Sleep Deprivation Leads to Weight Gain

"Does sleep loss up weight by lowering energy use?," by Natasha Allen. May 13, 2011.

If you're not getting the right amount of sleep each night, what you're doing is affecting your metabolism badly. Less sleep will result in the body using less energy. It promotes weight gain and slows down the rate at which calories burn. So, get your sleep!

Why go to the Store When You can Pick Leaves and Make Your Own Clothes?

"Weedrobes: Artist creates stunning garments from fruit, weeds, flowers," by Yahoo!Green. May 9, 2011.

Money is not the only thing that's green. Look at what you can creatively do with plants!

Planes are Great Lightning Conductors

"Video shows dramatic footage of lightning striking jet above Heathrow airport," by Chris Lehmann. May 12, 2011.



Chris Dawson's observant eyes enabled him to correctly predict the weather conditions over London's Heathrow Airport. He said that the clouds were gathering, and that lightning would have to appear in such weather conditions. Looking up at the sky, Dawson recorded a video of a lightning striking at the airplane. Luckily, because the plane is made out of metal, lightning was able to pass through the airplane without harming the 500 passengers on board.

A Zoo in a Suitcase

"Baby leopards, bear found in bags at Thai airport," posted by the Associated Press. May 13, 2011.

A first-class 36-year-old United Arab Emirates passenger had two leopards, two panthers, an Asiatic black bear, and two macaque monkeys in his suitcases. Authorities arrested the man at Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand is known for illegal wildlife trafficking.

Reflection on the AP Statistics Exam

Yup, today was THE day, and I am absolutely brain-dead. For one thing, I'm super glad that AP Statistics is finally over. At the same time, however, I'm a bit sad that senior year is approaching to an end... and I feel that Statistics should continuously be learned for some reason I don't know. Haha. It's quite a challenging, time-consuming class, but also the most useful math course I've ever taken. From all that we've prepared for, I had complete confidence for the very first time that I'll definitely pass the exam thanks to Ramaswamy's teachings. After-school study sessions were a complete drag, as I tended to burn out at the end of the day, but it was worth it in the long run. Over a month's worth of review in these study sessions (it would last from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.) has definitely changed my work ethic, and never have I ever worked this hard in my life. Ramaswamy even gave us work on Mother's Day:


"Earnest Note: I am aware that this Sunday is Mother's Day. It is an unfortunate NECESSITY that we work for ~2.5 hours this Sunday. This is the FINAL WEEKEND before the AP Exam. So, have a sense of perspective. This is what we've been preparing for ALL year.

I'm SURE that your mothers shall APPRECIATE that you're studying hard TO MAKE HER PROUD."


That's sooooo Ramaswamy... but stuff like this doesn't bother or annoy me anymore. It became the norm.

How well did I do on the multiple-choice questions? Okay, I guess. They were easier than the ones hand-picked from Ramaswamy. What about the FRQs? Oh, dear. I probably did less than okay, but by following the strategies that he gave us, I managed to get most of the job done, hopefully boosting my score to get that 4 or 5. If I had only studied more on the "AP Stats Bible," as Ramaswamy would say, I would have most likely had done better on the test.

Should Osama Have Deserved a Better Burial?

"Even a monster such as Osama Bin Laden deserved a better burial, say city Muslims," by Jake Pearson. May 4, 2011.

After Osama was killed by American troops, his corpse was dumped into the ocean. New York Muslims agree with the fact that Osama was, indeed, a bad man and disapproved of his beliefs, but they also think it's wrong to just dump his body into the ocean. They believe that he should've been given a proper burial.

Oldest Newlyweds

"At 100 and 90, world’s oldest newlyweds aren’t slowing down," by Zachary Roth. May 6, 2011.

I guess it's never too late for love? Rose Pollard, 90-years-old, said that she'd marry Forrest Lunsway on his 100th birthday, and she did! Forrest has done all the smoking and drinking, and he attributes his longevity to not having a desk job. Before their marriage, they met together back in 1983 and dated since then.

A Family's Huge Burden

"A look at the lesser-known bin Ladens," by Phoebe Connelly. May 6, 2011.

What most people didn't know is that Osama was born into a rich family who initially had nothing, and suddenly became Saudi royal family's most trusted construction contractors. After Osama became a devout Muslim at the age of 13, he was officially disowned by his family at the request of the Saudi government. Carmen bin Laden is married to Osama's brother, Yeslem. As the sister-in-law, she finds it difficult to carry the family name because of Osama's actions, all of which goes against her and her daughters' beliefs.Osama's brother Khalil owned a mansion in Florida and had vacationed there with his family before the 9/11 attacks. After the tragedy, he and his family had to flee and went under police protection under fear of reprisals.

Rebirth of the Torture Question

"The Death of bin Laden and the Rebirth of the Torture Question," by Osha Gray Davidson. May 4, 2011.

John Yoo thinks that while Obama can take the credit for the success of Osama Bin Laden's death, the soldiers should deserve more credibility for making the tough decisions. Had it not been for Bush's policies and his administration, they would have never caught Osama, according to this article. "The use of torture [under the Bush administration]... has been vindicated by bin Laden’s death." Was the use of waterboarding implemented in the torture process? Not according to Obama administration’s deputy national security adviser, John Brennan. According to the 9/11 Commission, KSM was tortured through waterboarding in order to leak and valuable piece of information. He provided Bin Ladens' courier's name, only to be found out later that it was a fake under standard interrogation techniques.

Boyfriend Guilty in Burned-body Slaying

"Boyfriend guilty in burned-body slaying," by Sarah Burge. May 2, 2011.

