Monday, December 14, 2009

State History

PROJECT: THE CIVIL WAR AND ALABAMA
by Alyssa

The most significant war in the history of all of Alabama is the Civil War, in which it fought for both the Confederacy, and the Union.
Tensions had been high already, but it escalated to tipping point for Alabamians when Abraham Lincoln was elected for president. Some politically powerful Alabamians thought Lincoln’s election opened a huge gap that would end slavery and begin a racial war. In Mobile, the people actually thought Lincoln’s being a president was like overthrowing the Constitution for equal rights. They also requested Alabama withdraw from the Union with absolutely no delay.
January 7, 1861, the delegates four days later voted for Alabama’s immediate independence from the Union. Guns’ bullets rang out, and women from Montgomery lifted flags with a single star, proclaiming Alabama’s star had receded from the others and that this star would join with the Confederate states. There were three other states that had joined the Confederacy at this time.
The new president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, arrived February 16. Two days later he took an oath as the president of the Confederacy, and then set on his way to run a nation founded on upholding slavery, as his vice president demanded.

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Pilgrims

Report: The Pilgrims
Subject: History
By: Nicholas
Grade: 97%



First of all, to know the pilgrims; you need to know who they were. When you here the word pilgrim, what do you think of? Would you think of people wearing black with golden buckle shoes, or perhaps people sharing thanksgiving with the Indians? Well, as popular as these are, they are all incorrect.
A Pilgrim is, by definition “Someone who travels a great distance for religious reasons.” As of now you are probably just dying inside waiting to ask me, “Why did they come here?” Well the answer you probably know all to well “Religious freedom.” Answer correct, but it is not sufficient
A good way to answer this would be, they were in England; prosecuted for a mere prayer. They’re way to stop this senseless prosecution? Escape England; but, who would organize all of this?
William Bradford, Was born in 1590 in a small Yorkshire farming community in Austerfield, England. Sadly for Bradford, both of his parents would die during his younger years. Now, I would rather not bore you, nor depress you anymore than I have so lets move on shall we?
The Mayflower is a simple answer that every body is told. They left on a ship called the Mayflower. Setting out for all of there freedoms in a distant land. It has taken them months to plan this. This plan would take months; months of preparation, collecting food, and every drop of clean water they could carry.
In America the pilgrims faced every terrible thing possible. Icy cold winters, starvation, and on top of all, disease. Really the fact that half of the pilgrims went out searching for any riches they could, instead of searching for basic supplies didn’t help at all. The time they wasted on looking for gold instead of food, water, and wood are the reason most of them died. The supplies I listed could have been used for nice warm meals, and more importantly, a nice home. It was the greed of these men that killed the pilgrims. Luckily though, the Indians would come before the next winter.
The Indians played a large role in the survival of the pilgrims. They taught vital skills to help them. Skills like hunting and planting there own food, later the pilgrims and the Indians would share the first thanksgiving together. There thanksgiving was much simpler than the thanksgiving we know today. They’re thanksgiving was peaceful and simple.

Who were the Pilgrims?

Report: Who were the Pilgrims?
Subject: History
By: Alyssa

The Pilgrims were men and women from Europe seeking religious freedom in America.
Although they did in fact make a hard voyage to the New World, they were not Pilgrims. The
word ‘pilgrim’ means someone who travels a great distance to a sacred or holy place for
religious practices. Technically America, the New World, was not a sacred place.

In 1620 the Pilgrims came to America on board the Mayflower. They came to the New World for religious freedom, but they were supposed to be a fishing colony. It was getting hard for the
Pilgrims to send fish back and forth between here and Europe. In time, the Pilgrims found the Indians and began to trade for beaver and otter furs. It was a lot easier to just send the furs to Europe instead of fish.

There were three leaders of the Pilgrims; William Bradford, William Brewster, and John Carver. They left Europe because of religious persecution. They didn’t want to practice their beliefs in secrecy. The Mayflower was the ship in which the Pilgrims came to America on. There is no real record of the build of the Mayflower because there were no paintings or records of it, but it was a three mast ship.

Things were hard in the New World. Disease was abundant, the people were too weak to fight it off. The food and water was lacking because of the people using it up and because Europe was no longer getting what they sent food and water for. They couldn’t really grow food either, because the soils weren’t fertile enough, or nobody was capable of doing it.

For the sick, it was getting worse and worse. The seasons were harsh and the shelters they stayed in were quite drafty. Nobody could make adequate shelters for the sick people. The food was also rapidly diminishing.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Pilgrims, rough draft, Nick

First of all, to know the pilgrims; you need to know who they were. When you here the word pilgrim, what do you think of? Would you think of people wearing black with golden buckle shoes, or perhaps people sharing thanksgiving with the Indians? Well, as popular as these are. (Why did you stop the sentence here? It's an incomplete sentence.)
(You started a new paragraph with the rest of the last paragraph.)

They are all incorrect, a pilgrim is, by definition “Someone who travels a great distance for religious reasons.” (Why so many comas?) (Why are you starting a sentence with and?) And now you are probably just dying inside waiting to ask me(comma should be used before a sentence in parenthesis.) “Why did they come here?” Well the answer you probably know all to well “Religious freedom.” Answer correct, sufficient no not at all sufficient. (This isn't a complete sentence. It makes no sense at all.)

A good way to answer this would be. (Why is there a period when it isn't even a complete sentence?) They were in England; prosecuted for a mere prayer. There (<-- spelled wrong) way to stop this senseless prosecution? Escape England; but, who would organize all of this?

William Bradford. William Bradford (Why is this name here twice? A name is not a sentence. After proper names I believe you are supposed to have a comma, right?) was born in 1590 in a small Yorkshire farming community in Austerfield, England. Sadly for Bradford, both of his parents would die during his younger years. Now, I would rather not bore you, nor depress you anymore than I have so lets move on shall we?

You had to ask eh? Fine ill (ill or I'll?) tell you how they got here. Simple answer “the mayflower.” (Proper nouns should always be capitalized.) Good answer, (Good answer is not really needed but if you should keep it, it would be a sentence all on it's own. "They" would begin a new sentence.) they left on a ship called the mayflower. (Again, proper noun is used but not capitalized.) Setting out for all of there freedoms in a distant land. It has taken them months to plan this.

Months to get this to work, Months of collecting every morsel of food and clean water. It has all boiled down to this. One well organized, well thought out plan to leave England. When it worked and they were finally out England, they had more to face in America. (Whole paragraph needs to be restructured.)

In America the pilgrims faced every terrible thing possible. Icy cold winters, starvation, and on top of all, disease. Really the fact that half of the pilgrims went out searching for any riches they could, instead of searching for basic supplies didn’t help at all. The time they wasted on looking for gold instead of food, water, and wood are the reason most of them died.

The supplies I listed could have been used for nice warm meals, and more importantly, a nice home. It was the greed of these men that killed the pilgrims. Luckily though, the Indians would come before the next winter.

The Indians played a large role in the survival of the pilgrims. They taught vital skills to help them. Skills like hunting and planting there own food, later the pilgrims and the Indians would share the first thanksgiving together. There thanksgiving was much simpler than the thanksgiving we know today.

There (<-- spelled incorrectly.) thanksgiving was peaceful and simple. Something I wish would return to thanksgiving.

(If I were to grade this project now you wouldn't pass. Thankfully it is only a rough draft and I know you will perfect it with no problem.)

