I know this post is only supposed to be about the fatalities of Ipods, but I'm going to have to talk about the Oscars first (Sorry, I can't help myself!). Generally, I find award ceremonies boring. I figure you can always just find out who won after rather than suffer through a long, yawn-worthy, boredom provoking show. Same thing, right? Well, I guess the only exception would be the 2002 awards show where Halle Berry had a meltdown during her acceptance speech for Best Actress. THAT my friends, was definitely worthwhile. (Here's a video to refresh your memory: http://youtube.com/watch?v=AJca67gYFEY )
I can't say I was too surprised with the winners. Oprah was absolutely raving about Forest Whittaker's performance in "The Last King of Scotland" and Jennifer Hudson's role in "Dreamgirls," and, truth be told, Oprah is usually right. Although I didn't particularly like "Dreamgirls" (there was singing every 5 minutes), I do think the acting should be acknowledged. I'll admit, I was very skeptical about former American Idol Jennifer Hudson's approach as an actress, but she literally blew me away, especially since it was her first time appearing in a film.
OKAY, back to music mishaps.
As I was reading articles on http://www.kiwibox.com , I came across a story involving a student attacking a teacher. Apparently, a 60-year-old math teacher in a Philadelphia high school was assaulted by two high school students after he confiscated an Ipod in class. The teacher ended up suffering from a broken neck and large gash on his face.
Honestly, I never thought people could become this barbaric, especially when it is a universally known fact that using music devices are prohibited during class. Not only that, the teacher was 60 years old! Mind you, the story makes the incident seem more violent than it actually was. Apparently the students 'pushed' the teacher in the hallway. I'm guessing they didn't know that the outcome would be so disastrous, but they should have still had some sort of respect. Kids these days. So I beg of you, please don't take the phrase "fight for your music" so literally. (For more on this story please visit http://cbs11tv.com/education/local_story_055133713.html )
On a much happier note, I also came across a story about a 15 month old girl who found $1,300 in a book! Apparently the child's babysitter bought the 25 cent book in a thrift store earlier that day. Talk about lucky! Now she can go on a shopping spree of Barbies and playdough! I'm so jealous!
That's it for now y'all!
TOODLES
Monday, February 26, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Who Killed the Electric Car?
I know what you're thinking: it must be Colonel Mustard in the library with a wrench! Close, but not quite.
So, who did it? Who extinguished what could have been a major asset to society?
The answer: oil companies, the automobile industry, the government, the California Air Resource Board (C.A.R.B.) and even us, the consumers!
* * *
Q: I don't really remember the electric car. When were they first on the market?
A: You may be surprised to know that the electric car was actually invented way back in 1834 by Thomas Davenport. Then, in 1930, the production of electric cars came to a halt shortly after Ford introducted gas-fuelled automobiles. Thirty-seven years after this, the Electric Auto Association was formed in hopes to resurrect the electric car from the grave. In 1996, General Motors launched a whole new electric car line and made them available for consumers to lease. In 2000, the vice-chairman of General Motors declared that all electric cars were to be converted into gasoline powered ones because "there [was] no particular need" to continue building battery operated cars.
Q: I don't get it. Wouldn't electric cars drastically eliminate polution? Why would anyone want to take them away?
A: In the United States, oil companies sell nearly 3 billion gallons of gasoline each week. If electric cars were to dominate the automobile industry, oil companies would flourish. Car companies would suffer as well, for they make most of their money by fixing and replacing engine parts.
Q: Well if these cars were so amazing, how did consumers contribute to their disappearance? Wouldn't everyone want to buy one?
A: You'd think so, wouldn't you? In actuality, consumers were not strongly persuaded to purchase electric cars. This was mainly due to lack of awareness and the fact that the cars were limited in availability. Also, back then, gas prices weren't as ridiculous as they are now.
Q: Are there any electric cars out there still?How can I help with the whole pollution thing?
