collision was so powerful that 20-year-old Arielle Estremo, driver of the Sentra, was crushed to death, and passenger 20-year-old Chauncy Reid was also killed instantly.
Two male passengers, ages 18 and 19, in the Sentra were seriously injured and were rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
Investigators say several friends of the victims witnessed the crash as they were following behind the vehicle. The whole group had just left a club in Hollywood and was apparently returning home to Orange County when the Sentra slammed head-on into the wrong-way driver.
"They saw the headlights and the Nissan Sentra applied their brakes. They saw them veer over to the right and both cars went up in the air. That is what she said as she went past," said CHP Sgt. Brian Gonsalves.
Investigators do not know where Quintero entered the freeway going the wrong way or why. Officials are waiting on toxicology tests to determine if drugs or alcohol may have been a factor.
Friends say that the four in the Sentra were all part of a close group that worked together at Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt.
"I never thought that would happen to any of my friends. I feel bad for saying this, but I feel lucky that I wasn't in the car. And our friend Jackie could of gone last night to, but she said no," said Chelsa Mullins, one of the victim's friends.
The witnesses rushed to help their friends. CHP officers, who were close by at the time, heard the crash and also rushed up onto the freeway to help the victims.
The southbound 5 Freeway through Commerce was closed for more than three hours as morning traffic continued to pile on to the freeway. The scene was cleared and all lanes re-opened at about 6:40 a.m. on Friday.
_________________________________________________________________________
3 Dead In Wrong-Way CrashKTLA= News May 16, 2008, 1:19 PM PDT COMMERCE --
Three people were killed on Interstate 5 south of downtown Los Angeles Friday morning af
ter a motorist driving the wrong way crashed head-on into another vehicle.California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball says the driver of a Toyota sedan was heading north on southbound lanes of the freeway when he slammed into a packed Nissan sedan. Witnesses say both cars flew into the air.Authorities say 27-year-old Steven Quintero of Gardena was killed as were two women in the other car. CHP and coroner's officials have identified them as 20-year-old Arielle Estremo and 17-year-old Chauncy Reid, both of Anaheim.Two male passengers in the Nissan suffered major to moderate injuries and were rushed to the hospital. They are expected to survive.Investigators say the two men and two women were returning home from a night club in Hollywood when the Toyota appeared in their lane. An attempt to get around the vehicle was not successful and both drivers were crushed instantly.The CHP closed all southbound lanes at Slauson Avenue in the City of Commerce from 3:10 a.m. to 6:40 a.m. backing up traffic at the start of the morning commuter rush.Investigators did not find any obvious signs of drugs or alcohal in either of the vehicles. The crash remains under investigation.
One of my good friends, Arielle Estremo as the one who died on Friday :(
I inserted the pictures on the top. I don't haave alot to say, personally, I think that crash speaks volumes amongst us. I am angry and hurt and mourning her death. I hate the man who did this to her. :(
Current Event
Lost parrot tells veterinarian his address
2 hours, 33 minutes ago
When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.
Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.
He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.
"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.
"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.
The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.
But Yosuke apparently wasn't keen on opening up to police officials.
"I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me," Uemura said.
Initially, I wanted to do a different current event, but, in addition, this one struck my fancy! It is sooooooooooooooooo cool!!! and it even had a last name...aww.... The world can benifit from this by teaching their pets how not to get lost either :)
Vocabulary Week 17
1.) interminable - having or seeming to have no end
Ex: As she clombed the rope, it seemed to be interminable.
2.) intuit -: to know, sense, or understand by intuition
Ex: My intuit friend had a bad feeling about going to a club last night, as it turned out, something bad had happened there.
3.)laboriously -devoted to labor : industrious 2 : involving or characterized by hard or toilsome effort
Ex: My grandpa works hard on their ranch, labourously woirking on the eight acres everyday.
4.)proximity -the quality or state of being proximate : closeness
Ex: The proximity of europeons to me, was too close for comfort and a little disturbing, compared to the distance between Americans and me at home.
5.)reticence -the quality or state of being reticent : reserve, restraint
Ex: My brother was put in reticence as a result of his violent nature.
6.)senescent -the state of being old : the process of becoming old
Ex: Many mothers are senescent quicker today, then, in the 50's.
7.)shroud -something that covers, screens, or guards: as a: one of two flanges that give peripheral support to turbine or fan bedding b: a usually fiberglass guard that protects a spacecraft from the heat of launching
8.)situation -relative position or combination of circumstances at a certain moment b: a critical, trying, or unusual state of affairs : problem c: a particular or striking complex of affairs at a stage in the action of a narrative or drama
Ex: The death of my young friend, was a horrifying situation, to happen to such a wonderful person.
9.) synchronously - happening, existing, or arising at precisely the same time
Ex: People are eating cookies synchronously at the same time around the world.
10.)tortuous -marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns
11.) tranquility-the quality or state of being tranquil
Friday, May 16, 2008
Current Event Option 2
Wis. man won't buy gas for 31 days, maybe longer
Fri May 16, 3:37 AM ET
Brian LaFave couldn't care less how high gasoline prices climb these days — he's parked his pickup truck and is refusing to buy gas for a month, possibly longer.
"The goal is to not use one drop of gas for 31 days," LaFave said, calling it his personal stand against the oil companies.
Now LaFave, 31, is riding his bicycle or walking everywhere he goes. He won't even let friends pick him up unless they already planned on being in the neighborhood.
"If they're not going out of their way, I can take the ride," he said. "But if they're going out of their way, then ... I'm still consuming gasoline so it kind of defeats the purpose."
LaFave started the effort May 11. He bikes to his third-shift job at Aldrich Chemical in Sheboygan Falls, a 9-mile commute.