Monday, November 16, 2009

In History ... Nov. 18

Mark Twain,The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1865/1875)

In compliance with the request of a friend of mine, who wrote me from the East, I called on good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler, and inquired after my friend's friend, Leonidas W. Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append the result. I have a lurking suspicion that Leonidas W. Smiley is a myth; that my friend never knew such a personage; and that he only conjectured that if I asked old Wheeler about him, it would remind him of his infamous Jim Smiley, and he would go to work and bore me to death with some exasperating reminiscence of him as long and as tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it succeeded.
I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the bar-room stove of the dilapidated tavern in the decayed mining camp of Angel's, and I noticed that he was fat and bald-headed, and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity upon his tranquil countenance. He roused up, and gave me good-day. I told him a friend of mine had commissioned me to make some inquiries about a cherished companion of his boyhood named Leonidas W. Smiley--Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley, a young minister of the Gospel, who he had heard was at one time a resident of Angel's Camp. I added that if Mr. Wheeler could tell me anything about this Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley, I would feel under many obligations to him.

Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the monotonous narrative which follows this paragraph. He never smiled, he never frowned, he never changed his voice from the gentle-flowing key to which he tuned his initial sentence, he never betrayed the slightest suspicion of enthusiasm; but all through the interminable narrative there ran a vein of impressive earnestness and sincerity, which showed me plainly that, so far from his imagining that there was anything ridiculous or funny about his story, he regarded it as a really important matter, and admired its two heroes as men of transcendent genius in finesse. I let him go on in his own way, and never interrrupted him once.
"Rev. Leonidas W. H'm, Reverend Le--well, there was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of '49--or may be it was the spring of '50--I don't recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume warn't finished when he first come to the camp; but any way, he was the curiosest man about always betting on anything that turned up you ever see, if he could get anybody to bet on the other side; and if he couldn't he'd change sides. Any way that suited the other man would suit him--any way just so's he got a bet, he was satisfied. But still he was lucky, uncommon lucky; he most always come out winner. He was always ready and laying for a chance; there couldn't be no solit'ry thing mentioned but that feller'd offer to bet on it, and take ary side you please, as I was just telling you. If there was a horse-race, you'd find him flush or you'd find him busted at the end of it; if there was a dog-fight, he'd bet on it; if there was a cat-fight, he'd bet on it; if there was a chicken-fight, he'd bet on it; why, if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first; or if there was a camp-meeting, he would be there reg'lar to bet on Parson Walker, which he judged to be the best exhorter about here, and so he was too, and a good man. If he even see a straddle-bug start to go anywheres, he would bet you how long it would take him to get to--to wherever he was going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddle-bug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road. Lots of the boys here has seen that Smiley, and can tell you about him. Why, it never made no difference to him--he'd bet on any thing--the dangdest feller. Parson Walker's wife laid very sick once, for a good while, and it seemed as if they warn't going to save her; but one morning he come in, and Smiley up and asked him how she was, and he said she was considable better--thank the Lord for his inf'nit mercy--and coming on so smart that with the blessing of Prov'dence she'd get well yet; and Smiley, before he thought says, 'Well, I'll resk two-and-a-half she don't anyway.'

"Thish-yer Smiley had a mare--the boys called her the fifteen-minute nag, but that was only in fun, you know, because of course she was faster than that--and he used to win money on that horse, for all she was so slow and always had the asthma, or the distemper, or the consumption, or something of that kind. They used to give her two or three hundred yards' start, and then pass her under way; but always at the fag-end of the race she'd get excited and desperate-like, and come cavorting and straddling up, and scattering her legs around limber, sometimes in the air, and sometimes out to one side amongst the fences, and kicking up m-o-r-e dust and raising m-o-r-e racket with her coughing and sneezing and blowing her nose--and always fetch up at the stand just about a neck ahead, as near as you could cipher it down.

"And he had a little small bull-pup, that to look at him you'd think he warn't worth a cent but to set around and look ornery and lay for a chance to steal something. But as soon as money was up on him he was a different dog; his under-jaw'd begin to stick out like the fo'castle of a steamboat, and his teeth would uncover and shine like the furnaces. And a dog might tackle him and bully-rag him, and bite him, and throw him over his shoulder two or three times, and Andrew Jackson--which was the name of the pup--Andrew Jackson would never let on but what he was satisfied, and hadn't expected nothing else--and the bets being doubled and doubled on the other side all the time, till the money was all up; and then all of a sudden he would grab that other dog just by the j'int of his hind leg and freeze to it--not chaw, you understand, but only just grip and hang on till they throwed up the sponge, if it was a year. Smiley always come out winner on that pup, till he harnessed a dog once that didn't have no hind legs, because they'd been sawed off in a circular saw, and when the thing had gone along far enough, and the money was all up, and he come to make a snatch for his pet holt, he see in a minute how he's been imposed on, and how the other dog had him in the door, so to speak, and he 'peared surprised, and then he looked sorter discouraged-like, and didn't try no more to win the fight, and so he got shucked out bad. He give Smiley a look, as much as to say his heart was broke, and it was his fault, for putting up a dog that hadn't no hind legs for him to take holt of, which was his main dependence in a fight, and then he limped off a piece and laid down and died. It was a good pup, was that Andrew Jackson, and would have made a name for hisself if he'd lived, for the stuff was in him and he had genius--I know it, because he hadn't no opportunities to speak of, and it don't stand to reason that a dog could make such a fight as he could under them circumstances if he hadn't no talent. It always makes me feel sorry when I think of that last fight of his'n, and the way it turned out.
"Well, thish-yer Smiley had rat-tarriers, and chicken cocks, and tomcats and all them kind of things, till you couldn't rest, and you couldn't fetch nothing for him to bet on but he'd match you. He ketched a frog one day, and took him home, and said he cal'lated to educate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump. And you bet you he did learn him, too. He'd give him a little punch behind, and the next minute you'd see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut--see him turn one summerset, or may be a couple, if he got a good start, and come down flat-footed and all right, like a cat. He got him up so in the matter of ketching flies, and kep' him in practice so constant, that he'd nail a fly every time as fur as he could see him. Smiley said all a frog wanted was education, and he could do 'most anything--and I believe him. Why, I've seen him set Dan'l Webster down here on this floor--Dan'l Webster was the name of the frog--and sing out, ``Flies, Dan'l, flies!'' and quicker'n you could wink he'd spring straight up and snake a fly off'n the counter there, and flop down on the floor ag'in as solid as a gob of mud, and fall to scratching the side of his head with his hind foot as indifferent as if he hadn't no idea he'd been doin' any more'n any frog might do. You never see a frog so modest and straightfor'ard as he was, for all he was so gifted. And when it come to fair and square jumping on a dead level, he could get over more ground at one straddle than any animal of his breed you ever see. Jumping on a dead level was his strong suit, you understand; and when it come to that, Smiley would ante up money on him as long as he had a red. Smiley was monstrous proud of his frog, and well he might be, for fellers that had traveled and been everywheres, all said he laid over any frog that ever they see.

"Well, Smiley kep't the beast in a little lattice box, and he used to fetch him down town sometimes and lay for a bet. One day a feller--a stranger in the camp, he was--come acrost him with his box, and says:
"'What might it be that you've got in the box?'
"And Smiley says, sorter indifferent-like, 'It might be a parrot, or it might be a canary, maybe, but it ain't--it's only just a frog.'
"And the feller took it, and looked at it careful, and turned it round this way and that, and says, 'H'm--so 'tis. Well, what's he good for?'
"'Well,' Smiley says, easy and careless, 'he's good enough for one thing, I should judge--he can outjump any frog in Calaveras county.'
"The feller took the box again, and took another long, particular look, and give it back to Smiley, and says, very deliberate, 'Well,' he says, 'I don't see no p'ints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog.'