A 45-year-old was charged for manslaughtering his girlfriend after coming home late, drunk. Authorities suspect the murderer to have dragged his girlfriend's body into the trunk of his SUV, dumped her behind a gym while she was covered with gasoline and set on fire. Prosecutor Brandon Smith said that the girlfriend made a mistake by being involved with her boyfriend and exchanging text messages with her ex-boyfriend and the night she died.

Classion Discussion Reflection: Illegal Immigration 4/28/11

This class discussion was, perhaps, the most interesting yet as there were a lot of curiously awesome thoughts exchanged between my peers. Before having the discussion with the class, I had a talk with my dad on his thoughts on illegal immigration. Like what most people say, he says that illegal immmigrants are taking away jobs, receiving free financial aid from the government, and taking advantage of our free education. He didn't believe that these immigrants didn't come here for "the American Dream." Although what he says, or at least the way he said these things, sounded a bit harsh, I agreed with him by the statement that if immigrants are to come to the U.S., they should do it fairly and legally, despite the process being extremely long. Our class discussion provided several options to alleviate the immigration issue such as helping to better Mexico so that less immigrants will come over, and the idea of creating a pool of smart immigrants to create a better United States. I enjoyed this class discussion, and I look forward to the next one (if there's going to be another one at this time of the year).

New York Inmate Separates Guards Fighting Over Food

"NY inmate separates guards fighting over food," as posted by the Associated Press. April 29, 2011.

Yup, the title says it all. The officers were suspended with pay, and the inmate needed medical attention, but privacy laws prevented him from disclosing his injuries. The inmate kindly stepped in to break up the fight because he didn't want neither of them to get fired.

Church: Arrests Violated First Amendment

"Church: Arrests violated First Amendment," by John Asbury. April 29, 2011.

Three members of Hemet Church were arrested for preaching in front of Hemet DMV. The case was immediately known when a YouTube video of them preaching reached almost 50,000 hits. Church members filed a lawsuit against the California High Patrol and said that they were not told that they needed a permit to exercise their religious freedom on DMV premises.

The Deadliest Tornado Since March 1932

"Even rescuers hobbled by worst twisters since 1932," by Jay Reeves and Greg Bluestein. April 29, 2011.

In some of the most recent, unfortunate events in seven states in the South and Midwest, many homes, vehicles, and buildings were utterly destroyed by tornardoes. In Alabama, 238 people were killed and hundreds (maybe even thousands) were injured. President Obama was shocked at the grotesque sight of this.

Awesome-looking Beds

"The 8 craziest beds you'll ever see," by Piper Weiss. April 19, 2011.

                                            [More pictures in the link]

Once again, I was looking through Yahoo and saw several pictures of awesome-looking beds. The book bed is my most favorite out of all the others.

An 80-year-old Man's Threat

"Police: 80-year-old man threatens to blow up Sears," by Claire Webb. April 25, 2011.

An 80-year-old man from Laguna Beach threatened to blow up Sears. The man was complaining/frustrated with their customer service staff with a Sears employee over the telephone.

Immigration Advocacy on Good Friday

"N.J. immigration advocacy groups hold Good Friday march through Newark," by The Associated Press. April 22, 2011.

Fellow members of a church were marching down the streets Newark, New Jersey in support for immigration rights. They likened Jesus's suffering to the sufferings and struggles that immigrants face. Kathy O'Leary says, "We are called as people of faith to recognize the suffering of Jesus in the faces of our brothers and sisters and our neighbors."

Immigration: Should Feds Sue Utah Over New Immigration Rules?

"Immigration: Should feds sue Utah over new immigration rules?," by Sandra Hernandez. April 22, 2011.

The Department of Justice was asked U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith to sue Utah for their new immigration law that allowed illegal immigrants to work in the state and give more power to the police force to check the immigration status of those arrested. He states that such a law should go into court for it is unconstitutional.  Utah Gov. Gary Herbert fights back saying that it would be a waste of time doing this, and that it's better to use the time between now and 2013 to address immigration issues.

SB1070'S Anniversary

"Arizona's SB1070 Immigration Law One Year Later," by Fox News Latino (contributed by the Associated Press). April 23, 2011.

Today marks the first anniversary of SB1070, and many showed up at Cesar Chavez's Plaza to march in protest against the law. A federal judge had blocked some of the most controversial sections of the law, while other parts were allowed to take effect.

Treasure in the Backyard

"Austrian authorities reveal find of buried treasure," by George Jahn. April 22, 2011.



A couple years ago, a man decided to dig in his backyard, and, with great fortune, little bits of ornaments and pieces of fragments worth loads of money. The reason he dug in his backyard was to expand a pond, and luckliy he found the jackpot.

Best Bedroom in the World?

"6-year-old's jaw-dropping pirate bedroom," by unknown. April 19, 2011?



So, yeah... I was looking through Yahoo, and wow, I found this. Ships may not be so related to me, but I wouldn't mind living in this extremely-themed bedroom.

Georgia Passes Immigration Bill: “Rule of Law is Important”

"Georgia passes immigration bill: “Rule of law is important”," by unknown. April 16, 2011.

Like the Arizona bill regarding illegal immigration, Governor Nathan Deal plans to sign an extensive bill on illegal immigration that was recently passed. The "rule of law" is reinforced inside the people of Georgia's minds. This legislation allows law enforcement offiicers to verify the immigration status of criminal suspects and detain them if they're illegally present.

Immigration Official Agrees to Probe Alleged Abused by Local Agents

"Immigration official agrees to probe alleged abused by local agents," by Niraj Warikoo. April 16, 2011.

Detroit immigration officials agreed to investigate cases of allegations of abuse by federal immigrant agents. The issue came into question when immigrants and minorities were being followed, or harrassed, when kids were being dropped off at school by their parents. In some cases, Latinos were wrongly detained and mistreated and others were being racially profiled.

