Superstitions

Cats all over the world appear in superstition and folklore. Every country has their own cat superstitions. Here is a few from around the globe.

• When a cat washes behind his ears you may expect visitors. (Dutch superstition)
• A strange Black cat on your porch brings prosperity, (Scottish superstition)
• A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. (Italian superstition)
• It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. (American superstition)
• Dreaming of a white cat means good luck. (American superstition)
• If a cat deserts a house, illness will always reign there. (English superstition)
• When you see a one eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true. (American superstition)
• If a cat washes behind it's ears, it will rain. (English superstition)
• A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. (English superstition)
• English schoolchildren believe seeing a white cat on the way to school is sure to bring trouble. To avert bad luck, they must either spit, or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.
• A Black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. (Irish superstition)
• It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. (French superstition)
• In Britain and many parts of Europe, a black cat crossing the road, or entering your house is considered very good fortune.
• In parts of Yorkshire the wives of fishermen keep black cats at home to ensure their husbands safety at sea.
• In Southern England a black cat crossing the path of the bride as she leaves the church is said grant a fortuneate marriage.
• A cat has nine lives.
• On every black cat there is a single hair that is white. If you remove it without the cat scratching, this white hair will bring you wealth or luck in love.

Do they know?

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

They are endowed with reason

and conscience

and should act towards one another

in a spirit of brotherhood.

Do they kn...?

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

... and you? Do you know?

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,

conscience and religion;

this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief,

and freedom,

either alone or in community with others and in public or private,

to manifest his religion or belief in

teaching,

practice,

worship and observance.

December 10 - a day to remember!

Keel-a-Zeeba Day!

Daniel Ângelo 801

10 01 Creative Writing

The Ring

Once up on a time, there was a very ugly boy, aged 17. He was born in a small village named Fradilos, in a very busy family.
However, that boy suffered a terrible curse casted by a bad, old, phantasmagorical wizard. That man gave him a golden ring which made Thiago Bandera (the boy) as ugly as a monster.
17 years went by and Thiago was very unhappy. He had never had a girlfriend. Everybody was always making fun of him and his parents didn’t pay attention to him at all. One day, the sad boy couldn't stand all the pressure and the prejudices anymore… why? - you ask. The girl he was in love with decided to play with his ring, his cursed ring. At that moment, Thiago exploded. As mad as a furious lion, he took out the ring and threw it away to the other side of the village, with such a strenght that when it fell in a lake - a big and deep lake - the ring broke into millions of pieces. Immediately after, the boy fell asleep on the road.
Thiago almost died in three days. His body just wanted to throw out everything, vomit every humiliation, every guffaw, every forced laugh, every contemptuous look. He was very sick, he vomited, he had acne and he was in the heat of a fever.

During that time there wasn’t anyone in his body!
When he recovered, he slowly got up and went to the mirror. He carefully got near it and suddenly, the mirror broke into thousands of pieces. — Can you imagine how Thiago felt? – No, you can’t. – He bursted into tears, just like a child. He felt like the worst person in the world.
As a heavenly power had come upon him, he picked up a little bit of glass and, then, he realized that… the mirror had broken not because he was ugly, but because of his wonderful beauty!! !
The curse was over. Thiago could be happy right now… Wow, if you had seen him! He laughed like a crazy boy; his wide open smile was the mirror of his heart! His dream, his wish… In a split second, he made friends, he became popular and desirable for the girls.
However, Thiago was not stupid; he didn’t get dazzled with fame or happiness. When he was ugly and insignificant, he learned what a really friend was and, at that moment, he didn’t have any. He was surrounded of people, but he was alone. He didn't have a close friend or someone he could really trust.
He couldn’t stand it anymore: Insignificant and ugly or popular and alone? Totally empty! He couldn’t decide, he couldn’t choose. A 17 year-old-boy is not made of steel, the pressure and the confusion became unbearable! He lost everything.
One day, in a cold foggy morning, a boy went with the wind. Losing everything, leaving everybody, he went away and never returned…
Every foggy morning, at his home, we can hear his spirit, his voice, saying:


«Bandera... Thiago Bandera»

Joana Silva; Sara Fernandes; Sara Pereira

GMO's

The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content.

The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used.

Genetically-modified foods have the potential to solve many of the world's hunger and malnutrition problems, and to help protect and preserve the environment by increasing yield and reducing reliance upon chemical pesticides and herbicides. Yet there are many challenges ahead for governments, especially in the areas of safety testing, regulation, international policy and food labeling. Many people feel that genetic engineering is the inevitable wave of the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous potential benefits. However, we must proceed with caution to avoid causing unintended harm to human health and the environment as a result of our enthusiasm for this powerful technology.