"'Maybe you don't,' Smiley says. 'Maybe you understand frogs and maybe you don't understand 'em; maybe you've had experience, and maybe you ain't only a amature, as it were. Anyways, I've got my opinion and I'll resk forty dollars that he can outjump any frog in Calaveras county.'
"And the feller studied a minute, and then says, kinder sad like, 'Well, I'm only a stranger here, and I ain't got no frog; but if I had a frog, I'd bet you.'

"And then Smiley says, 'That's all right--that's all right--if you'll hold my box a minute, I'll go and get you a frog.' And so the feller took the box, and put up his forty dollars along with Smiley's, and set down to wait.

"So he set there a good while thinking and thinking to hisself, and then he got the frog out and prized his mouth open and took a teaspoon and filled him full of quail shot--filled him pretty near up to his chin--and set him on the floor. Smiley he went to the swamp and slopped around in the mud for a long time, and finally he ketched a frog, and fetched him in, and give him to this feller, and says:

"'Now, if you're ready, set him alongside of Dan'l, with his forepaws just even with Dan'l's, and I'll give the word.' Then he says, `One--two--three-git!' and him and the feller touched up the frogs from behind, and the new frog hopped off lively, but Dan'l give a heave, and hysted up his shoulders--so--like a Frenchman, but it warn't no use--he couldn't budge; he was planted as solid as a church, and he couldn't no more stir than if he was anchored out. Smiley was a good deal surprised, and he was disgusted too, but he didn't have no idea what the matter was, of course.

"The feller took the money and started away; and when he was going out at the door, he sorter jerked his thumb over his shoulder--so--at Dan'l, and says again, very deliberate, 'Well,' he says, 'I don't see no p'ints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog.'

"Smiley he stood scratching his head and looking down at Dan'l a long time, and at last he says, 'I do wonder what in the nation that frog throw'd off for--I wonder if there ain't something the matter with him--he 'pears to look mighty baggy, somehow.' And he ketched Dan'l by the nap of the neck, and hefted him, and says, 'Why blame my cats if he don't weigh five pound!' and turned him upside down and he belched out a double handful of shot. And then he see how it was, and he was the maddest man--he set the frog down and took out after that feller, but he never ketched him. And----"

[Here Simon Wheeler heard his name called from the front yard, and got up to see what was wanted.] And turning to me as he moved away, he said: "Just set where you are, stranger, and rest easy--I ain't going to be gone a second."

But, by your leave, I did not think that a continuation of the history of the enterprising vagabond Jim Smiley would be likely to afford me much information concerning the Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley, and so I started away.

At the door I met the sociable Wheeler returning, and he button-holed me and recommenced:
"Well, thish-yer Smiley had a yaller one-eyed cow that didn't have no tail, only jest a short stump like a bannanner, and----"

However, lacking both time and inclination, I did not wait to hear about the afflicted cow, but took my leave.

Prepared by Professor Catherine Lavender for AMS 241 (Popular Culture--Frontiers and Borderlands), The Program in American Studies, The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York. Send email to lavender@postbox.csi.cuny.eduLast modified: Friday, 3 March 2000.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Thanksgiving Story


Most stories of Thanksgiving history start with the harvest celebration of the pilgrims and the Indians that took place in the autumn of 1621. Although they did have a three-day feast in celebration of a good harvest, and the local Indians did participate, this "first Thanksgiving" was not a holiday, simply a gathering. There is little evidence that this feast of thanks led directly to our modern Thanksgiving Day holiday. Thanksgiving can, however, be traced back to 1863 when Pres. Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since.


However, since most school children are taught that the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 with the pilgrims and Indians, let us take a closer look at just what took place leading up to that event, and then what happened in the centuries afterward that finally gave us our modern Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.

History of Veterans Day

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect.

Veterans' Day, holiday formerly observed in the United States as Armistice Day in commemoration of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. Nov. 11 officially became Veterans' Day on May 24, 1954, by act of Congress. The day is set aside in honor of all those who have fought in defense of the United States.

History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Friday, November 13, 2009

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Honestly when I first began to read this document, there nothing wrong for a little bit, until the VI article. This article states that no one state shall send or receive embassy, or be allowed to make treaties with a king or prince, without the consent of the United States in congress assembled. Basically what this means, if the congress doesn’t give consent, no treatise for you, short and sweet eh? Anyway I would continue in my reading of this document. Then I would stumble upon the XI article. This article basically states that Canada can join the United States and receive all of its benefits whenever it wants, so long as at least nine states agree. At this point I was worried if I had overlooked an error in this document, I had. In article VIII, all war charges are paid off by, you guessed it! The state, that’s right the states would have to pay for these expenses (sound familiar?) anyway; these are all problems that I have seen in this document. If you disagree or have found a problem, feel free to post a comment.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Americans Working For Rights Today

Americans Working For Rights Today

HRWG, or human rights working group is a member driven grass rooted driven student of McGill law students. This summer, the members of this community are moved by their professional, advocacy and academic backgrounds in different areas of human rights. They came forward with the idea of broadening the HRWG to include four new portfolios. As a result, the working group would enter a new academic year with far more opportunities for students to engage. The problems they address are as follows - Careers, Darfur and Genocide Awareness, Equity-Access, Court Accompaniment Program, HIV-AIDS and Public Health, Immigration and Refugee, and Bursary - the Working Group will now tackle complex issues of gender, judicial institution building, police accountability and access to water.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Sovereign Citizens As our Founding Father's intended!



Today my daughter (after spending time with her friend) informs me that she wants to go back to the public school. When I said no, she said she has the right to the pursuit of happiness. True, but first she must be considered a sovereign citizen for the constitution to work for her... ya know ... concept of the Founding Father's known as Sovereign Citizens. Based on the feedback I have gotten, especially from younger persons, it appears our government has instructed to Public Schools to further "dumb-down" and "Cuckold" the Citizens of American by leaving out the Founding Father's concept of "Sovereign Citizens"

Briefly, before the drafting of the American Constitution previous governments had vested Sovereignty in the hands of one or a few people. With the American Constitution, American Citizens became the Sovereigns by their ability to vote for politicians and with the provision that certain human rights were inalienable. [For the Record, the United States is not a Democracy, it is a Representative Republic. (The American Republic form of government acknowledges that the sovereign power is founded in the people, individually, not in the collective or whole body of free citizens, as in a democratic form. Thus no majority can deprive a minority of their sovereign rights and powers.)]

I was moved to write this article after viewing this YouTube Video "Ronald Reagan - A Time For Choosing (October 27, 1964)" Please pay close attention at 2:59m-6:25m. This is a speech by former President Ronald Reagan long before he was president. If time permits, please also listen to the entire tape and see if you hear any similarity to current situation and the situation the USA was in then. Though I heard this speech for the first time today, I think you will find it compatible with thoughts I have been promoting.

I hope this reference to Sovereign Citizenship by a former US President will convince your that the concept of Sovereign Citizenship is real and proposed by the Founding Fathers of our Country. I hope this speech serves to edify those of you that the Public Schools deprived of learning and knowing the POWER the Founding Father's intended you to have! It should also help you to understand this is not a concept that I made up out of thin air. Finally, you should know that your teachers and the public schools intended to deprive you of power and knowledge when they failed to educate you upon this subject.Your can learn more about Sovereign Citizenship, as intended by the Founding Fathers here.

