The Cult-Edie (Ciao Baby)

Listen' n 'njoy!

June 17

Desertification is the transformation of an area in a desert. The term desertification has been widely used for the loss of productive capacity of ecosystems caused by human activity. Due to environmental conditions, the economic activities in a region may exceed the capacity and sustainability. The process is little perceptive by local people. There are also genetic erosion of wild fauna and flora, the extinction of species and possible proliferation of exotic species. It has origin, in the case of sandy deserts, on the impoverishment of the soil and consequent death of vegetation, being replaced by sandy ground. In the case of polar deserts, the obvious question is the extremely low temperatures in those regions. At a United Nations’ convention desertification was defined as the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid resulting from various factors such as climatic variations and human activities. June 17 is the World Day to Combat Desertification.

Diogo Mourão, 802

Filipe Carvalho, 802

Alexandrina, 802

Ana Isabel, 802

A friend in a letter

A few days ago, I was reading a magazine, when something called my attention.
A girl put an ad in a magazine speaking about her. She said that she liked to do theatre, meet people, and listen to music, read, write, and a lot of other funny things.
I thought she was very much like me and I sent her a letter. I talked about me, I asked some questions about her, etc …
Sometime later, she sent me a letter too. She answered all my questions and she asked some too of course.
She is really nice and we are very good friends, now. We like to do the same things, we talk and tell our secrets to each other, we share texts because we both like writing, we share our opinions about our teachers or our parents too…
Sometimes, when I send my letter, I am anxious to have the answer back. When the letter isn’t delivered on time I get very nervous but when I held it in my hands I am as happy as ever.
Some people say that a friendship doesn’t cost anything, but I use to say that my friendship costs a stamp and an envelope.

André Pedrosa, 701

Let's have some fun!

Wed WED

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.
The World Environment Day slogan for 2008 is Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy. Recognising that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era, UNEP is asking countries, companies and communities to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them. The World Environment Day will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption.

Is knife crime as common as we think?

The death of Harry Potter actor Rob Knox at the weekend is the latest in a spate of knifings to have grabbed the headlines. But what are the facts behind knife crime and which young people are in greatest danger?
"Tackling knife culture, especially among young people, is paramount to the safety of our communities, and I am determined to reduce the devastation caused by knife crime," then Home Secretary Charles Clarke said in the spring of 2006.
Since then there has been a knife amnesty, numerous government initiatives and photo opportunities, with ministers slamming home the same message - that knives will not be tolerated.
But still the deaths caused by knives go on.

The real picture

According to the British Crime Survey (BCS), overall violent crime has decreased by 41% since a peak in 1995.

Knives are used in about 8% of violent incidents, according to the BCS, a level that has largely remained the same during the past decade.
But the BCS figures do not include under-16s, something which the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced this month would change.
Criminologist Kevin Stenson said the politicians needed to do more to address the problems of those aged under 16 and added: "They are the people who fear being attacked with knives, they carry them because they are scared and for respect. It is about macho status."
But Ife Igunnubole, a youth worker in Hackney, London, said knives and guns brought a sense of power to youths who felt powerlessness. He said: "There is a level of desperation on the streets, brought about by poverty, which is creating a culture of fear."

'Poorer most at risk'

The falling age of victims is something that has been found with both knife and gun crime.
Mr Garside said: "Those living in poorer parts of town are inevitably most at risk. For many years the murder capital for knife crime has been Glasgow, but now we are seeing it as a major problem in Manchester and London and other cities."
Karyn McCluskey, head of Strathclyde's Violence Reduction Unit, said knife crime was endemic and dated back to the "razor gangs" of the 1920s.
She said: "People give all sorts of reasons why they carry knives, including protecting themselves. But a knife is not a weapon of defence, it's a weapon of offence."
Ms McCluskey said: "Much of it is to do with bravado. Machismo is a huge issue up here and the lack of role models too. We often get knives being used by grandfathers, fathers and sons.
"Part of the problem is that they don't have the skills to walk away. If they're in a taxi queue and it's raining and they've been drinking, if someone looks at them in a funny way there will be a fight. It's as simple as that."
She said some offenders mistakenly thought they could stab a rival in the buttocks without harm, but she added: "You can bleed to death if you hit a femoral artery. There is no safe place to stab anybody."

Chris.Summers-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Lion didn't sleep on Sunday! ;)

Muppets - Mahna Mahna

Mandatory Task - Telemedicine (10th grade)

1. What is telemedicine?

2. What are its major benefits?

3. Refer to its usage models?

4. What kinds of consultation does it include?

5. Name some of the robotic surgery applications.

6. Sum up Victor's story.

Biological Diversity Day - May 22

25th May - International Missing Children's Day

1. Origin of the day May 25

On May 25, 1979, six years old Etan Patz was abducted in New York. He was
never seen again. Over the following years, different organizations began to
highlight this date, but it was not until 1983 that the President of the United
States declared May 25 "Missing Children's Day".
This day has also been commemorated in Canada since 1986 and has had
since then, an international dimension.

2. Purpose of the day May 25

The main purpose of the International Missing Children’s Day is to encourage
the population to think about all the children who have been reported missing in
Europe and around the world and to spread a message of hope and solidarity
on an international scale to parents without any news of their children and who
do not know where their child is or what has become of him/her.
The purpose is also a reflection about prevention strategies to promote at the
European institutions and to implement in close collaboration with the authorities
in charge of education and social policy, justice and police.
The ultimate objective for this day is to be commemorated every year in all the
countries members of the European Federation for Missing and Sexually
Exploited Children and, as far as possible, in many other countries of the world.