:(

Unfortunately you tube videos are not availabe, at the moment, at school.

Nonetheless, you can still watch them at home.

We are deeply sorry but this happened because some people have misused you tube at school!

Amazing Grace

How sweet the sound...

Fashion Newsflash

"When Vladimir Nabokov described nostalgia as an "insane companion," he didn't have shoes in mind (as far as we know, anyway). But more than a few women harbor a special fondness for their old "Nutcracker" fancies, so much so that one of the world's preeminent makers of dance shoes, the Australia-based Bloch, has seen its Covent Garden shop in London overrun by grown-up girls, insane companions in tow, determined to wear soft-sole slippers out on the street. In response, the company is launching its first-ever range of street shoes, Bloch London, next spring. The new line has already found favor with buyers at Fred Segal and Colette, among other trend-spotting stores worldwide."

Maya Singer

Sounds familiar?

Cloning

Cloning is the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another. This means that every single small piece of DNA is the same between the two!
When we hear of cloning successes, we only know about the few attempts that have worked, but we don´t realize the many more cloning experiments that have failed! And even in the successful cloning experiments, problems tend to occur later, during the clone´s growth into maturity.
It may be argued that reproductive cloning benefits are the same as any other reproductive means, either when one has no other chance of reproduction or by religious motives, or even because one just feels like doing it. This is exactly when we begin to wonder if cloning should be allowed or not. So, we try to balance the weight on the scale and figure out some facts either against or in favour of cloning.

Anonymous

Are you safe in a chatroom?

If you like chatrooms and you want to be safe, you must follow these rules:

-Don't give your e-mail address or any personal information to anyone you meet on the internet.

-Don't give your photos to anyone. When you give your photos or any type of personal informations to someone, that person can kidnap you or try to rob your house. It can be very dangerous especially if you have a date with the person you met, which is particularly fool because you don't know if that person is lying to you.

Besides that, you don't need to give your personal information to have fun!

Beatriz 801

Beautiful

sing along...

Generation Gap - fact or fiction?

Generation gap is the major reason why parents and children move away from each other. Everything has changed and so has people's life style. Today’s generation doesn’t like others interfering in any of their personal matters, they don’t like parents ordering them, and if parents try and tell them that’s wrong for them, they misbehave with them.

What is the reason behind all this?Is it parents’ mistake or is it caused by generation gap?

Generation gap is basically created by people themselves. They don’t talk to each other nor share their points of view.

The point is that parents are so busy with their work and jobs that they don’t have time for their family nor their children.

:)

Extra Tips To Be Fit :)

• Ask yourself why you want to be fit. Is it to be healthy, to do better in physical activities (like sports) or for other reasons?
• Decide what activities are right for you. Do you like to run or walk? Whatever you do should be something you enjoy. And always think about your safety!
• Pace yourself. Fitness is a gradual process, so don't rush or over-exercise. Set up a daily schedule. Starting at the top might be painful or tiring. Just like for video games, start at the beginning and work your way up to higher levels.
• Set goals. Keep track of your progress, and as you reach these goals, you'll feel good about what you've accomplished.
• Talk to others. People you know may have tips that make your activities easier and more fun!
• Work with a partner. It may be more fun if you do your activities with a friend, who can keep you company and motivated.
• Be flexible. Change your schedule, goals or activities if you need or want to; don't feel like you always have to stick to the same routine to be fit. Trying new activities that exercise different parts of the body can keep things interesting too.
• Eat a healthy diet. For example, fruits and veggies have a lot of nutrients your body needs. Many other healthy foods can also be combined for a balanced diet to give you energy.
• Eat several hours before your activity, or wait until afterwards. You don't want to be too full before exercising, or you might become tired or feel sick afterwards.
• Drink water and milk. While water is the No. 1 thirst-quencher (remember how thirsty you were after P.E.?), milk has the calcium to strengthen your bones.
  

Be aware! Be Safe!

The Internet contains an infinite number of high-quality, interesting, intriguing, and well-designed sites, and surfing on the Web is usually a source of enjoyment and acquisition of knowledge. However, because there is no supervision in this environment, it is sometimes difficult to know when positive activity could become dangerous and cause damage. It is important for you to be aware of the dangers lurking on the Internet and protect yourself.

Don't:

• give out your name, age, address, school, phone number, picture about yourself or anyone else without your parent's permission. This includes chat rooms, instant messages, email, etc...
• meet with someone in person that you met on the Internet unless your parent have agreed and will go with you. People aren't always who they say they are and that an adult can pretend to be a kid online.
• answer/open e-mails, enclosures, links...from people you don't know.
• give your password to anyone except your parents.