All that having been said, I say to you: My loyalty to my principles and my Country transcend party loyalty; where do your loyalties lie?

As a Sovereign Citizen it is your duty to put loyalty to Country and your personal principles over loyalty to party.

These thoughts were on my mind.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

PROJECT: THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

PROJECT: THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
Subject: Story of the Constitution
By: Nick

As most of you may know James Madison was one of the more prominent delegates at the constitutional convention. Although he was thinking about the convention before ha had even arrived, it was clear at the end of the convention that the current way of government under the articles of confederation just isn’t cutting it. He felt that there had to be something done to remedy this situation, so later on he would draft a plan that he would present at the convention. He called this plan “The Virginia Plan.” This plan basically made a stronger government that could make as well as enforce laws. The people would be governed by two separate governments, State and National. This type of government is known as “Federal Government.” With this government both houses of legislature would provide proportional representation. What this means is that the more people a state has, the representation a state would have in legislature. Just at this you would find it easy to believe that the larger states favored this plan, for they obviously have a larger population. The smaller states though, were terrified at the plan. If it were to pass they would have virtually no say in government. The debate over the plan would become very heated in very little time. Eventually the smaller states asked for some time to draw up their own plan for government. This plan would be known as “the New Jersey plan.” This plan would only have one house that featured equal representation. Each state gets an equal number of representatives. With this being done, every state would have equal representation in the legislature. Ultimately the New Jersey plan would be rejected for a new constitution altogether. This ‘New’ Constitution was basically the re-incarnation of the old style of government, using a few ideas from the Articles of Confederation.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Judgement House

Judgement House is a dramatic walk-through presentation about the truth of people's choices and their consequences both in this life and the next.
But Judgement House is so much more than that. No other tool is more effective at presenting people with an opportunity to choose a personal and saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Over more than 20 years, Judgement House has established a remarkable track-record as the most effective evangelistic tool for reaching those who are wary of attending a traditional church service or outreach event. Since its inception in 1983 an estimated 3.9 million people have attended a Judgement House presentation with 390,000 of those choosing a saving and personal relationship with Jesus Christ for the first time.In addition Judgement House has an amazing impact on the church or organization that chooses to become a covenant partner and produce a Judgement House presentation of their own. These covenant partners are continually reporting that producing a Judgement House presentation unifies their people, focuses, enriches, and improves their prayer lives, and energizes their commitment to reaching the lost of their community.A Judgement House presentation becomes an "agent of change" in the community in which it is presented. Entire communities are moved from guilt to grace, and from sin to salvation and from death to life. A report from a covenant partner expressing the beginnings of revival in their community is a common occurrence.
The Judgement House Experience:
A Judgement House presentation is a walk-through drama that takes place in a series of up to 9 rooms. These presentations take place in locations ranging from churches, to schools, to stadiums and are produced by groups of volunteers from the local church or organization that has become a covenant partner and is producing the Judgement House presentation. The series of rooms in which the drama takes place combine to tell a story. Each story or "script" is unique in its setting, characters and plot and is a relevant interpretation of events happening around the world today. Although the scripts are different, all of the scrips ask the same important question, "What will you do with God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ."
A Judgement House Presentation, Step By Step:Those attending a Judgement House presentation are welcomed to the location by greeters and are asked to fill out a short registration form. After they register, they are placed in groups ranging in size from 12 to 20 people per group. Every 10 to 15 minutes a group begins their journey through the presentation. To help the groups make their way through the series of rooms and to assist them in understanding the story that is unfolding, a guide is assigned to their group. The guide stops outside each room and gives a brief overview of the previous scene and set-up of the scene they are about to enter.
The first few rooms tell a unique story that leads to a common tragedy, after which, some of the main characters as well as the entire group of audience members experience what Judgement House believes the Bible tells us, is what happens when we leave this earth through death. This includes a scene depicting the final judgement of our lives. In this scene the main characters are sent to their eternal reward or punishment, based on their decision to accept or reject God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. In this scene each of the members of the audience will have their name called by the actor portraying the "judge". They are then told, as a group, that unlike the main characters in the story, they still have time to make a choice about what to do with God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, and to help them decide, they will get a small glimpse of what awaits them in Heaven for accepting the gift of a saving and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as experiencing a small part of the eternal separation from God in Hell, that is the consequence of rejecting that same gift.The group is then led by the guide into a room which represents what, Judgement House believes the Bible tells us, eternal separation from God in Hell is like. This room is commonly the smallest room, with few lights, loud background noise/music and usually made warmer than normal in order to enhance the uncomfortable nature of the experience. In this room audience members learn what has happened to the character(s) who chose to reject God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. They are then addressed by an actor portraying Satan, and again told that they, unlike the characters they have just seen, have a choice about what to do with God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ and are then lead out of the room by the guide.Groups are then led into a room which Judgement House refers to as the "robe room". In the robe room, audience members are given a robe (usually just a white cloth that covers the shoulders) as a representation of the new bodies Judgement House believes the Bible promises us when we reach Heaven.
From the robe room audience members are led into a room depicting what Judgement House believes the Bible tells us Heaven will be like. This is usually the largest room, decorated in white, and focused on the presence of "Jesus". In this scene audience members learn what has happened to the character(s) who chose to accept God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Group members are then personally and individually welcomed to their eternal reward by an actor portraying Jesus. The guide then leads the group out of the room where their "robes" are taken back and into a final room where a leader gives and overview of the story and offers audience members an opportunity to accept God's offer of a saving and personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Those wishing to make a commitment or ask questions are offered the opportunity to speak with an encourager one-on-one for as long as they would like. Those who choose not to speak with an encourager are then led by the guide back to the presentation exit, where they are later joined by those who spoke with an encourager when they are done.This process takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and a new group of audience members begin their journey every 10 to 15 minutes. An average of approximately 75 people per hour can pass through a Judgement House presentation.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Documenting an Anole



Project of the day: Go out in nature & make a video of any living creature and then give a description for what is being viewed.

Nicholas

Science, Computer, Video Editing

Ares 1-x Shuttle Launch

The first day the Ares 1-X shuttle tried to launch, NASA scratched it because it was delayed because of a cargo ship that had sailed into the safety zone of the launch, and because of clouds overhead. The flight will only last for the duration of six minutes, and will give NASA information needed to send man back to the moon.

The first two minutes of the flight will be to give NASA astronauts information. It will go up twenty eight miles. The designers of the Ares 1-x come from Huntsville, Alabama.

The rocket finally launched the second day after being scratched the previous day—the rocket launched at 11:30 am Eastern time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once it launched, it went past mach 2, all the way to mach 4.

It took the rocket but one minute to reach space, as it collects data to send to the ground. There is a camera attached to the side of the shuttle to show its journey.

11:32 am Eastern Time and the rocket breaks into two, sending the shuttle plummeting down to the ground. The data retrieved by the NASA scientists will hopefully allow them to send man back to the moon.

Alyssa
Science, Current Events, History

Ares 1-x test rocket.

The Ares rocket launch had been scheduled for 10/27/09 at the Kennedy Space Center. This had been planned months in advance. I would assume that they had believed that it would be all sunshine and no clouds in sight.