High Bacteria Levels in Meat at U.S.

"High bacteria levels in meat at U.S. stores: report," by Aman Ali. April 15, 2011.

About 96% of raw meat observed in grocery stores contained bacteria that were resistant to one certain antibiotic and 52% to three or more types. This is a great concern because it is one of the greatest threats to our public health today.

Black Hole on Earth

"Satellite Photographs 'Black Hole' on Earth," by OurAmazingPlanet. April 15, 2011.

The Kompsat-2 took shots on an island in Mexico with photos that appeared to be a "black hole" called the Holbox. The freshwater lagoon surrounding the area makes the water appear black, hence the reason for it being named "Holbox," which is the Mayan translation for "black hole."

Hotter than Ghost Chili Peppers

"New chili pepper crowned world’s hottest," by Brett Michael Dykes. April 12, 2011.





A new chili pepper came into town, and his name is the "Trinidad Scorpion Butch T." It's Scoville rating is at a whopping 1.46 million. If you ever dare to eat such a monster, good luck defecating.

Illegal Immigrants Charged up to $60,000 for Fake Marriage Papers

"Illegal immigrants were charged up to $60,000 for fake marriage papers, authorities allege," by Robert J. Lopez. April 7, 2011.

Three people were arrested for arranging fake marriages for illegal immigrants, and were charged up to $60,000. The three suspects own "an immigration-consulting business that caters primarily to Indian nationals who sought marriage certificates and work visas, according to federal authorities."

Is it Worth $700 per Month?

"Simple life in Manhattan: A 90-square-foot home," by Kirsten Dirksen. April 7, 2011.



Felice Cohen’s apartment is a mere 90 square-feet, and she seems to be perfectly fine with the way things are. Extreme frugal living, I must say. She claims that she pretty much has everything she wants and needs, including occasional trips to the gym and Central Park. When she first moved in, she had a bit of a panic attack because of the very small bed to ceiling ratio. Felice has been living in the small apartment for about three years so far.

California Anti-illegal Immigration Bills Die

"California anti-illegal immigration bills die," by Cindy Carcamo. April 6, 2011.

 The bills AB26 and AB1018, inspired by Arizona's recent anti-illegal immigration law SB1070, were rejected by a 7 to 3 vote by the Assembly Judiciary Committee. If they had been passed, AB26 would have allowed file lawsuits against any local government providing safe havens for illegal immigrants, and the AB1018 would have required all state agencies to use a federal verification program to ensure that the person was eligible for state-funded benefits.

Florida Pastor Burns Quran

"Florida paster burns Quran," posted by Letters editor. April 4, 2011.



A Florida pastor named Terry Jones burned a Quran on March 20. He has received a lot of death threats, and is willing to die for what he did and will continue to do. Jones is also armed with a gun for self-defense.

Facebook Kicks Off 20,000 Underage Users a Day

"Facebook kicks off 20,000 underage users a day," by Zachary Roth. March 23, 2011.

Facebook receives at least 20,000 underage users per day, and nearly half of all 12-year-olds in the U.S. use social networking sites. Concerns for protection and privacy for underage users is growing, and Minnesoat Democract Se. Al Franken proposed to reform the social networking website. Personally, I think it's okay for underage users to use a social networking site as long as a parent keeps a close eye on what they're doing.

Inside a Rocky Bowl of Molting Lava

"Incredible photos show inside of world’s ‘most dangerous’ volcano," by Rubie Edmondson. March 23, 2011.

Volcanologists Dario Tedesco and Ken decided to go deep into one of the most active volcanoes in the world, the Nyiragongo. This certain volcano is rarely studied, and it's important to collect data to be able predict any volcanic eruption for the safety of nearby cities.

Nic Robertson: Not a Human Shield

"CNN correspondent slams Fox over ‘human shields’ report," by Michael Calderone. March 22, 2011.



Nic Robertson clears up the allegations made by Fox News who said that he was used as a "human shield" by Libyan authorities to prevent an attack on Muammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli. Jennifer Griffin, a Fox News reporter, defends herself by saying that the reporters and civilians felt like they were being used as shields and that it was frustrating to them.

Class Discussion: Education 3/16/11

This discussion on education particularly has been my favorite so far. I've never really thought about our education system until we started on the topic, and it's given me several new perspectives. Before we started on the topic, I had a vague definition of what tenure is, and I thought it was just an increase in a teacher's salary for every year he or she works in the same school. However, I didn't know that a teacher acquires tenure after three years of experience in the same school and that's when their salaries increase, but it seems like an almost-guarantee for teachers that they'll have that job for life; a job-protector, that is. It's in the best interest for bad teachers to sit there and do nothing while students are being cheated out of their education. No wonder we have so many "dropout" factories in our nation. Also, our class discussion presented the idea of making high schools into mini-colleges, and it's probably a great idea in that students can choose which time of school day best suits them and what specific classes to take that'll help them get into the next big step: college. I look forward to our next topic.

Supermoon on Mr. Palo's Birthday

"'Supermoon' Rises: Biggest Full Moon in 18 Years Occurs Saturday Night," by unknown. March 18, 2011.

The supermoon may appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than lesser full moons at its peak. Don't worry, NASA says it won't cause any natural disasters.

Punishment for Chicken Prank too Harsh?

"Live Chicken Prank Lands 3 N.J. Students In The Coop," by CBS News. March 16, 2011.

Two 17-year-olds confessed that they released a couple of chickens on their school campus as a senior prank, and they're now facing charges for trespassing and disorderly conduct. They also can't go to prom and attend the graduation ceremony. "No one knows how to have a good laugh," says one of them.

US Life Expectancy Surpasses 78

"US life expectancy surpasses 78, a new record," by Associated Press. March 17, 2011.

