Lit. Poems

"Good Versus Evil"

Nazi
Powerful, controlling
Cunning, deceiving, manipulating
Frightening, cruel, innocent, quiet
Yielding, daring, hoping
Tormented, suffering
Jew.




"The Jew"

Max
Innocent, kind, and strong
Who loves the family he now has
Who feels sadness about the family he left
Who needs to persevere through his struggles
Who shares nightmares with Liesel
Who fears loneliness and isolation
Who'd like to see the outside world
Who dreams of boxing with Hitler
Who ends up free from the Nazis' wrath

Zoo On Wheels

Today I had the pleasure of listening to the Philadelphia Zoo come over to our school and give us a firsthand look at reptiles. If you didn't know, reptiles are animals and have specific factors that differentiate them from the rest of the animal kingdom. All reptiles are cold blooded, shed skin, and have scales. There are various types of reptiles and we saw three types today. First we saw an alligator. Thankfully it wasn't alive or else I probably wouldn't be here :) The zoologist brought the skin of the alligator to show us. The scales were tough and bone-like at certain parts. Also it was quite heavy due to the size of an average alligator. Surprisingly, the alligator is a great parent and watches over its young carefully. Too bad we didn't get to see the alligator when it was alive... Next came turtles, one of my favorite types of animals. The zoologist brought an animal this time and it was a tortoise of course. The skin of the tortoise does not fall off all at once but in small little pieces. Also, the shell is attached to the turtles body and can be used as protection. Sadly, sea turtles aren't the most "protective" parents. They lay their eggs on the beach and rush away. So many turtles die this way, but thats how life works. Sadly, we humans are their worst enemies. With all our pollution of this planet, turtles are slowly dying out. We have to try helping our planet out. Lets move away from this sad topic and move on to snakes. These slithering creatures are magnificent animals. There shedding of skin is unique as all the skin falls away at once. Also all snakes aren't venomous. Many are constrictors. This mean they squeeze there prey. Think of it as a big hug, though you'll probably be in pain. Finally came lizards. These animals are like snakes but with legs and ears. Also some can drop their tail from the rest of their body to scare a predator. Cool huh? Anyways, thanks for reading my blog and come back soon to read more about my amazing adventures through the world of science!

Greenhouse Effect Response (Science Menu)

As we learned about greenhouse gases the other day, I was intrigued enough to look up an article and respond to it for the science menu. The article states how much the world is heating up due to global warming. The ice on the Upsala Glacier is receding by 180 feet per year due to this extreme heating. Greenhouse gases tie into this article because an excess of these gases create the heating of our planet and our atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are natural but if we continue to pollute the earth with car emissions, the gases increase. I find this quite depressing because we should be keeping our planet clean so we can live safe and sound. If we don't start now we will never survive later in our futures. Reducing car emission and factory emissions are small steps towards this big goal. The more we use bikes and our feet to get to places, the less we pollute the earth. This is because we don't release gas emissions like automobiles do. Lets make a stand against global warming and save our planet.

Link: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1176980,00.html

The Greenhouse Effect Interactive Game (Science Menu)

Today in science class, I chose to play an interactive game about temperature. There were three different gases in this game. First comes carbon dioxide which makes ups less than one percent of the atmosphere. It is very vital to keeping our earth warm and we need it to survive. Carbon dioxide is one of multiple greenhouse gases. This gas comes from various places including volcanoes, car exhausts, power plants, and decaying plants and animals. When we burn coal, we release the carbon from it as carbon dioxide. Other planets have carbon dioxide too. There is little on Mars but plenty on Venus. More of this gas makes the planet hot, while less makes it colder. Enough about carbon dioxide. Next is oxygen. It was made from cyanobacteria through photosynthesis. It makes up about about one fifth of our atmosphere. As you learned earlier, photosynthesis comes from plants and this creates oxygen. Oxygen is key to our living as it is what we breath in every day. Take a deep breath! It is perfectly safe and we need it to survive. But watch out! If oxygen levels are too high, randomly things can combust into flames. At lower levels, few creatures can survive. Enough about oxygen. Lets move on to our final gas, ozone. It is an oxygen gas that is gathered in the Earth's atmosphere. Ever heard about the ozone layer? Ozone is in the stratosphere and it should stay there. If there is ground level ozone, people's lungs can burn up. Kids breath in more air than adults so we are more in danger. But don't worry the chances of that are very slim. These three gases are very important in our life and help our planet. Hopefully you learned something from me today! See you next time.