But to there dismay, at 9:38 AM there were storm clouds headed towards the launch pad. This of course was a bad thing. Even just the smallest cloud that would touch the rocket could possibly send the entire flight off course. Merely one minute later the whether started to get worse and NASA started to consider scratching the lift-off.

At 9:45, they discarded there fear when most of the clouds had moved from the rockets location. Because of the decent whether they had at the moment they would decide to set the launch clock for T-Minus four minutes.

9:47, more problems, now a part of the engine would fail. If they could not get the engine to reset they would have to reset the launch clock. Now they had no choice. They could not reset the engine so the clock will be reset.

It is now 10:20 and NASA decides to shut down the launch for today and try again tomorrow.

10/28/09 its 11:28 and the Ares 1-x launch will be attempted one more time this day. Finally the words every one has been waiting for were said at 11:29. T-Minus 43 seconds ‘till lift-off.

Now at 11:30, history is made with the Ares rocket leaving the ground to start its six minute voyage. Merely one minute later the gorgeous white pillar has reached space at Mach 4. This is the fastest rocket, as well as the tallest to reach space. One more minute later and the rocket breaks off and begins its decent to the earth after making history.

Nicholas
Science, Current Events, History

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

AresI-X


CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's brand-new Ares 1-X rocket, the vehicle planned to launch astronauts spaceward after the space shuttles are retired, is poised to make its first-ever test flight Tuesday.


The experimental Ares I-X rocket is set to lift off at 8 a.m. EDT from Pad 39B here at Kennedy Space Center. NASA needs good weather in order to gather detailed data on how the $445 million booster performs during this maiden voyage. Unfortunately, weather officer Kathy Winters has predicted a grim 60 percent chance of clouds thwarting a launch attempt Tuesday.
"The weather is a little bit of a concern tomorrow," Winters said Monday.

Ares I-X is a trial version of the Ares I rocket, planned under NASA's Constellation program to ferry astronauts to low-Earth orbit aboard an Orion spacecraft. The test rocket includes a real solid-rocket first stage, with a mock second stage and dummy Orion crew capsule on top to simulate the intended weight and size of Ares I. Ares I-X is the tallest booster in service or about to fly and stands about 327 feet high — 14 stories taller than NASA's space shuttles.
The test flight comes at an uncertain time for NASA. The agency's plans to use the Ares I rocket and Orion capsules to replace the shuttle fleet and return astronauts to the moon by 2020 are under review by President Barack Obama's administration. Last week, a report from an independent panel appointed by the White House suggested that NASA consider scrapping the Ares I rocket in lieu of commercial rockets that could be ready sooner.

Despite the uncertainty, NASA officials said they stand behind the flight test, which should be useful not just for designing Ares I but also for other future rockets.
"Much of that kind of learning will be applicable to any large-scale launch system," said Jeff Hanley, program manager for NASA's Constellation program, which encompasses Ares I and Orion.


NASA hopes to have the Ares I and Orion vehicles in service by 2015, but the White House panel said that date would likely slip to 2017.

Untried rocket
As an untried rocket, the flight does carry some risk, mission managers said.
"We're not going to guarantee this is going to work," said Steve Davis, Ares I-X deputy mission manager. "This is a flight test. We have very high confidence it's going to work but there's some areas we're testing for the first time, and that's why we're doing the test."
If the rocket were to fly sharply off-course and threatened to pose any danger to the public, an explosive mechanism onboard called the range safety system could be initiated to destroy the booster.


"[We'll] make sure that were providing safety to the public," said Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director. "There's no chance that this vehicle is going to go anywhere where the range can't take care of anything it needs to."
Also adding to the potential hazard of the flight is the fact that the space shuttle Atlantis is currently poised atop its Launch Pad 39A, a mere 1.6 miles away. If Ares I-X were to explode, the nearby space shuttle could be in jeopardy. However, because of the trajectory planned for the rocket, as well as the high level of confidence that it will work generally as planned, NASA has estimated a slim 1-in-10,000 chance of catastrophic damage to Atlantis — a danger level the agency is willing to accept.


Gloomy skies
In fact, mission managers say their biggest fear now is the weather. When asked if any issues were keeping him up at night in advance of the flight, Ares I-X mission manager Bob Ess replied "mostly the weather."


Because this is the first launch of its kind, and a major goal is to photograph and videotape the rocket's performance, NASA requires pristine skies and clear visibility to loft the booster. Furthermore, the launch is constrained by the risk of a phenomenon called "triboelectrification," which could occur when the rocket passes through clouds and triggers static electricity that might interfere with the instruments onboard. This is not a concern with space shuttle launches, which have been proven immune to this occurrence.


Ares I-X has a four-hour launch window, from 8 a.m. to noon EDT, and it only needs about 10 minutes of clear skies within that time to launch. If the rocket cannot blast off on Tuesday, NASA can try again during the same window on Wednesday, when weather conditions are expected to improve.

NASA will begin counting down toward the planned liftoff at 1 a.m. EDT Tuesday, with a live television broadcast to begin at 5 a.m.

Ready to go
Despite the inherent uncertainty in Ares I-X's flight, mission managers said they are as confident as possible.


"We're in great shape, the vehicle's ready to go, and certainly all of us are really excited about Tuesday's launch," said NASA test director Jeff Spaulding during a Sunday briefing.
The rocket is slated to launch skyward, but stop short of reaching orbit, before falling back down to Earth. The entire mission is planned to last just over two minutes.
During that time over 700 sensors onboard will feed back meticulous measurements of the rocket's path and performance, while cameras on the ground and aboard airborne planes will take photographs to chart its trajectory.


"Our purpose is to validate the design and gain practical experience with the vehicle," Davis said. "The goal of the test is to get information, it's all about learning. The only failure on this flight is a failure to learn from it."

Monday, October 26, 2009

Spanish story

Alyssa
Subject: Spanish
Project: Write a story about a boy namedJuanwho is lazy & bound to fail at life.

(English) Juan is a lazy moron, from what I can see. The only things he does, is eat, sleep, talk on the phone and watch TV. It seems to me that he hasn't the aspiration to do anything, which is funny because he'll not get anywhere in life. I, personally, would like to see him fail. It would most certainly make my freaking day. And I most definately need my day made. So come on Juan! Fail at life! I need a little bit of "happy" in my day!What are you waiting for, my dear? You'll fail in no time. So get a move on, my sweet. I just can't wait to see your despair when you find your life is nothing but worthless trash. No more waiting! Hurry on!

(Spanish)
Juan es un idiota perezoso, por lo que puedo ver. Lo único que hace es comer, dormir, hablar por teléfono y ver televisión. A mí me parece que no tiene la aspiración de hacer nada, que es divertido porque no llegaremos a ninguna parte en la vida. Yo, personalmente, le gustaría verlo fracasar. Sería sin duda que el día de mi maldita. Y yo, definitivamente necesita mi día hizo. Así que ven a Juan! Fracasan en la vida! Necesito un poco de "feliz" en mi día! ¿Qué estás esperando, querida? Usted no en ningún momento. Así que moverse, mi dulce. No puedo esperar a ver su desesperación cuando se encuentre su vida no es más que basura sin valor. No más espera! A toda prisa!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Informal Essay

What is an informal essay? An informal essay is like a formal essay but it is more relaxed but still has a strong structer and is mainly written for enjoyment.

http://essayinfo.com/essays/informal_essay.php


I walked down the street on that cold winter morning. The wind blew violently in my face. Arg, I knew I should have brought that thicker jacket. As ‘smart’ as I was, I always forgot the most important things. So for the next half hour my stupidity would punish me… a lot.