"I did like a practice run ... two days in a row to make sure I could do it," he said. "I'm not in the greatest shape. The mornings are the worst. It feels like it takes forever. I get like a mile down the road and I want to die."
It's a big change for someone who put 300 miles on his truck the week before he stopped driving it.
LaFave fills out a chart each day listing how many miles he bikes, the destination and the gas price that day, among other things. He plans to compute his savings and donate that amount to a charity that provides food to children in Africa.
"I think just with the gas prices being so high, everybody complains about it but no one ever really does anything about it," LaFave said. "People continue to drive nonstop and not think about it, but I just wanted to take a stand and say, `I'm not gonna pay this much money for gas.'"
This is inspirational! Its like the bus revolt in the sixties! One man can make a difference!!! Yay!!
I wish I could run nine miles everyday, this is a good revolt I think everyone could benefit from doing something like this. This sounds like something I should do, I'm going to try to get back to running 5 miles per night.
Ok, I look forward to presenting this,
-Colleen
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Current Event
Drunk 'Darth Vader' punished for Jedi attack
1 hour, 3 minutes ago
A booze-fuelled Briton pretending to be Star Wars villain Darth Vader was punished Tuesday for a bizarre surprise attack on two Jedi fanatics.
Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27 -- who has a chronic alcohol problem -- donned a black bin bag for a cape and used a metal crutch for a lightsabre when he impersonated the Dark Lord of the Sith on March 25.
He then lept over the wall of a "Jedi Church" where Barney Jones and his cousin Michael were duelling with lightsabres while filming a documentary.
The fans of the Star Wars films established the "church" last year in Holyhead, northwest Wales.
Hughes hollered "Darth Vader" as he swung his crutch about, whacking Barney Jones over the head with it and punching Michael Jones in the thigh.
The Jedi are guardians of peace and justice, and the force was with them at Holyhead Magistrates' Court as district judge Andrew Shaw punished "Darth Vader" with a two-month suspended jail sentence and a 100-pound (195-dollar, 126-euro) fine.
Hughes got off lightly compared to the film version of Vader -- who had a hand chopped off by his son Luke Skywalker and was finished off by bolts of Force lightning from the evil Emperor Palpatine.
Hughes, who has previous convictions for assault, had drunk the best part of a 10-litre box of wine and could not remember the attack, his lawyer Frances Jones told the court.
I like odd current events they are relevant, in my mind as I am a star wars fan and like darth vader. This makes me laugh, maybe I should choose better current events, I learned to curb my drinking if ever I drink and get into a fight....hahhaha..
Monday, May 5, 2008
Vocabulary Week 16
1.)amorous - strongly moved by love and especially sexual love
Example: The two lovers were quite amorous with one another.
2.)aroma -a distinctive pervasive and usually pleasant or savory smell
The aroma of fresh baked cookies is extrodonary.
3.)awkward -lacking social grace and assurance
Example: I walked into a wall in fron tof my crush and it was quite awkward.
4.) consummate -complete in every detail
Example: The lovers consumated their love by getting rings that symbolized their intentions.
5.)inevitability -incapable of being avoided or evaded
Example: Fighters know never to accept the inevitable.
6.)acquiesce -to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively
Example: Sometimes I acquiese to others in an argument.
7.)delirium -an acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations
8.)deleterious -harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way
9.) ecstasy -a state of being beyond reason and self-control
I jumped off the cliff into ecstasy as I was free falling.
10.) enamored -1 : to inflame with love —usually used in the passive with of
2 : to cause to feel a strong or excessive interest or fascination
11.) futile -serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective
12.) incantation -a use of spells or verbal charms spoken or sung as a part of a ritual of magic; also : a written or recited formula of words designed to produce a particular effect
Example: The girl was into the religion of Wicca and otften preformed incantations.
13.) inevitability -incapable of being avoided or evaded
14.) infatuation -to inspire with a foolish or extravagant love or admiration
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Week 11
Prosecutor says S.C. student to face WMD charge
By SEANNA ADCOX, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 45 minutes ago
An 18-year-old accused of planning to bomb his high school will be charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a possible life sentence, the top federal prosecutor in South Carolina said Tuesday.
Ryan Schallenberger also will face two lesser federal charges stemming from what authorities say was a scheme to detonate explosives in a suicide attack on his high school in the small town of Chesterfield. The straight-A student will be charged in federal court in Florence on Tuesday afternoon, said Kevin McDonald, the acting U.S. attorney for South Carolina.
McDonald said the federal charge comes into play mostly because Schallenberger ordered materials that can be used for bombs through the mail.
William Spencer, the teen's court-appointed attorney, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Schallenberger was arrested on state charges Saturday. Authorities say his parents called police because he had ordered 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which they retrieved after getting a delivery notice from the postal service. Ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer that was a component in the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Authorities have said Schallenberger could have assembled deadly bombs within minutes with the materials they found. Police said they also discovered bombing plans including a hand-drawn map of the school, a hate-filled journal lauding the Columbine killers and an audiotape that authorities say was to have been played after Schallenberger died.
Schallenberger has been charged by the state with making a bomb threat, and county prosecutor Jay Hodge planned Tuesday to charge him with possession of bomb-making materials.
Schallenberger was to appear in a Chesterfield courtroom Tuesday afternoon for a bond hearing during which state prosecutors said they planned to request that he undergo a mental evaluation. He was to be taken to federal court later in the day.
McDonald said the federal charges will be resolved before the state case.
Authorities said Schallenberger's journal did not specify targets of an attack, or a date that he planned to carry it out. Police Chief Randall Lear said Schallenberger was "just mad at the world."