The life expectancy rate, generally for whites, has increase from 77 years and 11 months to 78 years and 2 months. Also, the overall male life expectancy is around 75 and a half , about 80 and a half for females. What attributed to this are better medical treatment, vaccination campaigns and public health measures against smoking.

Japanese Families Reunite

"Touching reunion videos after Japan disaster," by Liz Goodwin. March 16, 2011.

Beating against the odds, especially against Mother Nature, survivors of the tsunami are, fortunately, reunited with their loved ones. One in particular, Akiko Kosaka, who was studying English here in America at the time, was reassured that her family had survived the tsunami in their town when she saw a video on YouTube on the local news coverage. Unfortunately, half of the residents are missing or feared dead.

Closer to Japan

"Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet," by Liz Goodwin. March 14, 2011.

After the fifth-largest earthquake occurred in Japan, the Pacific tectonic plate dove under the North American plate, making us closer to Japan by 13 feet. The earthquake also shortened the day by 1.6 microseconds (microseconds may not seem like a big deal, but every little piece of time is precious), and made Japan fall under 2 feet of water.

WHIPS: Toddler Dunked in Scalding Water

"Toddler's horrific scalding detailed," by Sarah Burge, The Press-Enterprise. March 11, 2011.

Diana Vicky Estrada, a 26-year-old mother, was charged with child abuse and torture. She dunked her 2-year-old daughter, now 5, in a bathtub filled with extremely hot water as punishment for a potty-training accident. Burns were shown on her legs from the bottom of the girl's feet up to below the knees. The injuries were so severe that her toes were literally glued together. At court, Estrada pleaded not guilty and shows no concern for her daughter's injuries. She claims that her daughter simply loves taking baths and that she got into the bathtub on her own. Her daughter had been returned to her custody by the time she was sentenced to probation and jail time.

Burge, Sarah. "Toddler's Horrific Scalding Detailed Inland News." PE.com Southern California News

News for Inland Southern California. 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_sestrada11.1d022e948.html.

As if Earthquakes and Tsunamis Weren't Enough

"Blast at Japan nuke plant after quake and tsunami," by Eric Talmadge and Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press. March 12, 2011.



After the earthquakes and tsunamis came an explosion at a nuclear power plant. Fortunately, radiation emanating from the explosion declined rather than increased. If the radition were to reach those who lived near the nuclear power plant would risk getting cancer. Thousands were urged to evacuate the area.

"American Government 3/7/11" QOW Response

For some reason, my comment keeps disappearing. Hopefully it won't disappear here.

One thing we can be truly sure about is the fact that nothing in this world is perfect, but we should always strive for excellence anyway. How do we even get ourselves to strive? Inspiration, passion, and motivation for the things that we want to attain can help us achieve success. Unfortunately, not all schools can offer the classes and programs that everyone wants, but the essential basics (math, history, English, science) should be taught, as they are necessary components to our everyday lives. Students can achieve success if both the teacher and the student willfully put the effort into it.

Parents should, indeed, be actively involved in their child’s education. American parents should follow the example of the “Kyoiku mama,” Japanese mothers from Japan. Their number one priority is their child’s education, and they’ll do whatever it takes to help them succeed in school. The Japanese mother would, for example, provide midnight food and water while the son or daughter would diligently work on a homework or project, or study for a huge exam. The school performance of the Japanese child reflects the on the mother’s sense of personal accomplishment. If the child does horrible on a certain test, the mother would be let down, but she would still, nonetheless, continue to be actively involved in helping her son or daughter.

The size of classes definitely plays a huge role in education. Like what almost everyone else is saying, students develop a personal interaction with the teacher in smaller classes, enabling them to focus on the class subject better and earning higher grades. Large classes tend to have a lot of distractions, and it’s difficult for the teacher to gain control over such a disruptive class. Of course, smaller class sizes would mean more spending on building more classrooms. However, if smaller class sizes can make a huge dramatic difference on students’ grades, then why not incorporate them into schools? Wouldn’t it be worth it?

We live in a digital age now, surrounded by so many pieces of technology. Personally, I find textbooks to be an absolute bore. I spend at least five to ten minutes flipping through dozens of pages to find the answer to the first question of my AP Biology worksheet. If I had access to the online textbook, searching for the answer would be a piece of cake, as I would type in what I need to find in a search engine, directly leading me to the answers I need. I wouldn’t mind choosing a Kindle or a Nook over a textbook. It’d make my life easy, and it would save a ton of time. If we implemented more technology into our schools, we can definitely save a lot of time and use that valuable time for other important things.


- Jarel Lim Per. 4


Evans, Shayne. "NBC News EducationNation.com - Are Schools Embracing Technology?" NBC News EducationNation.com - NBC Education Nation. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=B8A49B7E-CC11-11DF-8853000C296BA163

Hodges, Quincy. "Cary District 26 Debates Class Sizes - Cary, IL Patch." Cary, IL Patch - News, Sports, Events, Businesses & Deals. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. http://cary.patch.com/articles/class-size-vs-quality-of-education

"Kyoiku Mama." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoiku_mama

Colors of the 1906 San Francisco Great Quake

"Color pics of San Francisco after '06 quake found," by Associated Press. March 9, 2011.

Pictures of San Fransico in 1906 has been discovered. The photos were taken by Frederick Eugene Ives after the earthquake happened. Shannon Perich, associate curator of the Smithsonian's photography history collection, said that Ives was experimenting with color photography in the early 20th century.

Student Selection for Excellent Schools Shouldn't be a Lottery System

"Even as Obama praises Boston school, education cuts loom," by Derrick Z. Jackson. March 9, 2011.