I was half-way to… well where ever happens to be in the general direction. And I find out that I have only walked a few blocks down the street when Anna Lesh’s dog jumped at me and almost took my face off.

That thing would not stop barking; I kicked the darn thing and it just barked louder.

By the time I got away from that over-sized Chihuahua I had the biggest headache that I ever had. Finally, I was there! I walked inside and said my favorite phrase. I'll have a Big Mac.

Story by: James Nicholas Jones

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Curved Attitude

Nick
Curved Attitude

I should curve my attitude so I don't have to write these reports ever again. If I ever have t o write another one of these I might just go insane. You might go insane too, think about that.
I would like to further say something now that all of that is out of my system. I'm sorry that I yelled and screamed at you. I know that I shouldn't but I guess if I knew that better, I wouldn't be writing this now, would I? Honestly though, I am sorry to t he utmost degree. I love you and I know I was wrong.

History Report

Nick
Project: Battle of Saratoga
Goal: Write 150-250 word story as if you were a soldier in the Battle of Saratoga. Make for sure to leave the source information too.


BATTLE OF SARATOGA

I remember it; the year was 1777 we were so close to defeating the British here. The royal troops began there march upon our camps in three separate columns. It scared me actually, half to death. All of those soldiers…could we really kill them all? It made it even harder on us for the fact that we were surrounded. They had two columns march through the forests and one column cut down the middle. American scouts detected Burgoyne's army in motion and notified Gates, who ordered Col. Morgan's corps of Virginia riflemen to track the British march. Some of our men brushed with Burgoyne’s center column. That battle lasted about three hours from what I was told. When that column finally began to waver more reinforcements arrived from a nearby river. These soldiers made it impossible for the Americans to defeat them. This ended in a failure for America.


Source of information:
http://battle1777.saratoga.org/history.html

Home Economics Project

Lysa 's meal plan for a week with grocery list. She did not have to add everyday staples such as flour, sugar, or seasonings.

Sunday: B= cream of wheat L= grilled cheese D= 15 bean soup
Monday: B= egg sandwich L= baked chicken D= chicken noodle soup
Tuesday: B= PB&J L= BLT D= large salad
Wednesday: B= cream of wheat L= chicken sandwich D= vegetable beef soup
Thursday: B= eggs L= ham sandwich D= 3 bean soup
Friday: B= oatmeal with peaches L= apple w/ ham sandwich D= country dinner
Saturday: B= cold cereal L= nachos D= steak

Grocery List

cream of wheat, eggs, peanut butter, wheat bread, jelly, oatmeal, peaches, box of cereal, cheese, chicken, bacon, lettuce, ham, chips, apple, bag 15 beans, pasta, can of vegetable beef soup, bag of 3 beans, beef, country fried steak, potatoes, green beans.

Grade: Over all I think you did a pretty good job. I believe you have grasped the concept of meal planning & making a grocery list. If this were a real meal plan you would want to make it a more balanced meal plan so it is in accordance to the food pyramid chart.

For example; on Monday you have an egg sandwich maybe you could add cheese or a glass of milk plus a piece of fruit. Your baked chicken should have vegetable to go along with it and possible rice or pasta, then your dinner is perfect. Oh, on your grocery list you forgot the milk.

Learning new Words

In the quest to broaden my kids vocabulary we have decided to give them new words that they not only have probably never heard of but they don't know their meaning or how to use them in a sentence. The must look up the word then give a sentence using the word.

Yesterday's word was;

Blooter: A babbler, a bumbling idiot, a fool.

President Barack Hussein Obama is the truest form of a blooter.

Today's word;

Bloviator: 1. A public figure, such as a politician or an actor, who makes outlandish, strident statements on issues, thinking that the average man will care about their opinions.

2. Someone who pontificates about issues of which they are uninformed, yet pretend to be expert.

3. Pompous blowhard, using their celebrity to speak about topics on which they are totally unqualified.

That bloviator Alec Baldwin said he was going to move to France. Why is he still in Hollywood?

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Where did Halloween come from?

What is Halloween really all about?

Have you ever asked yourself, "Who in the world ever thought of the idea of walking around in weird costumes, trick or treating, and/or putting a carved-out pumpkin in your window?"
You will agree with me that Halloween is really one of the strangest days of the year, is it not? Perhaps you wonder how the celebration of such a day ever got started. Well, let me answer this question for you!

Where and when did Halloween customs originate?

The many customs we have today in relation to Halloween have their origins in the religious practices of the Romans and the Druids, therefore dating back many centuries. The Romans worshiped various gods and on October 31, a special feast was held in honor of Pomona, goddess of the fruit trees. Later, the Druids, an ancient order of Celtic priests in Britain, made this feast an even more extensive celebration by also honoring Samhain, lord of the dead. This was normally done on November 1 and it was therefore decided to conveniently honor both Pomona and Samhain on October 31 and November 1.

These Druids believed that on the night before November 1 (October 31) Samhain called together wicked souls or spirits which had been condemned to live in the bodies of animals during the year which had just transpired. Since they were afraid of these spirits, they chose October 31 as a day to sacrifice to their gods, hoping they would protect them. They really believed that on this day they were surrounded by strange spirits, ghosts, witches, fairies, and elves, who came out to hurt them. In addition to this, they also believed that cats were holy animals, as they considered them to represent people who lived formerly, and as punishment for evil deeds were reincarnated as a cat. All this explains why witches, ghosts, and cats are a part of Halloween today.

The custom of trick-or-treating and the use of "jack-o'-lanterns" comes from Ireland. Hundreds of years ago, Irish farmers went from house to house, begging for food, in the name of their ancient gods, to be used at the village Halloween celebration. They would promise good luck to those who gave them good, and made threats to those who refused to give. They simply told the people, "You treat me, or else I will trick you!"

The apparently harmless lightened pumpkin face or "jack-o'-lantern" actually is an old Irish symbol of damned soul. A man named Jack was supposed to be able unable to enter heaven due to his miserliness, and unable to enter hell because he had played practice jokes on the devil. As a result, he was condemned to wander over the earth with his lantern until judgment day (i.e., the end of the world). The Irish were so afraid that they would receive an identical plight, that they began to hollow out pumpkins and place lighted candles inside to scare away evil spirits from their home.

When did the modern Halloween celebration begin?

During the Middle Ages (about 600 years ago), the Roman Catholic Church at that time, decided to make the change-over from pagan religion to Christianity a bit easier, and therefore allowed the new converts to maintain some of their pagan feasts. It was agreed, however, that from now on they would be celebrated as "Christian" feats. So instead of praying to thwir heathen gods, they would now pray to, and remember the deaths of saints. For this reason the church decided to call November 1 the "Day of All Saints," and the mass to be celebrated on that day "Alhallowmass." In consequence of this, the evening prior to this day was named, "All Hallowed Evening" which subsequently was abbreviated as "Halloween." In spite of this effort to make October 31 a "holy evening," all the old customs continued to be practiced, and made this evening anything BUT a holy evening!

Halloween today.

You would have to agree with me that also today Halloween is most definently not a holy evening!! This annual event is far from the harmless, innocent tradition it is promoted to be. Many dread this "holy" evening as they think what could happen to them, their property, and/or their children! Consistent with its historical roots, this evening is charecterized by fear, and frequently arouses dormant fears in many. The fear generated by this event is symbolic of the fear which plagues so many in our moden, morally bankrupt world. It is a gripping fear for an unknown and very threatening future, a fear caused by a gnawing inner emptiness.