Schallenberger's mother and stepfather, Laurie and John Sittley, are "heartbroken," according to Sheriff Sam Parker.
"They were very concerned about his future education. I kind of explained to them and told them we've got to deal with two options here, we've got to deal with his education or with his life," Parker told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday.
The Sittleys have not commented publicly on the case. Their phone number is unlisted, they did not attend a court hearing Monday and their home about 10 miles from the school was blocked by "No Trespassing" signs later that day.
McDonald said Schallenberger will be charged with federal counts of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to use explosives on a building that gets federal funding, and using interstate commerce to obtain explosives to be used against people and property.
Authorities have said Schallenberger bought the ammonium nitrate off eBay and that company said it's cooperating in the investigation.
Chesterfield is a town of about 1,500 people in northeastern South Carolina near the North Carolina line.
___
Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia contributed to this report.
Ok, first off he was stupid to get caught. Second, HIS PARENTS CAUGHT HIM!!! I support the right to do what you want and be a patriot or Benedict Arnold. More power to you if you succeed in your endeaveors. But, he was stupid enough to order it from the internet, he didn't have a valid reason, he was gpot by his parents, he trusted mail carriors and the United Postal Service and eventually, the Media was notified and it became a widespread story. What the Hell! At least do it right! This was executed so poorly that it is almost a comedic, laughable situation. What is a terrorist anyway or WMD charges? The US is paranoid and I think it is like modern version of the salem witch trials, this is getting out of hand. As in, YOUR A TERRORIST! YOUR A TERRORIST! In 1692, it was YOUR A WITCH!! YOUR A WITCH!! tHIS IS MODERN PANDOMONIUM, I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS VALID REASONS OR CLUES AS TO WHO REALLY IS A TERRORIST. BECAUSE I BELEIEVE THE REAL THREAT OF A TERRORIST, ARE THOSE THAT DON'T FIT THE "STANDARD PROFILE". OR ARE UNPREDICABLE AND CLEVER.
Current Event Week 7
YAHOO NEWS
World Food Program warns of 'silent tsunami' of hunger
By DAVID STRINGER, Associated Press Writer 17 minutes ago
Ration cards. Genetically modified crops. The end of pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap supermarkets.
These possible solutions to the first global food crisis since World War II — which the World Food Program says already threatens 20 million of the poorest children — are complex and controversial. And they may not even solve the problem as demand continues to soar.
A "silent tsunami" of hunger is sweeping the world's most desperate nations, said Josette Sheeran, the WFP's executive director, speaking Tuesday at a London summit on the crisis.
The skyrocketing cost of food staples, stoked by rising fuel prices, unpredictable weather and demand from India and China, has already sparked sometimes violent protests across the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.
The price of rice has more than doubled in the last five weeks, she said. The World Bank estimates food prices have risen by 83 percent in three years.
"What we are seeing now is affecting more people on every continent," Sheeran told a news conference.
Hosting talks with Sheeran, lawmakers and experts, British Prime Gordon Brown said the spiraling prices threaten to plunge millions back into poverty and reverse progress on alleviating misery in the developing world.
"Tackling hunger is a moral challenge to each of us and it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of nations," Brown said.
Malaysia's embattled prime minister is already under pressure over the price increases and has launched a major rice-growing project. Indonesia's government needed to revise its annual budget to respond.
Unrest over the food crisis has led to deaths in Cameroon and Haiti, cost Haitian Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis his job, and caused hungry textile workers to clash with police in Bangladesh.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said more protests in other developing nations appear likely. "We are going through a very serious crisis and we are going to see lots of food strikes and demonstrations," Annan told reporters in Geneva.
At streetside restaurants in Lome, Togo, even the traditional balls of corn meal or corn dough served with vegetable soup are shrinking. Once as big as a boxer's fist, the dumplings are now the size of a tennis ball — but cost twice as much.
In Yaounde, Cameroon, civil servant Samuel Ebwelle, 51, said he fears food prices will rise further.
"We are getting to the worst period of our life," he said. "We've had to reduce the number of meals we take a day from three to two. Breakfast no longer exists on our menu."
Even if her call for $500 million in emergency funding is met, food aid programs — including work to feed 20 million poor children — will be hit this year, Sheeran said.
President Bush has released $200 million in urgent aid. Britain pledged an immediate $59.7 million on Tuesday.
Even so, school feeding projects in Kenya and Cambodia have been scaled back and food aid has been cut in half in Tajikistan, Sheeran said.
Yet while angry street protesters call for immediate action, long term solutions are likely to be slow, costly and complicated, experts warn.
And evolving diets among burgeoning middle classes in India and China will help double the demand for food — particularly grain intensive meat and dairy products — by 2030, the World Bank says.
Robert Zoellick, the bank's head, claims as many as 100 million people could be forced deeper into poverty. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said rising food costs threaten to cancel strides made toward the goal of cutting world poverty in half by 2015.
"Now is not too soon to be thinking about the longer-term solutions," said Alex Evans, a former adviser to Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.
He said world leaders must help increase food production, rethink their push on biofuels — which many blame for pushing up food prices — and consider anew the once taboo topic of growing genetically modified crops.
But Evans, now a visiting fellow at New York University's Center on International Cooperation, said increasing the amount of land that can be farmed in the developing world will be arduous.
"It's almost like new oil or gas fields; they'll tend to be the hardest to reach places, that need new roads and new infrastructure to be viable," he said.
The will to increase food production exists, as does most of the necessary skills, but there are major obstacles, including a lack of government investment in agriculture and — in Africa particularly — a scarcity of fertilizers, good irrigation and access to markets.