A: Electric cars haven't been completely killed off. Some cars, such as Hybrids, are partially operated by battery. There are actually a few ways we can help eliminate pollution: plant a tree (they help clean the air), combine trips with your car, unpack any extra weight from your vehicle (this may reduce fuel usage by 1%!), and many others! For more tips on how to reduce emissions visit http://www.greenercars.com/drivinggreen.html .
* * *
FINAL THOUGHT
I think it's deceiving how the media claims that there are no strong solutions for pollution when, in fact, someone has already thought of one. I also think it's a shame that people are so unaware of issues such as these and are too consumed with money and power to help solve such a serious problem. Fortunately, now you know and, believe it or not, knowing does make a difference. After all, "knowledge is power." We, as today's generation, have the power to change the future. :)
More information regarding "Who Killed the Electric Car," may be found at http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/electric.html .
So, who did it? Who extinguished what could have been a major asset to society?
The answer: oil companies, the automobile industry, the government, the California Air Resource Board (C.A.R.B.) and even us, the consumers!
* * *
Q: I don't really remember the electric car. When were they first on the market?
A: You may be surprised to know that the electric car was actually invented way back in 1834 by Thomas Davenport. Then, in 1930, the production of electric cars came to a halt shortly after Ford introducted gas-fuelled automobiles. Thirty-seven years after this, the Electric Auto Association was formed in hopes to resurrect the electric car from the grave. In 1996, General Motors launched a whole new electric car line and made them available for consumers to lease. In 2000, the vice-chairman of General Motors declared that all electric cars were to be converted into gasoline powered ones because "there [was] no particular need" to continue building battery operated cars.
Q: I don't get it. Wouldn't electric cars drastically eliminate polution? Why would anyone want to take them away?
A: In the United States, oil companies sell nearly 3 billion gallons of gasoline each week. If electric cars were to dominate the automobile industry, oil companies would flourish. Car companies would suffer as well, for they make most of their money by fixing and replacing engine parts.
Q: Well if these cars were so amazing, how did consumers contribute to their disappearance? Wouldn't everyone want to buy one?
A: You'd think so, wouldn't you? In actuality, consumers were not strongly persuaded to purchase electric cars. This was mainly due to lack of awareness and the fact that the cars were limited in availability. Also, back then, gas prices weren't as ridiculous as they are now.
Q: Are there any electric cars out there still?How can I help with the whole pollution thing?
A: Electric cars haven't been completely killed off. Some cars, such as Hybrids, are partially operated by battery. There are actually a few ways we can help eliminate pollution: plant a tree (they help clean the air), combine trips with your car, unpack any extra weight from your vehicle (this may reduce fuel usage by 1%!), and many others! For more tips on how to reduce emissions visit http://www.greenercars.com/drivinggreen.html .
* * *
FINAL THOUGHT
I think it's deceiving how the media claims that there are no strong solutions for pollution when, in fact, someone has already thought of one. I also think it's a shame that people are so unaware of issues such as these and are too consumed with money and power to help solve such a serious problem. Fortunately, now you know and, believe it or not, knowing does make a difference. After all, "knowledge is power." We, as today's generation, have the power to change the future. :)
More information regarding "Who Killed the Electric Car," may be found at http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/electric.html .
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wikipedia Banned from American College?
Apparently, Middlebury College in Virginia has banned students from using the famous informational website 'Wikipedia,' claiming "Wikipedia is not an acceptable citation, even though it may lead one to a citable source."
I completely agree with this movement considering the information on the website isn't properly edited. Wikipedia allows random speculators to change the information without having the data confirmed by a second opinion. This most definitely puts students at risk for accumulating the wrong information. However, I can't say that I'm completely against it. After all, I've used it a few times myself! Even though I have used the website before, I've never used the information for project research for school (honestly!). I think the website does help people to get the jist of an idea, but the details in the articles, on the other hand, are very misleading. At first, I didn't know that the articles were vulnerable to incorrect editing, so I used the website to look up information that would feed my curiosity. As soon as I found out that the website was not such a good source after all, I stopped taking the information so seriously. So this is my warning to you: be careful!
