Adultism

Being a kid I have been underestimated many times, and not usually expected to perform better than adults. Like many times in arguments with my parents it doesn’t matter how much logical sense my argument makes, they always win because they “are the adults and I am the Child”. I love talking with adults at parties because they never expect for me to be able to talk maturely about things, but I always have them surprised at the end of the night.

We were in Palm Springs with our good friends from Chicago that have a house there. We stayed there for a week and one night we went to a party for one of the neighbors birthday. It was a party devoid of children so I hovered around my parents until I was enticed by one of my dad’s conversations. He was talking to and older man who had the air of success around him. He asked my some questioned in a condescending tone which I answered in my most serious voice. He was impressed and I learned that he was the retired head lawyer of AT&T that was with the company from the beginning. We talked for the rest of the party and I knew I made an impression. I think that after that night he lost his prejudices that all kids were stupid and he will treat kids with the respect they deserve.

9/11 Blog

September 11, 2001 I was sitting in my Kindergarden grade class room without a care in the world. A menial Kindergarden assignment preoccupied me and the rest of my classmates. All that changed when Ms. Abrams, our guidance councilor, nervously walked over to talk to our teacher. This was the 1st sign that something was wrong, Ms. Abrams rarely visits the class room unless someone was in serious trouble. Shortly after Ms. Abrams' arrival a T.V. set was wheeled into the class room which all the kids quickly gathered around. When the T.V. was turned on we saw the horrifying events unfold over and over which drew gasps from our teachers. That is all I remember of what happened to me on that fateful day.

The attack on the World Trade Center was the spark that set off the fuse, it was the event that triggered a full scale War on Terror. Also ever since the attack airport security has been heightened in almost every country in hopes of preventing anymore attacks form happening. We have been at war in Iraq and Afghanistan for almost 10 years, and we have been trying to find terrorist leaders LIke Osama Bin Laden. Although he has eluded us, we have killed evil dictators like Saddam Hussein. The war is very controversial but it has effectively stopped terrorists from acting on USA soil.

Water Crisis

Millions if not billions of people do not have access to clean drinking water and are forced to drink contaminated water. In California it is estimated that if a different source of water is not found by 2020 there will be a shortage of water that is equivalent to the amount they consume now. Also there is some concern that the Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035. The Himalayan glaciers are the source of Asia's biggest rivers, the Ganges, Indus, Yellow, and others. Even cities in the USA, like Atlanta, are facing water crisis.
One of the ways that people are using to get more drinking water is called desalination. Desalination is the process of taking water (like sea water) and removing salt and other minerals from the water to make it drinkable. This method is good for countries that are next to the sea, but don't have any fresh drinking water. Israel is a leader in the field of water desalination. The Hadera seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in Israel is the biggest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in the entire world. Israel has 3 desalination facilities in operation right now and 2 more on the way.

One way we can help stop conflicts over water is to use methods like desalination to make

more drinking available to more people. In the Middle East lives 5% of the world's population,

but they only have 1% of the world's fresh water. Israel and other countries are thinking of ways

to solve this problem. As mentioned earlier, one way the create more available drinking water is

desalination.

There are many simple ways we as a class can conserve water. We could all bring water

bottles to school instead of drinking water from the fountain, because that wastes water. If you do

drink from the fountain though, make sure to let go of the button when taking breathes in

between drinking the water. Also turning off faucets when you see that it isn't fully turned off, and

also to tell maintenance if you see a leaking faucet, that can save 3000 gallons of water a year.

world today

Iran Nuclear Facilities

Will and Michael

Iran invites several countries from the European Union to see their nuclear facilities, although America, Israel and France were not invited to this. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast claims that the nuclear material is for power and not for bombs. The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran freeze uranium enrichment, something that can produce both fuel and material for making warheads. But Iranian negotiators ruled out discussing such demands. Iran invites Russia, China, Egypt, part of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency and Cuba. Russia and especially China still maintain commercial ties with Iran.

"It's a clever ploy, but it's not a substitute for Iran's responsibilities to the (International Atomic Energy Agency) IAEA," Mr. Crowley the U.S State Department spokesman told the New York Times. The facility’s are already subject to inspections by the IAEA. But Iran has invited diplomats, not nuclear scientists or weapons experts. The diplomats are most likely not to be able to answer if Iran is trying to building nuclear weapons.