"Many African farmers are very entrepreneurial, but they simply aren't connected to markets," said Lawrence Haddad, an economist and director of Britain's Institute of Development Studies. "They find there are no chilling plants for milk and no grinding mills for coffee."
Haddad said the likely impact of food price increases should have been anticipated. "The fact no one has previously made the link between agriculture and poverty is quite incredible," he said.
Just as new land for farming is available in Russia and Brazil, new genetically modified crops resistant to drought, or which deliver additional nutrients, could be better targeted to different regions of the developing world, Evans said. "The solutions are more nuanced than we previously thought," he added.
Sheeran said developing world governments, particularly in Africa, will need to dedicate at least 10 percent of future budgets to agriculture to boost global production.
Some experts predict other countries could follow the example of Pakistan, which has revived the use of ration cards for subsidized wheat.
The production of biofuels also needs to be urgently re-examined, Brown said.
He acknowledged that Britain this month introduced targets aimed at producing 5 percent of transport fuel from biofuels by 2010, but said his government and others should review their policies.
Production of biofuel leads to the destruction of forests and takes up land available to grow crops for food.
Brown said the impact of the food crisis won't just be felt in the developing world, but also in the checkout lane of Western supermarkets. "It it is not surprising that we see our shopping bills go up," Brown said.
Many analysts, including Britain's opposition leader David Cameron, claim that people in the West will need to eat less meat — and consume, or waste, less food in general. Some expect the shift in attitudes to herald the end of supermarket giveaways and cost-cutting grocery stores that stack goods to the ceiling and sell in bulk.
Citizens in the West, China and India must realize that the meat on their plate and biofuels in their expensive cars carry a cost for those in the developing world, Evans said.
Sheeran believes many already understand the impact. "Much of the world is waking up to the fact that food does not spontaneously appear on grocery store shelves," she said.
___
Famine is an intrigingly serious issue, often talked aqbout, but, never actually stopped. With all the donation going around, I would just figure that there would be problems settled. The issues stated by this article, do not need to be regurgitated by me, however, I feel this article pretty much sums it all up and in the end will lead to our demise as much of the World is very selfish and we often take things for granted. Hopefully, the many people who read about the world's growing problems in this article especially the overall message about food not growing in grocerie stores, will wake them up to better use of money, resources, and food.
If not this may add up in 2012...
Only time will tell...
Current Event Week 6
YAHOO NEWS
Video surfaces of man stuck in elevator for 41 hours
Mon Apr 21, 12:56 PM ET
A time-lapse video of a man trapped in an elevator for 41 hours has become something of an Internet sensation after surveillance camera footage emerged after nearly a decade.
"After a certain period of time I knew that I was in pretty big trouble because it was the weekend," Nicholas White said Monday on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America."
Video of his Oct. 15, 1999, ordeal in an elevator in New York's McGraw-Hill building was posted online to accompany an article in the April 21 edition of The New Yorker. It can be seen on the magazine's Web site and had been viewed more than 280,000 times on YouTube by Monday morning.
White said he understood why the video has captured people's attention: So many have wondered what they would do if it happened to them.
Edited to a soundtrack of classical piano music, the video shows him pacing, trying to climb the walls, lying down, curled up in a fetal position, prying apart the doors. (He said he relieved himself down the shaft when the doors were open.)
White sued the managers of the midtown skycraper and the elevator maintenance company and won an undisclosed settlement.
He was a production manager for Business Week when he left his office about 11 p.m. Friday for a cigarette break. According to the article, it was never determined exactly why the elevator stalled though there was talk of a voltage dip.
___
This is just quite unfortunate, not funny. Although many on youtube believe it is. I think if any, he would have found God and this would have been the longest 41 hours in my life if I was stuck in an elevater with nothing to do. That would really be unfortunatly tramatic I would guess. It affects us all, because it can happen to all of us, anytime. The thing is he got stuck at 11 pm on a Friday and he had to be there the whole time while the weekend just rolled on by. That would just be terribly boring in my opinion. He originonally went out for a smoke break but, the cause of the stall of the elevater is still unknown.
Current Event Week 5
YAHOO NEWS
Louisiana panel blocks anti-droopy pants bill
By DOUG SIMPSON, Associated Press WriterTue Apr 22, 1:31 PM ET
A state Senate panel rejected a bill on Tuesday that would make it a crime to wear one's pants too low, even as Cajun-country towns around Louisiana have been banning saggy pants from their streets.
Sen. Derrick Shepherd's bill would have made it illegal to wear, in public, clothing that "intentionally exposes undergarments or intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of the buttocks or genitals." Violators would have faced a fine of up to $175 and eight days of community service.
Exceptions included thong swim suits and clothing worn in fashion shows.
Sen. Yvonne Dorsey said she disliked the look of baggy pants but wanted to defend the public's right to wear their clothes as they wish.
"When we begin to take the freedom of speech away ... I think we're doing something that's just not right," said Dorsey, a Democrat.
Shepherd said the state should take a stand against droopy pants, which he called just one example of widespread indecency in contemporary clothing styles.
"The shorts are getting shorter, the tops are getting smaller, the cleavage is getting larger," said Shepherd, also a Democrat. "When are we going to say, 'Enough is enough'?"
With no objection, the Senate judiciary panel voted against moving the measure to the floor.
Shepherd tried and failed to pass a similar bill in 2004, but the measure died in the face of opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union.
About a dozen Louisiana towns and cities have enacted or are considering bans on saggy pants.
The style is believed to have started in prisons, where inmates are issued ill-fitting jumpsuits but no belts to prevent hangings and beatings. The look was popularized in gangster rap videos.
