stephanie's blog

The amazing children

2010-04-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

1. What does Adora say about adults listening to young people?
She said something like "You should lend the ear today , because we are the leader's of tomorrow" And I think that's true Maybe lot's of Adult's think that maybe your child is not that smart or something will make you feel ashamed but to be honest children are getter better and better the yare sometime's better then when you are when you are in our age,and what I think she said it's right because you should listen to us today because we will be better as what you think.

2. What do you think about her argument?

I think was great because I'm standing here for children and I think what she says are right, we need respect from adults and thats what we can show them better skills.

3. What parts do you agree with? Why?

I think when she says children are not stupid as what adult think's maybe they are not that genius when they are in our age but now we got better skills and stuff (no offense)

4. What parts do you disagree with? Why?

The dream that children had, of course everyone should have their own dream but what i disagree with is that she said this is only the thinking you cant really do it because it's a dream but I don't think so like if you have a dream it mean's you want to do it and if you tried hard and I think every children have a goal to score it.

5. Describe what makes Adora such a confident public speaker. Is she an example of why adults should listen more to kids?

Yeah, because not much people can talk like that and be really sure and confident I think what makes her become like that because she has a really strongly thinking about adult should learn from children and I think that adult should really listen to children. And I think so she is an example because that what she has a strongly feeling even though her parents don't have that kind of thinking but still I think this is what what she wanted to tell "You are to lend an ear, because we are the leaders of tomorrow."

Citizenship - shopping

2010-03-11T02:32:00.000-08:00

March 8- March 12
We will continue to learn how to be more conscious consumers by doing an in-class activity
HOMEWORK DUE FRIDAY 8:20AM:
Reflect (think) back on our in-class activity and answer the following questions in your blogs:
• How did it feel to have more or less money than other people in the class?

I don't think they are some much difference about it but what I think is as long as you have a good life as long as you can live on the earth it's okay for me.

How did it feel to see what you could and could not afford at the Global Mall?

It's kinda of unfair this is what I think because that other people get lot's of money like rich people and buy good stuff you don't have to work or like do anything to get it that's so nice but then we get for nothing just by working and making ourselves live just much better.

• How many of you could not afford education? What would your lives be like if you could not go to school?
There are a lot that i can't do it because i don't have enough money it will be worse if i don't go to school first you ave to think about your live and then the travel if you can't go to school you can't learn anything and in the future when you work it's kinda hard to find a good job for me.

• How would it feel to have to choose between food and health care?
It will be really worse because if you eat a lot then that's okay but it doesnt mean you will get healthy you still hve to make you healthy or you will get sick or die and then if you choosen health care it still needs food to protect yoruself or you will also sick and die, food and health care are the most two important thing that you cant lose in your life.

• How many of you have ever been very sick or gone to a hospital or had friends and family who have? What would your life be like now if you had been unable to get medical care?
Yes my family before and that's really bad and also i think it will be worse because that you won't get good or better if you don't eat anything to protect your body.

• What were the impacts caused by people with fewer Global Mall Dollars, and what were the impacts caused by people with more Global Mall Dollars?

It depend's.

8th Graders ALSO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:
• Discuss the fact that roughly one-fifth of all people worldwide survive on
less than $1 (U.S.) a day – how does this limit their choices, and what are the environmental, social, and global security implications of this?

It's kinda impossible to have 1 doller a day to survive because you will need lots of thing and then if you count it as a year or month you can't really buy anything you want.

• When you were choosing what to buy, did you think about the environmental impact? For those of you in the lowest income range, did you have a choice about the environmental impact you produced? If not, how did it feel to
not have a choice?

I think the post important thing is it's really hard to get something that you want but then with "?" price of money you will have to think about lot's of thing but it all depends on how much you have.

citizenship questions

2010-03-04T03:04:00.000-08:00

1. Synopsis: what is this interview about?
About the women who is speaking and talking with another person about the secret life of girl's and talking about how the world people is going on and girl's which end up their life easily.

2. How is Eve Ensler being a global citizen? What is she doing to make a difference in the world (give examples)?
She is trying to make everyone to read and understand the book and stop people doing the same thing.

3. Give one example of how girls can end up in harmful situations because of societal pressures "to please" others.

Because they have been asked to do thing's and get money or something , but then they don't want to make trouble or make people mad or something and to please other's they can only do what they say and not trying to refuse it.
2. What do you think are the connections between The Story of Stuff and Eve Ensler's story about the girl in the factory making Barbie doll heads?
I don't really think there is "connections " between the story of stuff and eve ensler's story because they are one talking about the waste of earth and stuff and one is talking about the life of girls and then but i think there is only one connection is that they both are talking about how the factories and works.

Avatar

2010-02-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

I watched a movie called Avatar before and after that harry's goodbye party we watched again.
It's mostly about that a person which goes to different world , one is normal world and one is to be avatar and he was to sent to work because he's brother is not working anymore and then he is to go to another world to be avatar but what make's he do that is because that they want to be apart of them and then try to get the world the land become their's they want to steel the avatar's land and then the person starts to go day and night to become avatar and come back and record about it but then he was going to steel their place but then after that he notice that he fall in love with a girl so then he start to help them but there is human which want to attack them and try to get their land's but then the person which helps don't want to help them because he fall in love with a girl and then after that he protect their land.
but what Avatar this movie is actually talking about is that In hinduism avatar refers to a delibreate descent of a deity from heavin to earth and it's mostly translated into english but more accurately as a p pearance or manifestation.

Art trip

2010-02-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Fed/2 During art class we went to a place in zhunan which to make the stuff of the clay thing and then we also went to visit about there and they have a teacher which teach's us about how did they make those stuff and what cause they want to make it and how and how many year's did they start about it and also about the thing and what famous popular thing over there and they also showed us about what they make and stuff like that.
After that we get to try it by our self and then they give us each one big peice of clay and then we will make it by our self they teach's us how to make it and after that when we finished then we leave that place , it was fun and I learned some new thing's which is you get to try how did they make those thing's and the cup or stuff that you use some of them is made from that and then it teach's you how did they make it and about them.

A letter for Mr.bernard murdoch

2010-02-06T01:26:00.001-08:00

Today during citizenship there is a guest speaker which come and talked about with us about the climate change and the global warmming.

Dear Mr.Bernard Murdoch, It is very nice to meet you over here and listen to your presentation. What have I learned abuot the Kiribati is that people there leaves the country and the country is gone becuse of the climate change and global warmming the water and the ocean over there. What I remember most and won't ever forget is that Mr. bernard murdoch talked about how their life's are, they love their islands and they can live without money and for them their food is coconut and they always eat coconut it can be full, and children in age of 7~8 went out and hunt for food and learn how to swim. What I felt about listening to your presentation is a little bit sad but also i would love to go for a visit about how they live. And what if i acn help about the global warmming I think that What I can do is just try to save the earth :) but even if i don't have the power i will still try my best .

Thank you for coming and the presentation today.

citizenship in class essay

2010-01-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

There are lot's of citizen which have been split into lots of words, bias, hidden bias, discrimination, stereotype, prejudice in groups and out groups as seen in project implicit.

What is a prejudice?
A prejudice s an opinion attitude about a group with each person it can be positive but typically means something negative.
What is a stereotype?
A stereotype is an exaggerated belief, image or distorted truth about a person in a group.
prejudices are formed by a comply psychological process that begins with attachment to a close circle of acquaintances or an in groups such as family, but prejudice is often aimed at out groups.

A hidden bias is a behavior that teats people unfair or unequally.
A Project implicit is something that Virginia and good, the university of Washington created to develop hidden bias test, cached implicit association test.
Bias is a perpetuated by conformity with in group attitudes and socialization by the culture at large and these hidden negative prejudices or stereotypes are called discrimination.

A person can be a citizen of many community, Even tough we elect other people to manage government we are still in charge. For family school country world we can create wealth and knowledge or justice to make it better.
A subject is a consumer can a citizen is a producer a subject can also be is a follower and citizen is a lender subject is a victim and a citizen has control.

Citizen have responsibilities that are different for each in institution we are a citizens so we have multiple responsibilities.

What is a citizen?
A good citizen can be anything in your family or neighborhood or schools and country or city, a good citizen is to help and to do good things for people and for one's country and a word etc.....
A good citizen follows rules without breaking the rules also creates wealth knowledge and justice.

Introduce of myself
A good citizen of one's personal community can be a family to help thins that they are needed to go with the rules that are ruled at home to make everything nice and to do what you are suppose to do. a good citizen of one's nation is to do what you should to always be apart of that society to give goods ideas and opinion and to keep your city good and peaceful.

A good citizen of one's world is to protect the world to keep it clean and peaceful . To teach people what is good and when people make mistakes try to help them and fix it.
A good citizen is always to have a good attitude and personality to follow trough their responsibilities and to help and make it better with giving good ideas and opinions.

A GOOD CITIZEN IS ALWAYS TO BE TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AND TO ALWAYS TAKE PART IN MAKING THINGS BETTER!!!

The most important part is never give a bad attitude or treat people unequally or unfair just because they are in different culture than us. Always be apart with them a try whenever you can to be a good citizen.

art test

2010-01-22T21:05:00.001-08:00

Renaissance Test: Friday, January 22, 2010

What historical event (the fall of a civilization) took place in 395 AD to usher in the middle ages?

The fall of the roman empire

What was society and culture generally like in the middle ages?

The classes in the middle ages

Renaissance means a culture movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century beginning in florence in the late middle ages and later spreading to the rest of the europe.

It means rebirth of ideals of ancient greece and rome.

4. What was being brought back during this time?

art and music by created from ancient rome and rome with more creative and artists and more thinking ideas.

Define:
5. Contraposto is an Italian tern used in the visual arts to frscribe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off axis from the hips and legs.

6. Chiaroscuro is a contrast between light and dark, usually blog contrasts affecting a whole composition it is also more technocally used by artists and art historians for the use of effects representing contrasts of light not necessarily strong to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three dimensional objects such as the human body.

7. The painter of the Mona Lisa was leonardo da vinci

The man who sculpted the Pieta and the Sistine Chapel was michelangelo buonarroti.

What is different about Renaissance painting compared to painting during the Dark Ages?

one is more talking and drawing about there lifes and how they live and some animals and the dark ages is about some gods.

What is meant by the concept of "Humanism?"

It’s a sets man at the center giving humans primary importance.

music

2009-12-02T23:38:00.001-08:00

(Once again) General Statement
Who is your subject. When and where did they live.

“Maurice Ravel” France.
What is their major contribution to music? (Why are they famous?)

Because he is the best of orchestral, and he was also good at playing melodies and orchestral instruments effects ... etc.

info:

He’s whole name is joseph maurice ravel born in march 7,1875 and died in december 28, 1937. he was a french composer of impressionist music known especially for his melodies orchestral and instrumental textures and effects. mushc of his piano chamber vocal or orchestral music has entered the standard concert repertoire.

Stephanie - Maurice Ravel
What is his most famous composition?

he is the best at orchestral and he considered trivial and once described “a peice of orchestral without music”

What is the concept or point of the composition?

To also get included with the personal feelings and story.

How did Ravel personally feel about this work?

He is a hard worker which worked hard on everything. This is what he choose to do.

Is it program or absolute music?

Absolute. because it’s all of instruments and piano and stuff.

Music Project :)))))))) JOJOMA

2009-11-18T22:56:00.000-08:00

MUSIC PROJCTTTTT

*Stephanie Huang - George Gershwin
What was his most important contribution to music? Explain.

I think is because he likes the to write music and make music and he likes the bass and guitar , he always write songs and play songs, he likes to play songs and write songs.

What were the most famous musicals he composed music for?

The most famous musicals that he composed is “broadway” and the classical concert hall, as well as popular songs that brought his work to an even wider public.

Name some of his most famous songs.

Same as top of it , there is “broadway” and the classical concert hall.

d. How influential was he? Who were some of the people he
influenced?
He was really famous, he wins lot’s of price with the music and lot’s of people like him even big famous people and he is a popular jazz player, and the partner of his is Kay swift.

Citizenship - Social Boundaries

2009-11-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

We talked about lot's of stuff today in citizenship this class
we talked about social boundaries and talked about the society and people respecting each other, getting friends or people around you and stuff like that.

I have been left out before when I go to new school I don't understand what people are talking about and than I feels like Can't fit in with them and mades me feel like loney. And I think that doing things that you don't like or you don't want to do is hard to cross your boundaries and than things happene like this because that people don't respect each other , if they saw that people are different than them so they don't want to play with them or fit together and the people who is different than them will been feel like left out.
When people talk about there stuff and like ignore you make me feels like in this way whih has been lefted out and than I think that people see in different ways because that they don't like people who are diferent than them they don't show much respect and than they don't want to try to know them.
Thi is what we learned but I think that we shoudl be friends with everyone not only with the people who you know.

The Glass Factory

2009-11-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

Today our school of art class and the chinese culture went to the glass factory only about 7 and 8~9 graders few students.
We talked together at after lunch 12.50 and than we went out and walked to the glass factory.
It was pretty cool, that's a factory which show's us how the glass are made of and how does it make into a regular glass or cup or any shapes made by glass.
This is the first time I went to the real glass factory to see how the glass were made, it was pretty cool they put the glass into the big thing with fire and hot thingsnand than melt it and when it went out with a big long stick and they but it into a bowl and than try to make the shape and than to cool it with water and blow it because there is a hole in the top of it so you can make the air in it and make shape's rither cup or anything, and they also use to use the thing to shape it and than but they have to keep turning the glass because it was hot temperture and melted and soft if they don't turn it they will just change th shape and drop it. And we also see the glasses a area of putting the glasses which is no need and they make all the no need glasses and melt it and than make it into a box, AND IT MAKES ME KNOW THAT WE CAN'T WASTE GLASSES IF WE NO NEED WE HAVE TO RECYCLE IT AND THAN IT WILL WENT TO NEW FACTORY AND MAKE NEW GLASSES AGAIN!!!!! and than well, it smells a bit bad, SO WE HAVE TO WASH IT BEFORE WE RECYCLE :)))) and we also see people over there making glass with some machine and than there is some cool people which they use hand to touch the fire :O:O:O so coooool!!! and they showed us how to make it and lots of shape of things that is made by glass, we also went to a room that which all showed the thing that they have made and it's pretty and they talked about the history about how it made and stuff and they talked about also when do they made things or animals ... etc. And we interveiwed some people which work there and the person that I interveiw is the one who is making the shape of glass and than he told me in this factory everyone have worked more than 30 years, IT'S REALLY FUN TODAY but i hope we can make glasses too :( just too dangerous maybe, but it's fun , and the walking was EXTREMLY BAD AND TIRING!!!!!!!

oh and one of the funny thing is when the person says"we don't usually make the animals and show it , only for you guys "
and Ms.shelah tought is "we don't use to work it today but we made it to GIVE IT FOR YOU"

it's really funny:)))

* one of the thing i notice of their factory is everyone work very hard they don't even have time to talk so we don't get much time to interveiw them we just asked the people who bring us there.
and maybe we think is fun to make glasses, but it's actually pretty dangerous that will hurt ourself badly.

I WANNA VISIT NEXT TIME AGAIN IF I HAVE CHANCE:D

Citizenship 2

2009-11-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day of citizenship
and we learned about lot's of stuff about citizens.
we learned about the government which type of government
and talked a little bit about taiwan government and stuff
and we also talked about Ground Rules and stuff
like kinds of citizen's things.

And out of citizens we talked about the rules and stuff in class
like no talking or showing respectful and no talking when people are talking ,and how to act
like a student which is respect in class and good havior and not being bad atitude and stuff
and which is good and which is bad
we talked about lot's of rules and good stuff and bad stuff
we learned how to bahave in class and also other stuff about citizens like the government's and the naturalized,native communities of citizenship family schools and house and neighborhood city countries and world.

We learned lot's of stuff in citizen ship class :))))
:D
:D
:D
:D

Citizenship

2009-11-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

What is a Citizen?
person that is part of a community with a government.

Either native or naturalized .

(born) (change citizenship of a different country)

I AM A CITIZEN OF .....

- family
- H.I.S
- Community
- country
- the world

Story Summary

2009-04-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

During Humanities We read 3 story and we have to write the summary of them.

1) The Three Tests

Therer is a very pretty price called sadaka and he is very handsome but that he is not good at reading and that he don't know how to read map he is ot good at reading maps and so that he made a lot of frinds in island on he's way.
And the friends of them and animals a thanked him and helped him a lot.
And after that they all become good friends and than prince sadaka and animals was very happy at all.

2)Fafi’s Sheep
There is a small kid and he have two ears but he never use it to listen., he never listen for her mom.
And that little boy tell her dad he want one sheep too.. and dad say that you have to stop that behavior and but after that they have one and that her mom said that she is going to buy something and told her to look after the sheep very careful and don't open the gate to let the sheep ran out ad we will lose the sheep.And he tell every his friend that he have a sheep too because all he friend and neighbers all have sheep he want one too and now he have one he is so happy but because he is going to wash the hair finishing so he ask he's friend to help him to take care off it ad he open the gate try to let the sheep come out. And he ride on it and than grabe the sheep's ears but it didn't move.and after that he slap the sheep and than the sheep just cried out and the little boy just felt off the sheep's back and than that the sheep ran away from the gate.And the sheep ran to a farm and the framer are very angry so that she carried a stick and said that I don't even care about your sheep my tomato was smashed and than that the man said that you can't use a stick to punish a child like this and than they started to fight and he farmer said that Is not your busness.And after that the boy was fighting with the shop owner and fightign about which sheep was who's.and that that boy said that we have a sign another too is that there is lentle in the sheep's lip and than that everyone said what a smart boy and they laughed and said that yes it's yours and they said tha you can't go home like that you have tp bring another thing or a rope and that boy was happy because of that he have two big ears and he said that he don't need any rope he can bring it like this and than walk back home with he's sheep.And than that sheep ran away and than there is a man voice snd a women voice shouted fafi and than he come back and than that they huged and her mom and dad asked that what do you learn from this and he said that he learned about that he is happy to have two ears and he said sorry to he's mom that he didn't relized that he have a good different two ears.So that they alll huged and be happy.

3)Tamara of Tamarinda

In that pretty island everyone's name all started with an T,There was a girl named tamari she is so pretty ad run so fast but she is so lazy she never help in the house even making her own bed.She always wake up early and go to her favorite place and enjoy and sing,she's voice was so pretty every bees and some animals all come beside her and she will sing until is lunch time.
Her poor little mother always help tamari to do things and she don't know what do do with her only to love her.
And after that there was an very ugly guy come to here and saw the pretty island and he want to steal all the colur he wanted to make everyone sneez and than he can steal all the colur and but the bees in every night when people is asleep come and talk carried those thingy away so there is no one in this island will sneez.
And that ugly guy put fail sleeping oil to the bees so the bees sleep late and the thingy in the flower make people sneez than it make everyone started to sneez and all the color flew away.
And everything flew away and now tamari see the island was so ugly all the thingy and the color flew away it's become so ugly.
And after the ugly guy still it and so than he put it all out while he is running and than the island become very pretty again.
And tamari feel so hungry and tierd she have to find something and cook something all by herself and so than the bees were very upset cuz all the pretty island the colorful flowers and animals were al gone and the singing was not longer anymore too.
And some of bees went back to tell the queen the good news and some of them stay with tamari and she was very happy and she laugh in the same time and than the queen said she have to help tamari and teach her good magic to make the island go better and pretty again.