(For those of you who haven't visited the website and are curious as to what I'm babbling about, the website is http://www.wikipedia.org)
Do you use Wikipedia?
(Information provided by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070213/ap_on_fe_st/wikipedia_ban%3B_ylt%3DApzVgnEPOOWeWes.joDihpeek3Qf )
I completely agree with this movement considering the information on the website isn't properly edited. Wikipedia allows random speculators to change the information without having the data confirmed by a second opinion. This most definitely puts students at risk for accumulating the wrong information. However, I can't say that I'm completely against it. After all, I've used it a few times myself! Even though I have used the website before, I've never used the information for project research for school (honestly!). I think the website does help people to get the jist of an idea, but the details in the articles, on the other hand, are very misleading. At first, I didn't know that the articles were vulnerable to incorrect editing, so I used the website to look up information that would feed my curiosity. As soon as I found out that the website was not such a good source after all, I stopped taking the information so seriously. So this is my warning to you: be careful!
(For those of you who haven't visited the website and are curious as to what I'm babbling about, the website is http://www.wikipedia.org)
Do you use Wikipedia?
(Information provided by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070213/ap_on_fe_st/wikipedia_ban%3B_ylt%3DApzVgnEPOOWeWes.joDihpeek3Qf )
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Smartest Boy in India?
A few days ago, Oprah had an interesting topic for her show: "Amazing Kids." Now, the topic itself doesn't seem too intriguing, but the guests who came on the show most definitely were! There was one child in particular who caught my attention: Akrit Jaswal.
When Akrit was only 7 years old, he performed surgery on a girl around the same age as him! Not only that, this kid knew how to read when he was only 2 years old. A short while later he discovered he really liked reading Shakespeare and, amazingly enough, he actually understood it! On top of that, he was reading various medical textbooks that a college student would find difficult to read ! By age 5, Akrit started going to school and, a short while after this, he began teaching English and Math classes. Doctors around his neighbourhood began to notice his talent when he was only 6 years old and allowed him to observe surgeries. Apparently, this guy has an IQ of 146! (I wouldn't be surprised!)
Akrit is currently 13 years old and in his second year of college. He says that he wants to continue studying medicine and anatomy so that he may ease the pain of people around the world. Aww!
If you want to see video footage of Akrit, the following link has a clip of his interview on Oprah:
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200702/tows_past_20070212.jhtml
* * * * * *
I also read another story about Dutch journalist Teun van de Keuken who asked to be incarcerated for eating chocolate! Apparently his whole plan was to make others aware of child labour issues in Ivory Coast (the home of the world's largest cocoa industry). Van de Keuken says "If I am found guilty of this crime, any chocolate consumer can be prosecuted after that. I hope that people would stop buying chocolate and thus hurt the sales of big corporations and make them do something about the problem."
You can find more on this story at http://kiwibox.com/today/respond.asp?n=17869&d=2%2F14%2F2007+1%3A36%3A27+PM&c=0
I tend to get most of my news from this site (http://www.kiwibox.com) because it posts interesting information you don't hear about on the news. Some of the stories are really fascinating! I would definitely recommend checking it out! :)
p.s. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE! <3
When Akrit was only 7 years old, he performed surgery on a girl around the same age as him! Not only that, this kid knew how to read when he was only 2 years old. A short while later he discovered he really liked reading Shakespeare and, amazingly enough, he actually understood it! On top of that, he was reading various medical textbooks that a college student would find difficult to read ! By age 5, Akrit started going to school and, a short while after this, he began teaching English and Math classes. Doctors around his neighbourhood began to notice his talent when he was only 6 years old and allowed him to observe surgeries. Apparently, this guy has an IQ of 146! (I wouldn't be surprised!)