___
On the Net:
Senate Bill 225 can be viewed at http://legis.state.la.us/
I am one of those that believe in conservative dress. I think that this should have been at least brought to the floor and voted on where there if they felt that it was necessary, could have voted against but, to ban the bill before it was brought sucks. I think that the bill should have been given more time. OK? What more is there to say? This affects everyone because it shows undergarmets, I wish that this law would be inacted in So CAl but, we are so casual about clothes that people here would proabably be up in arms like Lousiana about the right to be free and free speech amongst amendments.
Current Event Week 3
New church holds service in bar to reach new people
Mon Apr 21, 1:24 PM ET
The Country Rock Church drew about 100 people to Sunday night's meeting at the Pub Lounge in Sidney, 35 miles north of Dayton.
The barroom church is an offshoot of Sidney United First Methodist Church, whose head pastor says he's been looking for creative ways to reach people in unconventional places.
The church's Web site for its new branch advertises "Top regional bands, pizza, wings, rowdy fun & a short message."
The Rev. Chris Heckaman says people really seemed to enjoy themselves so he expects the Country Rock Church will meet weekly.
Heckaman's sermon compared staying on the bar's mechanical bull to learning how to get along in life.
___
On the Net:
Sidney United First Methodist: http://www.sidneyfirst.com/
I recently read about a church in Ohio that has a Methodist church service located in a bar. In my personal opinion I question this method as I seem to recall learning of a written rule in the bible that says "Thou shalt not sell anything in the house of God." But, I also came across something that stated that everyone is free to worship God in their own ways as in, to each his own way of worship, so long as there was a common belief in God. Anyways, I had a "WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO WHEN CHURCH IS IN A BAR!!?" reaction. However, I realize that there are people, men, that would rather go drink a beer with friends then wake up early for church, so maybe that is a good way to go, and that is their perogative to worship in their own way. Who knows? Its not my place to judge what some people would rather do than, I want to. But, I like the more traditional ways of a rigid church and rythmic patterns of a set pattern in a church, provided that I can make it to an evening church or actually get up on Sundays.
Current Event Week 14
Economic woes compelling teens to be more frugal
Spending slump may be worst since '90s
By Anne D'Innocenzio ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 21, 2008
NEW YORK – The souring job market and rising costs of the usual teenage indulgences – a slice of pizza, a drive to the mall, the hottest new jeans – are causing teens to do something they rarely do: be thrifty.
It's a far cry from the freewheeling spending of recent years, when teens splurged on $100 Coach wristlet handbags, $60 Juicy Couture T-shirts and $80 skinny jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch.
Now jobs for teens are less plentiful, and parents who supply the allowances are feeling the economic pinch themselves.
The stalwart retailers of teen apparel, such as Abercrombie and American Eagle Outfitters, are reporting sluggish sales, defying the myth that teen spending is recession-proof: It holds up longer but can eventually fold.
It's even becoming cool to be frugal.
This month, Ellegirl.com, the teen offshoot of Elle magazine, launched a new video fixture called Self-Made Girl, which shows teens how to make clothes and accessories. The first video offers tips on how to create a prom clutch.
“It's a little tacky in the economic unrest to tote a big logo bag,” said Holly Siegel, the site's senior editor. She said it's no longer about teens “one-upping each other,” but rather where they can get it cheap.
Victoria Bradley, a 16-year-old from Springfield, Mo., said the $80 she earns each month from baby-sitting is being eaten up by more expensive school lunches, late-night snacks with friends and stylish clothes.
Now, she and her friends head for the thrift store or just browse at the mall.
“I used to be able to buy a T-shirt and jeans every couple of months,” Victoria said, adding that some of her friends are even “making their own clothes or altering their old ones to fit or look better.”
Victoria's mother, Michelle Bradley, said she and her husband cut back spending on themselves last year, and early this year also started paring back “frivolous” buying for their three girls.
“We have made a conscious effort to not use credit cards,” said Bradley, who stopped paying for Victoria's text messages last month. The top priority is school supplies and choir fees.
The job market for teens isn't what it used to be, either: Nathan Reeser, a Cincinnati 15-year-old, lost his job making pizza four months ago and has had to cut back on spending. He's shopping more at Target and less at Abercrombie & Fitch's Hollister stores.
“Now, I just get money from my parents, but they don't have as much because of taxes and everything else,” he said.
Teen hiring has slumped by 5 percent since March 2007, with many mom-and-pop stores, which typically hire younger workers, laying off employees. Hiring in the overall job market fell by just 0.1 percent during the same period.
That's still not as bad as the 13 percent drop in teen hiring in the early 1990s. This means that if the larger job market mirrors the last teen hiring slump, “we're not out of the woods,” said Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Economists say this teen spending slump could be the worst in 17 years, when teen frugality led to the demise of once-hot Merry-Go-Round Enterprises and ushered in an era of flannel shirts and torn jeans.
Last month, teen retailers suffered an 8 percent drop in sales at established stores. The good news is that the under-20 crew is still spending on tech gadgets like iPods, cell phones and headsets, analysts say.
What makes this slump different, Deloitte Research chief economist Carl Steidtmann said, is the soaring cost of basics such food and gas, which have a direct effect on younger consumers.
Gas could reach $4 a gallon this summer, and prices for teen favorites like pizza and potato chips have all climbed, squeezing the amount of cash teens can spend elsewhere.
Sales at teen retailers open at least a year averaged a 0.5 percent decline last year, compared with a 3.3 percent increase in 2006 and a 12.1 percent gain in 2005, according to a UBS-International Council of Shopping Centers tally.
Retailers like American Eagle and Tween Brands, which operates Limited Too, have cut their earnings outlooks amid deeper-than-expected sales declines. Abercrombie & Fitch reported a disappointing 10 percent sales drop in March, while Pacific Sunwear of California announced this year it was shuttering its urban-inspired Demo stores.