Seizing the moment at Notre Dame

2009-04-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

Father John Jenkins, the president of the University of Notre Dame, probably yearns for days past when the only angry messages waiting for him related to rehiring head football coach Charlie Weis for a fifth season after Weis’ dismal 6-6 performance in 2008. Today, Jenkins is being targeted not by bad sports but by conservative Catholics sporting really bad attitudes about Notre Dame’s decision to welcome the president of the United States to campus next month to serve as commencement speaker.

The president recently returned from an extraordinarily successful visit to world capitals in association with the G-20 summit. The massive crowds in cities from London to Prague waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of the 44th president would be baffled by the ND-Obama rancor.

Well-acquainted with abortion politics in America, Notre Dame’s graduating class is less confounded. Indeed, an overwhelming majority are delighted by the opportunity to have their special moment embellished by Barack Obama’s intelligence and eloquence.

Some of the reaction to Obama is still post-election sour grapes. Obama netted 54 percent of the Catholic vote nationwide, including a sizable share in Notre Dame’s home state of Indiana, where he became the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 to win the Hoosier State’s electoral votes. Obama’s victory loosened the grip the GOP had on middle-income families, a result of Ronald Reagan’s likable personality and his stance against an abortion rate in excess of 1 million per year.

Obama’s views supporting abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research are pragmatic. Obama knows this is less than the absolute legal prohibition demanded by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in America. Obama successfully found some common ground during the campaign by advocating abortion reduction with enhanced economic and social support, especially for poor, uninsured and often unemployed women. In addition, the president advocates stronger families and teenage responsibility.

Not enough. Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George, who met with the president in the Oval Office on St. Paddy’s Day, can be seen on YouTube stirring up letter-writing and e-mail campaigns. The local bishop in Indiana plans to boycott the graduation altogether.

Many Catholics, including this one, find it hard to reconcile this approach with the image of Christ in Matthew’s Gospel never turning away even “sinners and tax collectors,” though no one could blame Obama Cabinet officials for steering clear of tax collectors. Jesus’ method was one of inclusion, teaching with generosity, forgiveness and truth — not snubbing those in high office.

Of course, the truth of unborn life is disputed inside and outside the church. Catholic teaching insists that the personhood of the unborn child is not just a matter of faith but of objective science and the natural moral law available to all. Science does confirm that the first fertilized cell is unique and different from mother and father. But scientists do not claim to establish when legal personhood begins — that, most say, remains a political judgment. For me, it is faith informed by love — but that’s for another column.

Will Obama talk about these differences at ND? He is courageous enough to do so, and he is overdue for a Catholic moment. Unlike his masterful dominance of the rest of the national conversation, Obama has let the right wing frame his post-election ties to the Catholic constituency. For example, when Obama suspended George W. Bush’s hastily drafted eleventh-hour conscience clause regulations, the word went out that this was the end of Catholic hospitals. Not so, but to make the point, the Obama team needed to highlight well-established federal and state laws that already permit medical personnel with moral and religious objection to refrain from abortion practice.

Of equal importance is reminding America of how his administration has already assumed the mantle of Catholicism in winding down the war in Iraq, establishing a greater social safety net for the poor, setting out a bold plan for eliminating nuclear weapons and jump-starting a serious interfaith conversation with Islam, long sought by the Holy Father himself.

At Notre Dame, Obama might remind all of us not to make the perfect the enemy of the good. On May 17, as he stands at the foot of Our Lady’s Golden Dome, it will be 85 years to the day the Notre Dame Irish beat back the lit torches of Ku Klux Klan hatred that had spilled onto the campus. Three-quarters of a century ago, plus 10 years, the “fighting Irish” defeated the ignorance and prejudice of the KKK with their fists.

Today, they and we are blessed to use our minds — if they are open.

Douglas W. Kmiec is the author of “Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question About Barack Obama” (Overlook/Penguin, 2008). A former dean of the Catholic University Law School, Kmiec taught at Notre Dame for nearly 20 years before joining the faculty of the Pepperdine University School of Law.

Hong Kong students start vote on Tiananmen killings

2009-04-14T01:54:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong student union is holding a student vote on whether China should apologize for its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananamen Square 20 years ago in which hundreds were killed.

While China has tried to whitewash any commemoration or mention of June 4, formerly British-ruled Hong Kong has remained the only city on Chinese soil where annual June 4 vigils, remembrances and protests are tolerated.

Faced with growing student indifference, the Hong Kong University Student Union kicked off the three-day vote on whether China should "rectify" its verdict that the June 4 protests were counter-revolutionary and that killings were justified.

"After 20 years of denial and injustice, the world has had enough," the union said in explaining the need for a referendum.

"As the heirs to those who have fought and died for the freedoms which we now enjoy, we all share a duty to step forward on their behalf lest all their sacrifices be in vain."

The vote comes amid recent signs of on-campus tensions in Hong Kong between democratic-minded students and conservative elements wanting to tone down the criticism of Beijing, particularly among students from mainland China.

The demonstrations that drew more than a million people on to Beijing's streets are now a fading memory and the killings are still taboo in mainland Chinese media.

A so-called "democracy wall" on the University of Hong Kong's campus used to raise awareness of June 4 through photographs, essays and posters was recently vandalized.

Africa [My World] -- Photo Journal

2009-04-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today During Humanities Class We study about Africa and how there life is and how do they study how do they learn.
We are going to now say about our life and say about how different between us and the Africa student.
And we are also to going to share our goals to them.

We Study in Hsinchu International School.

In School We study with apple computer's, We have to bring our computer everytime to learn and to study.
We use computer to learn to study in class a and to do homework also. Sometimes we use computer to have a quiz or test and sometimes we use hand writing.

We have Spirit week and some Holiday and in our school everyone always smile and happy and were all like a big family :]

And in the morning we have all school gathering, We use to talk and when any teacher or any student have any things we always share it together.And sometimes we do activity and we get into groups.

This is our school life.

And I think the different between taiwan international school and africa school is that:

1. We use apple computer to study and they don't use computer to study they use handwriting.

2.In africa they have a lot of place and small house and they paint art on it and it's very pretty.

3.They have a lot of farm and place that have a lot of animals.

4.They were the clothes that is not same with us and they have different hair kind's too and I think that and they have different life with us and they eat different food too.

5.They speak different language.

6.There skin color is not same with us too.

GOALS:

1. In my goals I think I want I hope that i can learn better my english and I think is same to the africa student too. Because they come from a lot of country and there first language is not english so I think they can speak good english and learn more too.

2. I wish i can have a good grade and i wish that i can know more things and know more study more about life and something different between international school and local school.And I think that africa student have to learn more and know more too because that they come from different place and I think they have to know more about the place that the person people live.

That's It

:]

Volcanoes & Earthquake's {Science}

2009-04-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

During Science class we have a test and Ms.Smith said that after the test we have to watch a movie and than when I finished I went moodle ans than download the movie called EARTHQUAKE'S & VOLCANOES and than I watched.

It said about that how much earthquakes and volcanoes happened in the world there is in forest about the volcanoes because it had to much tree thingy's and it's also to dry it make's fire all over and it also talked more about earthquakes in shop's people walking around and fall and things went crash all over and than said about that the city all the buildings crash's and all the house's all gone and road and stuff place like that the a lot of place and when someone people are making house and than there is earthquakes it make's house crash when it even haven't finish making and all of the people die and hurt something like that and alo volcanoes are very big and after that it also talked about how there earthquakes happened and have it and why and some thing's learn about earthquakes and volcanoes and where did it happened and how and how much are there eathquakes and volcanoes happened.

SO EVERYONE HAS TO BE CAREFULL AND WATCH MORE MOVIE ABOUT EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES =]

SCIENCE IS COOL SCIENCE IS INTRESTING =]

U.S. doctors urge transparency on insurer payments

2009-03-27T01:37:00.000-07:00

* Doctors group says transparency means savings

* AMA urges more openness on out-of-network services

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - Requiring health insurers to be more open about how they set reimbursement rates for out-of-network medical services would save everyone money, the top U.S. doctors group told Congress on Thursday.

American Medical Association President Nancy Nielsen said such a move would prevent insurance companies from shortchanging patients and upsetting their relationship with their doctors by underestimating what doctors should be charging for services.

"The AMA believes enormous savings would accrue to patients, physicians, health insurers and other third-party payers if there were complete transparency," she told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Insurer reimbursement rates for out-of-network services are often set at what are considered "usual" or "customary" charges. The problem for doctors and patients is that insurers have been systematically underestimating those charges, Nielsen said.

Recent lawsuits are changing those practices, Nielsen said. But she urged Congress to make sure health insurance payment transparency is part of a broad healthcare overhaul that President Barack Obama wants enacted by the end of the year.

Neilsen's testimony comes a day after the AMA and others sued WellPoint Inc (WLP.N), accusing it of fixing payments for out-of-network services artificially low.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, followed similar federal claims led by the AMA against Cigna Corp (CI.N) and Aetna Inc (AET.N) in New Jersey, and against UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) in New York.

WellPoint said on Wednesday in response to the lawsuit that it was "committed to providing appropriate reimbursement for out-of-network services."

In January, UnitedHealth agreed to pay $350 million to resolve class action litigation and $50 million to settle an investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo into its Ingenix database.

Eating Red and Processed Meats May Increase Risk of Death

2009-03-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

The News Said about that Eating Red meat and red things is not good for body it will just make your body going bad and maybe you will die !! MUAHAHAHAHAHA =]
Or maybe if you eat the meat that plus more things or plus more other meat and it will also make your body health go bad and you will also die !! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH =]

Why it's not good it's because red meats aren't as healthy as "lean meats" doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat them. Everything is good in moderation and meat has a lot of protein so limiting yourself to only one variety doesn't open up a lot of doors. So you can still eat them, just eat them in moderation.

And Why is not good to eat the meat that plus more other meat is because that other meat mix with the fresh meat you eat it will be unhealthy.

QUESTION TIME'S =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =] =]

Who?:
The Doctor and people said that it's unhealthy.
What?:
About eating RED MEAT is not good and also eating the meat that PLUS OTHER KIND OF MEAT is not good and unhealthy it will make you DIE !! MUAHAHAHAHAH =]
When?:
Everytime!
Where?:
In the whole world.
Why?
Because it's unhealthy!
There is information WHY on the top of QUESTION TIME'S =]

Bye Bye~~
Why?

YouTube takes down thousands of fair-use videos

2009-03-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

Thousands of user-created videos- or at least their audio tracks - have disappeared from YouTube, and the question is who’s fault is it?

The New York Times reports that many YouTube users have found themselves in the same position as high school sophomore Juliet Weybret, who posted a video of herself playing piano and singing “Winter Wonderland.”

Her video was removed “as a result of a third-party notification by the Warner Music Group,” YouTube informed her.

But Warner says it’s not their fault.

“We and our artists share the user community’s frustration when content is unavailable. YouTube generates revenues from content posted by fans, which typically requires licenses from rights holders. Under the current process, we make YouTube aware of WMG content. Their content ID tool then takes down all unlicensed tracks, regardless of how they are used,” said Will Tanous, a spokesman for Warner Music.

In other words, Warner provides a very long list of copyright materials and Google’s tool goes through and wipes them all out, regardless of how fair the use might be.

It’s yet another example of how broken the DMCA regime is. Google believes it is legally obligated to take down every instance of a reported copyright work. More to the point, the scale is so huge it sends its robots out to do the takedowns.

Under DMCA, users can file an objection to the take-down, but the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Fred von Lohmann says:

“People are somewhat intimidated by the possibility of being sued by one of the music companies, even if they have a free lawyer, like us.”

So a very large amount of fair-use works are simply taken down, and the digital speech that is the currency of our modern age simply goes offline.

Volcano in Alaska blows top again

2009-03-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

Mount Redoubt volcano in the US state of Alaska has erupted for the sixth time in 24 hours, spewing ash and steam 15km (9.3 miles) into the air.

The volcano, 166km (103 miles) south-west of the state's biggest city, Anchorage, began erupting late on Sunday after a 20-year lull.

Ash has fallen on towns north of Anchorage, but the city itself has not been affected by the eruption.

Alaskan Airlines has cancelled a number of flights because of the ash.

Officials at the Alaska Volcano Observatory were able to monitor the latest eruption live via a webcam.

"We were able to see mudflows, pyroclastic flows and a nice ash column shooting out of the summit," geologist Janet Schaefer told the BBC. "It was quite spectacular."

Karen Timmers picks up her daughter Kaila Kais, who suffers from asthma, and son Johann from Talkeetna Elementary School, in Talkeetna, Alaska on 23 March
People living in the path of ash cloud have taken precautions

Ms Schaefer said the ash, which can cause skin irritation and breathing problems, was so far was not too dangerous for people living in the vicinity but was dangerous for air traffic.

The ash can cause damage to jet engines. People with respiratory problems have been warned to stay indoors until the ash settles or to wear a face mask if they go outside.

Ms Schaefer said the Observatory was working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Weather Service to track ash clouds and ensure flights were diverted or cancelled if necessary.

Dozens of aircraft at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage were being sheltered as a precaution against the falling ash.

Mount Redoubt, which stands 3,100m (10,200ft) high, last erupted over a four-month period from 1989 to 1990.

Scientists monitoring the area warned in late January that an eruption was likely.

On Sunday, officials raised the alert level after researchers recorded increased seismic activity.

"If it is anything like the 1989 eruption, we could expect activity to continue for three to four months," Ms Schaefer said.

Vidio

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7960825.stm

House passes bill to capture most of AIG bonuses

2009-03-20T01:19:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - Struggling to keep ahead of public outrage over the actions of Wall Street firms, the House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday that seeks to recoup the lion's share of the $165 million in bonuses paid to executives of American International Group Inc.

The House measure, hurriedly drawn up on the orders of Democratic leadership, imposes a 90 percent tax on those who were paid bonuses at AIG and other firms as long as their families earned more than $250,000 annually and their companies received more than $5 billion in federal bailout funds. It passed by more than a two-thirds majority, 328 to 93.

All but one of the representatives from Maryland voted in favor of the measure. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett of Frederick, the state's lone Republican, voted against it.

The Senate is taking a different approach. It is readying a bill that would levy a 35 percent excise tax on executive bonuses. Both the company and the recipient of the bonuses would pay the tax. The Senate could take up the measure next week, or perhaps attempt to reconcile it with the House tax bill.

Even as the House voted, New York's attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, announced that AIG had complied with a request to turn over the names of those in the company who had received the bonuses. Cuomo pledged to be cautious in releasing the names because of concerns over the employees' safety.

The House bill, sponsored by New York Democratic Rep. Charles B. Rangel, garnered significant Republican support. But that did not come without a bitter debate, with conservative Republicans angrily denouncing the measure as a charade intended to deflect blame from Democrats about how the AIG bonuses were permitted to be paid.

They remained focused on an embarrassing disclosure by Senate Democrats Wednesday that they acceded to a Treasury Department request in February to scale back language in the economic stimulus bill that would have limited the payments.

"This bill is nothing more than an attempt for everybody to cover their butt up here on Capitol Hill," said Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader. Opponents advocated a separate plan that would require the Treasury Department to seek repayment of the funds immediately. And some suggested the bill was an unconstitutional attempt to penalize a specific company, though legal experts said yesterday that the bill would probably pass muster by the courts.

Supporters said the bill was the most effective means for the government to seek redress of the bonus money.

"This vote is the difference between solving the problem or continuing the problem," said New York Rep. Steve Israel, a Democrat. "The only way to get their money back is to tax it back."

Some Republicans agreed. "At the end of the day, this insult to taxpayers cannot, should not, and will not stand," said Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan.

Republicans were clearly divided, with nearly half supporting the Rangel measure, perhaps worried about how constituent anger over the AIG payouts might be visited upon them.

Democrats charged that Republicans had opportunistically changed their tune on the compensation issue, noting that many have resisted past attempts to limit executive pay.

Nearly a third of U.S. bird species in trouble

2009-03-20T01:18:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly one-third of all U.S. bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline, with birds in Hawaii facing a "borderline ecological disaster," scientists reported on Thursday.

The State of the Birds report, issued by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar along with conservation groups and university ornithologists, also noted some successes, including the recovery of the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon and other species after the banning of the chemical DDT.

"When we talk about birds and we talk about wildlife, we're also talking about the economics of this country," Salazar told reporters as the report was released.

Wildlife watching and recreation generate $122 billion annually, the report said.

Salazar mentioned revenue from hunting, fishing and bird-watching, but added that President Barack Obama's stimulus package and proposed federal budgets for the remainder of 2009 and 2010 offer more money for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which aims to protect birds and other creatures.

The report, available online at www.stateofthebirds.org, presents data collected by government and academic scientists, as well as information contributed by amateur bird-watchers.

Wetland bird populations have soared since 1968, with an increase of up to 60 from levels 40 years ago. But birds in other habitats -- forests, grasslands and arid areas -- have declined as much as 40 percent.

HAWAIIAN BIRDS MOST VULNERABLE

It is in the perceived paradise of Hawaii that birds have declined the most, the report said.

"More bird species are vulnerable to extinction in Hawaii than anywhere else in the United States," according to the report.

Before humans arrived in the Hawaiian islands, possibly as early as the year 300, there were 113 bird species that occurred nowhere else on Earth. Since humans arrived, 71 species have gone extinct and 31 more are listed as threatened or endangered.

The main culprits are new plant and animal species introduced into the Hawaiian ecosystem, said George Wallace of the American Bird Conservancy, who wrote the report's section on Hawaii.

"Most Americans would be surprised that a place that we usually associate with being an idyllic paradise would have so many serious bird conservation problems," Wallace said in a telephone interview.

"These types of isolated island flora and fauna tend to be very, very sensitive to introductions of foreign organisms."

John Fitzpatrick of Cornell University went farther, calling Hawaii a "borderline ecological disaster" and "the epicenter of extinctions and near extinctions."

Overall, the United States is home to more than 800 species of birds; 67 of those are federally listed as endangered or threatened, with an additional 184 species causing concern because of they are narrowly distributed or have declining populations, the report said.

(Humanities) -- Two Country Research

2009-03-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Our Groups have Cherine Jasmine and Stephanie.
And I Think I wanna Research South Africa Egypt,
Here is the information of it those country:

South Africa:

The Republic of South Africa, also known by other official names, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The South African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans.To the north of South Africa lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while the Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory.