The chances of getting into a good college are gettting worse by the hour. Because of the recession, there have been many state education cuts nationwide. The GOP and Obama gave away hundreds of billions of tax cuts to the wealthiest two to three percent of Americans, and are trying to slash billions more from Head Start, elementary education support, and pell grants.

Lakes Light Up at Night

"Lakes Light Up at Night," by Claudine Zap. March 8, 2011.

In Australia, beautiful colors of blue glowed at night in the lakes. What makes these lakes glow with gleam are the species of algae called Noctiluca scintillans, also known as "sea sparkle."

Push for Charter Schools in New Jersey

"N.J. education commissioner fights criticism of charter schools," by Leslie Brody. March 7, 2011.

 Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf plans to give a push for charter schools in New Jersey. Critics have compared average performances between traditional schools and charter schools, and accused Cerf for playing with the data in order to round up support for charters, which are publicly financed for, but are under operated by independent boards free of many district regulations. Also, it was said that charter schools fail to include special needs kids, but Cerf argued that eight percent of charter schools' students have disabilities, lower than that of traditional schools which is sixteen percent.

Sugary Cereal

"Parents, beware: These kid-friendly foods claim to be healthy, but they're not," by Lylah M. Alphonse. January 19, 2011. [Note: I realized I didn't publish this before because it was saved as a draft, so this post was intended to be posted on January 19, Wednesday].

Parents may be attracted to the official healthy food labeling on the cardboard boxes of cereal, but they're not getting behind the real study of its' nutritional facts. In a certain study where fifty-eight popular kids' foods were examined to see if they met basic nutritional standards, a whopping forty-nine of them failed the test. The winning healthy foods are mostly Kid Cuisine meals. The other ones are Capri Sun 100 Percent Juice Fruit Punch, Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (25 percent less sugar Chocolate Chip only), Kool Aid Fun Fizz Drink Drops (Giggling Grape only), and Campbell's Princess-Shaped Spaghetti-Os.

Hope in Moss Point, MS

"Moss Point schools rally community to help raise test scores," by Trang Pham-Bui. March 1, 2011. [Note: I realized I didn't publish this before because it was saved as a draft, so this post was intended to be posted on March 3, Thursday].

Schools in Moss Point, MS are struggling to bring their test scores up a notch. Last year, state ratings indicated that five Moss Point schools are at risk of failiing. In order to avoid plummeting into failure, students took practice tests and studied hard for an important state test administered today. However, according to the superintendent of Moss Point School, it takes more than practice tests and study times to give a boost in their students' scores; it takes a community to do it. Banners are hanging on each and every Moss Point city sign to appeal to the attention of the community.

Merit Pay

"N.J. residents support factoring student test scores into teacher evaluations, poll finds," by Simone Sebastianm The Star-Ledger. March 5, 2011.

After given a poll, most New Jerseyans said that they disapproved of tenure and supported the idea of having students' test performances as a factor in teacher evaluation and pay. Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf proposed a plan to reform the teacher evaluation system. The plan includes eliminating automatic tenure and having students' test performances determine teachers' salaries and tenure status.

Passion, passion, PASSION!

If anyone just so happens to find this post, I encourage you to read it. Take a look at the video too, especially.

I've been following a certain channel for quite a while on YouTube, and they never cease to amaze me. The P.S. 22 Chorus of Staten Island, NY will always inspire me to do well in school. Whenever I see them smile, laugh, or sway to the melody of a song, you can definitely see something that not a lot of students have in school: passion. You can definitely see the passion in their eyes and the emotions that render their facial expressions and body language. Although what they're doing isn't academic, it shows that they're excited to be in school and that they're willing to learn what they love, which is singing and making music. If all schools in our nation could somehow attain this sort of passion and applied it in academics, I can only imagine what our world would be like. I commend Mr. B for being one of the greatest teachers in our nation.



Art. It's a beauty, isn't it? There's creativity and talent in it, something we all need right now.

Westboro Baptist Church: Protection of First Amendment

"Court's ruling in funeral protest case restates First Amendment principles," by Ken Paulson, President, the First Amendment Center. March 2, 2011.



We've all heard of the notorious Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, known for condemning homosexuality. The reason that he and his followers decided to protest at Christina Taylor Green's funeral, the nine-year old girl who died at the Arizona tragedy, was to gain the media's attention and share their views to the world. While the American masses are shocked by the Supreme Court's decision to back their right to protest at funerals, the decision made by the Supreme Court reaffirms and assures us that we have the first amendment at our side; that we have the right to freely express our views. What the Supreme Court did was right, by protecting the voice of an unpopular minority.

Reasons why the Supreme Court made such a decision:
- The protests were on public property and concerned public issues.
- The protest was peaceful.
- The protesters followed the rules.
Detailed explanations for these reasons are mentioned in the article.

Miami Education Reform Event

"Obama to join Jeb Bush at Miami education event," by Perry Bacon Jr. March 1, 2011.

Obama heads over to Florida with Jeb Bush, George W. Bush's brother, at an event at Miami Central Senior High School for a push of the "No Child Left Behind" law. Obama and Jeb are promoting some education policy ideas such as charter schools.

Transparent Tent?

"See-through bubble tents provide incredible views," by Lori Bongiorno. February 25, 2011.

They're fun to look at, but wait until you see the price. These BubbleTree tents, which are currently available in Europe only, range from $9,000 to $17,000 depending on the type of model and what fashionable extras you choose. The transparent spherical tents come with furniture, and to get them into its globular form, you need an electric air pump. Although they're rather entertaining to look at, there's one important feature that it lacks: privacy. No one wants to be seen changing into a new set of clothes in this tent.

TLA Earns the Razzies

"`Last Airbender' rules Razzies as worst picture," Associated Press. February 27, 2011.