Among the few bright spots is Aeropostale, whose jeans are about 30 percent cheaper than Abercrombie & Fitch's. Candace Corlett, principal at consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail, said low-price chains like H&M and Steve & Barry's should do well.
Urban Outfitters, which operates its namesake stores and the Anthropologie brand, has held up well. Trend experts believe that's because it has a thrift-store feel.
Secondhand clothing chains have seen business surge this year as teens and their parents buy popular brands like Gap, Banana Republic and Juicy Couture at a fraction of the regular price.
Kerstin Block, president and co-founder of Buffalo Exchange, a Tucson-based chain that sells secondhand clothing, said Gap jeans there run $9 to $20. A new pair runs $50 to $60. Block noted that buying secondhand is also appealing to a growing eco-friendly sentiment among teenagers.
“It is way cooler to get a super deal on that shirt rather than being able to spend the most money on something,” said Anna D'Agrosa, director of Consumer Insights at The Zandl Group, a market research company focusing on teens. “Kids are becoming really aware of what is happening to their economy and to their families.”
This current event was about the job market for teens and how hard it is to find a job,
I finally found actual statistics on what is going on and why I do not have a job as well as how hard it is to find a well paying job as mom and pop stores no longer higher teens or they are closing down. I'll have to wait over 18 to get a guaranted, well paying job, that doesn't age discriminate or fault me because I am a liability. Finally! Validation!! :D :''''(
Its true...There are no jobs on the market right now :{
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Book Report For MOnday, April 21st
The book I read was called
I Never Called It Rape: The Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting, and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape by Robin Warshaw
IN addition to my Non Profit Organization I wanted to find out actual statistics and find out why and what to do to help others who had this happen to them. This book was very informative because it gave statistics such as that most men believed that women were leading them on when, in fact, aLL of the women disagreed. Now while this book was written in 1994, so these are pretty old, I just gave or take the percentages. What amazes me was that I read something on the internet recently that stated that in 2006 - the present was that it says that Rape is going DOWN. as in, few to none have been reported. So they claimed that the situations were getting better, that crime was going down. I strongly disagree, I think that date/aquantance rape is ever more prevalent then it was in the 90's or beyond. Because as each year begins more and more methods for date rape are available like more drugs and clever methods. I think that the realty of the 21st century is that fewer and fewer women and girls are reporting their rapes, but that doesn't mean that they didn't happen. I think that they are afraid of reporting it because they don't want to relive it, and they don't want to be in front of a court. Its difficult, and that is why I wanted to get more information on sexual assault, aquantance and date rape. I am going to read more books in the future in regards to this especially since we are working on non profit organizations and myne is Teen Sexual Assault and Rape Peer Help. Overall, I found it very informative. The next book I am going to read is The Truth About Rape (Paperback)by Teresa M. Lauer .
-Colleen
Current Event Friday April 18th
While I had a hard copy print out of my current event. I couldn't find it on the comp. My article was a yahoo printout of a story about a man who proposed to his girlfriend by hacking into her favorite game "Bejewled". He programed it so that when she reached a certain score a ring and Will YOU MARRY ME? would pop up. She did eventually reach the score and said yes. I thought this article was especially pointant for nerds because this was the sweetest proposal that there could be for a techie. and my ex had met someon in the internet on World Of Warcraft so maybe meeting other nerds on the internet will be a common thing in finding romance who knows?
I presented in class, so I know you know I had the article Elica.
<3 Colleen
Thursday, April 17, 2008
VOCABULARY WEEK 13
revere -to show devoted deferential honor to : regard as worthy of great honor
Example: I revere the late great Walt Whitman because of his different style of writing.
vertigo -: a sensation of motion in which the individual or the individual's surroundings seem to whirl dizzily b: a dizzy confused state of mind
Example: karen had vertigo the other day when she was on the gondola, she just couldn't find her bearings.
punitive - : inflicting, involving, or aiming at punishment
The nuns resorted not to verbal threats, but intimidation and punative punishments in order to keep the Catholic school kids in line.
slander - to utter slander against
I slandered the name of a coworker at work and therefore was fired henceforth.
squander - to spend extravagantly or foolishly
My brother freaquently squanders his money away, almost as if he has a hole in his pocket.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Vocabulary Week 6
1.)Embezzle-to appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
Many politicians are being indighted because they embezzed money.
2.) Obsolete- no longer in use or no longer useful
Much of the technology we had 30 years ago are obsolete.
3.) Penchant-a strong and continued inclination
When someone is talking politics I have a strong inclination to mention how corrupt I feel our government is.
4.) Sycophant- a servile self-seeking flatterer
The man was just asking for compliments when he said "Its just because you don't like me, isn't it..?"
5.) Taut- having no give or slack : tightly drawn
Many women in Hollywood obtain fake skin by getting plastic surgery.
Vocabulary Week 5
1.) fidelity - the quality or state of being faithful
2.)steadfast- a: firmly fixed in place : immovable b: not subject to change
The horse remained steadfast, even though all the other horses had ran onto the track.
3.)emanicipation- the act or process of emancipating
President Lincoln freed the slaves by emancipating them.
4.)lucidity-1 : clearness of thought or style 2 : a presumed capacity to perceive the truth directly and instantaneously : clairvoyance
The shy woman had lucidity amongst those around her.
5.) insurrection- an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government
Many liberals commit insurrection against the U.S government.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Week 3
1.) Disseminate - to disperse throughout
Ex: The woman dispersed the fertilezer throughout her garden.
2.)Eloquence - the quality of forceful or persuasive expressiveness
Ex: The woma looked exemplified eloquence in her black dress and jewels.