History:

South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in the world.Extensive fossil remains at the Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Makapansgat caves suggest that various australopithecines existed in South Africa from about three million years ago.[13] These were succeeded by various species of Homo, including Homo habilis, Homo erectus and modern humans, Homo sapiens. Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the Limpopo River by the fourth or fifth century displacing and absorbing the original KhoiSan speakers. They slowly moved south and the earliest ironworks in modern-day KwaZulu-Natal Province are believed to date from around 1050. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier KhoiSan people, reaching the Fish River, in today's Eastern Cape Province. These Iron Age populations displaced earlier people, who often had hunter-gatherer societies, as they migrated.

Egypt:

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers, Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west.

Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its estimated 76 million live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers, where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely-populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains numerous ancient artifacts, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East.

Geography:

At 1,001,450 square kilometers, Egypt is the world's 38th-largest country. In terms of land area, it is approximately the same size as all of Central America, twice the size of France, four times the size of the United Kingdom, and the combined size of the US states of Texas and California.

Nevertheless, due to the aridity of Egypt's climate, population centres are concentrated along the narrow Nile Valley and Delta, meaning that approximately 99% of the population uses only about 5.5% of the total land area.

Question:

Which country can best use the their funding? Why?

Answer:

Well I think it's all okei and it's all good for doing it and using it because every country have every country's good thing's and bad thing's

In south africa it's pretty and good and a lot of nice people polite people and it' famous in that country even thing's work's a lot of thing's a and there have a lot of good thing's and it's pretty.

And in Egypt I think it's cool too and that that place it's pretty famous too and they have a lot of nice people kind people and polite people even a lot of intresting animal's and a lot of thing's even that there has a lot of kind of aboriginal people and thing's animal it's great.

And I think both country it's cool and that it's good to research too~~

(Humanities) -- Sociology Science Geograpgy.

2009-03-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

How did you use the social sciences of Geography, Economics and Sociology to consider what would make strong countries in Kenbrena?

I think maybe America because I think Geography They have a lot of thing's about learning books and things and Economics The money things and some work thing' there are very good at it and they are very cool and nice about it. And Sociology and that the are good at community and very good at couculate and work together and talk together and study together and they are good at work together like a big family so they always do thing's right and nice and good.So I think maybe America is the most strongest country in Kenbrena. Maybe there is a lot of country but I think America is the nest :)

Kenbrena

2009-03-13T01:18:00.000-07:00

* If you lived in part of Kenbrena where you did not have energy resources, what could you do to survive?
If one day I live in Kenbrena Than I don't have any energy left im going to die I will call somebody to help me and I will find people and will try to find a idea to make me have a lot of energy and don't die. and I think that i will have a lot of energy and a lot of people are going to help me because that I think there people are very kind and very nice.

* "To have a strong country, it is best to have only rich people with financial control." Support or refute that statement.

I think that that is wrong because to have a strong country is not the problem of living with who or which kind of people because that I think if people want to have a country and work together like a family than they will have a strong country.

* "People of different levels of wealth may not love one another, but they might need each other." Support or refute that statement.

I think it's still wrong too. Because maybe different kind of people will love each other and maybe some will don't love each other and some people don't love each other but they need each other and some people love each other than they work with each other too.. So I think it's not really wrong and I don't agree it.

Kenbrena -- Question

2009-03-11T01:18:00.000-07:00

* What are some possible reasons for some groups in Kenbrena to be friendly to each other while other groups do not get along?

Why Do They Some Group's work friendly with each groups and be nice is because some of them are friendly and they think it's better to work together and it's better to talk together and than work together.

And Why Some Group's didn't work well and nice and friendly is because some people think it's bad to work together and some groups think that every group's are enemy so they don't work together.

* Is there a social group above the makes you think of yourself or your family?

Only Kind people and the friendly people and the people are nice that think that we should work together that's the only way that they will think about me and my family.

'More bad news' on climate change

2009-03-10T01:37:00.000-07:00

More bad news on climate change is expected as more than 2,000 climate scientists gather in Copenhagen.

They will be trying to pull together the latest research on global warming ahead of political negotiations later in the year.

The scientists are concerned that the 2007 reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are already out of date.

Their data suggests greater rises in sea levels this century.

For the scientists gathering in the Danish capital, this meeting is about removing as much wriggle room as possible from the political negotiations on a new global climate treaty taking place in December.

While the IPCC reports of 2007 were praised for their recognition of the causes of global warming, the slow, consensus-based nature of the process, meant more recent data was not included.

Greater clarity

But with this meeting taking place outside the IPCC, it means it will have the very latest estimates, and the scientists will have no need to agree every word with the political masters.

This unfettered atmosphere is likely to produce greater clarity about the scale of some very worrying trends, especially sea level rise.

The IPCC was widely criticised for stating that sea level rise this century would only amount to 59cm (23in).

The most recent data, to be presented here, will suggest a far higher figure with dramatic implications for many island nations and coastal regions.

The meeting is being organised by the University of Copenhagen. Its prorector Lykke Friis said the scientists would be presenting the latest and the clearest information, meaning political leaders would not have the excuse that they needed more research before agreeing on a deal.

As well as hearing from scientists, the meeting will also look at the social and economic impacts of the global rise in temperatures.

UPDATE:Apple Plans To Launch Netbook With Touch Screen-Sources

2009-03-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

TAIPEI -(Dow Jones)- Apple Inc. (AAPL) is planning to launch a netbook computer with a touch screen monitor as early as the second half of this year, two people close to the situation told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches, one person, who declined to be named, said.

Another person said other specifications and functions are still under evaluation.

Apple is working with Taiwan's Wintek Corp. (2384.TW), a contract manufacturer of small and medium displays, to make the touch-screen displays and Quanta Computer Inc. (2382.TW), the world's largest notebook maker by revenue, to assemble the new netbooks, the second person said.

Netbooks are primarily designed for Internet browsing and mobile computing. They cost less than conventional laptop computers, and are lighter and smaller.

A slew of PC makers including Dell Inc. (DELL), Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) and Acer Inc. (2353.TW) have in recent months entered this market segment. The companies are hoping to tap new computer users in emerging markets.

Apple's entry may come in what is expected to be a very tough year for computer sales. Desktop-computer shipments in particular are expected to fall by nearly one-third globally in 2009 as consumers increasingly shift to laptop computers, according to projections released by research firm Gartner Inc. earlier in March.

While netbook computers have become a major sales driver for computer companies, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs last year dismissed netbooks, even going so far as to suggest Apple's third-generation iPhone - a smartphone device that offer multifunctions - could serve as a netbook. Jobs told analysts in October Apple isn't "tremendously worried" the slump will drive customers to less-expensive PCs and added, "we don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk."

Jill Tan, a spokeswoman for Apple in Asia, declined to comment Tuesday. Wintek spokeswoman Susie Lee and Quanta Computer investor relations officer Carol Hsu declined to comment.

Apple, like many other big personal-computer and consumer-electronics brands, doesn't actually make most of its products. It hires manufacturing specialists - mainly companies from Taiwan that have extensive operations in China - to assemble its gadgets based on Apple's designs.

The arrangement frees Apple and its fellow vendors from running complicated, labor-intensive production lines, while the ability of Taiwanese companies to slash manufacturing costs helps cut product prices over time.

Quanta assembles Apple's MacBook and iMac computers.

Shares of Wintek and Quanta rose on the news. Wintek shares rose 6.9% to NT$ 11.70, while Quanta shares gained 4.4% to NT$37.60. The broader market closed up 0.9%.

But Yuanta Securities analyst Vincent Chen said the share price gains may be limited as orders from Apple may not be large.

"Apple is unlikely to make very cheap products. The netbook would most likely be very niche, meaning volume is going to be small."

Were Scientists Fair?

2009-03-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

When Alfred Wegener proposed his Continental Drift Hypothesis, he was not believed partially because he was not a trained geologist. He was actually trained in metereology. Do you think the scientists were fair when they pointed this out?

I think it's not really fair because that it can't be that if he is a scientists of weather than he can't do anything els. he still can know some thing's about humanities too if it's wrong it's okei but it can't be always wrong you must trust it.
So I think it's not fair
Ex.
If I'm good at math but I still know about science
I can't don't know anything about it.
So I think it's not really fair to say that Alfred Wegener is lying.

:)

Capital Resources

2009-03-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

These is the information that say's what does these words mean :)

Human Capital:

Human capital refers to the stock of skills and knowledge embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value.

Financial Capital:

Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation.

Natural Resources:

Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy Motown label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who".

Capital:

A Thing A Word
That is Capital Big Words
For Example
a = not Capital
A = Capital.

Laws to tackle tainted-food cases seem to lack much bite

2009-03-04T23:41:00.001-08:00

The salmonella outbreak associated with Peanut Corp. of America’s peanut products is one of the biggest tainted-food cases in recent history.

“In 15 years of litigating most of the major foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S., the PCA case may well be the worst food-safety breach I have ever seen,” said Seattle food-borne illness attorney Bill Marler, who has filed multiple claims against Peanut Corp. in the recent outbreak.

But as federal investigators move forward, they also are aware that few food-related investigations turn into prosecutions and even fewer land anyone in jail.

In the salmonella outbreak that began last fall, nine people are believed to be dead from eating bad peanut products. More than 660 people have been sickened.

A federal criminal investigation of Peanut Corp. of America, the company federal officials have identified as the source of the salmonella, was opened on Jan. 30. The outbreak has been traced to the company’s Blakely plant, though the plant in Plainview, Texas, may have contributed to at least six illnesses in Colorado, officials in that state said.

The probe focuses on the violation of federal food “adulteration” laws, and doesn’t legally address the victims, said former Food and Drug Administration investigators and federal agents familiar with the investigation and prosecution of food-borne illness cases.

“It doesn’t matter if anybody got sick, or if anybody died,” said Benjamin England, a former investigator with the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and a Washington attorney who runs an FDA consulting firm.

Federal officials won’t comment on the criminal probe springing from the current salmonella outbreak. The FDA is working with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI on the probe.

In 1998, the FDA levied a $1.5 million fine against Odwalla Inc., a California juice maker, for selling apple juice tainted with E. coli that led to the death of a Colorado teen. The company pleaded guilty to 16 counts of misdemeanor food adulteration.

In 2007, the president of Lantana, Fla.-based Atlantis Foods Inc. got 15 months after pleading guilty to a scheme to sell adulterated chicken salad and lobster dip.

Former investigators said laws governing food adulteration date to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The act defines adulterated product as food that was “prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.”

The provision offers two types of adulteration charges —- misdemeanor and felony. Intent defines the difference. A felony charge means the food was knowingly contaminated and put on the market. The maximum felony fine is $10,000. The maximum prison term is three years.

States where victims of tainted food were sickened or died can pursue charges such as manslaughter or negligent homicide, said former federal investigators and prosecutors. But states often don’t.

“In a perfect world, a state might be right in the middle of it [the investigation] right now,” said Rande Matteson, a former federal agent and chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice at Saint Leo University in Florida. “But it’s not a perfect world.”

Laws to tackle tainted-food cases seem to lack much bite

2009-03-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

Amazon releases Kindle for iPhone, iPod Touch

2009-03-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

Trying to expand its book sales, Amazon.com Inc. released a free application Wednesday that lets iPhone and iPod Touch users read electronic books purchased at the e-commerce giant's Kindle online bookstore.

The software performs many of the same functions featured on Amazon's $359 Kindle 2 reading device released last month, including bookmarking, noting, highlighting and adjusting the font size, the company said.
But the Amazon Kindle for iPhone application lacks the Kindle's read-aloud feature that garnered controversy. The Seattle online merchant said it would let rights-holders disable the text-to-speech feature after publishers and authors argued that it violates audio-book copyrights.

The Kindle allows owners to download books wirelessly, but iPhone program users can't buy directly through the application. Instead, to shop among the 240,000 electronic book titles, users must access the store via the phone's Web browser or from a computer.

The application could cut into sales of the Kindle device, but it also expands the number of customers who can buy Amazon's e-books. Analysts peg Kindle sales at fewer than half a million. Apple Inc., by comparison, sold more than 13.7 million iPhones in 2008, according to ABI Research. That's not counting the millions of iPod Touch devices also sold.

When it comes to e-books, Amazon will have competition on those Apple devices. Google Inc. offers 1.5 million free e-books in the public domain. Lexcycle's free Stanza application lets iPhone users read digital books bought at online merchants such as eReader and Fictionwise, which has its own application called eReader.

The Movie

2009-03-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

In Science Class We Watched A Movie And I forgot The Name Of That Movie. And That Movie is Talking About Some Body and Some Head And There is a people are talking about Science and Talking about how there design and talking about how they do it and They Make a lot of slide show too and it's talking about how long did it take them make that and also talk about some science.
And I really like that movie I think it's cool ad the people are cool too.
We Don't need to write this post but I wanna write it.
And What I'm Going to say it's hat I think that This movie is so cool.

Isolating the Variable -- [Science]

2009-03-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

In Science We did a activity called chocolate attack we are going to do that activity last time but because there is no time so we do it this time
first everyone make up with group of three and me with jasmine chao and annchi wan and we first draw the boat that we wanted to design and make sure that it can help the HIS student because there is a chocolate attack that's why it called chocolate attack.
And after that we had three pice of paper and 3 straws and a meter of tape and we have to make the boat using those given thing to make the boat that we design.
And after we finish we need to go down stairs in school and try them we put little thingy on the boat and also some fat one. the thin one is elementry one and the fat one is high school student and we put one by one and i also record it too who get's the most lot people in the boat who win's and a lot of people get 20... or something more and less and our group got 31. haha:D:D
WE WON!!

--
Congratulatoins~

SCIENCE IS FUN
=]

Tokyo

2009-03-03T00:14:00.000-08:00

In Humanities there is a task that tell you to write a place that you travel it before and you really like that place and it keep save it in your mind.

I'm talking about A Place in japen called tokyo I think it's a place like perceptual.
It can't really find on he map because it's a place in japan and it's not really big and so that you only can find japan in the map but you can't find tokyo in the map.

----------------

Main Part of Tokyo:

Tokyo officially Tokyo Metropolis is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people. The population of the prefecture exceeds 12 million. The prefecture is the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, the world's most populous metropolitan area with 35 million people and the world's largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$1.191 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2005.
Tokyo is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of
the Japanese Imperial Family.

The History:

Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo. In 1457, Ōta Dōkan built Edo Castle. In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo his base and when he became shogun in 1603, the town became the center of his nationwide military government. During the subsequent Edo period, Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world with a population topping one million by the 18th century.It became the de facto capital of Japan even while the emperor lived in Kyoto, the imperial capital. After about 263 years, the shogunate was overthrown under the banner of restoring imperial rule. In 1869, the 17-year-old Emperor Meiji moved to Edo. Tokyo was already the nation's political and cultural center,and the emperor's residence made it a de facto imperial capital as well with the former Edo Castle becoming the Imperial Palace. The city of Tokyo was established, and continued to be the capital until it was abolished as a municipality in 1943 and merged with the "Metropolitan Prefecture" of Tokyo.

How Did Tokyo This name come from?:

Tokyo was originally known as Edo, meaning estuary.Its name was changed to Tokyo when it became the imperial capital in 1868.During the early Meiji period, the city was also called "Tōkei", an alternative pronunciation for the same Chinese characters representing "Tokyo". Some surviving official English documents use the spelling "Tokei". This pronunciation is now obsolete.

The Culture of Japan Tokyo:

Tokyo has many museums. In Ueno Park are four national museums: Tokyo National Museum, the country's largest museum and specializing in traditional Japanese art; the National Museum of Western Art; and the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, with its collections of Japanese modern art as well as over 40,000 Japanese and foreign films. Also in Ueno Park are the National Museum of Science and the public zoo. Other museums include the Nezu Art Museum in Aoyama; the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Sumida across the Sumida River from the center of Tokyo; and the National Diet Library, National Archives, and the National Museum of Modern Art, which are located near the Imperial Palace.

Tokyo has many theaters for the performing arts as well. These include national and private theaters for traditional forms of Japanese drama as well as modern dramas. Symphony orchestras and other musical organizations perform Western and traditional music. Tokyo also hosts modern Japanese and Western pop and rock music at venues ranging in size from intimate clubs to internationally known arenas like the Nippon Budokan. Many different festivals occur throughout Tokyo. Major events include the Sannō at Hie Shrine, the Sanja at Asakusa Shrine, and the biennial Kanda Festivals. The last features a parade with elaborately decorated floats and thousands of people. Annually on the last Saturday of July, an enormous fireworks display over the Sumida River attracts over a million viewers. Once cherry blossoms, or sakura, bloom in spring, many residents gather in Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for picnics under the blossoms.

Harajuku, a neighborhood in Shibuya, is known internationally for its youth style and fashion.

Cuisine in Tokyo is internationally acclaimed. In November 2007, Michelin released their guide for fine dining in Tokyo, garnering 191 stars in total, or about twice as many as its nearest competitor, Paris. Eight establishments were awarded the maximum of three stars, 25 received two stars, and 117 earned one star. Of the eight top-rated restaurants, three offer traditional Japanese fine dining, two are sushi houses, three serve French cuisine.

The Picture Of Japan Tokyo:

This Place is cool and fun and pretty and I really like there I think that Japan is good and fun not even tokyo also a lot of place but I went tokyo the most time so I really remember about there so I think I wanna write there talked about there.

My Learning of the 5 Themes of Geography

2009-02-25T00:19:00.000-08:00

Definition

What is geography?

Geography is the study of the Earth and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena.

Theme 1: Location

Where are you right now? Describe your location in as many ways as you can.
Im In School Now. Hsinchu International School Right Now In flour 2 202 Mr. Truchon room. Who Teach Us Math Class.

Theme 2: Place

What are the physical, human and cultural characteristics?

The Physica:
Physical is a health care profession which provides services to individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life.

Theme 3: Human-Environment Interactions

How do humans adapt to and/or change the environment? How do we depend upon the environment?

I Think people adapt environment is that they try to know new friends new people and weather and food ad things in the world.

Theme 4: Movement

How does movement affect your daily life? What “items” are being moved that you interact with on a regular basis?

I think people move as what it's brain says and what do they wanna do. And I think People move to see what things move.

Theme 5: Regions

Describe the difference between a formal, functional and perceptual description of a region.

Religion have three type
Christianity:

Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament.

Islam:
Islam is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure.

Judaism:
Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating from the saga of the ancient Israelites, as embodied and codified in the Hebrew Bible, as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts.

And Also What is religions?
A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth.

And I think it's God.

National Standards Review

2009-02-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

In Humanites Homework
We have a homework that we need to watch a movie called National Standards and We need to write what we learned

-------

There are six things:
1.The World in Spatail Terms
2.Places and Religions.
3.Phycical Systems
4.Environment and Society
5.Human Systems
6.The Uses Of Geography.

And Here is The Grography Skills:

Skill 1. Asking The Geographic Question.
Skill 2. Acquiring Geographic Information.
Skill 3. Organizing Geographic Data.
Skill 4. Geographic Information System.
Skill 5. GIS: Software for Geographic Data.
Skill 6. Analysis and Synthesis.
Skill 7. Finding Answers.