An alternative for October 31.

For many in this land, this day stands for the very opposite of fear!! On this day in 1517, a German monk and professor of theology, Dr. Martin Luther, courageously published the simple, straightforward truth of the Bible. God's Word, which he has rediscovered after a long and intense spiritual struggle. God used the truth of his own Word to give Luther the inner peace he had so desperately longed for. The Bible pointed him the way to God Himself, and when he found God through Jesus Christ, he found this peace which passes all understanding! He himself stated that it was as if he entered Paradise itself.

As a result of his courageous act on October 31, 1517, the Bible came into the hands of the common people again, and many, who as he, were deeply troubled by sin and it’s consequences, found peace with God as well!

It was God himself, Who used Martin Luther to bring His message of deliverance into the hands and hearts of sinners, in order to bring them back to Himself, and give then TRUE peace!! It is therefore with deep gratitude to God that we wish commemorate October 31, as it reminds us of God's gracious and mighty deeds nearly five centuries ago.

It is the Word of God, and its precious truth, rediscover by Martin Luther, which still gives true peace to many today. In the Bible ALONE will you find the ONLY answer to the deep yearning of your heart. ONLY when God becomes your God through Jesus Christ, you will find rest at last and you will answer to the true purpose of human existence, namely, to honor, serve, and enjoy our Creator!!

Is the God of heaven and earth YOUR God? If not, seek Him TODAY, while He still may be found!!

God, manifested in Jesus Christ, invited you Himself in His Word. Turn to the gospel of Matthew and read chapter 11:28,

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and i will give you rest!"

Those who insist on seeking inner peace without being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, will have to endure eternal misery without God. God does not desire the eternal misery of man and therefore He also extends this invitation in Ezekial 33:11,

"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the deaths of the wicked (i.e. Sinner) but that the wicked turn from his way and live! Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways: for why will ye die?"

Why leaves change colors

We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves. Did you ever wonder how and why a fall leaf changes color? Why a maple leaf turns bright red? Where do the yellows and oranges come from? To answer those questions, we first have to understand what leaves are and what they do.

Leaves are nature's food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose. Oxygen is a gas in the air that we need to breathe. Glucose is a kind of sugar. Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growing. The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar is called photosynthesis. That means "putting together with light." A chemical called chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.

As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter.

During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. We just can't see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.

The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color. The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves.

It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful colors we enjoy in the fall.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Yelling Essay

I'm racking up the essays today. I guess I never realized how often my kids had items taken away for doing one behavior or another. I know I make that sound like their always in trouble but their not. As a rule, I have very good children & I'm so very blessed to be their mother.

Okay, the title says yelling; daughter was told to give the computer over to her brother because she had already been on for a very long time, she was very upset that she had to give it up when he hadn't completed all of his chores which in our house is a prerequisite for computer time. She was unaware that since there wasn't enough of a chore for him to do I had granted him permission to wait on this chore until later in the day, this was unfair in her words because I would never allow this from her which is totally absurd. She started yelling at me & instead of grounding her or taking away items (this action doesn't seem to be working) I told her I wanted on essay on why yelling at an adult is unacceptable. This is what she turned in;

Why I should not Yell
by Alyssa Jones
10/19/2009

I shouldn't yell because it's a rule of the house. It is a standard in the house and it's a rule commonly displayed in a regular house hold.

Though it is demonstrated frequently by children, drivers, irritation etc., it is supposedly "disrespectful". Because it is "disrespectful", it is an action banned by most house holds, mine included.

Some people yell as a way to relieve their irritation or frustration as I have done.I can't think of any other reason why I should not yell other than the reason I have provided; disrespect, house hold rule, standard.

I'm sorry I yelled at you but I was already frustrated and it seemed to me that you were not listening so I did what I did. Obviously I can not undo what I've done and so I can only apologize.

I will not say I'm sorry for yelling because I can tell you this, I know I will yell again and to say sorry would be a lie which I also can not do without having to write another essay.

Lying essay

I think I've found what works when the kids misbehave; make them write a report on why they did something & why it's wrong. My darling son lied to me over something very trivial, he wouldn't have gotten in trouble over it but his fear thinking he would made him tell a lie. I caught him in his lie so he did a report on his lie. In his own words ... spelling, grammar, everything ... here it is.

I am sorry that I lied to you. Unfortunatly, that is the only way I know to express my regret for what I have done. I love tou and it was a stupid thing todo.
Even in the Bible it tells me to respect you, this only makes me feelworse about lying to you. If there were another way for me to say that I am sorry I would. At this rate this will take me days to finish this essay. I apologize for lying to you, the only reason I lied was because I was scared I would get in trouble. Now I see that it was my own fear that got me in trouble. If I had told the truth from the beginning I would not have to write this. I will try my hardest never to lie to you again.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Why School Comes First

Lysa was caught online while she was supposed to be doing school work so the only course of action I could think of was to have her write a one page report on the importance of doing school work first & then having fun online. This is the report she turned in.

School should come first because if you pay attention to other things and not school work, your grades will slowly decrease, or they will decline swiftly. If your grades do diminish, then you will not get into a good college, if you do get into college at all. Getting good grades is the first step to getting into college. After finishing in college, you have a higher chance of getting a good job. If you do not get good grades, get into college, or get a good job, then what is your life? A drive-thru worker that serves fast-food at McDonalds living in a one bedroom apartment making barely enough money to support yourself.

Now, if you get good grades, get into a good college such as Auburn University, then what is your life? Let’s say hypothetically, you would be this: A veterinarian that works surgeries every day on animals living in a two story, five bedroom house making thousands of dollars, more than enough to support your life. The life I would choose is the life leading thousands of dollars working at something you love. Not working at McDonalds.

Paying attention to school is the first step to keep your life on track and never have to worry about next month’s heating and cooling bill. Going to college is the next step to getting the best education you can get. Working at a high-paying job is the best way to live life to the fullest. People who go to college, and pay attention to school always get a good life, unless they mess it all up on drugs, alcohol, etc. But that will probably be discussed in a later report. If you go to college, think of it like this, you will not be stuck making up emoticons for the rest of your pitiful excuse for a life. You will not be left on the street begging for change because you were to stupid to do anything. You will not be sleeping inside Walmart because you couldn’t bother to pay attention to a stupid geometry question. You will not be using a grocery store buggy as a car because you couldn’t do a simple math question.

Friday, September 18, 2009

New addition

Cricket (Fancy's baby) is getting bigger & cutier by the day. As you can tell her eyes are now open & she is scooting around a lot more than last week. The people who are taking her at 6 weeks named her. Lysa didn't like the name at first but a few days after she heard the name she heard the baby cry out & says, "OMG, she does sound like a little cricket." Now she loves the name.

In other news ...

We got a shock at the beginning of the week. Our pomeranian gave birth to 2 puppies. It was a shock cause we didn't know she was pregnant ... didn't look bigger, never saw her nest or act out of character. One of the babies died ... when we found him he was cold & no about of rubbing or breathing into his lungs could bring him back. The other little boy is healthy as a horse though. Mommy & baby are doing well. We haven't named him yet ... I like the name pom-chi cause it's one of the nicknames this breed is given although Lysa likes the name Sable. I'm not a fan of this name but I guess it really doesn't matter what name either of us like since this little pomihuahua will be going to another home.