3.) Bigot - a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices
Ex: The racist man was unable to tolerate Mississippi
4.)Resilience -an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
Ex: Tony Robbins is resilent because he took his misfortune into educating others how to raise themselves ablove misfortune.
Ex: Danny cleaned and repainted the old, decaying, house.
Vocabulary Week 2
1.) Erratic- deviating from what is ordinary or standard
Ex: Colleen's eclectic style tends to be on the erratic side.
2.) Eulogy- a commendatory oration or writing especially in honor of one deceased
3.) Euphoria- a feeling of well-being or elation
Ex: Colleen is always euphoric despite her facial expressions.
4.) Epitome-a typical or ideal example
Ex: That girl is the epitome of class.
5.) Euthanasia- the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy
Ex: If you are defined as a vegetable or brain dead, people consider you unable to make your own decisions, Euthanasia is killing them or disconnecting their machines with or without their consent.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Current Event Article - Nudist Holiday Flight 1/29/08
Fly naked on nudist holiday flight
2 hours, 49 minutes ago
German nudists will be able to start their holidays early by stripping off on the plane if they take up a new offer from an eastern German travel firm.
Travel agency OssiUrlaub.de said it would start taking bookings from Friday for a trial nudist day trip from the eastern German town of Erfurt to the popular Baltic Sea resort of Usedom, planned for July 5 and costing 499 euros ($735).
"It's expensive, I know," managing director Enrico Hess told Reuters by phone. "It's because the plane's very small. There's no real reason why a flight in which one flies naked should be more expensive than any other."
The 55 passengers will have to remain clothed until they board, and dress before disembarking, said Hess. The crew will remain clothed throughout the flight for safety reasons.
"I wish I could say we thought of it ourselves but the idea came from a customer," Hess told Reuters by phone. "It's an unusual gap in the market."
Naturism, or "free body culture" (FKK) as it is known in Germany, was banned by the Nazis but blossomed again after the Second World War, particularly in eastern Germany.
"There are FKK hotels where you can go into the restaurants and shops naked, for example," Hess said. "For FKK fans -- not that I'm one of them -- it's nothing unusual."
"I don't want people to get the wrong idea. It's not that we're starting a swinger club in mid-air or something like that," he added. "We're a perfectly normal holiday company."
(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan, editing by Paul Casciato)
This article shows how they say that $735 is alot of money. That is like nothing in the US for a trip. It shows freedom of expression but, I worry that the flight would be unsanitary especially involving pubes, closed spaces and heat. Eww. But, I guess it would be to each his own if the person involved in the flight is a nudist. What makes me entertained is that I imagine a bunch of people running for the plane and as soon as they reach the inside cabin, guys struggle to throw off their ties and everyone just throws off their clothes in a fit of nudism. Like "Oh! Thank God!!! No More Clothes!!! AWWWWW" Sigh... and then they sit down and enjoy their flight. lol
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Current Event - Jan 23,2008
"Pet" girl kicked off bus for wearing leash
Wed Jan 23, 1:24 PM ET
A British bus company has apologized to a girl who is led around on a leash by her boyfriend and describes herself as a human pet after one of its drivers threw her off a bus.
Tasha Maltby, 19, told British newspapers she was the "pet" of her 25-year-old fiance Dani Graves.
Pictures showed her dressed in black Gothic-style clothing with silver buckles on a silver chain -- which the driver of a bus from the firm Arriva took exception to.
She told the Daily Mail newspaper Wednesday she was thrown off and told: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on."
Arriva would not comment on specifics but said it apologized if the couple felt they had been discriminated against. It added, however, that the driver was worried about safety and the company told Maltby to take the leash off in the future.
"We have spoken to the driver who has talked about health and safety," a spokesman said. "Should she be attached to a chain and something happens on the bus, that could be dangerous. All we are saying is that she is very welcome to use the buses but not when she is on her lead."
Maltby -- who lives on state benefits and got engaged in November -- said her choice of lifestyle might seem unusual but was harmless.
"I am a pet," she told the Daily Mail. "I generally act animal-like and I lead a really easy life. I don't cook or clean and I don't go anywhere without Dani. It might seem strange but it makes us both happy. It's my culture and my choice. It isn't hurting anyone."
(Editing by Michael Winfrey)
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So, I read this story and it piqued my interest. Givin it is an odd story, but, deserves attention none the less. Especially in Hillcrest lol.
I would have much rather done the current event on Heath Ledger, but since there is an investigation going on and the details all confusing I chaged topics. I like this one because it is about mistakes, odd habits, odd people and the right to be who you are in a public atmosphere... even if it is ridiculously weird. (No judgements or naming names though. *Cough *Cough)
Vocabulary WEEK 1 Second Semester
Intrepid represents fearlessness and fortitude, as well as endurance. I saw this picture that was taken at a Portland fair at the Marine booth. I'm informed by a friend of mine that in Portland, the Marines go all out with their booths and I saw this small female doing pull ups and she is a petite woman, smaller then me, but she appeared to be kicking ass. So much, so, that if you looked closly, her fellow marines looked like they were just taken back in their manly way. She is the definition of intrepid.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Reflection on movie - "Why We Fight"
Why We Fight - Reflection
What you like and don't like. Eisonhower warned against the rise of the "Military industrial complex". Did his warning come true?
Think about the anatomy of the American War Machine and include any questions/comments you may have.
Blowback - CIA term - the unintended consequences of foreign relations that were deliberatly kept secret so that forensic questions were unable to be analyzed.
Important fact to consider: They kept replaying the 9/11 towers fall over and over and over again. To possibly desenstitize people?
"We had the world behind us, now kids are dying, billions are being spent every month, anamosity is against the US more then it ever has been."