"The Last Airbender," produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, received five Razzies awards, some of them being worst director and worst film. The movie managed to attract a decent amount of movie-goers, bringing a whopping $300 million world wide at the box office, with the help of the additional, "enhancing entertainment" of 3D of course. As a die-hard "Avatar: The Last Airbender" fan of this amazing cartoon, I was sorely disappointed with the movie. The acting and the direction of the movie was just too horrible for me to watch, I had to wash my eyes twice to alleviate the pain. Seriously.

All 2,000 Providence Teachers Told They Could be Fired

"All 2,000 Providence teachers told they could be fired," by Liz Goodwin. February 24, 2011.

Thousands of teachers in Providence, Rhode Island are given a warning whether they'll face a layoff or not. The purpose of this is to close the budget deficit. Central Falls High School, one of the worst performing schools in the state, refused an education reform that included after-school tutoring, longer school days, and an evalution system by the union, claiming that poverty was the cause of the low performances rather than their efforts.

Erosion of a Massive Iceberg

"Massive iceberg shears off after N. Zealand quake," by unknown. February 22, 2011.

After the 6.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in New Zealand, a 30-40 million ton iceberg drifted off into free waters, creating waves three feet high and eventually hitting a lake. It was unclear whether or not the earthquake caused the iceberg to shear off, but it has been said that it would've eroded anyway in due time.

State, District Education Jobs are Slashed

"State, district education jobs are slashed," by Jim Bergamo. February 22, 2011.

Because of the low budgets that Texas currently has right now, many jobs involved in education are being cut. The Education Agency is doing everything they can in their power to stabilize the issue. On Monday, thousands of positions are on the verge of being cut off, saving millions of dollars.

2050

"Planet could be 'unrecognizable' by 2050, experts say," by unknown. February 20, 2011.

Earth's global population is near peaking at a whopping 7 billion, and scientists say that we'll soon reach 9 billion by 2050 because of certain mass populations competing for scarce resources, specifically speaking Africa and South Asia. The outcomes of this may be resource depletion and higher financial incomes. Scientists suggest finding ways to make production maintained and stable.

Mosque Controversy Class Discussion Reflection

I felt more comfortable this time having this discussion regarding the mosque controversy because it was more of an easier topic, and I did a little bit of outside research. Unfortunately, I didn't get to say all the things I wanted to say. I was afraid of saying something that would abruptively ruin the flow of the conversation. When there are moments of silence during the conversation, that's when I'll comfortably bring up a question or an interesting piece of information to share with the class. There were a lot of interesting questions and points shared across the discussion, and I'm looking forward to our next class discussion.

Who Will be the New Egyptian President?

"Ruling Egypt After Mubarak: Presidential Contenders Emerge," by Abigail Hauslohner. February 12, 2011.

On Friday, February 11, 2011, President Mubarak stepped down from office, and a joyous cry by the people of Egypt sifted through the skies. Potential candidates for presidency include Amr Moussa, Mohamed ElBaradei, Ayman Nour, Mahmoued al-Khudairy, Zakaria Abdel Aziz, and Ahmed Zuweil. It has been said that it will take about six months to a year to organize a presidential election.

The Impact of Social Media

"Social media plays role in Egypt some expected in Iran," by Michael Calderone. February 11, 2011.

If one wants to know which country in the Middle East will erupt next, Facebook is the one to ask. Many of the Egyptian protestors have been using Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to share the view of the violent protests.

SOTU Project

                                 [Click on the image for a larger view]

Here are the words that I thought of while watching the SOTU Address.

In no particular order:

1. Fight: Rather than letting the bad things happen while we sit by the sidelines, it is best that we battle adversity and make room for good things. For all of the challenges President Obama presented in his speech, we must, indeed, fight them.

2. Belief: It is important to stand up and fight for what you believe in, even if it creates division among friends and families.

3. Together: Sometimes it’s not enough that something should be done by one person alone. There’s strength in numbers, and that will, therefore, reach our goals and solutions faster.

4. Cooperation: In order for us to improve our nation, we need to assist each other in every step of the way. Any time spent on arguing or fighting will only set our goals farther apart from us.

5. Us: It’s all about us, what we want to do for our nation. Everything that we do in this great country, we do with pride, honor, determination, and perseverance in combat with the challenges and tragedies we face.

6. Challenges: President Obama often said that we’ll be facing challenges as we move forward in the beginning of the speech. As American citizens, we refuse to let the challenges triumph over us, and we intend to do whatever it takes to conquer over them.

7. Forward: We can’t always dwell in the past and focus on the mistakes we’ve made. It’s a matter of learning from them, so that we may face what’s ahead of us and create progress.

8. People: Throughout most of the speech, President Obama spoke to all of us about what we can do as a nation. It is us, the people, that make America a powerful, united country.

9. Innovation: With the rapidly, advancing technology nowadays, it is time that something new is brought to the table, and I believe our nation can just do as better as the other countries around the world. As long as we can put our minds, hearts, and efforts into it, we can surely achieve it.

10. Work: We can’t get anywhere if we just laze around, and we can’t expect others to do the job for us. What comes after hard work is a worthwhile reward, which should serve as a motivation for all of us.

11. Jobs: A very important issue at hand is jobs, and all of us are struggling to find or keep jobs. I’m looking forward to how President Obama will address this problem.

12. Progress: Our country is always in a progression because of the hard-working, intelligent, diligent people who live in the United States. It’s just like what Obama said: progress is measured by people’s successes.

13. Economy: The state of the economy is better than what it was before, but we’re not quite where we ought to be. I’m hoping that the steps the government will take will lead our economy to the right path.

14. Success: We should always strive for success, and never give into unproductiveness. Otherwise, the United States would be a dump.