Popcorn Popping (Science Menu)

Today is science class, we made popcorn, As interesting at it is, science is a big part of these delicious little treats. In fact, science is huge part of life in every aspect. Well lets get back to popcorn. Heat transfer is a big part of this process. Heat transfers into each kernel and makes them pop. Radiation causes this to occur. "Radiation describes any process in which energy travels through a medium or through space, ultimately to be absorbed by another body." In simpler words, it is the transfer of heat energy through an empty space. The heat is transferred from the microwave through empty space and hits the another body, the kernels. This makes the water in each kernel turn into steam. The steam pushes outwards and expands the small kernel into a relatively larger piece of popcorn. The process continues until all the kernels are transformed. Their popping gives them the name "pop-corn." After that the popcorn is all ready to be devoured. Add a little butter and your snack will be perfect. Enjoy!

Welcome to CoRoT-9b

Recently, scientists have discovered a temperate exoplanet that size is closely related to Jupiter. "CoRoT-9b is the first transiting extrasolar planet that is definitely similar to a planet in our solar system, namely Jupiter." Named CoRoT-9b after the CoRoT space telescope that discovered it, the French found the planet in the constellation, Serpens Cauda, which is located 1500 light years from our home planet. Unique to this planet, it is both transits a star and is a temperate planet. The transit of a star occurs when a celestial body passes over a star, blocking some of it's light. CoRoT-9b is unique in many other ways too. "The planet is mostly made of hydrogen and helium, but may contain up to 20 Earth masses of heavier elements including rock and water under high pressure." CoRoT-95 takes much longer than other planets to orbit its star, an approximate 95 Earth days compared to just one Earth day back on our planet. "The CoRoT satellite identified the planet after 150 days of continuous observation in the summer of 2008." All in all this planet it is an extraordinary achievement as discovering a planet is always an awe inspiring thing. "Only 25 years ago no extrasolar planets were known, and today we know of more than 400." Thats all for now on CoRoT-9b! Come back later for more science related news (:

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317144644.htm

James Cameron's Blockbuster A Bit Too Good?

James Cameron is known for his plethora of imaginative movies. Recently, his new movie Avatar flew into theaters worldwide. Taking place on Pandora, Cameron takes you through a world immersed with hope, beauty, and adventure. The spectacle flew up charts everywhere, but good things don't last forever. "'Avatar' is on track to be the highest grossing film of all time, but some viewers say it leaves them depressed." Why this happens is a mystery to me, but some viewers found Cameron's work of art to be too wonderful to want to leave the world of Pandora. On a fan forum site, people are posting ways to cope with the depression. In my honest opinion, I find that this a ridiculous way to feel about an imaginative world. But if I went back into the shoes of one of the depressed movie watchers, I could see how they could be depressed. Avatar gave people a world with so much beauty and imagination that we don't have here on Earth. The fact that many viewers watched the film in 3-D doesn't help to add to the depression. But not all feel that way. "Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality." Since the film shows the Na'vi, the inhabitants of Pandora, as the good guys while the humans are bad I can understand how people may feel that humans are not good. Also, Pandora doesn't have global warming, something that is omnipresent in our planet. "Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia." Earth has something for all of us and we should accept the fact that this is our home planet. But for people whos life isn't going too well, Pandora jumps out at you like an oasis in a desert. Stay strong everybody. Life is great and live it to the fullest. Earth is our Pandora, so lets keep it safe and enjoy every minute we have on it.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html

Forensic Scientists (Podcast)

Explore the wonders of forensic scientists as this in depth discussion takes you farther through forensics then you ever have went before. Enjoy! Forensic Scientist (Soccerfan7)

Microsoft's Windows Mobile Doing So Well?