This is what I learned
More Information Please Go:

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/index.html

Puzzle Time Activity

2009-02-24T00:26:00.000-08:00

In Science Class we had a game called Puzzle Activity and what had Ms.Smith had gave us is
One Big peace of paper and she cut it in a lot of peace and cut it a lot of strange peace it make it really hard to put it back into write peace of paper.
And we have a lot of group with 3 people and I'm in a group with andrew and peter and at first it's hard we wanna give up but at last we try very hard and we try to find the paper that the side look the same and it make them fit togather and we find one by one and after that we fit all togather to make it in to one big peace paper. Or we did one more ideas is to bring a new big peace of paper that look the same as when you fit the small peace of paper togather and we try to fit every peace in the new big paper looks if it fit and if it fit we will put all together.

And the next class we use news paper And The Same group and same people and we used news paper it's more easy but it look like more messy that there is a lot of words and there is a lot of color in it so it makes it very hard.
And we did a different way to fit it together we first find the side and find the words and the color look that if it make's it in words and we try to fit it togather

And I think this activity is cool And Ms.Smith helped us a lot too~ After that we did a work sheet too write about the shape and how we made it.

And I learned a lot from this activity too!
I learned that we can;t give up anything because you don't even know if you have more chance to do it and if you give up to early than you will never win and if you keep trying you will think it's fun and you will also think that it's intresting and it help you learn more too~!

I Love Science

Facebook privacy story a beat-up

2009-02-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

This is the news due wednesday.

Facebook's chief privacy officer has spoken out defending the company's controversial decision to change its terms of use, saying the entire story was a beat-up and Facebook never intended to use people's personal information outside of the site.

It was the latest in a series of privacy rows for the social networking site as its 175 million users wise up to the dangers of publishing their personal details on the internet through a commercial entity.

In a telephone interview, Chris Kelly said despite Facebook rolling back the changes, which gave the company "irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid worldwide license" to users' information even after they deleted their account, the social network did not believe it had done anything wrong.

Kelly said the license was only intended to cover the site against legal action under copyright law and only allowed the company to use people's photos and other information on the Facebook site and within the privacy settings chosen by each individual.

"License is different to ownership ... So the speculation about people's faces showing up on billboards or Facebook owning the photos that they uploaded was just completely false," Kelly said.

"If you had only agreed to display a photograph for instance to five users, which you can do under your Facebook privacy settings, Facebook's license only extended far enough to allow us to display that photograph to those five users."

The issue flared up after consumer advocate blog Consumerist wrote that Facebook had tweaked its terms of service to give it more control over users' information, even after a user deleted their account.

It led to thousands of news stories all over the world and many Facebook users vowed to delete their account in protest. People who attempt to delete their account today are first shown a message from the site apologising for the terms of use "mistake".

Speaking to The New York Times, Consumerist co-executive editor Ben Popken said that the original blog post had been viewed more than 580,000 times by Wednesday - the site's most popular post ever.

But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Kelly, said the changes were only made to make the site's policies clearer to users. The clause stating that Facebook could use user information even after they deleted their account was meant to ensure messages left on friends' Facebook pages would not disappear.

Kelly said Facebook only rolled back to the former terms of service to make it clear that the site's intention was not to own users' information. People are now being invited to join the Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities group to share their thoughts on Facebook's privacy policies. ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=69048030774)

"I think we're at an interesting time in the history of the world when a lot of things that weren't recorded or captured in any form are being captured [and shared] - and people are understandably nervous about that," Kelly said.

"I think that people are by and large very concerned about online privacy and with having more control over their data and their information, and we think that's very important and we've always recognised that by investing a great deal in building an infrastructure that allows them to choose who gets to see their information, as opposed to saying either you put it up on the internet or you don't."

Rihanna's Family Opens Up About Chris Brown Arrest

2009-02-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

This is the news that due wednesday.

Rihanna's family is opening up about the relationship between Rihanna and Chris Brown after an alleged altercation before the Grammy Awards that left Rihanna injured and Brown arrested.
One family member told People.com that Brown "flew so far under everyone's radar that we just didn't think he was that [abusive] type." The relative added that the news comes as a surprise because "he was always looking after her needs making sure she was happy."
The relative agreed with Rihanna's dad, Ronald Fenty, who thinks his superstar daughter should "move on" from the relationship. "I don't want her to go back to him," the family member said. "I don't think anyone does."

Earlier this week, Kimora Lee Simmons, who was showing her line Baby Phat during New York Fashion Week, spoke about the incident with The Associated Press, saying she saw the pair earlier in the night before news broke.

"I saw them that night ... and I think it's a very unfortunate situation," she said. "And I wish them both all the best and I send them my love and I'm very personally attached to both of them. And sometimes I think young lovers go through things and I really don't know what happened, so I wish everybody the best."

Ray J, who was at the fashion show supporting Simmons, said he and Brown are good friends and sends prayers out to the pair. "I've got a chance to hang out with them a couple of times, and, you know, they're cool people. Keep your head up," he told the AP. "You know things like this happen in life. And in life, sometimes these are the tests and obstacles that you got to overcome."

Map Again -- (Humanities)

2009-02-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Here is the Picture Map About From My house to Some other People’s House.
First I went out from my house and I Lived in 19 flour So I need to get to 1 Flour and I need to walk streat down to the Next building Beside me and I go Up to 15 Flour and Find My Friend. It take’s About 5-8 Minute From My house to My Friend house.

The Geography Story -- What Is Geography What Do They do? -- (Humanities)

2009-02-17T02:00:00.000-08:00

Where do the people live?
Some People Lived in China And Some people Lived in India. South And North
What did they eat?
In China They Eat Dumplings and In India They Eat Rice.
How Do They Wear?
They Were like japan people and They Sometimes wear white things and bring a hat made of cloth and there hair are curly and big and messy.
How Do they live?
They Work And Find Things to eat and make things to eat and walk..... Just Cheers With people all day.and Work

Here is the movie about geography people and place:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/index.html

Geograpgy -- (Map Thingy)

2009-02-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is the Mind Map That I draw about What Is Geography?
Geography I think Is a Land or Book Or House Or Something.

Art Room

2009-02-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

This is Our School's Art room
Beside the highschool Office and You can see the Art Room If your In Humanities Class 303 Room And you need to Go from your left when you go out to Room 303 and Go Down Stairs to 1 F And Go Right and Go Throw High School Office and You Ca see the Art Room!!!

All School Gathering -- Comment

2009-02-16T16:17:00.000-08:00

In All school gathering We talked about Peter and Jacob and the story is Peter's macbook has broke and he borrow Jacob's macbook and jacob said that If he broke it he need to give the new macbook to jacob and peter said yes but after that peter broke it and peter doesn't want to give his macbook to jacob but jacob want's his new macbook and the new computer and the question is do you think peter need to give the new macbook for jacob or just fix it?
I think Peter need to give the new macbook because he said that he will give the new macbook if peter broke's it and I think Peter should keep the old macbook because thanpeter have no computer and jacob only said that if he broke's it peter need to give the new macbook jacob didn't said that peter need to give the old macbook and I think Peter only nee to give the new macbook because peter said yes before and This is my answer.

The 8 country --- (Earth)

2009-02-13T00:38:00.000-08:00

Taiwan:

Taiwan (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣) is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the territories governed by the Republic of China (ROC) and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island in the Pacific off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands off the coast of mainland Fujian Province. The Kuomintang (KMT) party lost its control of mainland China to Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil war and moved its government to the island of Taiwan in 1949 which it had acquired control of from Japan in 1945. The island groups of Taiwan and Penghu (except the municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung) are officially administered as Taiwan Province of the ROC. However, in practice, almost all government power is exercised at the national and local (city/county) levels.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims Taiwan as its province although the PRC has never controlled Taiwan or any of the current ROC territory commonly referred to as "Taiwan". The PRC claims that Taiwan has been a part of China for hundreds of years. In 1895, Japan took over control of Taiwan following its military defeat of China in First Sino-Japanese War. Taiwan again came under Chinese control after Japan surrendered to the ROC subsequent to Japan's military defeat in World War II. ROC was the de facto government of China. The PRC considers itself the successor of the ROC and therefore entitled to all ROC holdings, including Taiwan[2].

The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa (from Portuguese (Ilha) Formosa, meaning "beautiful (island)"), is located in East Asia off the coast of mainland China, southwest of the main islands of Japan but directly west of the end of Japan's Ryukyu Islands, and north-northwest of the Philippines. It is bound to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, to the west by the Taiwan Strait and to the north by the East China Sea. The island is 394 kilometers (245 miles) long and 144 kilometers (89 miles) wide and consists of steep mountains covered by tropical and subtropical vegetation.

This is the picture map of taiwan:

China:
This article is about Chinese civilization. For the modern political state comprising Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, see People's Republic of China. For the modern political state comprising Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, see Republic of China. For other uses, see China (disambiguation).

China (traditional Chinese: 中國; simplified Chinese: 中国; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguó; Hanyu Pinyin: zh-zhongguo.ogg Zhōngguó (help·info); Wade-Giles (Mandarin): Chung¹kuo²) is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia.

China has one of the world's oldest people and continuous civilizations, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia. It has the world's longest continuously used written language system, and is the source of many major inventions, such as what the British scholar and biochemist Joseph Needham called the "four great inventions of Ancient China": paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing. Historically, China's cultural sphere has extended across East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems being adopted to varying degrees by neighbors such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The first evidence of human presence in the region was found at the Zhoukoudian cave and is one of the first known specimens of Homo Erectus, now commonly known as the Peking Man, estimated to have lived approximately from 300,000 to 550,000 years ago. Noticeably, it is also known that the Peking Man was able to control and use fire.

The last Chinese Civil War (which ended in 1949) has resulted in two political entities using the name China:

* the People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as China, has control over mainland China and the largely self-governing territories of Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999).
* the Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, has control over the islands of Taiwan, Pescadores, Kinmen, and Matsu.

Contents
[hide]

* 1 Etymology

This is the picture map china:

Japan

Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon?, officially 日本国 Ja-nippon_nihonkoku.ogg Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku) is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".

Japan is comprised of over 3,000 islands[5] making it an archipelago. The largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D. Influence from the outside world followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet.

A major economic power,[6] Japan has the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations, G8, OECD and APEC, with the world's fifth largest defense budget. It is also the world's fourth largest exporter and sixth largest importer. It is a developed country with high living standards (8th highest HDI), the longest life expectancy in the world (according to UN estimates);[7] and is a world leader in technology, machinery, and robotics.

This is the map of japan picture:

Korea:

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. It borders China to the north and west, and Russia to the east, with Mongolia situated farther to the northwest, and Japan to the east. The Korean Peninsula is divided into two separate states, North Korea and South Korea.

According to Samguk Yusa, the history of Korea began with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun.

Limited linguistic evidence suggests probable Altaic origins of these people, whose northern Mongolian steppe culture absorbed migration and trade with the peoples of Manchuria and China. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Baekje later passed on a modified version of these cultural advances to Japan.[1][2][3][4]

Since the Goryeo Dynasty, Korea was ruled by a single government and maintained political and cultural independence until the nineteenth century, despite the Mongol invasions of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 13th century and Japanese invasions of the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. In 1377, Korea produced the Jikji, the world's oldest existing document printed with movable metal type.[5] In the 15th century, the turtle ships were deployed, and King Sejong the Great promulgated the Korean alphabet Hangul to increase literacy among his people who could neither read nor write Hanja (Chinese characters).

During the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan and Europe. In 1910, Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.

In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender and disarming of Japanese troops in Korea; the Soviet Union accepting the surrender of Japanese weaponry north of the 38th parallel and the United States taking the surrender south of it. This minor decision by allied armies soon became the basis for the division of Korea by the two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea.

This is the pic of korea map:

USA

The United States of America (commonly referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to its east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories, or insular areas, scattered around the Caribbean and Pacific.

At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with about 305 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and third largest by land area and by population. The United States is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.[7] The U.S. economy is the largest national economy in the world, with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of US$14.3 trillion (23% of the world total based on nominal GDP and almost 21% at purchasing power parity).[4][8]

The nation was founded by thirteen colonies of Great Britain located along the Atlantic seaboard. On July 4, 1776, they issued the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and their formation of a cooperative union. The rebellious states defeated Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, the first successful colonial war of independence.[9] A federal convention adopted the current United States Constitution on September 17, 1787; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic with a strong central government. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten constitutional amendments guaranteeing many fundamental civil rights and freedoms, was ratified in 1791.

In the 19th century, the United States acquired land from France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Russia, and annexed the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. Disputes between the agrarian South and industrial North over states' rights and the expansion of the institution of slavery provoked the American Civil War of the 1860s. The North's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of legal slavery in the United States. By the 1870s, the national economy was the world's largest.[10] The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a military power. In 1945, the United States emerged from World War II as the first country with nuclear weapons, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and a founding member of NATO. The end of the Cold War left the United States as the sole superpower. The country accounts for approximately 50% of global military spending and is a leading economic, political, and cultural force in the world.[11]

This is the picture of USA map:

French

France (en-us-France.ogg /ˈfræns/ (help·info) or /ˈfrɑːns/; French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, French pronunciation: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various overseas islands and territories located in other continents.[11] Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as L’Hexagone (The “Hexagon”) because of the geometric shape of its territory. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its main ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Metropolitan France is bordered (in clockwise direction from the north) by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France's overseas departments and collectivities also share land borders with Brazil and Suriname (bordering French Guiana), and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). France is linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel.

France is the largest country in the European Union and the second largest in Europe, France has been one of the world's foremost powers for many centuries. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonized much of North America; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built one of the largest colonial empires of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Pacific islands. France is a developed country and possesses the fifth largest economy[12] in the world—according to nominal GDP figures. It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually.[13] France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. France is a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, NATO, and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and owns the largest number of nuclear weapons with active warheads and nuclear power plants in the European Union.

This is the picture map about france:

Spain

Spain en-us-Spain.ogg /ˈspeɪn/ (help·info) (Spanish: España?·i, Spanish pronunciation: [esˈpaɲa]) or the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. With an area of 504,030 km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe after France.

Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences, often simultaneously, since prehistoric times and through the dawn of Spain as a country. On the other side, the country itself has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 400 million Spanish speakers today.

Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the eighth largest economy in the world based on nominal GDP.[note 7] It is a member of the European Union and NATO.

This is the map pic about Spain:

Singapore

Singapore (Chinese: 新加坡; pinyin: Xīnjiāpō; Malay: Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர், Cingkappūr), officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island microstate located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 707.1 km2 (273.0 sq mi),[4] Singapore is one of four remaining true city-states in the world. It is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia.

Before European settlement, the island now known as Singapore was the site of a Malay fishing village at the mouth of the Singapore River. Several hundred indigenous Orang Laut people also lived along the nearby coast, rivers and on smaller islands. In 1819 the British East India Company, led by Sir Stamford Raffles, established a trading post on the island, which was used as a port along the spice route.[5] Singapore would become one of the most important commercial and military centres of the British Empire, and the hub of British power in Southeast Asia. The city was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, which Winston Churchill called "Britain's greatest defeat".[6] Singapore reverted to British rule immediately after the war, in 1945. Eighteen years later (1963) the city, having achieved independence from Britain, merged with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak to form Malaysia. However, less than two years later it seceded from the federation and became an independent republic on 9 August 1965. Singapore joined the United Nations on 21 September that same year. It is also a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Since independence, Singapore's standard of living has risen dramatically. Foreign direct investment and a state-led drive to industrialisation based on plans drawn up by the Dutch economist Albert Winsemius have created a modern economy focused on industry, education and urban planning.[7] Singapore is the 5th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) per capita.[8] This small nation has foreign exchange reserves of more than US$177 billion.[9]

The population of Singapore is approximately 4.84 million.[2] Singapore is highly cosmopolitan and diverse with Chinese people forming an ethnic majority with large populations of Malay, Indian and other people. English, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese are the official languages.[10]

The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore established the nation's political system as a representative democracy, while the country is recognised as a parliamentary republic.[11] The People's Action Party (PAP) dominates the political process and has won control of Parliament in every election since self-government in 1959.[12]

This is he picture map about Singapore:

Scientists create genetic blueprint of Neanderthal

2009-02-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

An international team Thursday said it has completed a draft of the genome (or genetic blueprint) of Neanderthals, which shows that our extinct cousins made "very little, if any" contribution to human genes.

Team chief Svante Pääbo of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig described the work as a 63% complete gene map. This genome was stitched together from fossil DNA samples taken from four Neanderthals found in Europe.

Neanderthals occupied Europe from about 800,000 to 30,000 years ago. Scholars have long argued over their extinction, and their relationship to people.

"We still have lots of gaps, but we also now have a good overview of the (Neanderthal) genome," said Pääbo, in a webcast from Germany. The announcement previews a presentation scheduled for Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago. "We see this as a tool for future biologists (looking for) what's really unique to modern humans."

"I think it is spectacular, to get something out of bones 40,000 years old, absolutely stunning," says anthropological geneticist Henry Harpending of the University of Utah, author of The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution.

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The Neanderthals, "represent the last diverging branch on the bush of human evolution," said Max Planck's Jean-Jaques Hublin, who spoke at the briefing. "Study of Neanderthals tells us what made modern humans really modern."

The results suggest that the primitive human ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans separated, to Europe and Africa respectively, about 800,000 years ago and that Neanderthals became genetically distinct from that common ancestor only about 300,000 years ago. The genes of Neanderthals and modern humans are more closely related than chimps and humans, Pääbo says, but Neanderthal genes differ 50% more than the differences between the most distantly-related humans. The researchers have sampled Neanderthal bones for DNA since 1997. Only last year did researchers produce a gene map of Neanderthal "mitochondrial" DNA, genes found outside the center of cells. The draft genome of "nuclear" DNA found in the center of cells required mapping 3.7 million gene elements to find:

• Humans and Neanderthals share a speech gene, but not a gene that regulates brain size in humans.

• A "tiny" possibility of interbreeding between humans and Neanderthals, although European genes lean slightly closer, in a statistical sense, to the extinct race; researchers think that may signify trace contamination of their samples with lab researchers' DNA.

• Uniformity suggesting the Neanderthals, like modern humans, arose from a small population.

Paleontologist Christopher Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London, says the genome suggests "while interbreeding was probably possible, it may have occurred only rarely, with trivial impact on modern humans"

The draft genome relied on state-of-the-art gene sequencing machines and techniques, including the radioactive tagging of verified Neanderthal genes, to produce results only a decade after the completion of a draft human genome. The researchers relied on a 37,000 year-old thigh bone found in Croatia, as well as 43,000-year-old from El Sidron, Spain, a 41,000 year-old-bone from Germany and a 70,000-year-old bone from Mezmaiskaya Cave in the Caucasus. They hope to have a 100% complete Neanderthal gene map within three years.