Akrit is currently 13 years old and in his second year of college. He says that he wants to continue studying medicine and anatomy so that he may ease the pain of people around the world. Aww!
If you want to see video footage of Akrit, the following link has a clip of his interview on Oprah:
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200702/tows_past_20070212.jhtml
* * * * * *
I also read another story about Dutch journalist Teun van de Keuken who asked to be incarcerated for eating chocolate! Apparently his whole plan was to make others aware of child labour issues in Ivory Coast (the home of the world's largest cocoa industry). Van de Keuken says "If I am found guilty of this crime, any chocolate consumer can be prosecuted after that. I hope that people would stop buying chocolate and thus hurt the sales of big corporations and make them do something about the problem."
You can find more on this story at http://kiwibox.com/today/respond.asp?n=17869&d=2%2F14%2F2007+1%3A36%3A27+PM&c=0
I tend to get most of my news from this site (http://www.kiwibox.com) because it posts interesting information you don't hear about on the news. Some of the stories are really fascinating! I would definitely recommend checking it out! :)
p.s. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE! <3
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Studying Techniques
Hey all!
So, what do you think about the new layout? I guess I just like to "think pink." :)
So today, I nearly scared myself half to death. I was carelessly flipping through the pages of my planner when I suddenly realized that my MIDTERMS ARE NEXT WEEK! Yikes, that came fast!
After I stopped hallucinating and regained sanity, I began to plan out how I was going to tackle the whole studying thing. As I planned out my studying schedule for the week, I came up with some pretty good tips:
1) First, I thought about the location. I know many people who always 'study' at home and get absolutely nothing done. I hear the same story over and over again: "I got distracted and ended up eating Doritos and watching 'Wedding Crashers.' " Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating. However, studying at home is definitely a major downfall. Since you're comfortable in your own space, it's easy for your eyes to wander off. The library is definitely a more fitting environment. On the other hand, not all libraries are suitable. All libraries have different seating plans, noise levels, and capacities. It's important to experiment with different libraries so that you may find one to your liking.
2) I also thought about time management. Some people say that they can study well at the last minute. This may be true, but they would probably study more efficiently if they studied a little at a time. I remember my Grade 12 Psychology teacher specifically telling my class that "cramming is pointless because it doesn't work!"
3) Eliminating small activities is also another important factor. It's easy to lose focus when you're running around making errands. However, not all activities should be cancelled. Going to the gym, for instance, is an awesome way to wake up and refresh your brain.
4) A studying technique I tend to overly abuse is note taking. Reading straight from the book never gets me anywhere. Instead, I read over the text, pick out the main ideas, and write them down in point form. Sometimes this can be rather time consuming but, in the end, it's all worth it!
5) Another way to improve your studying habits would be to get up and walk around while you are reading your notes. According to studies, walking around helps your brain get some exercise and keep focus. Pretty cool, eh?
These are only a few ways to help improve your study skills. There are definitely a whole lot more out there!
What studying techniques do you find helpful?
So, what do you think about the new layout? I guess I just like to "think pink." :)
So today, I nearly scared myself half to death. I was carelessly flipping through the pages of my planner when I suddenly realized that my MIDTERMS ARE NEXT WEEK! Yikes, that came fast!
After I stopped hallucinating and regained sanity, I began to plan out how I was going to tackle the whole studying thing. As I planned out my studying schedule for the week, I came up with some pretty good tips:
1) First, I thought about the location. I know many people who always 'study' at home and get absolutely nothing done. I hear the same story over and over again: "I got distracted and ended up eating Doritos and watching 'Wedding Crashers.' " Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating. However, studying at home is definitely a major downfall. Since you're comfortable in your own space, it's easy for your eyes to wander off. The library is definitely a more fitting environment. On the other hand, not all libraries are suitable. All libraries have different seating plans, noise levels, and capacities. It's important to experiment with different libraries so that you may find one to your liking.