Microsoft first blew there Windows Vista project, and it seems that they have done it once again. Except this time, they did it on the nation's mobile phones. Windows Mobile is not doing so hot in the market. As the article where I found my information states, " Microsoft is getting beat up worse than a mustachioed villain in a Jackie Chan movie." They seemed to be doing fine with this inventive project, when there sole rival came into the picture. Apple, known for there different assorted technology, came up with a new tool to beat Microsoft into the ground. We call this the iPhone. With over 100,000 apps, this new smartphone has the capabilities of doing virtually anything. This includes games, tools, information, humor, and much more. The many people who have obtained this smartphone knows that I am speaking the truth. How does this compete with Microsoft's Windows Mobile? The different apps hold more then Windows Mobile capabilities, sparking eager customers to buy the phone. "Google, Nokia, Research In Motion, Palm and others have opened app stores and begun recruiting developers to compete." Microsoft was the first in this vast market of electronics, with there brilliant PC software. What went wrong this time around? My opinion on the matter is that Apple and Microsoft both have great software, but Apple's idea of appealing to the consumer as much as possible takes the cake. I love when a company takes a challenge and tries to make their product the best. Apple did this and I am quite disappointed in Microsoft. My family and I are loyal Microsoft customers, using Microsoft Excel, Word, and Office for years. "The sad part for Microsoft is that in terms of operating systems, they have a great one, and they had it long before anyone else did." Microsoft is a strong brand, still in my opinion better than Apple, but this project was a disappointment just like Vista was. For now, I will have to stick to using the apps on my iPod Touch. Hopefully in the future, Microsoft comes back strong like they were when the had a monopoly over the electronic dynasty. Good luck Microsoft!

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/19/microsoft.windows.mobile/index.html

TV Show "Lost" Connects To Science

Just the other day, I decided to take a break from school work and relax, so I turned on the TV. Surprisingly, there on the television screen was more science. The show "Lost" is about a bunch of people who survive a plane crash and have to survive on an island with limited resources. The episode I was watching was about the survivors trying to blow up a mysterious hatch. They were trying to find what to blow it up with when they stumbled upon a wrecked ship. The ship had crashed into the island because of the weather patterns around the island. The weather's forces are science. Inside they saw skeletons bound in chains, realizing that this once was a slave ship. The chains had rusted and lost their color because of chemical changes, relating to what we learned in class today. As the survivors came upon the end of the ship, they spotted dynamite and decided to use it to blow up the hatch. As they carried it, they held the dangerous explosives with care. Any quick movements or wrong chemical imbalances could explode these ancient peices of dynamite. Sadly, one members of the group died because he did not carefully hold the dynamite. From then on, the survivors wrapped the dynamite in mud to prevent it from exploding. This shows that the mud cooled the explosives from exploding, another chemical change. Finally, the members of the survivoring group went to the hatch and exploded the hatch. What happens next you will have to watch and see. Whether you like it or not, science is there everyday in all of our lives, from exploding dynamite, to rusting, even weather patterns.

Windows 7 Better Than Vista?

Today on October 22nd of 2009, Microsoft released their new computer operating system. The new Windows 7 takes all the problems of Vista, the previous software system, and removes them. Vista caused many problems for people and that led to a development of a new computer operating system they called Windows 7, supposedly better then the not so successful Vista. It is still a wonder if Windows will take on those technical bugs and stop them since this is the first day of release. Thanks to Vista, Microsoft can gain more cash for solving there customers problems and needs. "If consumers like the new Windows 7 operating system, they'll have the much-maligned Windows Vista to thank.", says CNN. "Until Vista, Microsoft was fully thinking on their own and implementing their own ideas and then releasing it." Thankfully before shipping out a new product, they heard their customers problems and they decided to make a change. The product has been given good review so far, but who knows what might happen? Bugs and glitches can take time to show up and that can waste time, money, and electricity, which are all very important in today's economy. Many different changes have been added to the new software like less clutter on the desktop leaving room for more options. "The result is that Windows 7, in many cases, can boot up more quickly and go in and out of sleep in a matter of seconds." All in all Windows 7 seems successful so far.