Iran said that they hope to start the construction of new enrichment facilities around March 2011. All they would have to do to make weapons grade uranium is to just keep enriching the fuel grade uranium.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12109917)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/world/middleeast/05tehran.html?ref=iran

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2040654,00.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110104/ap_on_re_us/iran_nuclear

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110104/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear

Iran has continued to disregard orders by the United Nations to stop their nuclear program. Many people believe Iran wants to create nuclear weapons with the Uranium, but the insist that it is only for peaceful purposes. Being allies with China, Russia, and North Korea makes them a country that is not easy to mess with; also they have many allies in the Middle East. The have the ability to arm themselves with long-range missiles that can allow them to hit target such as Jerusalem and maybe in the future European and State-side targets.

America and Israel are some of the biggest non-supporters of the Iranian nuclear program, and were not invited to the meeting. People are skeptical of this, as a sign that something bad might be going on there that America might not approve of. Without question Iran’s nuclear program is very very controversial.

Maus

1: What were the 5 animals in Maus and what did they Represent?

Cat: Nazi Mouse: Jew Dog: American Pig:Polish Frog: French
2:Why are cats Nazis and Jews mice?
Because cats chase and kill mice.
3: What are 2 Death/ Concentration camps in Maus?

Auschwitz, Dachau
4: Who was Anja?

Vladek's wife and Art's mother.

5: why are the Americans dogs?
Because dogs chase and fight cats.
6: Why is this book important?
because you need to know history so it doesn't repeat itself.

7: When ovens were talked about in the book what did they refer to?

Crematoriums the death camps.

8: How were Jews killed at Auschwitz?

Poisonous gas.

9: Name to jobs that Vladek did at the concentration camps.
Tin smith and shoe fixer.

10: What country save Anja and what country saved Vladek?
Russia and America

The value of hard work is very well portrayed in this book. Vladek, the main character, is an incredibly hard worker. One of the ways he survives the camps is he has a lot of knowledge about many different things. He is able to be useful to the Nazis by knowing how to do many things and working very hard at them. He is able to do any task they require of him, and is treated better because of it.

One of the main themes of the book Maus is how important love is, especially in hard times.  In the book it talks about how when Anja is in Auschwitz-Birkenau she is depressed and in a letter she wrote him said, “I would run into the electric fence if I didn't want to live for you.” Love is a powerful force that can make people live in situations that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to live in.  Another time the book shows the power of love is when Vladek goes on even less food that he already has so he can save up enough to bribe the gaurds into moving his wife, Anja, to closer barrack so that he can see her.

Oppression is shown very well in this book. It shows this very well in one scene in particular. Vladek is walking down the street, and some Polish kids are playing. They see that he is Jewish and immediately start teasing him and calling him names. This shows how oppression isn’t only from adults, but it is continued by the parents teaching the kids to hate and be mean to people different than them.

Bolton: Military strike only way to stop Iran nukes
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER

11/30/2010 21:59

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=197422

John Bolton, the ex ambassador to the UN under the Bush administration, is considering running as the GOP presidential candidate. He interviewed with the JP because he is very pro Israel. He believes that military action will probably be necessary in order to stop Iran from attaining Nuclear Weapons, and also disagrees with the 2 state solution. He believes in a 3 state solution, in which Jordan gets the West Bank and Egypt get the Gaza strip. He doesn't believe any of the Palestinian leaders could create a strong and lasting peace.

Cabinet okays NIS 2.2b. to reduce greenhouse gases
By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
11/29/2010 03:40

http://www.jpost.com/Sci-Tech/Article.aspx?id=197143

The Israeli Cabinet approved a NIS (National Israeli Shekel) 2.2 billion  over the next 10 years to reduce green house gas emissions. The plan is all about energy efficiency. This year, the month of November was the driest November in the history of the state. Prime Minister Netanyahu is very concerned about the environment. 

News Bowl

Former Iranian fighter pilot: 'Ahmadinejad incites war'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
11/16/2010 21:53
Lieutenant Bahazad Masawi, a defected Iranian air force pilot who is hiding in Paris, talks about how he believes that the people of Iran don’t hate the Israeli people. He thinks that it is just the Dictator, Ahmadinejad that is the world’s biggest supporter of terrorism, and also a huge threat to both Israel and the world. IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi is visiting America and Canada to talk about imposing higher energy and bank sanctions on Iran in hope of stopping their uranium enrichment program. He is also going to talk to America about their decision to sell 84 F-15 fighter jets and JDAM smart bombs to Saudi Arabia, Ashkenazi is primarily concerned with America selling Saudi Arabia the JDAM smart bombs.

Israeli high tech adjusts to Asian challenge
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
11/16/2010 19:35
For being a country of only 7.6 million Israel has been very impressive in the field of technology. It has the most technology-focused Nasdaq companies besides North America, and has been a hot spot for scientific innovation. But now people are worried that Asian giants like China and India will start to compete with Israel because each of those countries’ populations surpass 1 billion people. “At some point, quantity becomes quality," says Zeev Holtzman, chairman of Giza Venture Capital in Tel Aviv. Israel is expected to make 500 million this year from the Technology market, double last year, and is still a big player in the technology market.