Gene maps of extinct creatures, such as the woolly mammoth and cave bear, have served as tune-ups for the Neanderthal effort in recent years. But Pääbo threw water on the question of whether the genome would enable cloning of Neanderthals. "I would say starting with just DNA, it is and will remain impossible. But we can all speculate as much as we like."

Deadly Plane Crash Near Buffalo Kills 49

2009-02-13T00:23:00.000-08:00

Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 13, 2009; 1:44 AM

Authorities say 49 people are dead after a regional commuter plane, carrying at least 44 passengers and 4 crew members, crashed into a home in suburban Clarence, N.Y., near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

State police spokeswoman Rebecca Gibbons confirmed early Friday the 48 deaths aboard Continental Connection flight 3407, operated by Manassas, Va.-based Colgan Air.

Clarence emergency control director Dave Bissonet says the crash also killed one person on the ground.

The airplane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, apparently was set to land on a specified runway at the airport under weather conditions that include light snow. Video from local television reports showed fire fighters battling blazes at a crash site. The flight was bound to Buffalo from Newark's Liberty International Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board is preparing a team of investigators to leave from the Washington region at 6 a.m.

Colgan Air, is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines. Colgan operates planes under the Continental Connection, United Express and US Airways Express names. It has operations in Boston, Houston, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Geography --(Humanities)

2009-02-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

Geography:

Geography is the study of the Earth and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena.A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes Four historical traditions in geographical research are the spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena, area studies, study of man-land relationship, and research in earth sciences. Nonetheless, modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the Earth and all of its human and natural complexities-- not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches - human geography and physical geography.

The Introduction:

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Traditionally, geographers have been viewed the same way as cartographers and people who study place names and numbers. Although many geographers are trained in toponymy and cartology, this is not their main preoccupation. Geographers study the spatial and temporal distribution of phenomena, processes and feature as well as the interaction of humans and their environment.[5] As space and place affect a variety of topics such as economics, health, climate, plants and animals, geography is highly interdisciplinary.
“ mere names of places...are not geography... know by heart a whole gazetteer full of them would not, in itself, constitute anyone a geographer. Geography has higher aims than this: it seeks to classify phenomena (alike of the natural and of the political world, in so far as it treats of the latter), to compare, to generalize, to ascend from effects to causes, and, in doing so, to trace out the great laws of nature and to mark their influences upon man. This is 'a description of the world'—that is Geography. In a word Geography is a Science—a thing not of mere names but of argument and reason, of cause and effect. ”

Geography as a discipline can be split broadly into two main sub fields: human geography and physical geography. The former focuses largely on the built environment and how space is created, viewed and managed by humans as well as the influence humans have on the space they occupy. The latter examines the natural environment and how the climate, vegetation & life, soil, water, and landforms are produced and interact.As a result of the two subfields using different approaches a third field has emerged, which is environmental geography. Environmental geography combines physical and human geography and looks at the interactions between the environment and humans.

Submarine SMASH Day Reflection

2009-02-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

Summarize --
-- What did we do for SMASH Day?
-- What was your mission?
-- What supplies were you given?

Today is SMASH Day,
And in science class we did a lot of things we use 1 hour to make a thing and to make a thing is that the teacher BIG BIG BIG PANDA Smith will out a box on the table and the table is water we can't go thorugh it on the top of the water and Ms. Smith will put some stuff in the box and we need to try to know what that is but we can't look it and can't go up above the water (Table) s we need to try to make a thing to make us can see the thing in the box and there is one hour if you can't finish you have to give up but if everyone done with no cheating we can have no homework free day hahaha:):) yeah so cool I know... and we have some things only can help us to see those thing. It's really fun!!! and the last I wanna say

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We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine

COOL~

Religions -- Question

2009-02-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

Why do we have religions?

In today's world and throughout history, religion has played a predominant role in the affairs of men and women and the groups with which they associate. Probably more than any other single factor, religion has had an influence which far outweighs virtually everything else. The manner in which people have lived their lives, fought their wars, sought peace and tried to pursue happiness have all been heavily influenced by the religious dictates of the time and place in which these people have lived.

But is religion really needed for such pursuits as happiness, sociability, war and peace? Are there, perhaps, better alternatives?

On the most basic level anyone professing to the beliefs and lifestyles of any religion must ultimately ask the question: Why have religion? What justifies its existence, especially in lieu of having other alternative devices with which we might prefer to use in order to motivate ourselves and to create our own reality? One might even question the role religion might ideally play within a society which claims to be civilized or humane. Ultimately, it comes down to the most fundamental (pardon the pun) of questions: Why even bother with religion?

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"Religion is one of the most powerful social phenomena in the world. It guides nations, wars, societies, even whole eras; it has catalyzed climactic moments in history. As such, it should be studied -- and thoroughly. Religions hinge on truth claims, usually embodied in texts and carried out through social practices and belief sets that are often highly institutionalized and structured. The texts, truth claims, belief sets, and structures of religion can and should all be put to the sort of tests to which other institutionalized phenomena are subject, namely: tests for internal logical consistency in belief sets, tests of corroboration for truth claims, and examinations of the efficacy of institutions and other structures within the boundaries of religions. We do this with ideologies in political science. We do this with theories in economics. We do this with nontheistic philosophies. Scholarly integrity and academic honesty demand that the same level of criticism be employed for religions and their institutions as for other social phenomena." [6]

One reason such a question is asked is that bloody and horrific wars have been fought over religious differences. This is the case wherein essentially the fundamentalists of one sect or cult were arrayed against the fundamentalists of another sect or cult, and a whole host of seemingly innocent people invariably got in harm's way. The fact that the higher ranking members of either fundamentalist sect or cult pretty much escaped the ravages of wars and devastation they were so instrumental in initiating, proliferating, or profiting thereby is... well... another matter altogether.

More Information Please go:
( http://www.halexandria.org/dward838.htm )

Why is where important?

Information from:
( http://blogs.murdoch.edu.au/juliah/2008/07/30/hello-world/ )

This is the ‘where’ of this blog which then sits or floats in the ether of th internet all of which is tenuously anchored through this keyboard and computer, which makes my sense of location difficult.

Part of the assumption that I have about thinking is that context (and therefore location) is primary in giving the thoughts and ideas a flavour or an aroma. For thoughts to come alive and spring off this page then i as writer and you as reader must have a sense of the historical, social, economic context in which these ideas exist. Is the internet a medium that works against this or with it? Or does it have no impact in this regard?

Information from:
( http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-Where-You-Want-To-Go-Important-To-You?&id=703686 )

Are you where you want to be? Given the number of self improvement books to self improvement websites, the answer to that question for many people is probably Not.

Before you can answer the question are you where you want to be, you must first know where are you. Think for a moment when you ask for directions. What is the first response that you get from the person giving you the directions? That’s right, where are you now?

Until you can determine where you are now, you cannot make any plans to go to where you want to be. When you know where you are, you then can begin to also build why is it important to you not to be where you are any longer.

So where are you right now? Several years ago I constructed a personal life wheel that had 8 sections. Each section counterbalanced the section opposite.

* Mental and Health
* Career and Financial
* Family and Social
* Purpose and Spirituality or Ethics & Values

Take some time right now and draw a circle. Divided the circle into 8 sections or 8 pieces of pie. Then label the first section you select as Mental. Label the section immediately opposite Health. Complete the wheel using the remaining sections as noted above.

Then, using the center of the circle as zero, start assessing or evaluating your own sense of happiness. The outer rim of the circle represents 100% happiness or satisfaction. Fill each section from the inside out toward the outer rim of the circle.

Upon completion, make a heavy line that connects all the sections together. Then, strip away the outer rim of the original circle. Now ask yourself, this simple question:

Am I going to have a smooth ride or a bumpy ride as I travel down the road of life? If you are like most, myself included, you will be probably having a bumpy ride.
Now that you know where you are, you can begin to construction a Goals Action Plan to smooth out the bumps. As your goals are achieved within each section, your Life Wheel becomes more balanced. Better balance increases efficiency as well as speed.

The Goals Action Plan is only one aspect of helping you to discover the importance of where you are going. Attitudes and Self Leadership skills (strong interpersonal skills) are also part of this self assessment.

When you understand the why of where you are going, you can get to there where much easier. So before you start a journey of self improvement, find out where you are currently and why you want go grow forward toward success.

If you want more information about Goals, Attitudes and Self Leadership, you may be interested in Three Missing Pieces of Organizational & Personal Success. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/e-books.htm to learn more about this combination e book and e work book.

Call me, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, The Business Coach, at 219.759.5601 or visit at http://www.processspecialist.com to explore everything from how my solutions double results to articles and resources including the Simply Speaking series.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leanne_Hoagland-Smith

Mesopotamia and Egypt

2009-02-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

Mesopotamia:
Ancient Mesopotamian civilization started in, what we called today, the Fertile Crescent. It started from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It got it's name because the soil there was rich and shaped like a crescent. It's between the Tigris and the Euphrates River.
Origins of Mesopotamia Civilization:
The first people who came to Mesopotamia are the Sumerians.

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Egypt:
By the Paleolithic Period, 1.8 million years ago, hunter-gathers started settling in the Nile Valley. This is where the Egyptian Civilization started.
The Important Historical Events:
In the Early Dynastic Period, 3150 BC, the first pharaohs appeared and consolidated their control of lower Egypt by making their capital Memphis. Then the Old Kingdom came, and there were many progresses in architecture, technology and administration.

Phil Predicts Another Six Weeks of Winter

2009-02-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

· The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow yesterday, predicting that winter will last for six more weeks.

The annual ritual in the Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney took place just after dawn on a tiny hill called Gobbler's Knob when the groundhog named Phil emerged in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses.

According to legend, if a hibernating animal wakes up and casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last six more weeks. If there is no shadow, spring will supposedly come early.

Early American farmers relied on groundhogs, though there is no scientific evidence that the animal has any weather-predicting skills.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

· Would you ever consider taking a swim in water that was only about 40 degrees?

Well, on Sunday, more than 2,700 people did just that in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

These folks -- including Delaware Gov. Jack Markell -- took the chilly plunge in the Atlantic Ocean to raise money for Special Olympics.

This year about $490,000 was raised for the state's program, which provides sports training and competition for people with disabilities.

Many Kids Don't Need the Vitamins They're Taking

2009-02-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

MONDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Many healthy U.S. children and teenagers may be popping vitamins and mineral supplements they don't need, researchers report.
The experts note that vitamin and mineral supplements are not considered necessary when a person eats a varied diet.

On the other hand, children who actually need these supplements -- those with poorer nutrition, less physical activity, and from low-income households -- may not be getting the dosage of vitamins and minerals they require, according to researchers reporting in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

For its part, the supplements industry views the findings as a "call to action" to get vitamin and mineral supplements to this underserved population, said Duffy MacKay, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Center for Responsible Nutrition, in Washington, D.C.

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend supplemental vitamins for most children over the age of 1. The supplements are recommended for children with chronic diseases, eating disorders and certain other conditions.

In fact, supplement overdose or poisoning can be an issue, especially in younger (2-to-4-year-olds) children; overdoses can lead to vomiting, or to more serious problems such as kidney or liver damage.

"We were curious about why certain parents may choose to use over-the-counter multivitamin supplements for children, and some might not," said study author Dr. Ulfat Shaikh, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California Davis School of Medicine and pediatrician at UC Davis Children's Hospital. "We hypothesized that supplements might be used to reduce adverse effects if parents thought their child wasn't eating right or were wondering where their next meal was coming from."

The authors reviewed data on vitamin and mineral supplementation as well as diet, exercise and health insurance factors on almost 11,000 children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

About a third (34 percent) of young people had used vitamin and mineral supplements in the month before being interviewed.

As expected, underweight children used vitamins and minerals the most.

Surprisingly, however, these supplements were more likely to be consumed by children who did not need them as much, i.e. white children from families with higher incomes, more food security and, overall, better nutrition and physical activity levels. Thirty-seven percent of these children (who were also less likely to be obese) took vitamins, compared to 28 percent of those in less privileged situations.

Cost seems to be the biggest obstacle to lower-income households adding supplements to their children's diet, the team found.

"One of the things that we thought was responsible for this was the possibility that income and parental education status might override other factors," Shaikh said.

And, indeed, the data showed that 22 percent of children in households below the federal poverty line used vitamins, compared with 43 percent in households above the poverty line.

Thirty-eight percent of children in households without food stamps used vitamins, compared with 18 percent of youngsters in households that did use food stamps.

The Center for Responsible Nutrition has been lobbying to get vitamins and mineral supplementation covered by the food stamp program and WIC (Women Infants Children), Duffy said.

Life After people movie

2009-01-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

During the last day of friday math class and science class We all watch a move called life after people and Ms. Smith enjoyed us and We enjoyed a lot and learn a lot from that movie and This is the quesiton that Mr.Truchon let us to answer it and blog it.
----------------------
What would it be like if everybody suddenly disappeared except people in Taiwan?
(For example, what do Taiwese people import from other coutries? What would it be like with all of this open space in other countries, but no-one their to sell us what we don't produce here)
If Everyone gone only have people in taiwan Than I will try to save the other contry's and I will go to the other contry and help the earth and help the people and make the eartch and the contry become life again and they will all have people again.

Study: 50 Percent of Smokers Keep Puffing After Cancer Diagnosis

2009-01-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

A West Virginia University survey published in the Journal of Oncology Practice found that 44 percent of smokers quit after being diagnosed with cancer.

Less than two thirds, 62 percent, say they received advice from doctors or nurses about quitting the habit.

Dr. Jame Abraham, the study's lead author, says the survey shows there's a need for intervention programs to help cancer patients quit tobacco.

In addition to being a risk factor for cancer, smoking can complicate common cancer treatments like surgery and radiation therapy.

Serena moves on; Venus ousted in Oz

2009-01-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Second-seeded American Serena Williams was among Thursday's second-round winners, while her sixth-seeded big sister Venus Williams was a big upset victim at the 2009 Australian Open.

The Wimbledon champion Venus was stunned by scrappy 46th-ranked Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Day 4 at Melbourne Park. The American wasted a match point while leading 5-4 in the final set before exiting the draw.

A sluggish Venus was broken while serving for the match and wound up losing the last five games of the bout en route to defeat.

"She was super consistent and aggressive and just went for her shots," said Venus. "Probably one of her best matches she's ever played."

The 20-year-old Suarez Navarro was a quarterfinalist at last year's French Open.

"I wasn't in control of the points," the 28-year-old Venus added. "I'm definitely used to dictating the points a little bit more. It was kind of a pattern that wasn't the best for me."

The seven-time major titlist and former world No. 1 Venus has never won the Aussie Open. She was the 2003 runner-up here to Serena

The former top-ranked Serena, meanwhile, fired eight aces and overcame 29 unforced errors in order to beat Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-3, 7-5.

The nine-time major champion Serena, who owns three Aussie Open titles, took advantage of 38 unforced errors by Dulko and saved six set points in the second set before advancing. She won the final five games of the match to set-up a third-round meeting with Chinese Peng Shuai.

"Today I was at like a D-minus at best," said a smiling Serena. "That's pretty far away. But it's good that I was able to win, too, when I wasn't playing my best. I definitely will try to do better."

Red-hot fourth-seeded Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva beat Czech Iveta Benesova 6-4, 6-1. The Russian Dementieva, who has never made it past the fourth round in Melbourne, stretched her 2009 season-opening winning streak to 12 matches.

"I feel like I had a very good start to the year," said Dementieva. "Right now it's the most important moment. That's why we're coming here to play the Australian Open. I just hope to play well here."

The two-time major runner-up Dementieva already owns titles in Auckland and Sydney this month.

Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Tatjana Malek of Germany 6-2, 6-2. Kuznetsova is a former U.S. Open champ and has appeared in three major finals for her career.

Flavia Pennetta, the 12th seed from Italy, blitzed Aussie favorite Jessica Moore 6-4, 6-1, while Victoria Azarenka, the 13th seed from Belarus, was leading 4-1 in the first set against Tathiana Garbin when her Italian counterpart retired due to injury.

In another upset, France's Virginie Razzano knocked out 14th seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-3, 6-1.

No. 18 seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia and 20th-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France also won their second-round matches. Mauresmo, the 2006 champion and 1999 Aussie Open runner-up, rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Great Britain's Elena Baltacha, while Cibulkova whipped Taipei's Yung-Jan Chan 6-0, 6-2.

Other seeded winners on Thursday were No. 21 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, No. 22 Zheng Jie of China and No. 31 Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine.

Additional wins came for non-seeds Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain, Aussie Samantha Stosur, Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko and Chinese Peng Shuai. The heavy crowd favorite Stosur stopped promising German Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-4.

Question [Hums]

2009-01-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

-Which of the learning outcomes did I use in my learning?
Um.. I use Active learner in my learning because when if i have something that I don’ know I always ask question with my teacher and classmate and friends and family and I sometimes search in the internet or the dictionary or the book and find the answer by myself.
-How did I use each of those learning outcomes? How can I describe each one? (i.e., how could someone see me being an active learning, a community contributor?
Um..... I always use a lot of outcomes in my learning almost each outcomes i always use it and i always ask question when i don’t know or sometimes i will help when I have something that I know or people needs help I always help and we always help each other. I always show a active learner and a community contributor and I hope everyone can do that too.
-What content, skills and big ideas did I learn from doing the project?
I know about the 3 religion and also I know a lot about judaism christianity and islam.

How Do I plan To Improve???

2009-01-20T03:13:00.000-08:00

Effective Communicator:
I think I need to talk more with a lot of people
ex. friends and family and teacher's classmate's

Person of High Chatacter:
I think I need to help people more and help more anything I can do and Be a good person of high character and show everybody and let everyone be a good person of high character too.

Critical Thinker:
I think I need to think more of everything before I do anything.

Community Contributor:
I think I need to help school much more.

Active Learner:
Ask more with teacher's classmate and friends and family's or search the internet and look up dictionary and read books and find the answer by myself if I have something that I don't know or I don't really understand.

Peanut Butter Suspected In Salmonella Outbreak

2009-01-12T04:22:00.000-08:00

An Ohio company recalled its creamy peanut butter after Minnesota health authorities identified the sandwich spread as the likely source of a wave of salmonella infections in the state.

Minnesota investigators found that every one of the 30 people with recent salmonella infections in that state had eaten peanut butter before falling ill, and confirmed in the "overwhelming majority" of those cases that the victims had eaten King Nut brand, according to state Department of Health spokesman Doug Schultz. The Minnesota salmonella strain matches the bacteria that have sickened at least 369 people in 41 other states since early September, although Minnesota authorities haven't connected the peanut butter to the national outbreak.

Minnesota officials, who are working with the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expect further test results as early as Monday. CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell identified peanut butter as "one of the major hypotheses" for the source of the outbreak.

Martin Kanan, chief executive of King Nut Cos., Solon, Ohio, which issued the recall, said in a release, "We are very sorry this happened. We are taking immediate and voluntary action because the health and safety of those who use our products is always our highest priority."

One salmonella-infected Minnesota woman in her 70s died. State health authorities are unsure whether other medical conditions caused or contributed to her death, Mr. Schultz said.