The new Windows 7 seems to make me uneasy. I predict that some kind of bug will show up one day and prove to be as unreliable as the previous Vista. Microsoft changed their whole design, going for something newer, adding to the risk. I still look forward to buying the software and testing it out to see if my guess was correct. The quote, "Microsoft, too, still has room for improvement," added to my suspensions because it seemed like the company wasn't too sure if they were going to be successful with their new launch. Technically, a company should be confident in their work and hope for the best. You might say that it is just my opinion and you are probably right, but I have a feeling Windows 7 won't be worth all the hype. I wish the Microsoft company good luck with their productivity rates and let us see how things turn out. There past products have been outstanding and have helped many people complete their work, including me type this blog post with Windows Vista. An example of one problem Vista has is that when a family member tried to open a document from a flash-drive, the program did not regester in Vista and the memory on the flash-drive deleted. I hope Windows 7 is better than Vista for the sake of the company, and for myself. Look out for more coverage on the topic on their website-http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/. For now, keep learning fellow bloggers!

Link- http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/22/windows.seven/index.html

Facebook Users Skyrocket

Facebook, the popular online chat engine, is flying in numbers of online users. In July, Facebook reached 250 million users gaining 800,000 users a day! The company, once a small networking site has evolved into a sensational online phenomenon grabbing the attention of millions of people around the world. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, "We're just getting started on our goal of connecting everyone." If that's the beginning, then where will it end? In my point of view, Facebook is a exceptionally successful company, but they make go a bit overboard with their users. If all of the U.S. population were on Facebook, their would be a power outages and other electrical problems. Thankfully, that probably won't happen because not only Americans use Facebook. About 70% of Facebook users come from outside America. Facebook started out as an portal for college students, but now grows on to many other Americans, most popularly people over the age of 35. Some experts think Facebook has information that can easily be found and can be used against you. Of course Facebook has some problems, but the intricate site is passing right through them. The company is out of the red, but still fighting against it's nemisis, Twitter. My view on this is that I believe Facebook has done an amazing job with their goal and I think they are an insperation to all other Internet sites. Of course, some things I find about Facebook I dislike, like they are taking the time of people and keep them in front of their computer. Still, I believe Facebook is doing a great job with their job. All in all, I find that Facebook has done a great job even if gluing people to their computers is a side-effect.

Link- http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/16/facebook.profit/index.html

October Sky Review

"If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything." This quote ran through my head as I watched the inspirational movie, October Sky. October Sky is a great movie about Homer Hickam, a young man living in Coalwood, West Virginia. Coalwood is a small mining town where every young child's destiny is to work in the nearby coal mine. Sadly, Homer had to go against his father's wishes of becoming a coal miner to build the rocket of his dreams. This movie shows the story of Homer Hickam and his peers, facing extreme challenges to reach their goals. They were stopped by many roadblocks, but using perseverance and determination to overcome them. Homer's inspiration, Sputnik, was a work of art and inspired people that anything is possible. When Homer started building his rockets, he used extreme care and patience. It took some time for the rocket to be built, but that didn't stop Homer from building them and launching them, striving to win the National Science Fair. This competition would help Homer and his friends gain scholarships to great colleges, and free them from the wrath of the coal mines. With their teacher's help, the boys slowly gain knowledge on the subject of rockets. When the Science Fair came by, Homer taught the crowd how rockets worked and the many interesting facts about rockets such as the different parts. Homer's rocket was somewhat like a military missile. It flew high into the sky and then suddenly because of science, darted towards the ground at tremendous speeds. Because of that, one day the boys were accused of starting a forest fire with their rocket, putting their dreams to a halt. Later, using advanced math and science skills, Homer showed that he didn't start the fire and that he and his fellow rocket builders were not guilty. After overcoming all these obstacles, Homer Hickam and his Rocket Boys came to be the winners of the National Science Fair and successful men. Even though everything seemed happy, all wasn't. Those who had no futures outside of the mines eventually died of lung cancer and other harmful diseases. It was a very hazardous, treacherous job that had to be done in order for the town's success and growth. The miners had no gas masks like we have today and sadly inhaled all the harmful intoxicating gases located in the mines. Also, this movie showed Character Education traits. These traits are Cooperation, Assertion, Respect, and Self Control. Cooperation is showed when Homer works with his peers to build his rocket and rise to fame. Assertion is showed when Homer asserted himself and believed that he could achieve his goals. Respect is shown when Homer shows respect towards his family and takes on the role of a coal miner, to support his family. Self Control is shown when Homer listens to his father's orders of stopping rocket building and not getting mad about it. All in all, the Rocket Boys have inspired many to strive for their goals. October Sky is a great movie and worth watching over and over again.