Unwind

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, is a novel intent on showing the value of life. Based after a fictional war called the Heartland War, a war fought over abortion rights in the United States, the three warring parties agree to something called the "Bill of Life". The Bill of Life legalizes unwinding, which is a process of harvesting all of a child's parts and giving them to people who need them. The compromise is that the child doesn't die they live in a "divided state". If a child is considered to be a bad or useless child by his or her parents, the parents can sign an "unwinding order" which is a irreversible order to allow your child to be unwound.

The story follows three main characters, Connor, Risa, and Lev. Connor is a 16 year old boy living in Ohio. He has a girl friend, a brother, and a pretty normal life, accept for the fact that his parents are having him unwound. As he is en route to the unwinding facility called a harvesting camp he escapes and ends up rescuing two other would-be unwinds in the aftermath. He Saves Lev, a 13 year old boy who has been brainwashed his entire life into wanting to be unwound. Connor also saves Risa, a piano prodigy and a very smart girl. Lev was a burden on the two want-to-be escapees as he drags his feet and tries to get them caught. The changing point for Lev is when he calls his childhood mentor and religious leader, Pastor Dan. He tells Pastor Dan that he has been kidnapped and that he wants to be rescued, but Pastor Dan tells him to keep running so that Lev can grow up and do something with his life.

  The best scene in the book, in my opinion, is the scene in which one of the minor characters, Roland, is unwound. It is very detailed and also very dark as you watch in your mind's eye the doctors take him away piece by piece, and how the doctors talk about stuff like football as they operate on the kid. Another interesting element to the book is when Lev meets a kid named Cy, a kid with part of an unwind's brain. The unwind whose brain Cy has was probably unwound because he had a love of stealing. the part of Cy's brain from the unwind sometimes takes over and make Cy do things he wouldn't usually do. One of the best emotional parts in the book is when a character named the Admiral gathers all of the people who received parts of his unwound son and got the to remember what it was like to be his son. The usually stoic Admiral bursts into tears as he says good bye to his son for the last time.   

  This book talks a lot about about some of the social issues we talked about last year, like abortion rights. This book appears to be against abortion. It shows how each of the characters is important and has the will to live. It shows how it is wrong to take the life of a living thing. How Lev is a very smart and kind boy who would live a successful life, but almost had his life taken away from him. We talked a little bit about that last year, and we were mostly pro choice, and this book shows the other side very artfully.

  This is one of the best books I have read this year and reminds me a lot of the book/movie, The Island. The characters are well developed and you never want to put the book down. I think is book should definitely be a reading bowl book next year. I would have never read this book unless it was a reading bowl book and I am very happy I got to read it.

MI chief: Iran and Russia giving Syria advanced weapons
By JPOST.COM STAFF
11/02/2010 16:40                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            General Amos Yadlin, head of Israeli Military Intelligence, made his final address to the FADC (Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee). He warned about Syria getting high tech weapon systems from Russia and Iran. He also warned that Hizbullah was next in line for the high tech weapons, because Syria is still in good relations with them.

This article is important because Syria is a dangerous country, that is trying to make peace with Israel, but also supporting terrorist groups. A powerful high tech Syria is dangerous for countries in the region. 

Parent Conference!

Hopefully for this years parent/teacher conference my teachers won't have anything to bad to say about me. I think when the conference occurs my teacher will talk about how I've done in our class's current event quiz bowl, which is undefeated, about my short story I am writing for writing class, or just maybe about writing class in general. A subject that might come up in conversation could be about me and my role as head of the Cleaning Committee, and how I have tried to the best of my ability to get people to clean, and maintain a clean classroom. I hope Martha and Greg, my teachers, will talk about how I have participated in class, and how I'm not as talkative with my friends as last year. At the conference, Martha and Greg can talk about anything about that happened over the course of this year, because I'm confident that I have been a good student and that I haven't done anything that is to bad. The year I'm confident that any report from my teachers will not be one that will get me in any trouble with my parents and hope that my confidence is not misplaced. I have tried to be a good student this year so that I will be ready for high school next year.

Pontis tops Technology Fast 50 list
By SHARON WROBEL
10/19/2010 07:01
Israel’s fastest-growing technology companies grew average 740% in five years. 