King Nut said it had purchased the peanut butter from Peanut Corp. of America of Lynchburg, Va., and sold it under the King Nut and Parnell's Pride brands. King Nut distributed it to universities, restaurants, hospitals and other institutional food services. The brands aren't sold in retail stores. Investigators discovered the salmonella in a five-pound container of King Nut-labeled peanut butter at a nursing home. All of the Minnesota cases occurred in people who had eaten at institutional facilities, Mr. Schultz said.

Peanut Corp. of America issued a statement expressing its "deep regret" over the "apparent finding" of salmonella in its product. But the company said the contamination was in an open container "in a large, institutional kitchen," raising the possibility of cross-contamination.

Israel pounds Hamas leaders' homes as troops edge closer to urban areas

2009-01-12T04:16:00.000-08:00

Israel sought to deliver a knockout blow to Hamas in the Gaza Strip today, pounding the homes of Hamas leaders and edging troops deeper into populated urban centres.

Israeli security officials said that the move was both tactical and psychological.

“We want to send a clear message to Hamas that we can keep going as long as it takes. We will do whatever we need to protect our citizens from rocket attacks,” said a member of the Israeli security council.
The council has already voted to approve the use of reserves in Gaza, thousands of whom entered Gaza last night. Defence officials said that those units had been taking over areas cleared by the regular troops, allowing those forces to push forward toward new targets and sending a strong signal that Israel is planning on continuing its offensive.

Israeli officials said that the Government was torn on whether to continue expanding the offensive, with Ehud Barak, the Defence Minister, and Tzipi Livni, the Foreign Minister, pushing for the army to end the operation in the coming days and Ehud Olmert, the outgoing Prime Minister, arguing for an expanded offensive.

“Israel is a country that reacts vigorously when its citizens are fired up, which is a good thing. That is something that Hamas now understands and that is how we are going to react in the future, if they so much as dare fire one missile at Israel,” said Ms Livni.

Hamas, at least publicly, has vowed to continue fighting, though senior Hamas leaders in Gaza have signalled that the Israeli operation has dealt them a severe blow.

In 17 days of fighting, Israel has moved from targeted air strikes to a massive ground operation aimed at combing the Gaza Strip for Hamas rocket-launching stations. Military analysts said that troops were edging into the populated areas slowly, avoiding the numerous booby-traps that Hamas had prepared.

Israel has accused Hamas of endangering civilian populations by launching rockets from mosques and schools and using them to hide weapons. Israel also said that Hamas fighters were wearing civilian clothes and using ambulances to move around the Gaza Strip.

Since Israel began its offensive, Gaza health officials have counted nearly 900 dead, at least half of them civilians. The Israeli military said that troops had killed some 300 armed militants. Thirteen Israelis have died, three of them civilians.

German and British envoys have pressed efforts to negotiate an end to the war, even though Israel and Hamas have ignored a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and durable ceasefire.

Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire include a complete stop to Hamas rocket fire and weapons smuggling from Egypt. Hamas wants Israel to open all border crossings with Gaza and implement an international border to monitor the crossings.

Government fights slave labor in Brazil

2009-01-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

Slavery may seem like a quaint notion in a 21st century world, but that distinction is lost on up to 40,000 Brazilians who find themselves toiling for no real wages and can't leave the distant work camps where they live.
Brazilian government officials and human rights activists call it slave labor, a condition they are aggressively trying to eradicate. A special government task force established in 1995 says it freed 4,634 workers last year in 133 raids on large farms and businesses that rely on workers driven to take these jobs by hunger and the empty promises of labor recruiters.

"Slavery is the tail end of a lot of abuse of poor people and workers in Brazil," said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based policy center. "Bad treatment reaches over to abusive treatment to treatment that becomes virtual slavery."

In Brazil, it often works this way: A recruiter known as a "gato," or cat, plumbs the slums and other poor areas of the vast country and gets people to agree to jobs in distant places. Once separated from home and family, workers are vulnerable to all sorts of abuses, such as being told they owe money for transportation, food, housing and other services.

"This is known as debt bondage, which also fits official definitions of slavery," says Anti-slavery International, a lobbying group based in Great Britain. "A person is in debt bondage when their labor is demanded as the means of repayment for a loan or an advance. Once in debt they lose all control over their conditions of work and what, if anything they are paid ... often making it impossible to repay and trapping them in a cycle of debt."

The United Nations International Labour Organization estimated there were between 25,000 and 40,000 Brazilians working under such conditions in 2003, the latest year for which it offered figures.
Leonardo Sakamoto, the director of the human rights group Reporter Brasil, says he's certain there are still more than 25,000 slave laborers in Brazil.

According to Anti-slavery International, the greatest number of slave laborers is employed in ranching (43 percent). That's followed by deforestation (28 percent), agriculture (24 percent), logging (4 percent) and charcoal (1 percent). Though those figures are from 2003, Sakamoto says they still apply, with cattle ranches and sugar cane plantations among the top employers.

Anti-slavery International estimates there are 12.3 million people working under such conditions worldwide.

"Forced labor exists in Sudan, Nepal, India, Mauritania as well as many wealthier countries (including the UK), where vulnerable people are trafficked into forced labor or sexual slavery," the group says. "A similar situation to the use of forced labor on estates in Brazil can be found in the Chaco region of both Paraguay and Bolivia."

But what may set Brazil apart are the government's attempts to wipe out the practice. One of Brazil's chief tools is a "Special Mobile Inspection Group" that consists of labor inspectors, federal police and attorneys from the federal labor prosecution branch. The group often raids workplaces, looking for abuses and laborers held against their will.

In 2007, the task force freed 5,999 workers, a record number. In 2003, the agency freed 5,223 laborers.

Since the group's inception in 1995, it has freed 33,000 people.

Labor Minister Carlos Lupi vowed in a recent interview with the state-run Brazilian news agency that efforts will be stepped up this year.

"The Brazilian government is to be commended for rescuing more than 4,500 people from the nightmare of slavery during the past year," Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International, said in a statement to CNN.

"Their commitment to step up their efforts in 2009 is even more heartening. The vocal and effective leadership we are seeing from Brazil is rare. Even India, like Brazil a democracy and a G20 member, seems content to remain the country with the most slaves in the world."

Poverty fuels slave labor, experts say

But everyone agrees it's going to take more than police efforts to seriously dent the practice.

"Slave labor is not a disease," Sakamoto said. "It's like a fever. Fever is a symptom that something is wrong."

That something is widespread poverty.

Although the poverty rate dropped recently to its lowest levels in 25 years, nearly one of every four Brazilians still lives in poverty, according to a 2006 survey by the Getulio Vargas Foundation's Center for Social Policy Studies. The Web-based Index Mundi, which says it obtains its figures from the CIA World Factbook, estimates the poverty rate could be as high as one of every three Brazilians.

With a population approaching 200 million people, that means at least 49 million Brazilians live under squalid economic conditions.

"We have poverty. We have greed. And we have impunity," Sakamoto said. "We have to fight these three pieces at the same time. We have been fighting against impunity and we have been fighting against greed, but we are just starting to fight against poverty."

The situation is made worse because of Brazil's vastness -- about the size of the United States.

"Brazil is a big, huge country and there are lots of poor people," said Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue. "The farther you get away from the populated, industrialized areas, you'll find large populations of people who do whatever they can to make a living."

And slave labor seems to be spreading.

"We are discovering new occurrences of slave labor in regions where we hadn't registered slave labor in Brazil," the Rev. Xavier Plassat of the Catholic Pastoral Land Commission told the independent Radioagencia NP.

Opposition to laws

By most accounts, the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took office in 2003, has done much to reduce poverty and fight slave labor. But Brazil's agricultural, mining and manufacturing sectors are large and well-developed. And they are politically powerful.

"We have a very, very strong agribusiness sector," Sakamoto said. "It is very, very difficult to get other measures to fight against slave labor."

For example, he said, a proposed law for the government to confiscate land on which slave labor is used has languished in congress for years.

"There's a group of very strong congressmen fighting against it," said Sakamoto, who is also a member Brazil's National Commission for the Eradication of Slave Labor.

There are those who object to use of the word "slavery" or the phrase "slave labor," saying it mischaracterizes the situation.

"The word has very heavy connotations regarding 19th century slavery," said Latin America scholar Robert Pastor, a former National Security adviser to President Jimmy Carter and now a professor of international relations at American University in Washington. "Modern-day practices are quite distinct from what we normally thought of as slavery."

But Pastor agrees that no matter what you call it, what is happening in Brazil and elsewhere is "a phenomenon that is based on a simple intent to exploit individuals."

Paulo Sotero, director of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, also believes that calling the practice slavery overstates the case.

"To use the word 'slave labor' sometimes does not describe what it is," Sotero said from Washington. "It's more unfair, abusive labor conditions."

He points out that Brazil's sugar cane industry employs 900,000 people but only 4,000 Brazilians were freed last year for being held as slave laborers. Many businesses, he said, are being smeared by the bad actions of a few.

"One case of slave labor is one too many," Sotero said. "But at the same time, some of their considerations are valid. Claims of abuse tend to be exaggerated and more general than they are."

Culture

2009-01-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

In the second Humanities Class We Watched The Movie called The ten commandments the second part Because We watch The first Part already so This class we start the second Part of this vidio
And the second Vidio is talking about He had been found by 7 women who were the daughters of Jethro the shepherd.....
and I learned about the Culture more of more about slavery in Egypt Or how slaves were treated and I also learn about more about Moses. I see that how a family rescued him when he was in the desert and the last one I learn is about how the pharaoh could do whatever he wanted.

The Ten Commandment Movie

2009-01-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

In the humanities Class we all watch a movie called The ten commandment and that story is talking about the story of Moses and Egypt.
In that short Movie I learn that the Egyptians they often tortured the Jewish cuz they were their slaves.
And I like that short movie cuz it's very intersting
This is the picture:

Myholiday Break and my school Goals for 2009

2009-01-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

My Holiday Break

What I did in my holiday Break is......
The first thing that I do is I hand out with Friends and I went to my Friends house and sleep over
The second thing I do is just stay at home and clean up my room and stuff
The third thing I do in Break is Go out with Family.

My Goals for 2009

And This is for my 2009 Goals
My 2009 Goals is to......
1. Get a good grade, A more better grade then I had in 2008
2. And I hope I can to more better in learning my english and also typing and I hope I can do my work on time
This is my 2 Goals for 2009

Research Reflection and the magic school bus

2008-12-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

Today at the science class we watched a movie called Research Reflection and the magic school bus
Summary
What happened in the story
They all went to the Arnold's mouth
What was the story talking about
The story was talking about that They all went to the Arnold'mouth

2 things that were correct
(One thing that was correct is When you eat something the thing will go trough your thort and the thort will push the food down.)
(Another thing that is correct is When the food went to Small intestine the Small intestine Will Absorption it. )

2 things that was not correct
(One thing that was not correct is The food will not bring back to the stomatch)
(Another thing that was not correct is They didn't draw the lungs)

Research Reflection and The Magic School Bus

2008-12-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

Research Reflection
For the pas MONTH we have been researching body systems on our own.

One thing is good about doing this thing is
I think is good thing is Doing body system we can research the internet and learn how to find the imformation by ourself and how to research about the things hat we need to find.

One thing That I don't like to do about this thing is
Some Body system question is hard and I can't find the exaclly point in the internet even in the book.

I think Ms. Smith plan in this way because
Ms.Smith want us to learn more how to research and how to find the answer by ourself.

One suggestions that I have for Ms.Smith is
I think Ms.Smith should let us learn more body system that we are doing so we can understand more and be more clear in the body system.

Another suggestions that I have for Ms.Smith is
I hope that We can everyone have a book and find in the book because Internet is the answer only with no reazon and even Not all is about the question point and I think the book is more better fr thebody system reasearch.

A New Director for ‘Twilight’ Sequel

2008-12-15T04:56:00.000-08:00

Summit Entertainment has named Chris Weitz (“The Golden Compass”) to direct the sequel to “Twilight” after it parted ways with Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the first film in the franchise based on the four-book series by Stephenie Meyer, Variety reported. When Ms. Hardwicke’s exit was announced last week, Ms. Meyer’s fans were disappointed enough to prompt Ms. Meyer to post a message on her Web site (stepheniemeyer.com) on Saturday. “First of all, like you, I’m sad that Catherine is not continuing on with us for ‘New Moon,’ ” Ms. Meyer wrote. But she went on to extol the virtues of the new director: “I think he brings a lot to the table, not the least of which for me is that he wrote the screenplay for and directed one of my favorite movies of all time, ‘About a Boy.’ ” Ms. Meyer’s posting was followed by a note from Mr. Weitz to fans, assuring them he would do his best to live up to their expectations. “New Moon” is tentatively scheduled for release late next year or early 2010. Melissa Rosenberg, the “Twilight” screenwriter, is also writing the sequel.

Shrek musical opens on Broadway

2008-12-15T04:54:00.000-08:00

A musical adaptation of the animated blockbuster Shrek has opened on Broadway in New York.

Tony-nominated actor Brian d'Arcy James plays the green ogre with a heart of gold, with Tony-winning actress Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona.

Stars including Cameron Diaz, who voices Fiona in the film franchise, Ben Stiller and Joan Rivers attended the show's opening performance.

A fourth Shrek film is scheduled to be released in 2010.

Dynamics and chemistry

Shrek the musical
Shrek is based on the children's book by William Steig
Asked whether she'd consider portraying Fiona on stage, Diaz said: "No, absolutely not. What they do up there... is, to me, impossible. It's wonderful, though."

"It's great to see all of the actors playing it together because when we do it for the animated we never see each other," she said.

"We don't work with one another - we all record separately and then they put it all together so you don't really get the dynamics and chemistry that you get with other actors... it's a lot of fun to watch."

Shrek, based on the children's book by William Steig, is one of the most successful animated films of all time and tells the story of an ogre who falls in love.

Diaz will reprise her voice role in the fourth Shrek film, alongside Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, who return as Shrek and Donkey respectively.

The Boston Globe Good sign for Yankees - Sabathia

2008-12-11T04:46:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS - Have the New York Yankees gone back to being . . . you know, the Evil Empire New York Yankees?
They are the richest, most powerful entity in sports. They have built a $1.3 billion stadium with all the bells and whistles. Good economy, bad economy. No matter. CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe, A.J. Burnett, Manny Ramírez, and/or Mark Teixeira.

The Yankees, who agreed to terms with Sabathia on a seven-year, $161 million deal yesterday, can and may sign more than a couple of the other prominent free agents.

They have always been on an island by themselves in terms of what they can afford. They have tried to scale back that approach, trying to go the farm system route, but at the end of the day they revert to what they do best - they buy the best available players, partly because some of their homegrown players (Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy, to name a few) haven't made the splash they'd hoped.

So it came as no surprise to Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein that the Yankees opened the vault, and they may open it once or twice more for Lowe and/or Burnett and perhaps Ramírez when all is said and done.

"Nothing surprises me anymore," said Epstein. "[Sabathia is] clearly the top pitcher on the market. He pitched great and he deserves to be rewarded. What he did down the stretch with Milwaukee was really admirable and great for baseball. He pitched his team to the playoffs. He took the ball on three days' rest and that was fun to watch. I have a lot of respect for what he did."

In the end the Yankees gave Sabathia $61 million more - and two more years - than the Brewers offered. It was the only other offer on the table. The Giants had decided Sabathia was too rich for them despite his hometown interest. The Red Sox met with him Monday and came away impressed, but an offer was never made, according to major league sources. Epstein said that even before the winter meetings here, he felt Sabathia would be a Yankee.

"Yeah, any time a team offers, which at the time was more than $40 million more and could go up to more than $60 million more than anyone else, there's a pretty good chance he's going to sign," said Epstein. "It was a strong signing by the Yankees."

Has it always worked out? No. Take the years 2001-08, for example, when the Yankees were shut out of the world championship. And last season marked the first time in 14 years they didn't make the playoffs. When that happens, you know the Yankees are going to spend money. Sabathia's deal is downright crazy for a guy whose weight was listed by the Brewers as 311 pounds.

Mets Add a Setup Man, the Mariners’ Putz

2008-12-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS — The Mets officially welcomed their new closer, Francisco Rodríguez, on Wednesday, giving him a team jacket and parading him around Citi Field. Accomplishing his primary off-season objective excited General Manager Omar Minaya, whose promised remodeling of his pitching staff is coming quickly and in reverse order.
On Wednesday night, Minaya completed a three-team, 12-player trade with Seattle and Cleveland that netted Mariners closer J. J. Putz. The right-handed Putz, who will be 32 in February, will set up Rodríguez to form one of the most imposing late-inning combinations in baseball.

“All I kept hearing on the streets of New York when I go get bagels in the morning, ‘Omar, address the bullpen,’ ” Minaya said. “Well, to you, Mets fans, we’ve addressed the bullpen.”

The Mets also received Jeremy Reed, an outfielder, and Sean Green, a right-handed reliever, from Seattle. In the first step of their bullpen purge, the Mets sent relievers Joe Smith to Cleveland and Aaron Heilman to Seattle, which will also receive from the Mets outfielder Endy Chávez, pitcher Jason Vargas, the minor league first baseman Mike Carp, the minor league pitcher Maikel Cleto and the minor league outfielder Ezequiel Carrera.

In less than 48 hours, the Mets have secured the American League West’s two most dominant relievers to significantly reshape a bullpen that was their leading weakness last season — for a (relative) pittance. They dealt the underperforming Heilman, who could benefit from a change of scenery; a right-handed specialist in Smith; a reserve outfielder in Chávez; and a first-base prospect in Carp who had been passed by Daniel Murphy in the organizational hierarchy.

Heilman, a dominant setup man during the Mets’ playoff run in 2006, symbolized their bullpen problems last season. He struggled from the outset and never found his rhythm, allowing 10 homers and posting a career-high earned run average as a reliever, 5.21. Chávez, who will forever be adored by Mets fans for his spectacular catch in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, had trouble consistently cracking the outfield rotation despite an abundance of injuries to Mets outfielders.

Since Billy Wagner’s absence in parts of the past two seasons exposed their lack of late-inning depth, the Mets have been seeking another reliever who has closing experience and would not feel unappreciated by assuming a less-glamorous — but just as vital — role. The team feels that Putz, who recorded 76 saves in 2006-7 before being limited by injuries last season, would thrive in that spot. Minaya spoke with Putz on Wednesday night and said Putz sounded excited.

The addition of Putz, who is owed $5.5 million next season, would also allow the Mets to occasionally rest Rodríguez, who is coming off a strenuous season in which he recorded 62 saves to set the single-season record and, in a rarity for a closer, led the A.L. with 76 appearances.

“To get one closer like Frankie would have been a good winter,” Minaya said of Rodríguez. “I think to get two guys like this is a great winter.”