Patau's Syndrome

http://www.sokka-silverstar.blogspot.com/

This is the link to a peer's blog.

Patau's Syndrome is a very deadly disease. I feel really sad just thinking of the victims of this terrible sickness. The oldest person to have lived with this disease was 33! That's a really young age to die. There are many harmful symptoms such as incomplete eyesight and smelling nerves, deafness,cleft lip and/or palate, a flat face, lowered or malformed ears, extra fingers or toes along with deformed hands and feet, respiratory difficulties and heart defects, and severe organ malformities. I hope that that scientists find a cure for this terrible malformity and that its victims recover.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Phenylketonuria is a very rare but harmful disorder. Phenylketonuria is caused from low levels of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). Discovered in 1934 by Ivar Asbjørn Følling, this disease has many symptoms. Musty odor of skin, hair, and urine are just a few. More serious symptoms include loss of weight, vomiting frequently, constant diarrhea, and skin problems such as eczema. The treatment for these disease is a life-long special reduced protein diet because too much protein in the diet will kill the victim. Sadly, even though there is a way to prevent death, about 27,000 deaths occur a year. Asians and Whites are more vulnerable to this disease. Thankfully, Phenylketonuria is very rare and not many get it. The chances of getting PKU is 1 in 10,000 so its a rare possibility if you get it. With much research, scientists have learned that PKU is a recessive trait, so if one of your parents have the trait, you might become a carrier of the disease. Personally, I find this disease terrible and I wish that no one had it. I feel bad for those who have PKU and I hope they are in treatment. Phenylketonuria is a dangerous disease, but if treated, the patient can have a normal lifestyle.

Science Conclusion

During class, we extracted DNA from plant cells and animals. I got the plant cell while my partner got the animal. My sample was strawberry pulp. In this lab we had to find the DNA in strawberry pulp. First, I took the test tube with strawberry pulp which was filled up to twelve milliliters and added detergent. After the detergent was on top of the strawberry pulp and made sure it wasn’t shook up, then I added enzymes, which were a tan powder. Then, I added salt to the enzymes and detergent, but didn’t mix them up or my experiment would have failed. Finally, I added isopropinol and was done with the experiment. I could see a thin, white strand which was actually DNA at the top of my test tube. I can infer that if I shook up the tube, my result wouldn’t have been so successful. After looking at my partners DNA sample, I could tell that plant cells have more DNA than animals cell.

Global Warming Getting Faster!

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century. Now it's getting faster and more ice is melting across the globe. Between 1.5 trillion and 2 trillion tons of ice in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have melted at an accelerating rate since 2003. NASA geophysicist Scott Luthcke came up with the losses of ice made enough water to fill the Chesapeake Bay 21 times! Thats a lot of water! "A few degrees of change [in temperature] can increase the amount of mass loss, and that contributes to sea level rise and changes in ocean current," Luthcke said. This is a very serious matter which will no doubt change our future as humans. I think that to stop this from happening faster, we must lower pollution. A good idea to help this cause would be to carpool, ride your bike, or even work from home! I hope that this situation is solved fast because if it isn't it will affect us in many ways. All in all, global warming is getting faster and it is up to us to stop it.

Source- http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/16/melting.ice/index.html

Swiss Soldiers Without Guns!?!?

Switzerland, a land famous for the law to store weapons at home, just might lose their special privilege. This could can change many things in Switzerland. All the suicides, robberys, and more would be decreased dramatically. Green lawmaker Josef Lang said, "More than 1.5 million unused weapons were kept in Swiss homes." Switzerland without storing guns at home would be a drastic change to the regular Swiss life. Specialists think security has to be tighter so that we can prevent deaths. I find this matter very serious and strongly oppose the privlage of storing guns at home. All in all, storing guns at home might be banned in Switzerland.

Source- http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/24/switzerland.gun.army.referendum/index.

Tsunami™

NJ Middles School Going Down

     Middle schools in NJ aren't looking good. NJ middle schools students are doing very bad in 

language arts tests and the math tests. 40% of students are failing language arts tests, while 25% are failing math tests. High school students aren't doing bad, even though there average scores dropped slightly. Even fourth graders are doing better. 85% of them passed the tests assigned to them. All in all, NJ middle school students have to step it up or be stepped on.

Source- http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/tough_new_state_tests_spur_hig.html