15. Life: Because we live in an awesome nation, our lives have been made easy, especially for us kids and teens.

16. Opportunities: Fortunately for us, we live in a land of opportunity, and it’s these opportunities that will lead us to new ideas, inventions, and change. However, we must be careful in identifying what is a golden opportunity and what is a false opportunity, for the golden opportunity presents a diamond while a false one presents a coal.

17. Frustrations: There will be times where we’ll come face to face with trials and tribulations, and become frustrated about it. While this may happen to us, this shouldn’t prompt us to trade our nation for another in effort to escape adversity.

18. Change: Ever since our world experienced a painful change, frustrations has come into place of people’s lives. Change can be a scary thing, and some are irreversible, but we should at least try to make the best out of it and not get frustrated.

19. Technology: With the rapid, advancing technology, the media plays a huge role in our lives, keeping us up-to-date with the latest news. Technology has come a long way, and it’s still developing each and every day.

20. Education: President Obama said “nearly half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a high school education.” What I don’t understand is why they’re cutting back on education, and our nation is ranking behind so many other countries.

21. Choices: Our choices determine our future and they define who we are. In the current situation that our country is in, we can’t afford to make the wrong choices.

22. Prosperous: I’m proud to say that our country is, indeed, the most prosperous country in the world.

23. Ideas: It’s our ideas that get us out of the dark pits. Some of us are afraid to present our thoughts, leading us to back down from the podium, but who knows what we have could be useful and inspiring to others?

24. Real: We sometimes run away from our problems in hopes of getting rid of them forever, but we must come to realize that everything happening around us is real. As much as we’d like to have escapism, some of us need to suck up and take responsible action.

25. Future: The future is something we’re all concerned about, whether it’s for yourself, your family, your friends, or your country. The choices that we make, as I’ve learned from life, determine our future, so it’s especially important that our president and the government make the right choices for America.

26. Generativity: If we want to make progress, we shouldn’t carry the weight of stagnation. Rather than watching others doing their part in achieving what needs to be achieved, we should actively partake in the events that will lead our country to success.

27. Sacrifice: The current economy has affected me in a couple of ways. I had to suppress my wants and needs in order to make finances work for my family, and hope that our government will be able to fix the economy sometime soon.

28. Struggle: Greil Marcus said that the greatest American struggle is the struggle to set oneself free from the limits one is born to, and to learn something from the value of those limits. Once we come to understand the struggles we had to go through to get to where we want, we will become amazed of the challenges we’ve triumphed over. Struggle is needed for progress.

29. Plan: Before the United States begins to make positive changes, there must be a blueprint to guide us through the steps needed to obtain the goals. The U.S. citizens deserve to be well-informed of the government’s plans, so that we can agree or disagree on the process of it all.

30. How: This is the one question we should all ask ourselves in every time of situation: how. How will Obama make the changes we want for our country? How will the government execute its plans? The “how” question serves as an initiation; to get things done from start to finish.

31. Possible: Rather thinking of the impossible, we should always think of the possible, as long as it’s realistic. This is a certain characteristic that the president, the government, the army, teachers, and scientists should especially have.

32. Sputnik: President Obama said that we have reached our Sputnik moment, but I’m not talking in the sense of scientific research and the Space Race. It is now our time for us to shine and take the advantages to bring our nation to the highest level that has not yet been attained.

33. Reinvented: There’s a certain point where we must come to realize that the use of ourselves is not contributing to the progress of our nation. The Allen brothers, as mentioned in Obama’s speech, reinvented themselves by the use of a government loan and their factory after being hit hard by the recession. Part of their factory used to be empty, but it is now being used to manufacture solar shingles, which are being sold across the country.

34. Oil: The price of oil is affecting most drivers and the economy. I like the proposed idea by Obama of having to cut taxpayers’ money that is put on oil companies to be transferred in the innovative scientific research for better fuel efficiencies for cars.

35. Electricity: According to Obama and his little scientific research, there will be millions of electric vehicles by the year 2015. I wonder how these vehicles will be distributed.

36. Performance: The time and effort put into school determines our performance. Because some schools are lagging behind their expectations, we’re not ranking at number one in the world.

37. Difference: Obama said that if one wants to make a difference in their country, he or she should become a teacher. I agree with this because, without teachers, how will we be able to do math or read and write? These are essential skills needed for long term careers and life in general.

38. Competition: It’s everywhere. You see in schools, sports, jobs, etc. for one main purpose: a paycheck. I’m interested in seeing how the program “Race to the Top,” as mentioned in the speech, will make an impact on education.

39. Inspiring: I simply enjoyed Obama’s method of delivery. His speech possessed several key, clever points.

40. Immigration: Although many people seem to be against illegal immigration, Obama makes a good point by saying that many foreign students come to our schools to get the best education, and then move back to their home countries to compete with us. Smart immigration is what we should allow in our country.

41. Rebuild: Whenever the most unfortunate events happen to us, we need to step up and make serious changes to our American culture. It was, indeed, a terrible and traumatic event when terrorism stepped into New York in 2001, but that shouldn’t shake us and prevent us from rebuilding the American spirit.

42. Network: We have a large and widely distributed group of people or things such as stores, colleges, or churches that communicate with one another and work together as a unit or system. We all work together to keep our country running with efficiency.

43. Health: Health is one of the important priorities of a person. The majority of the U.S. disapproves of the healthcare reform bill, and they hope that President Obama and the government will do their best to make a bill that will benefit the majority.

44. Debt: Being inundated with debt is everyone’s fear. I’m looking forward to seeing how our government will reduce the amount of debt people have.

45. Information: We need good information so that we may make good choices for our country. We shall hope that it will positively affect the choices that our government will make for our future.

46. Try: We can’t let the idea of impossibility take anchorage of our minds. One must at least take the effort to try, so that the resulting factor may be seen.