In his first two seasons in the majors, Putz worked mostly as a setup reliever. He lowered his E.R.A. to 3.60 from 4.71, but it was not until he assumed the closer’s role in 2006 that he began to excel. That season, he struck out 104 batters in 78 1/3 innings, posting a 2.30 E.R.A. and 36 saves.

In 2007, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Putz was perhaps the best closer in baseball, allowing 37 hits in 71 2/3 innings while saving 40 games and posting the lowest E.R.A. (1.38) among major league relievers. Last season, though, he struggled with injuries, starting with a rib-cage injury in April that sent him to the disabled list. He also spent time on the disabled list over the summer with a hyperextended right elbow, and finished the year with 15 saves and a 3.88 E.R.A.

Moving forward, the Mets planned to meet with Scott Boras, who represents Derek Lowe and Oliver Pérez, but believe their financial commitment to Rodríguez has taken them out of the bidding for Lowe. Pérez, though, remains a possibility, especially if the Yankees look elsewhere.

The Mets are wary of giving Pérez a four-year deal, but remain interested in re-signing him. They are open to letting Jon Niese and potentially Bobby Parnell compete for the No. 5 starter’s job, but could bring in another established veteran to push them. Minaya also expects to speak with Fern Cuza, the agent for Pedro Martínez, but Martínez’s return appears to be a long shot.

As soon as he learned that Wagner would be unavailable in 2009, Minaya zeroed in on the free-agent closers, making Rodríguez a priority because of his combination of age (27 on opening day) and results (208 career saves).

“I think he has a good mind-set for pitching there,” Minaya said, referring to New York. “I think he wanted to be there, the challenge to be there. He’s been in a big market like Anaheim and New York. He likes the adrenaline of being there.”

Paul Kinzer, Rodríguez’s agent, said he tried impressing that point on Minaya during negotiations — that Rodríguez could benefit from pitching on a grand stage. Those negotiations, Kinzer said Wednesday, took an interesting turn Sunday night. During a dinner meeting that initiated their sincere interest, Johan Santana, apparently unaware the team was meeting with Rodríguez, called the Mets. Minaya passed the phone to Rodríguez, who was delighted to hear a recruiting pitch from Santana, his Venezuelan compatriot.

Like Santana, Rodríguez, who will wear No. 75 — the inverse of his former number — was present for the final few hours as the sides eventually completed the terms at about 5 a.m. Tuesday. The Mets wanted to finish the deal quickly because Jeff Wilpon, the team’s chief operating officer, planned to board his private jet back to New York for an 8 a.m. flight. Soon after, Rodríguez followed. And now Putz will join him, another piece in the Mets’ off-season makeover.

K-Rod will have to step up his game in the NL East

2008-12-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS - The New York Mets are about to complete a deal for record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez. The Mets could spend up to $51 million on him and not have the best closer in the National League East.
That distinction still belongs to Philadelphia's Brad Lidge, whose perfect season for the World Series champions has not received its proper due. Lidge made the difference in the East this season and was more dominant than Rodriguez.

With Lidge converting all 41 save chances in the regular season, the Phillies went 79-0 when leading after eight innings. The Mets, unsettled at closer all season, went 78-7 when leading after eight innings.

The Phillies won the division by three games over the Mets. Four Lidge hiccups, and Philadelphia misses the playoffs.

Here's why adding Rodriguez does not mean the Mets have closed the narrow gap with the Phillies:

Margin of error: For Rodriguez to be successful, the Mets will have to tack on runs to their leads. Rodriguez had a record 62 saves with the Los Angeles Angels this season. That included 38 saves in 40 chances when given a lead of two or more runs.

Rodriguez was less successful on the tougher save chances. He went 24-of-29 when asked to protect a one-run lead.

Lidge converted 20 save chances when working with a one-run lead.

Level of competition: The Angels' early exit in the playoffs suggested the 100-win regular season was tainted by playing in the West. The Angels went 36-21 against Oakland, Seattle and Texas.

Rodriguez had his way in intra-division games. He was 29-of-31 in save chances against the West and 33-of-38 against all other teams.

The East will present more of an offensive challenge to Rodriguez, with Philadelphia alone a greater test than anything in the AL West. The Mets' bullpen went 3-6 with only six saves in 11 chances against the Phillies this season.

Lidge did benefit from not having to face a Phillies lineup loaded with left-handed hitters. He had 21 saves within the division this season.

Stuff: Lidge buries hitters with a fastball-slider combination. He had 92 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings this season.

Rodriguez is undergoing a transition. He can no longer pump a steady stream of fastballs past hitters. In the view of two major-league scouts attending the major-league meetings, Rodriguez has become more of a breaking-ball pitcher whose stuff and command can go haywire.

"I know he got the record, but he's not as good for me as a lot of other guys in that role," said one of the scouts, with an AL West club.
The problem is Rodriguez does not always throw strikes. Sometimes, he cannot command the breaking pitch. Sometimes, the delivery comes apart. He allowed 4.48 walks per nine innings this season.

All of that figured in the Angels' decision not to make keeping Rodriguez a priority even after a 62-save season. The Angels are content, for the moment, with giving ninth-inning leads to righthanders Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo.

Rodriguez also failed to cause a commotion on a free-agent market flooded with closers. Several clubs that need a closer were apprehensive about Rodriguez.

He settled for less than his reported expectations of a five-year deal worth $51 million. Rodriguez is guaranteed $37 million over three seasons, with a fourth year at $14 million kicking in if he meets appearance thresholds.

Francisco Rodriguez has the single-season saves record but still must prove that he can do it in the NL East. Until further notice, Brad Lidge is the best of that division's closers.
Rodriguez can get strikeouts. He averaged 10.14 strikeouts per nine innings, a high rate but also the lowest of his career.

Math Gains Reported for U.S. Students

2008-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

American fourth- and eighth-grade students made solid achievement gains in math in recent years and in two states showed spectacular progress, an international survey of student achievement released on Tuesday found. Science performance was flat.
The results showed that several Asian countries continued to outperform the United States greatly in science and math, subjects that are crucial to economic competitiveness and research.

The survey, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or Timss, found that fourth-grade students in Hong Kong and eighth-grade students in Taiwan were the world’s top scorers in math, while Singapore dominated in science at both grade levels.

“We were pleased to see improvements in math, and wished we’d seen more in science,” said Stuart Kerachsky, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics at the Education Department, which carried out an analysis of the performance of American students on the test.

The latest Timss study, the world’s largest review of math and science achievement, involved testing a representative sample of students in each country in 2007, the first time the tests had been administered since 2003. The results included fourth-grade scores from 36 countries and eighth-grade scores from 48 countries. The tests cover subjects taught in all the participating countries, including algebra, chemistry, geometry and physics.

The study is directed by the International Study Center at Boston College.

Asia’s continuing dominance in math and science, first demonstrated in the 1990s, was especially apparent in the latest results, which showed rising percentages of high-scoring students there.

Nearly half of eighth graders scored at the advanced level in math in Taiwan, Korea and Singapore, compared with 6 percent of American students.

Comparing educational performance in the United States, a diverse country of 300 million people with 50 state educational systems, with city-states like Singapore and Hong Kong, which have populations of 4.5 million and 6.9 million people, respectively, is a bit of apples and oranges.

Still, experts said the Timss study again confirmed the tremendous gains those societies had made in just a few decades.

“It was good to see that the United States has made some progress in math,” said Ina V. S. Mullis, co-director of the Boston College center, “but I was surprised by the magnitude of the gap between us and the highest performing Asian countries, and that should cause us some concern.”

Students in Massachusetts and Minnesota, which participated in a special study that attributed a score to the states as if they were individual countries, also demonstrated stellar achievement, outperforming classmates in all but a handful of countries.

In eighth-grade science, for instance, Massachusetts students, on average, scored higher than or equal to students in all countries but Singapore and Taiwan.

And in Minnesota, which has worked to improve its math curriculum, the proportion of fourth-grade students performing at the advanced level jumped from 9 percent in 1995 to 18 percent in 2007, a gain that was one of the world’s largest.

But on average, the results showed several Asian countries increasing their dominance.

In the fourth-grade math survey, scores in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, England and Latvia were higher than in the United States.

Average scores were equal to the United States in the Netherlands, Lithuania, Germany and Denmark. Scores in 23 other countries were significantly lower.

The price of our oil addiction

2008-12-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

The story

Addiction exposes the deepest forms of physical and psychological dependency. It is typically considered a personal affliction or an individual failing. But the deadly solicitations of any addictive substance -- cocaine, alcohol, nicotine -- rely upon a social, economic, and political infrastructure.

The great behavioral scientist Gregory Bateson, who studied addiction at the Langley Porter Institute in San Francisco during the 1950s, drew an analogy between the addict and a runaway car precisely to highlight the "system of addiction."

He wrote: "The panic of the alcoholic who has hit bottom is the panic of the man who thought he had control over a vehicle but suddenly finds that the vehicle can run away with him. Suddenly, pressure on what he knows is the brake seems to make the vehicle go faster. It is the panic of discovering that it (the system, self plus vehicle) is bigger than he is. ... He has bankrupted the epistemology of 'self-control.'"

Here is the vidio of the story:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/10/what.matters.niger/index.html

Obama takes Shinseki for Cabinet, sources say

2008-12-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

President-elect Barack Obama will nominate retired Gen. Eric Shinseki to be secretary of Veterans Affairs, two Democratic sources said Saturday.
Obama was expected to make the formal announcement Sunday -- Pearl Harbor Day -- at a news conference in Chicago. Veterans groups appeared to support the selection.

"I am excited. I don't know him personally but this is a huge move," said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

For years, Shinseki, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, has been the patron saint of Pentagon critics who say the former Army chief's sage advice was ignored in 2003, resulting in too few U.S. troops being sent to Iraq after the invasion.

Shinseki testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee in February 2003 that "something on the order of several hundred thousand soldiers would be required" to pacify the country. The comment infuriated some Bush administration officials, and he retired just a few months later.
Shinseki has never spoken publicly about his testimony, which has often been cited by critics as evidence that then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ignored the advice of one of his key generals.

But as Army chief of staff, Shinseki was not in the chain of command, and played no direct role in drawing up the war plans.

Pentagon sources say that, in fact, Shinseki never advocated higher troop levels for Iraq, in part because it was not his job to
do so. And sources say that just before the invasion, when asked by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Richard Myers if he agreed with the war plans, Shinseki voiced no objections.
Still, Rieckhoff said, "Shinseki is a guy who had a career putting patriotism above politics. He is a wounded veteran so he understands the plight of veterans."

He said Shinseki would have to make key connections with the veterans community, adding, "This is a big name and it shows that he (Obama) is not going to treat the Veterans Affairs secretary as a low priority."

John Rowan, president of Vietnam Veterans of America, called the reported pick an "interesting choice."

"I am satisfied with it," Rowan told CNN on Saturday, adding that the choice seems to be in the Obama transition team's pattern of "bringing in strong personalities into all the positions who aren't going to 'yes' him to death."

"When Shinseki had his disagreements with the administration, he wasn't afraid to speak up," Rowan said.

Veterans for Common Sense also weighed in, issuing a statement "strongly" supporting Shinseki.

"In February 2003, General Shinseki honestly and correctly assessed our nation's military needs before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003," the statement said. "This same level of candor and honesty will serve President-elect Obama well so he can quickly and accurately identify VA's many challenges and then implement responsible solutions that take into consideration our veterans' needs and concerns."

Like Obama, Shinseki was born in Hawaii. He was the first Asian-American to reach the top spot in the U.S. Army.

When a gallery to honor Shinseki was opened at the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii in 2006, Shinseki was humble while addressing the audience.

"I asked my Grandma Shinseki what I should say before I came here," he said at the time. "She told me, 'tell them you come from a good family ... and tell them you're a good American soldier.' "

Before he took over the Army's top post in November 1998, Shinseki spent his career with U.S. armored forces.
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He served two combat tours in Vietnam and commanded the Army's 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

He also served as commander of Army forces in Europe and as chief of NATO's SFOR peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Kenya PM calls for troops to 'dislodge' Zimbabwe's president

2008-12-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

The prime minister of Kenya Sunday called for troops to "dislodge" Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as the country's humanitarian crisis worsens.
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the international community must "respond to the call of the African people, and must help end the murderous reign of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe."

The United Nations has said more than half of Zimbabwe's population is in dire need of food and clean water.

The country is suffering from a cholera outbreak that has killed close to 600 people since August.

"The crisis in Zimbabwe has now reached a point where further lack of action by the African Union and the international community will constitute nothing less than a crime against humanity," said Odinga, a long-time critic of Mugabe.

The African Union "must formulate a resolution to send African Union troops into Zimbabwe," he said. "If no troops are available, then the AU must allow the U.N. to send its forces into Zimbabwe with immediate effect, to take over control of the country and ensure urgent humanitarian assistance to the people dying of cholera and starvation."

If Zimbabwe's president does not cooperate, Odinga said, international troops should "dislodge Mugabe from power."

Cholera, a water-borne disease, is on the increase in nine of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). It blamed "poor water and sanitation supply, a collapsed health system and limited government capacity to respond to the emergency."

Many of those afflicted with the disease have fled to neighboring countries to seek medical health -- which risks spreading the outbreak still further.

Last week UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown branded the crisis "an international emergency."

Brown called on the international community to tell the 84-year-old Mugabe "enough is enough," and suggested that the U.N. Security Council meet to discuss the issue. He said the most pressing issue was to ensure that testing and rehydration equipment and packs reach the right people, as well as for aid agencies to set up a organizational structure in the capital Harare to confront the disease.

"The people of Zimbabwe voted for a better future. It is our duty to support that aspiration," Brown added.

Brown's comments came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the outbreak is the latest sign that Mugabe's rule over the country must end.

"It's well past time for Robert Mugabe to leave. I think that's now obvious," Rice said during a visit to Denmark.

Washington has long called for Mugabe to leave office, with President Bush calling Zimbabwe's runoff presidential election in June a "sham" and instructing Rice and other U.S. officials to develop additional sanctions against Mugabe's "illegitimate government."

"The United States will always do anything and everything that it can to help innocent people who are suffering," Rice said. "And we are not going to deny assistance to people in need because of their government. But if this is not evidence to the international community that it's time to stand up for what is right, I don't know what will be. And frankly, the nations of the region have to lead it."

The country, once a breadbasket of Africa, is also in the midst of an economic crisis, with its official rate of inflation at 231 million percent -- the world's highest.

Zimbabwe has had no Cabinet since the March presidential election. Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party has held on-again, off-again talks with the opposition led by Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai is Zimbabwe's prime minister under a power-sharing agreement negotiated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Kenya's Odinga is himself a former opposition leader who came to office as part of a power-sharing agreement negotiated by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Critics of Mugabe link hyperinflation to his policies on land distribution and unbudgeted payments to people who call themselves "war veterans," who have forcibly occupied white-owned farms.

The paper tower

2008-11-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday We did a paper tower that everyone need to so there own paper tower who ever tower can lift 50gram and the paper tower it's most tall it wins.
And we did a paper tower the group is me cherine and sandra and jazzy.
I think i am a Active Learner. Because I keep thinking how to make the paper tower taller and it can take 50 gram I keep thinking and while I am working I respect everyone in my group so we did a good job and we get No.3.
And i think i am also a Person of high character. because I was helping and I was thinking how to made the paper tower the best and how to make it good and I respect each other and finily we are done.
I love this paper tower game and I hope it will have it again.

The story about the cat and the mouse

2008-11-27T03:54:00.000-08:00

My story is The cat and the mouse.

The kitty and the micky are cute,smart and cool.The cat has lot's of colour and also the colour not only one they have a lot and so cute and there face look like a toy and a kid so cute and they always smile to us I love cat's and the mouse is cute too.The mouse has a so special sound and there run like a cat and they always take tinny chese and run quickly to here small house. The cat always runs and catches the mouse. They go to the same school, and they are in the same class. When they have some work to do , the teacher always lets the mouse and the cat stay in the same group or stay together. The teacher hopes that one day they can be friends, because they always fight.After that there's a new student called rebeca and rebeca really like the mouse and the cat they always play together and the teacher was happy but the kitty and the micky are not friends. and rebeca was so annoying with this so rebeca think she needs to fix this problem so rebeca tell the teacher and rebeca change group to the kitty and micky's group so they there are n the same group and rebeca and the teacher ivy they think an idea is to say who ever win's have chese and milk because mouse like chse and cat love milk so they want to eat btu teacher says if you don't finish the project or don't win you can't have it so rebec say's lot's of thing to the mouse and the cat and because the cat and the mouse really want to eat so they thinj they really needs to be friends and to work together so everyone can have the foods and its also not hard to be friends so they think they need to be friend and rebeca was so happy also the teacher ivy is happy to see them be friends and Ivy thinks this is a good idea she will use that idea if they are have a prolem like this next time.The first few days, they keep fighting and not doing the work on time. They are not doing the work, helping each other or listening to the teacher. They do what they want to do and do not help each other. After a few days, they start helping each other and working together. They know how to respect each other. If you don't work with your group then you won't win. They become really good friends and learn a lot! After that, their group wins and the teacher is happy to see that.

Thai cabinet in emergency meeting

2008-11-27T03:11:00.000-08:00

Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has been meeting members of his cabinet to discuss the intensifying political crisis.

Mr Somchai is holding the session in the city of Chiang Mai, after he was prevented by airport protests from returning to Bangkok following a trip.

Protesters have now shut down all civilian air traffic into the capital.

Reports say Bangkok is awash with rumours of an impending military coup after months of political stand-off.

On Wednesday Mr Somchai rejected a call by army leader Gen Anupong Paochinda for new elections to end the political deadlock.

The prime minister says his government is legitimate and that he will continue to work for the country.

But the government has been reluctant to confront protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who are demanding not only the overthrow of the current government but an overhaul of Thailand's entire political system.

Fresh blasts rock Mumbai hotels as death toll climbs

2008-11-27T03:10:00.000-08:00

Fresh explosions have rocked Mumbai hotels as Indian police battle to release hostages the day after gunmen carried out attacks across the city, killing more than 100 people.
A standoff continued at the Oberoi Hotel, where about 100 members of a specialized unit of the Indian police undertook an operation to rescue four to five foreigners hostage on the 19th floor.

CNN producer Phil O'Sullivan reported a "very loud explosion came from right deep in the hotel."

At the nearby Taj Mahal hotel, CNN's Sara Sidner reported another blast had rocked the building. Police there said they had rescued most of the hostages and evacuated dozens of guests.
As concerned family members stood outside, medics took stretchers into the hotel and brought out bodies covered in white sheets. Police were going floor to floor to flush out gunmen. About five of them were believed to be holed up in the Taj; another three in Oberoi, Maharashtra state officials said.

The death toll from the series of coordinated attacks was at 101, including at least six foreigners, by Thursday afternoon authorities said. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed one of its citizens had been killed. The nationalities of the others was still being checked.

Another 314 people were wounded in the attacks, including seven British and two Australian citizens.

I am sad to here that.I hope they can be better soon.