Even in this time of economic hardship Israel is still doing well in terms of hightec companies. On averaged the Technology Fast 50 List (Israel's 50 fastest growing technology companies) grew on average 740%. But some companies grew even faster with Tufin Technologies Inc., #2 on the Technology Fast 50 List, clocking in at 5,359% in the past four years. Kontera Technologies Inc., No. 3, grew 3,689% over the past five years.

US, Israel: Iran among 'greatest challenges' to stability
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
10/19/2010 12:13
Joint statement: Iran's continued noncompliance with int'l atomic obligations, continued support for terrorist entities, of grave concern.

In a joint statement the US and Israel said that Iran is the biggest roadblock to stability in the Middle East and that they are still against Iran developing nuclear capabilities (for weapons). Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon did not talk about the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestine, but both did confirm that Israel and USA are still in favor of them. 

Jerusalem Post Article

"Abbas Demands New Settlement Freeze before Talks Continue." Jpost.com. Jerusalme Post, 7 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. .Israel and the PA have run into yet another road block in the peace talks. Palastinian Athority Presidant Mahmoud Abbas said that he would not continue peace talks with Israel unless they freeze settlement building. The U.S.A. have preposed a two month settlement freeze so that Israel and the PA could come to the table together.Yasser Abed-Rabo, a chief PLO official, said that he would not talk to Israel if Prime Minester Binyamin Netenyahu continues his current policies.

Twist

Twist is a Americanized version of Charles Dicken's novel Oliver Twist. The main character in the play Twist is a mixed racial orphan in Prohibition era New Orleans. Much like an archetype orphan, who needs a family and will do anything for love, he is also a "mulatto" who cannot identify with a racial group, an therefore is not accepted by either. This non-acceptance is shown in a key line. In the orphanage he is being teased by a group of kids when one says, "I have White Pride, and he has Black Pride, what do you have? No pride."

  Lucius is the antagonist of the story, and is also the wealthy uncle of Twist. Revealed early in the story, and was made easy to forget, was the scene of the KKK lynching Roosevelt King. Lucius is the brother of Roosevelt's girlfriend. He was also one of four KKK members that killed Roosevelt King. This might strike you as portraying Lucius as a racist, but i disagree. When every one is calling Twist names for being mixed racial, he is merely calling him his nephew. He is purely a money driven person who will do evil to anyone as long as money is his reward.

      As amazing as the play was, I thought that the play did not use it's cast to it's full potential. More difficult and eye pleasing dances would have been a welcome sight in the mostly vocal production. Other than that and a few rounding out of rough edges, this play is very close to being ready for broad way!

Ghana

I have decided to send the kids in Ghana a small Green Bay Packers symbol. Football is a big part of American culture so I decided to send them the symbol of my favorite team. In class we talked about what is American culture, so I picked this symbol for that reason. Me and my dad love to watch the Packer game every Sunday and although they can't watch the game, I hope they enjoy it.

5 weeks, 8th grade

8th grade is very similar to 7th, except we have more homework, and we don't have some of the great teachers like Che or Eddy this year. So far 8th grade is much like what I expected it to be, but it is to early to tell whether I will have as good of a year I had last year.

Although I miss many of my really close friends that either left the school or graduated to high school, I still have many friends in both 8th and 7th grade and I look forward to meeting new ones.

I look forward to getting to know some of our classmate, especially some of our new sevvies. I lead by example, and by trying to talk more in class and get involved in the class discussions more often I would like to show the sevvies that talking in class is a very important thing to do.

I would like to learn to become a better studier for high school because studying is a very important skill for high school and I and not the best at it. I'd also like to become more organized so that I don't lose as many things and I forget to do less assignments. I think it is very important to prepare for high school this year, but also very important to make the 7th graders feel welcome to junior high, and also ready for the differences and challenges in their 7th and 8th grade years.

CIH

This year our class is working with CIH (Children Inspiring Hope). The program will connect a North American kid and my class with another class of kids in the same grade as us in Ghana. Through mail and projects we will connect with the class and develop a friendship with the kids from Ghana. We will be creating peace through friendship, which is a very good way of creating peace. I create peace through information. The more you know the less room there is for racial stereo-types and prejudice of other people because you know the truth. To me peace is the lack of serious negative conflict, a peaceful world, to me, is not a world without any conflict at all. It is a world in which there is equality, not complete equality, but equal opportunities for people in the same situation, even if they have a different heritage. As the project we will send to our new Ghanaian friends I think we should send the speeches we wrote for elections minus all the election parts so they know a personal story about us and we have made it safe for a strong, open, and trusting friendship between us.

Hello

Hello!!
My name is Pill Boy. This is the blog for my 8th grade year in the class MAGR. I will be posting for a lot of our classes. If you follow this blog you will have a lot of fun reading my posts and playing/ feeding the fish on my blog!