"The opportunity to implement plans that they had ben laying since 1992"
September 11th was what changed foreign policy.
The war in iraq, had nothing to do with the war on terrorism.
March 19 - US steath fighter ordered to do a preumtive strike on Southern Baghdad
"Maintain Dominance"
Why are we fighting that is a great question especially, now, where it is very controversial and the answers are not clear. As I ponder this, perhaps I will ask my friend Grifin, a CPL in the Marine Corps. who was just deployed 4 days ago. perhaps it would make for a very interesting letter.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
CURRENT EVENT FOR WEEK OF JAN 8, 2008
Mexican boy glues self to bed to avoid school
Mon Jan 7, 5:23 PM ET
A 10-year-old Mexican boy glued his hand to his bed to avoid going back to school after the Christmas break, authorities said Monday.
"I thought if I was glued to the bed, they couldn't make me go to school," the boy, Diego, told AFP. "I didn't want to go, the holidays were so much fun."
"I remembered my mom had bought a very strong glue," he said of the industrial strength shoe glue he used to stick his hand to the bed's metal headboard, where he stayed stuck for two hours.
His mother Sandra Palacios was unable to free him and called paramedics and police to help. Diego watched cartoons while they worked to unglue him, eventually using a spray to dissolve the chemical adhesive.
"I don't know why this happened. He is a very good boy," said his mother.
Diego eventually made it school a few hours late.
Copyright © 2008 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.
Questions or Comments
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tHIS IMPACTS THE REST OF US BECAUSAE BY READING THIS WE SEE THAT IT WAS A STUPID TACTIC AND IT DID NOT WORK. tHEREFORE WE AVOID WEIRD WAYS TO GET OUT OF SCHOOL. AND THIS COULD SHOULD NOT BE GETTING NATIONAL CREDIT, I'M SURE PLENTY OF KIDS DO THIS KIND OF STUPID THING EACH YEAR, BUT, NONE OF THEM GET INTO THE NEWS.
About George Washington
"Far more than most persons, he deliberately crafted his character, fiercely determined from his youth to reach the highest places and yet be one who "always walked on a straight line." He had faults or weaknesses even so. He tended to be almost morbidly concerned for his "honor," i.e., his reputation, and his standing in society, and hence was overly sensitive to criticism. As he aged, he grew more suspicious of others and at times self-righteous and stuffy. A strong, inborn shyness, surprising in so public a figure, led him to set a distance in relations with others or assume an air of reserve which many interpreted as coldness. Even those who knew him well agreed that he contained some mysterious inner space. He had a keen nose for money and liked living in style. Though generous in private life, he could be a hard man in a business deal. Left to himself, he tended to fall into moodiness, for which his remedy was physical activity and good company: he and Martha entertained dinner guests daily for years at a stretch. He was no prude and had a sense of humor, but he did not sparkle as a wit nor shine as a public speaker. He read to learn what he needed to know—mostly military and agricultural manuals—not especially to enrich his mind. He was intelligent, more so than he thought he was, but lacked the brilliance of a Jefferson or Madison. His meager formal education had left him without a rounded high culture, which embarrassed him and contributed to his reserve. And he had to spend psychic energy to control his temper; his rages, though rare, were terrible, and he could swear up a storm. "
Source Citation:
"Washington, George (1732-1799)." DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Thomson Gale. HIGH TECH CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL. 8 Jan. 2008 http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=SRC-1&docId=EJ2102101920&source=gale&srcprod=SRCG&userGroupName=sand07018&version=1.0.
George Washington was a unique man renouned for his peacemaking and conflict resolution skills. He was known for many things, careful deliberation amongst many things was his fortay. He listened carefully thought for a while before making the fairist most benificial decisions and deliberations alone whenever possible. John Adams, said this of Washington "He seeks information from all quarters and judges more independently than any man I ever knew." Having finally made his decision, he was totally committed, swift, and tenacious in execution, sometimes at the expense of flexibility. He liked his corn biscuits, he was a meat and potatoes type of man and he enjoyed entertaining guests at his home Mount Vernon in Vermont with his wife Martha at home nearly everyday of his life. He was a complex man who waged many a war, was the first leader of the military. So much so that he was later named the General of The Military. He was at one point asked if he wanted to be a president for a third consecutive term but, refused because he felt that if he did accept the offer, that it would be too similar to a dictatorship and he wanted a true democracy, fair and balanced. He was also a Mason and belonged to the organization of Freemasonary. He freed his slaves during his lifetime, and was an introverted man that had a strategeic military abilities that gave him a skills of accuratly judging a mans true character and working with it so that he could deal with them and relate to them in a war setting as well as diplomatically handlung disputes when dealing with politicians and the men that worked on the Amendments and The Constitution.
ADD MORE!!!! ON 1/08/08
Thursday, January 3, 2008
BOOK REPORT!!
Ok, so I tryed to my blog all winter break, but had a very hard time, and was never able to get in which pissed me off big time. So please don't mark me down for what appears to be late. It is not. I tryed all two weeks to post this.
I wrote my book report on a book I read called "Twilight" about a girl in a small town who meets a vampire and they have an ellicient affair as they discover each other and the quirks that the vampire andrew has as a vampire. Things get odd and difficult as andrew theh vampire has to protect the girl from harm and evil vampires that are out to eat her. It is quite interesting and the details of vampires fascinated me as I read this book. It is a juicy read NOT A ROMANCE NOVEL. However, I plan on reading the second one is this three part trilogy as I find out that I see love conquers all in this bizarre story of a quest for an opposite attract type of love as a cold, irresistable vampire bites his tongue in order not to eat his girlfriend. Fun stuff... :)