47. Help: By nature, humans can be a bit stubborn, only wanting to do things themselves. We need to face the real fact that everyone needs help, and by helping each other we can reach our goals.

48. Journey: After hearing the plan President Obama mentioned in his speech, it sounded like America has a long journey ahead of her. Let’s hope that what we find in the end is something rewarding and worthwhile.

49. Hope: Obama’s speech was rather inspirational. His method of delivery seemed like it gave hope to the American citizens.

50. Listen: It’s pointless to talk over one another because we wouldn’t be able to clearly understand what others are saying. That’s why it’s important that we stay silent and give our undivided attention to President Obama’s speech.

51. Blessed: I am simply blessed that I live in the greatest country in the world.
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Mr. Palo, I forgot to turn in some of my other work. I scanned them, wondering if maybe you can grade them from here. I hope it's not too late. Click on the images for a larger view.

Still in Office?!

"Egypt's Mubarak stays in post, hands powers to VP," by Hamza Hendawi and Sarah el Deeb. February 10, 2011.

Just when everyone thought that Mubarak would step down from office tonight, it seems like he will still be staying in office as vice president. Omar Suleiman, after Mubarak's speech, tells protestors to go home and think well about the future of Egypt. Many of the protestors had tears streaming down their eyes and were very angry at the ridiculous decision of Mubarak. Protestors are still camping to promote an even bigger riot.

A Money Maker or a Good Indicator of Undergraduate Performance for Colleges?

"SAT Scores Stir the Web," by Claudine Zap. February 10, 2011.

Before the addition of a writing section in 2005, the highest score a student can get on the SAT is a 1600. With the new writing section, this heavily affects the scores of students, having them to prepare themselves for even more rigorous sections. There's been a lot of buzz whether or not the SAT is a good indicator of how well an incoming freshman would do in college. In my AP Statistics class, I remember having a conversation about this, and my teacher said that there isn't a strong association between SAT scores and GPA. To be honest, I think that taking the SAT truly shows how smart the student is. GPA simply means that the student studies a lot and turns in all the assignments.

She Speaks!

"Rep. Giffords speaks for first time since shooting," by Amanda Lee Myers and Ramit Plushnik-Masti. February 9, 2011.

"Toast," said Giffords, marking a progress of recovery after weeks of the Tucson tragedy. Although she can only speak one to two words at a time, this gives a sense of relief to friends and families that Giffords is making a positive recovery.

Tiny Darth Vader

I just thought this was adorably cute!

It's Not His Time Yet

"Time for Mubarak to go? Why Obama hedges," by Zachary Roth. February 5, 2011.

Most of Egypt wants Mubarak to immediately leave office, and that won't happen until September this year. Obama simply doesn't have the power to make him leave. America has a reputation to hold on the world stage, and by becoming more assertive and unsuccessfully carrying its plans, this would expose the limitations to American's power.

Invisible Man?

"The man who isn’t there," by Mike Krumboltz. February 4, 2011.



It's amazing how art has expanded its elcectic, aesthetic assortment. Liu Bolin doesn't use technology to make these special effects in his art. He actually paints all over his body and positions himself in the picture in the most intricate way.

Even Journalists Aren't Safe

"Journalists get attacked, arrested in Egypt," by Michael Calderone. February 3, 2011.



As shown above, CNN's Andrew Cooper and his crew were attacked by protestors on Wednesday. There has been many reports of journalists being detained from Mubarak's police force. It's unclear why they're being detained, but it may be for the sake of protection from pro-Mubarak protestors.

How outcome in Egypt could affect the United States

"How outcome in Egypt could affect the United States," by Steve Clemons. February 2, 2011.

With the violent protests and the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, many are wondering what will become of the United States. Because of the vicious uprisings in Egypt, oil prices are increasing, which can bring a negative impact on the U.S. economy. The U.S. is largely reliant on Egypt, and anything that would tear the relationship between the U.S. and Egypt would lose us military assistance and supplies in the Middle East, freedom of navigation, the peace establishment between the Arab countries and Israel, and other huge issues.

Healthcare Discussion Reflection

The discussion we had on Friday was fun and challenging at the same time. I'm usually the type of student who would strive for an A on a test, but this particular test was a bit nerve-wracking, which prompted me to hold back on what I wanted to say. It was the very first time that I participated in such a huge discussion group, and with the topic being Healthcare, there were a lot of points and arguments to get across, many of what we've seen in our class. As more and more of these clever arguments and points were discussed, the less I had to say something. I was simply unprepared because I didn't do an extensive amount of outside research, and I truly wish I had done it. While I was filled with a bit of trepidation from our class discussion, I refuse to let my nerves get the best of me. I shall do my best for our next class discussion on the Mosque controversy.

Thousands Protesting in Egypt

"Mubarak names deputy as protesters defy curfew," by Edmund Blair and Dina Zayed. January 29, 2011.

There was an uprising in Egypt when President Hosni Mubarak picked Omar Suleiman as vice president, ending the 30-year vacancy of that position. Some protestors disapproved of this decision because of the ensured power in military and security institutions. Other protestors were complaintively furious over the poverty, corruption, unemployment, and lack of democracy under Mubarak's presidency. President Obama urges President Omar to resolve the issue through reformation.

Blindness and Hypocrisy over Obamacare

"Obama Admin Lobbies Faith Leaders for Pro-Abortion Obamacare," by Steve Ertelt. January 27, 2011.

Many Catholics and Christians consider abortion as murder, but apparently religious leaders like Rev. Joel Hunter of Northland Church in Florida and Rev. Linda Hanna Walling of Faithful Reform will be joining in the support for Obamacare. It was heard that President Obama would remove the abortion issue, but many pro-life members have said that it would not extenuate abortion funding, as it could possibly be reversed in the healthcare bill.