Student Outcomes

2008-11-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

I think im a Active learner because when i have question or somthing i don't know or i don't understand i always ask everyone or teacher

And think im a community contributor too, because I always do community service and im very happy to do that.

And im a personal high character, because I respect classmates and teacher, and also i always say hi and always being a good student.

US shares up on 'Treasury choice'

2008-11-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

US shares have risen sharply, following a report that US President-elect Barack Obama has chosen his treasury secretary, reassuring investors.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 494 points or 6.5% to end at 8,046.66. The Standard & Poor's 500 climbed 6.3%.

The NBC television network reported the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy Geithner, would be nominated as treasury secretary.

Mr Obama is expected to announce his economic team on Monday.

The NBC report was welcomed by investors in what has been yet another volatile week of trading amid ongoing fears over the scale of the economic contraction.
"It is a bit of good news in that it takes the uncertainty out," said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading.

Mr Geithner has worked closely with outgoing Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in addressing the credit crisis and finding ways to boost the economy.

The 47-year-old played a crucial role in talks with Lehman Brothers before the investment bank went bankrupt.

He was also instrumental in the deals involving insurer AIG and JP Morgan, another bank.

The NBC report was enough to counter concerns over the finance sector and in particular the future over banking giant Citigroup, which saw its shares plummet 20% as board members met.

Rising commodity prices helped boost mining and energy firms.

Aluminium company Alcoa added 23% while Exxon climbed 10%, after the price of oil recovered from its lowest level in more than three years.

Apec leaders make free-trade vow

2008-11-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

Leaders from Asia-Pacific countries have pledged not to respond to the global financial crisis by raising trade barriers over the next year.

In a statement issued at an Apec summit in Peru, they said protectionism would only worsen a difficult situation.

US President George W Bush urged Apec countries, which account for half the world's economic activity, to rely on free markets to resolve the crisis.

The meeting is Mr Bush's last scheduled foreign trip as US president.

The statement was issued at the half-way point of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

"There is a risk that slower world economic growth could lead to calls for protectionist measures which would only exacerbate the current economic situation," the Apec leaders said in their joint statement.
It endorses the declaration made at a summit of the Group of 20 rich nations and major developing countries in Washington last weekend.

"We strongly support the Washington Declaration and will refrain within the next 12 months from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services [and from] imposing new export restrictions," the statement said.

The leaders also said they would push to reach agreement next month on an outline agreement on the stalled Doha round of global free trade talks.

Time Management Tips

2008-11-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

There are 5 tips also help you to learn more:

1.To do more work in free time or read books.
2.To do more search in free time or search in internet dictionary or a book
3.To do more practice in the subject you don't really know.
4.To do more review or preview in the work you did.
5.Think and remember what you learn and do it again.

The website that I found the answer:
http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm

Important things to set up your Goals

2008-11-13T00:26:00.000-08:00

I think the most important things that help us is:

1. Is to consider the importance of your goals.
2. Consider the amount of time each goal will take.
3. Consider the time you have to spend.
4. Consider the flexibility of your goals.
5. Consider the long term impact.

The website that i found the tips:
http://www.studygs.net/schedule/goals.htm
http://empowersu.com/articles/motivational/setting-priorities.html

Planing the next 5 day's

2008-11-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

What I want to do in next 5 day's is to Do some reading and researching internet of finding things in lots of place or search in my dictionary in my free time and I also will Do some worksheet or do more practice in the subject That I don't really understand and I also will Review and Preview What I learned in my free time I will spend my free time to do more learning next 5 day's.

Green Obama Dreams: Environment Bloggers Weigh in on The Historic Day

2008-11-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Kenyan blogger Juliana Rotich is the editor of Green Global Voices, which monitors citizen media in the developing world, and is a regular contributor to this page. Thomson Reuters is not responsible for the content - the views are the author’s alone.

Tim Hurst of Ecopoliticology blog posts an entertaining video titled ‘5 Green Obama Dreams’. The video mentions his posts on high resolution energy resource maps and the solar powered lawnmower.

On the DotEarth blog, Andrew Revkin muses on the significance of Obama’s election, writing…

President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20 will become the most important leader of a species that has exploded in just six generations from a total population of 1 billion (around 1830) to a point today when teenagers alone number 1 billion, a species that is on a path toward more or less 9 billion people by mid-century. In numbers, think roughly of adding two Chinas on top of the one that exists today. Expectations that he will exert planet-scale leadership are high, as indicated in this letter from Nelson Mandela to the next president.

He is compiling a list of 10 best proposals to send to Obama’s transition team. The proposals will be ranked by readers of his blog.

On the China Dialogue blog, a reprint of President-elect Obama’s speech in 2007 is posted, reflecting on what Obama’s presidency would mean for the environment.

In a policy address delivered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in October 2007 – shortly after George W Bush hosted a Washington conference on energy security and climate change — Obama set out his plan. It included a strong focus on energy efficiency and the use of a “cap-and-trade” system. Obama also emphasised his commitment to investing in clean technology, saying that new technology from the United States can help countries like China to fight climate change.

“[W]e will share our technology and our innovations with all the nations of the world,” Obama said. “If we can build a clean coal plant in America, China should be able to as well.”

La Marguerite suggests channelling the magic of community organizing seen in the Obama campaign, into tackling climate change.

Sarah Palin should not have mocked Barack Obama for being a community organizer. If anything, tonight’s results proved her wrong. Our new President has given new meaning, and strength to the concept of community organizing. And he has shown us what citizens can do, when given the means to organize towards a cause, that’s greater than themselves.

Tonight I am thinking of the thousands of Obama offices, volunteer networks, and fundraising organizations, along with the sophisticated Internet machine, and the organizing methodology, that went into getting Barack Obama elected. As the signs are coming down, the thank you emails go out, and the temporary offices go back to their original owners, I wonder, is that it? Will we go back to business as usual, each in our homes, going about our private lives?

Or will we use the skills learned during the Obama campaign to mount a national community effort, this time to address the threat of climate change? The last time I checked, we had less than ten years to get our act together. Citizens have a crucial role to play on the conservation end. As someone who has tried for the last year and a half, to curtail my consumerist and energy appetites, I can testify on the difficulty of accomplishing such changes at the individual level. Instead, we need to summon the power of community to help each other.

Omar Basawad of the Safari Notes blog says ‘Congratulations America!’

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” So, said the next President of the US.

I, we, have no doubt any more about that. And I do, for the first time truly envy Americans for how you can rise and at what you can do. And how lucky and blessed you are, to have such a democratic system and such ideals! Truly, you are a great people. And that is the reason you will continue leading the World militarily, economically and technologically; and you have just proven too, that you are above the rest of the World, morally. And now you have sent such a great statement across the globe, which will cause ripples and shock waves for a long time to come.

Very hopefully, the ripples and shock waves - will be so powerful so as to bring too, the same kind of change that will, one day, allow our children too - to have such a kind of democracy working in our parts of the World; a democracy that is truly: true, enlightened and ideal.

Tracy Stokes in South Africa had tears of joy on hearing the news that Barack Obama is the next president of USA. She wrote…

I sprang out of bed this morning (very out of character for me) and rushed to the living room, grabbed the remote and had that TV on before you could say “election results”. Obama is the new president of the United States, Bush is on the way out. So here I am, miles and miles away from where it’s all happening, at the southern tip of Africa, a South African of European descent, and it moved me to tears. Why? Because from next January, the most powerful man in the world will no longer be a warmonger, bigot, and dare I say it, village idiot, but an intelligent, compassionate man who has brought to Americans the opportunity to join the rest of the world in working towards peace, upholding of human rights, and fighting climate change. So congratulations to the American people in choosing the right man for the job.

On the 350.org blog, Phil considers the signifance of Obama’s win particularly regarding climate change.

It’s up to us to make sure Senator Obama follows through with the vision of a world we desperately want that is now a little bit more within reach. Sending him to Poland is a needed first step towards rebuilding the world economy and solving climate change, tasks which will no doubt take years, if not decades, to accomplish.
At this historic turning point, it’s up to us to shed the yoke of history and move forward by joining with our new leaders and pushing for a bold new solution to these dual crises. The world is counting on us.

On the GreenPeace Making Waves blog, amid thanks, a reminder of the promises Barack Obama made regarding the environment is stated.

Thank you, Barack Obama, for giving all of us new hope for a changed America.
We’re non-partisan here at Greenpeace. We don’t have any permanent allies or enemies. We support policies, not politicians. We endorse deeds, not words. So even while a lot of us (in our personal capacity as human beings and not Greenpeace employees) are jumping up and down this morning with glee, we want to take a moment to remind you of the promises you made in your election campaign.

It’s delivering on these promises, or bettering them, that will be the true mark of your leadership. …

On ‘Its Getting Hot in Here’ blog, Teryn Norris writes of reinventing America.

Few moments in history feel this monumental. It’s the feeling of renewed hope and immense possibility.
Barack Obama has once again tapped America’s power of invention. It’s the same power that led us to invent the first modern democracy. To invent the systems and technologies that continue to drive human progress. To constantly reinvent ourselves in the face of insurmountable hardship and division.
Invention is our greatest power — the very heart of the American spirit. It’s what can renew our promise once again and make this century the next American century.

Teryn concludes the post with

Obama has rekindled the American spirit. Now he must lead this nation to fully reinvent itself and the world — to lead us in what will be the greatest American project.

Let’s get started.

From South Africa, The Urban sprout blog offers kudos to the the American public for electing Barack Obama.

…how often do we ask ourselves what difference the leaders of New Zealand, Denmark, Germany or Iceland, for instance, will make to us all? But you have to give credit where credit is due and kudos to the American public for electing Barack Obama!

But what can we expect from Obama’s environmental direction, and can he be held accountable to his campaign promises?

We end this post with a quote from the Urban sprout blog.

Obama’s administration has 4 years to turn these visionary promises into something tangible, and that’s the real challenge - but right now, there’s plenty to be optimistic about.

Life

2008-11-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

1.What matters most to you? What is most important? What are your values?

My most important thing is my family and my friend because they make me happy and I like to stay with them. My values is I think Respect is very important because when you want to make friend to other’s you need to know respect other’s is a very important thing.

2.What kind of person you want to be?

I want to be a kind and a nice person and I want to always help everyone and being a high Character and being a good person.

3.What contributions do you want to make in life?

I want to be a really helpful person and give love give a real love to everyone I want to make everyone know’s they all have a big good family and that family is all of us. If everyone have love and the world will become a big family.

What roles do you have?

A Student. A Daughter A grand daughter.A sister A friend.

5.What do your values look like in your life in your different roles?

Student &Respect: is need to do on respect to teacher and your learning and your homework.I will do my homework on time.
Daughter&Respect: is need to being a good daughter and need to help mother and your father and perents.I will take care of my self and I won’t let my mother and my father to tke care me.
Grand daughter&Respect: is also need to being a good grand daughter need to take care your grand mother and your grand father.I will make my grand father and mother happy and I won’t let them be sad.
Sister&Takecare-Kind is to take care your small sister and if your the small sister you need to be respectful to your big sister. I will take care sister and being a good high Character.
Friend&Trust: is to respect each other and to help each other and to help your friend when they need to need help and when they are feeling sad the first person in her(he) beside is you a d friend is also need to trust each other.A friend is a really friend.I will let my friend know that I can let them trust and I will be a good friend.

6.At my all life I want to all focus on respect because I want to respect to everyone and to being a high Character and to being a respectful people.

7. If I need to do my goal I need to remember what I say and I need to do my best to finish and also to do the goal.

This is all what I want to do in my life just to be a kind person and to be a helpful person.

Organization

2008-11-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

You are to write a three part blog post by interviewing at least 2 students and 2 adults to:

1.

1)Ask them to explain the benefits of being more organized.
2.

2)Ask them to explain what prevents people from being organized.
3.

3)Create your own “top 5 list” of how to be more organized. In other words, what actions do people need to take to be more organized.

1(Serena):I think that the benefits are that we can hand in work on time, workfaster, and efficiently..

2(serena).Some prevents include: The things you wonder about in minds, your problems, worries, TV shows that you would like to see after homework, and the games you loved to play.

1(Lian)think that organizing makes everything easy to access and make everything a whole lot easier. It allows people to find things easier and to save time for more important things!

2(Lian)Some prevents include: The things you wonder about in minds, your problems, worries, TV shows that you would like to see after homework, and the games you loved to play.
1(Mom dad)Do things more faster and do it clearer.
2(Mom dad)When something make you don't do homework or don't let you do work like TV or something you do in break time.

5 tips:
1.Set a table for what time you do your homework and what time you do in break time.
2.Do your homework on time and when you finish your homework then do other thing els
3.make sure you finish what you should need to do then do something els.
4.Use notes to take note then you will remember what you will need to do.
5.Don't think anything els when your doing you should do the things.

How to cite my sources?

2008-11-04T04:32:00.000-08:00

When I find a thing or a word I always go to the website to the searching page to search the words or I will go to the dictionary and find the thing or a word and also I can find the answer in the book and I will take note some importent notes and I will remember it and write down about it.
These is some website when i don't know something an i search:
www.igoogle.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
I always find things in these website

What note taking technique skills will help me?

2008-11-04T03:37:00.000-08:00

Well I think plagiarize means That thing explanation is not in your own words you did copy and paste and you still someothers words to use and not in your own words.
And I think my technique is to search the website and to search the words and I always read 2 times and I just think it by myself or I find it in the book or a dictionary but not copy and paste.And I will also take the importent notes from it.And this is my idea.

What did I learn from other's?

2008-11-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

When I have a look of the others blog and when I give comments.....
I learn about that there's many ways of learning.I learned that there's many level of thinking. Remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.
I learned many kind of study skills.
And I also learned that learning involves lots of thinking. Learning can be a skill, knowledge, or idea. Definitions of those words can be learning from different people.Learning can be how you know something new, and you have to understand it. You have to be able to explain it to others.
A blog is very similar to an online journal. The journal-like pages on a blog can consists of pictures and photos. When another user goes to that blog the user can leave a comment about that blog post. When blogging you can reflect on your own experience as well as others. Teachers can communicate with students using blogging and parents can see and learn about what their child is learning. When students blog they can reflect on others blogs and allows teachers to correct their mistakes and learn from them. Blogging is also very fun for students and allows the student to be more engaged.
This is what I learn the most in the other's post.

Why do teaher's give student grade?

2008-10-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Why do you think they do this?
Because I think they do this to give you a point also let you know your point and you will redo or do it again.and you will know where did you get wrong and what did you get wrong.when it's red you have lot's of things to fix and you need to redo it again and when it's yellow you have some question to fix and if it's green your pass!

Why do you think this might be important in your learning?
Because you learn and you need to get points it's the same as you learn and you need to get grade so you will know what did you learn and what did you understand. And if you don't get green that mean your not really being a active learner and a good listener in the learning part so this is why it's important.

What do you like about this approach?
Because it let you know did you learn well on school and it also can tell you where you need to learn more and what did you need to fix.

What do you dislike about this approach?
I don't have any comments on this question.

'Miracle' Minneapolis Twins Beat Rare Disease

2008-10-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

Cradling their newborn twins, new parents Jeana and Jeff Cassellius admitted they still were unable to tell Owen and Gavin apart. But for the Casselliuses, figuring out each son's traits has an even deeper feeling, because the boys almost died in the womb.
Doctors diagnosed Owen and Gavin with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome before they were born. The condition is when one baby takes too much of the blood supply and, in most cases without any therapy, at least one child is lost.

But thanks to an experimental surgery involving tiny cameras and lasers, physicians at Abbott Northwestern and Children's Hospital in Minneapolis were able to save the twins, who were born Wednesday.

The life-saving procedure lasted 90 minutes and took place in July, said pediatric surgeon Brad Feltis.

In the operation doctors cauterized the shared blood vessels between the babies. And even the doctors were anxious about undertaking the surgery.

Question:
What did the story talked about?

What did the twins baby happend?

What did the doctor did?

Syria condemns 'US village raid'

2008-10-27T03:41:00.000-07:00

Syria has protested angrily to both the US and Iraq after what it said was a US helicopter raid inside its territory that killed eight civilians.

Syria summoned US and Iraqi envoys to condemn the "aggressive act". Iraq called the incident "regrettable" and said it was considering its response.

The US has neither confirmed nor denied the incident. It has previously accused Syria of allowing militants into Iraq.

Syria said the US helicopters attacked a farm in the Abu Kamal border area.

If confirmed, the raid would be the first known attack by US forces inside Syrian territory, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus.

'Outrageous crime'

A Syrian government statement said: "Syria condemns this aggression and holds the American forces responsible for this aggression and all its repercussions."

It called for an immediate investigation.

A senior Iraqi foreign ministry official, Labib Abbawi, said its charge d'affaires in Damascus had been summoned and handed a note of protest.

Mr Abbawi said he hoped the incident did not "impact negatively" on relations with Syria.

He said Iraqi was trying to get more information from the US.

Neither the Pentagon nor the White House has made any official comment. A US military spokeswoman in Baghdad said it was "in the process of investigating".

Syria's press attache in London, Jihad Makdissi, told the BBC the incident was "an outrageous crime and an act of aggression".

"If [the US has] any proof of any insurgency, instead of applying the law of the jungle and penetrating, unprovoked, a sovereign country, they should come to the Syrians first and share this information," he said.

Mr Makdissi said the US government had "proved to be irrational and they have no respect for international law or human rights".

He warned that Syria would "respond accordingly in the proper way".

The government newspaper Tishrin called the act a "war crime".

Syrian TV showed footage of a compound and an injured woman

Although there has been no official US response, an unnamed US military official told the Associated Press news agency that special forces had targeted al-Qaeda linked militants moving across the border.

"We are taking matters into our own hands," the US official said.

The official said there had been considerable success closing lines of entry for foreign militants but added: "The one piece of the puzzle we have not been showing success on is the nexus in Syria."

Several days ago the commander of US forces in western Iraq said they would be increasing operations to secure the border as it had become an "uncontrolled" entry point for militants.

US intelligence believes up to 90% of the foreign fighters entering Iraq come through Syria.

Question:What did the story talked about?

Why did they have the accident? How?

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Planing

2008-10-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

Question:Why is not really good to search on website or google?
Searching website is not really good because website only give you a simple answer and there's on any explanation in it so you would not understand and you would not know why the answer is that and what is that thing called and you also don't know how to explan you just only know the answer only so this is what I think why is not really good and searching website to find the answer.and not copy and paste the answer.
Question:Why is better to do the searching on the book or on the dictoinary better to search in the website?
I think because is in the book you can read and you will understand why i the answer like this and how do we get the answer and because you will find the answer by yourself in the book and not in the website only an answer you can know the reason in the book also you will understand and you will learn in the book you read and also dictionary is a kind to search words. and dictionary tell you the answer and also tell you why and have a explanation for you and give you the right explanation you call also learn how to search so I think dictionary and book is better than searching website.
My plan is to do better on the animal researching and find in book and find the dictionary about the animal you find and not searching no website really much and not using copy ad paste and we will find it by ourself and do more better in animal researching.