Reading blog 1/18/09

On BBC News online, I was reading an article about the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) called Not The End Of The World by BBC News online editor Dr David Whitehouse. Many scientists are having fears of the effects of what the RHIC can do, one major concern is it causing something not seen since the Big-Bang. The effect most are worried about is the RHIC causing a black hole that could devour the earth in less than 72 hours. Dr David explains the process as "the RHIC takes atoms of gold and swings them around two 3.8 kilometre (2.4 mile) circular tubes where powerful magnets accelerate them to almost the speed of light. When they collide, they do so in minute collisions that are 10,000 times hotter than the Sun." Even though the fears seem to be real, many say that they are too far-fetched. Physicist experts have been asked to produce a single comprehensive report on the safety of each of the speculative disaster scenarios, or things that could possibly go wrong. That list will be posted on BBC's website within the next couple of months before they fire of the RHIC to decide what they will do with it. Hopefully, everything will work out fine.

Reading blog 1/13/09

Recently, I read an article in the last Zephrus newspaper It's the end of the world as we know it by Anna Waldo. In this article she explains how the world is supposed to end on December 21, 2012! You must be thinking is that really possible? And it may be so according to the Mayans and their calendar systems of the solar systems that is supposed to predict new things suck as a new age. That new age happens every 26,000 years and that one is december 21! 

Reading blog 1/11/09

Recently I read a poem on the New Yorker online called Summer at Blue Creek by Jack Gilbert. It describes his summer as a young child in North Carolina where he grew up and how he did. In a way I think it to be a poem of how things in his life have changed so much since his summers in Blue Creek that only now when he has time to stop and reflect upon his life does he realize what a different person he truly is. Here the poem is: 

There was no water at my grandfather's 

when I was a kid and would go for it

with two zinc buckets. Down the path,

past the cow by the foundation where

the fine people's house was before

they arranged to have it burned down.

To the neighbor's cool well. Would

come back with pails too heavy,

so y mouth pulled out of shape.

I see myself, but from the outside.

I keep trying to feel who I was,

and cannot. Hear clearly the sound

the bucket made hitting the sides

of the stone well going down,

but never the sounds of me. 

Reading blog 1/7/09

Here are some random facts I found will looking around on the internet, I borrowed Kelly Langevin's idea of posting random facts, but I promise just this one time there are so many good one's!

1. It is impossible to lick your elbow.

2. The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska.

3. The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

4. The cost of raising a medium size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400

5. The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sayer

6. On average, a child uses up to 730 crayons by their 10th birthday

7. You consume 1/10th of a calorie every time you lick a postage stamp

8. A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100mph!

9. Coca-Cola would be green if colouring wasn't added to it

10. Hummingbird's are the only animal that can fly backwards.

I got these from the following websites: 

http://www.purpleslinky.com/Trivia/Random/30-Random-Facts.81201

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~bingbin/

Reading blog 1/4/09

An article I recently read NY Driver's Test Ends With Bystander in Hospital, is about a 23 year old lady who lives in New Rochelle NY. On a snowy day the lady (no name was given in the article) taking the drivers test ended up pinning a bystander after losing control of the car on a very snowy road in Westchester County. The police said that as the lady was rounding a corner she lost control/traction of the car and trapped a man clearing snow off his car. Also, the tester George Marshall claims to have tried to use the cars other set of brakes but they didn't work. The 33 year old bystander (again no name was given in article) has been taken to a hospital with leg and shoulder pain, but nothing more than that and some breaks. 

Reading blog 12/31/08

I am currently reading the book River Secrets by Shannon Hale, she is another of my favorite authors because her writing style is so captivating. A couple of things you have to know about the book is that it is in medieval times, Bayern and Tira are the two major cities, the queen and king of Bayern are Geric and Isi, Enna is Isi's best friend, Finn is dating Enna, and Razo is friends with Isi, Talone is captain of Bayern. Anyways, about the book. In River Secrets, a boy named Razo is picked by Talone to be in Bayern's Own army. This is a huge honor because it is made up of the best soldiers in Bayern. After the long war between Bayern and Tira, both sides are willing to make peace so they send embassadors to each City and an army to follow and to stay. Razo accompanies his army to the Port city of Tira on the sea. Customs are very different then they are at home. For example, there is no rich colors in clothes, everything is sweet, and the town is white. The two armies are in each other's city's to prevent another war from happening and to convince the Tiran council not to do anything rash in the meantime. Razo is not what you would call and soldier and everyone else knows that. He is short, slim, quick, sly, but not strong and a good sword fighter like many of the others. Soon Razo realizes that he was chosen by Talone to be a spy of sorts, which at the time is exactly what they needed. Talone sends Razo to try and find out the people who want to start the war again. Another thing about Enna is that she possesses the power of fire, as in she has it in her body and can burn things or set things on fire. This was especially helpful in the war because she set large groups of soldiers on fire, but very dangerous to control. She had to learn to control it so Isi who possesses the power of wind, showed her how to learn wind and Enna did the same to Isi. The Tiran people still believe there is a fire witch with the Bayern and their worries come true when Razo finds three burnt bodies in the city. He suspects Enna but it couldn't be her because Isi sleeps in the same room every night. Who is the mysterious body burner and who wants another war?