Going on Vacation

Disney World in Orlando, FL


Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Puppy Update

Well, this isn't really a home school issues unless I wanted to make the birth of the puppy and the growth part of a school assignment ... hmm, not a bad idea now that I think of it. =)

Mama & baby are doing very well the last two days. Mama's milk finally dropped & it seems like the baby never leaves the teet. As much as I would love to keep the little girl Jim says 5 poochies are enough ... I guess he's right. Anyway, a lady from our chuch; also a fellow home schooler wants her. I'm so glad cause that means we'll get to see her as much as we want since we're friends. This of course makes Lysa very happy. She doesn't want to get rid of the puppy at all.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Baptism

Nick & Alyssa were baptised on Sunday August 30, 2009. We'reso very proud that they have found their Lord.

Busy ... exciting week

Our chihuahua went into labor around the same time we picked up our male chihuahua from the vets. He had surgery ... he's all better now.

Beginning of birth ... we have a new baby girl.

Before After


The day started off with Zeus going into surgery to have his cherry eyes removed. Ok, what is cherry eye?


Cherry eye is the term used to refer to canine nictitans gland prolapse, a common eye condition in various dog breeds where the gland of the third eyelid known as the nictitating membrane prolapses and becomes visible. Commonly affected breeds include the Bulldog, chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, Pekingese, Neapolitan Mastiff, and Basset Hound. Cherry eye may be caused by a hereditary weakness in the connective tissue surrounding the gland. It is most common in puppies.

It appears as a red mass in the inner corner of the eye, and is sometimes mistaken for a tumor. After gland prolapse, the eye becomes chronically inflamed and there is often a discharge. Because the gland is responsible for about 30% of the eye's tear production, the eye can eventually suffer from dryness (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). Dry eye may eventually occur in 30 to 40 percent of dogs that have the gland removed, yet it may affect about 20 percent of dogs that have the gland surgically replaced

Surgery is the usual treatment. Older methods of cherry eye correction (before the gland's purpose was known) involved simply removing the gland, but this is a last-resort procedure today, and necessitates the use of eyedrops for the rest of the animal's life. Modern methods of cherry eye correction involve repositioning of the gland to its normal location. The success rate of this type of surgery is around 80% in most breeds.

A case of Religious Discrimination!

The article below came from ONE NEWS NOW and tells about how a court ordered a ten-year-old girl to go to public school rather than continue to be home-schooled.

New Hampshire Court orders Christian homeschooled girl to attend public school

Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 8/26/2009 4:45:00 PMUpdated
8/27/2009 3:00 PM (Central)

A Christian homeschool girl in New Hampshire has been ordered into government-run public school for having "sincerely held" religious beliefs -- and the Alliance Defense Fund is troubled by the ruling.

The case involves divorced couple Martin Kurowski and Brenda Voydatch and their 10-year-old daughter, Amanda. The couple split in 1999 when they were living in Massachusetts, and the proceedings moved to New Hampshire after Voydatch relocated to that state with her daughter in 2002.

Although Voydatch has primary custody over Amanda, both parents agreed to a parenting plan that included joint decision-making responsibility. A court-appointed guardian served as a mediator.

A source of contention between the parents has been the mother' court.The situation was then analyzed by the court-appointed guardian, who made a recommendation to the court. During the evaluation process it was determined that Amanda was excelling in her schooling and used curriculum that was approved by her school district. The curriculum used in her home schooling was created by certified teachers, and Amanda routinely took standardized tests.
Furthermore, Amanda attended her local public school to take art, Spanish, and P.E. classes. Her public school instructors also commented on the fact that Amanda was well-rounded in her social skills. But a sticking point arose concerning Voydatch's Christian faith.

The court order stated: "According to the guardian ad litem's further report and testimony, the counselor found Amanda to lack some youthful characteristics. She appeared to reflect her mother's rigidity on questions of faith." (It's called backbone, something government, especially politicians, hate in the citizenry.) The guardian noted that during a counseling session, Amanda tried to witness to the counselor and appeared "visibly upset" when the counselor purposefully did not pay attention.

The guardian also noted that Amanda's relationship with her father suffered because she did not think he loved her as much as he said he did due to the fact that he refused to "adopt her religious beliefs."

According to the court order, the guardian concluded that Amanda's "interests, and particularly her intellectual and emotional development, would be best served by exposure to a public school setting in which she would be challenged to solve problems presented by a group learning situation and...Amanda would be best served by exposure to different points of view at a time in her life when she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief and behavior." NOTE: "Different points of view" translates to "points of view approved by the government". Needing exposure to a "group learning situation" is completely invalidated by the fact that she attended public school for three classes. The problem is that she's a Christian.

Furthermore the court order states that despite Amanda's mother insisting that her daughter's religious beliefs were her own, "it would be remarkable if a ten-year-old child who spends her school time with her mother and the vast majority of all her other time with her mother would seriously consider adopting any other religious point of view." NOTE: I certainly won't "consider adopting any other religious point of view." Neither do the Islamics. Their religion teaches them to kill anyone who leaves Islam or is not Islamic. But I guess that's OK. Although the court noted that it "is extremely reluctant to impose on parents a decision about a child's education," it ruled that Amanda must attend public school.

Alliance Defense Fund-allied attorney John Anthony Simmons has filed a motion to reconsider. He says this ruling is dangerous to home schoolers because it will set a precedent for other cases.
"Every time you have a court order that uses a wrong standard or misapplies constitutional law, every one's rights are eventually at stake," the attorney explains. "Because what happens with precedent is it gets expanded -- it gets cited in other cases."

Simmons believes this case goes beyond the initial divorce and custody battle with this ruling because the standard used in the decision contained in the court order is troubling. He contends that the child's religion should not have played a role in the decision, and that the court should have focused solely on the academic merits of Amanda's education which proved to be excellent.
I agree with Mr. Simmons. This whole thing went far beyond the merits of the case. The girls religious beliefs should never have entered into it. The academic merits should have been the only thing considered, and since she was excelling beyond full-time public school students, there should not have been a problem. Mr. Simmons is correct in that when such a mishandled ruling is made, the case is used as a precedent and its scope always gets expanded. So, is a parent's option to home-school their child in danger? Yes, it most certainly is. If Mr. Simmons is unsuccessful in his appeal, it will be one more freedom we will have lost.

Other than discriminating against her for her religious beliefs, I think it's another case of a home schooled child putting the heavily funded government school system with degreed professionals to shame.

What's coming is home-schooling your child will be illegal at some point. The government does not want a child to be educated without government influence. The government and pro-public education special interest groups have been very successful in spreading many myths and outright lies about home-schooled children to the point that people look at you strangely many times if you say anything about it. Home-schooled children are looked upon as social and psychological misfits, because after all, the government knows better how to take care of your child than you do.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Week in review

Alyssa learned more about cooking. What utensils, pots, pans etc. that she should be using when making different items. She learned how a kitchen should be designed for optimal use. Spanish was about nations and how to pronounce them. Riding as usual was the highlight of her week.


This week seemed to fly right by. This week Nick learned about the structure of atoms. Atoms are not the smallest unit ... it's actually a qwark that's the smallest unit. In History he learned about the the french, german, and other nationalities founded America. Consumer Science he learned about the kitchen. Untensils, pots & pans. How and why their used. Spanish he learned about nationalities ... how to say countries in Spanish.