2) I also thought about time management. Some people say that they can study well at the last minute. This may be true, but they would probably study more efficiently if they studied a little at a time. I remember my Grade 12 Psychology teacher specifically telling my class that "cramming is pointless because it doesn't work!"
3) Eliminating small activities is also another important factor. It's easy to lose focus when you're running around making errands. However, not all activities should be cancelled. Going to the gym, for instance, is an awesome way to wake up and refresh your brain.
4) A studying technique I tend to overly abuse is note taking. Reading straight from the book never gets me anywhere. Instead, I read over the text, pick out the main ideas, and write them down in point form. Sometimes this can be rather time consuming but, in the end, it's all worth it!
5) Another way to improve your studying habits would be to get up and walk around while you are reading your notes. According to studies, walking around helps your brain get some exercise and keep focus. Pretty cool, eh?
These are only a few ways to help improve your study skills. There are definitely a whole lot more out there!
What studying techniques do you find helpful?
Friday, February 2, 2007
General Studies Underrated?
"General studies? That sounds like a waste of time."
In my opinion, going into General Studies is probably the best thing someone could do if they are unsure about what they want to study. Sure, you could go into something you don't take that much of an interest in, let's say Criminology, and get a nice, fancy diploma "just to have." However, chances are, you probably won't even use it. Don't get me wrong, I think Criminology is an awesome field to get into if that's what you're interested in, but I strongly disagree with rushing into something you are not even sure you want.
"Oh, you don't know what you want to do? You should go into Arts or something and get a degree. At least this way you'll have something after a few years rather than just wasting your time in General Studies and getting nothing in the end."
Okay, I definitely know what some of you are thinking and, quite frankly, I was once in the same position as you. BUT, I can honestly say that general studies is a very beneficial choice for those who have interests in various fields. In the long run, it is very possible that you will be in general studies for quite some time, however, I don't look at this as a bad thing. Personally, I would rather take an extra year or two to discover myself and find a career that truly defines me. If I were to go into a random degree program just because I wasn't sure of what I wanted, I wouldn't be learning the things I am today.
I've learned that I like using my imagination and being creative. I found out that I really enjoy writing essays and poetry. I discovered I'm good at editing and coming up with innovative ideas.
After learning all these new things, I have finally decided the career I want to pursue: Journalism. AND, it only took me one semester to figure it out! Imagine what would have happened if I went into a degree program just for kicks. I would have probably ended up transferring into General Studies midway through anyways. That kind of sounds like a waste of time, don't you think?
In my opinion, going into General Studies is probably the best thing someone could do if they are unsure about what they want to study. Sure, you could go into something you don't take that much of an interest in, let's say Criminology, and get a nice, fancy diploma "just to have." However, chances are, you probably won't even use it. Don't get me wrong, I think Criminology is an awesome field to get into if that's what you're interested in, but I strongly disagree with rushing into something you are not even sure you want.
"Oh, you don't know what you want to do? You should go into Arts or something and get a degree. At least this way you'll have something after a few years rather than just wasting your time in General Studies and getting nothing in the end."
Okay, I definitely know what some of you are thinking and, quite frankly, I was once in the same position as you. BUT, I can honestly say that general studies is a very beneficial choice for those who have interests in various fields. In the long run, it is very possible that you will be in general studies for quite some time, however, I don't look at this as a bad thing. Personally, I would rather take an extra year or two to discover myself and find a career that truly defines me. If I were to go into a random degree program just because I wasn't sure of what I wanted, I wouldn't be learning the things I am today.
I've learned that I like using my imagination and being creative. I found out that I really enjoy writing essays and poetry. I discovered I'm good at editing and coming up with innovative ideas.
After learning all these new things, I have finally decided the career I want to pursue: Journalism. AND, it only took me one semester to figure it out! Imagine what would have happened if I went into a degree program just for kicks. I would have probably ended up transferring into General Studies midway through anyways. That kind of sounds like a waste of time, don't you think?
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