Follow family's rules for online safety at home, at school, at the library or at a friend or relative's house. Protect yourself!

"My family"

My family is great…
It is the best family in the world. I love my family because they are my friends and they help me when I need…My parents are the best because I can trust them.
My stepmother is a very good person. She is very nice - not like in those stories about stepmothers.
I have one brother and two sisters.
My brother is twenty six years old. I love fighting with him.
I have got one older sister, and one younger sister. My older sister either is pretty boring or pretty cool. The smaller one is the same thing, but she is also very cute.
I love my family. They are the perfect family!

Inês Sousa 701

"Mi Soledad"

Mi Soledad (My Solitude) is a unique 90-minute fusion of flamenco dance, music and song, in which Cortés takes audiences on an intimate and provocative journey through one man’s private emotions. Through the music and his unmistakable trademark zapateado, Cortés goes straight to the soul of his art, using a rich palette full of the colours of flamenco to express solitude, intimacy and the manifestation of man as an individual.
Combining the musical rhythms of jazz, classical and flamenco genres with a live ten-piece orchestra and a seven-member vocal ensemble, Mi Soledad features music and lyrics by José Carbonell, Antonio Carbonell and Cortés. Mi Soledad features costume design by Jean Paul Gaultier, lighting design by Francois de la Ossa and Ricardo Requejo. Antonio Carbonell also serves as musical director.
You can see Mi Soledad on December 15 at 10.00 pm in Guimarães.

Wish Tour 2007

Reamonn is a German rock band that is well known all over Europe. Its members are Rea Garvey (voice/acoustic guitar), Uwe (lead guitar), Sebi (saxophone/Hammond organkeyboards), Mike Gommeringer (Gomezz) (drums), and Phil (bass guitar).
In 1997 Rea Garvey left his former band The Reckless Pedestrians and home town Tralee, Ireland to go to Germany with only 50 DM and a demo record in his pocket. He put an ad into the local paper Stockacher Anzeiger which stated, "Singer needs band for a record and shows." Mike Gommeringer (Gomezz) saw it. They met up and recruited Uwe, Sebi and Phil. In 1998 the band was set up. Their first gig was on New Year's Eve 1998/1999 in Stockach.
In order to get a recording contract, they played at Logo, a pub in Hamburg, in front of 16 representatives of various record labels in 1999. The band was quickly given several contract offers, from which they settled on Virgin Records.
Their first album Tuesday (produced by Steve Lyon) and the first single "Supergirl" were major successes. Both went gold and became the most-played song on German radio in 2000. Reamonn became stars and played at many festivals and concerts. In autumn 2000 they went on their own tour to promote their first album with support from Heyday. Future songs "Josephine" and "Waiting There For You" achieved similar success.
The second album Dream No. 7 was released in 2001. The name comes from the number of their former home and rehearsal room in Munzingen, a suburb of Freiburg. With the single "Weep", they had a guest appearance in the German movie Mondscheintarif.
Their third album Beautiful Sky was recorded in Spain and released in 2003. It reached No. 3 in the German album charts and went double platinum. The band toured with Robbie Williams. Their 2005 album Wish was produced in Los Angeles.
On July 7, 2007 they performed at the German leg of Live Earth in Hamburg.

They are on tour in Portugal at the moment.

Glu, glu, glu... said the turkey

Thanksgiving - 22nd November

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

On Thanksgiving, families and friends gather for a reunion, a day of thanks, and a festive meal. Some people attend a religious service on the eve before or day of Thanksgiving.
In giving thanks, people are grateful for a wide variety of blessings in their lives and for events in which they felt God played a role in helping them. They appreciate the bountiful food of the harvest season, share food with guests, and donate food through charities.
The Thanksgiving dinner is usually served during the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day. Often guests bring food items or help with cooking in the kitchen as part of a happy, communal meal. When the family and guests come to the table to eat, a grace to thank God is said before partaking of the meal. In keeping with the holiday theme of giving thanks, during the socializing or the meal, people talk about what they are thankful for or tell about experiences during the past year which have caused them to feel grateful.
In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. First and foremost, turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn (maize), other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these primary dishes are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived.
In the United States, Thanksgiving is a four-day weekend vacation in school and college calendars. Most businesses close only for the Thursday of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Eve, on the Wednesday night before, is traditionally one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs, both in terms of sales and volume of patrons, as many students have returned to their hometowns from college.
On Thanksgiving Day, families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner, the result being that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

That was Halloween II!

That was Halloween!