3. Symbol of the day May 25

Inspired by the action carried out in Canada, it has been decided to choose the
forget-me-not as the symbol to be used for the International Missing Children’s
Day on May 25 in Europe.
The biodegradable poster produced on the occasion of the Halifax Summit (17 June
1995) aimed to draw more attention to the cause of the environment. It could be
crumpled into a ball and buried in the ground. The seeds inside would produce forgetme-
nots. On the poster a child's hand could be seen. Two million forget-me-not seeds
were attached to the 50,000 posters using a water-soluble compound. The posters
were distributed to school-age children in the Halifax-Dartmouth region. They bore the
inscription "Seed of hope" and encouraged the population to sow the seeds of change -
- thus linking up with the Summit's political and economic discussions in the hope of a
greener future for our children.
In Belgium, little forget-me-nots pins (cloth material), are distributed for free to
the public in supermarkets and shopping centers as to the staff of firms,
hospitals, police, etc.

A helping hand

Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change people's lives, including your own. If you're feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by the news of a disaster, volunteering to help can be a great way to cope. If you'd like to support a cause but can't afford to donate money, you can donate your time instead.

Helping others in need is such an important part of the American way of life that many high schools require their students to spend a certain number of hours volunteering in order to graduate.

Volunteering isn't like school: Instead of having the choices made for you about where to go and what subjects to learn, you get to pick. You can choose what really interests you and who (or what) is most deserving of your time.
If you like animals, help out at a local animal shelter. Most shelters depend on volunteers to keep the cats and dogs happy and well exercised. (And when you're walking rescued dogs, it's not just the pooches that get a workout — you benefit too!)
If you think you may be interested in politics, volunteering to help with a campaign is a great way to find out how things work on the inside. Even if you're too young to vote, you can make a difference by helping on a political campaign.

If you have a friend or relative who has or had a medical problem (like cancer, HIV, or diabetes, for example), you might be inspired to donate your time to help an organization that raises money for research, delivers meals, or offers other help to people with the illness.
If you like children, there are tons of volunteering opportunities — from being a Big Brother or Big Sister to helping out in an after-school sports program.
You also can:
- serve food at a homeless shelter
- volunteer to spend time at a retirement community
- help out at your church
- take part in a park cleanup day...

The possibilities are endless!
And if you have more than one thing you love, you can combine the two: For example, if you love kids and are great at arts and crafts, visit your local children's hospital and offer to lead art activities for young patients.

After you've discovered what interests you, decide how much time you want to spend and what fits into your schedule. Most organizations want volunteers to commit to giving them a set amount of time every week or two — it varies according to the organization.
But what if school, sports, or other commitments prevent you from devoting time every week? Many large organizations (especially those related to the environment or finding cures for diseases) have daylong activities that you can take part in once in a while. These include walkathons, bike rides, cleanup days, or building homes for those in need. Not only are these great ways to help, you can also get some exercise.

Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills — from working as part of a team to setting and reaching goals. It gives you a chance to discover what kinds of things you're best at and enjoy the most. A volunteer job that you love can even help shape your ideas about your career goals.
Volunteering also can provide you with a sense of responsibility because people really depend on you. And it can help you develop a new understanding of people who are different from you — people with disabilities, people in financial distress, sick kids, or the elderly.

Volunteering helps people feel they make a difference — that they do have the power to change things for the better. When people depend on you, it can change the way you look at yourself. You can feel proud of the goals that you've achieved for an organization — whether it's helping to organize a 10K to raise money for breast cancer or running the race itself.
Volunteering is also a great way to get a perspective on your own life. Sometimes it's easy to get consumed by worries about your grades or the fight you had with your friend or parent. And although these things are very important in their own way, sometimes it can be helpful to get some distance and think about other things. Volunteering allows you to do this. It lets you focus on others and see that your involvement in the world can be meaningful.
Finally, volunteering can help save you from being bored — it gives you a place to be where you can have a good time and keep busy.

Volunteering can be an incredible experience.

Maya Angelou Still I Rise

The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You

Mandatory Task 901/902

Write a short composition on the topic.

Don't forget to mention the kind of job you would like to do, the reason why and the skills a volunteer should have.

Letter to the world

Dear World,

We like our world so much that we think we need to call your attention to environmental problems like the species in danger of extinction, global warming and the need of using renewable energies.We like animals very much and we want to protect them. Global warming is affecting the entire planet and nothing is being done to prevent it and renewable energies are very good and don’t pollute the environment, but they are too expensive.

There are some species in danger of extinction like the cheetah, the Siberian tiger, or the snow leopard whose fur is used to make coats. We need to stop people from killing these animals.
Global warming is very harmful to the planet and we must stop this. And to stop this we should recycle more and pollute less and if we do that, the air which humans breathe will be much better and healthy.

Renewable energies use natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which may be naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity/micro hydro, biomass and bio fuels for transportation.

Protect yourself by protecting the environment.

Manuel, Diogo Cerejeira and André - 801

TV

TV is very important because it keeps people entertained. It is an important means of information, entertainment and education thanks to movies, cartoons, soap operas, sports, music, documentaries and so on.
However, it also has a lot of disadvantages, such as: teenagers spend much time watching television and do not study, and they are also at risk of becoming obese because they do not exercise. TV can also be addicting.
One thing is for sure. TV changed our world.

Diogo Silva 802

Jean Rhys - a short biography

Jean Rhys was born in 1890, August 24. Her hometown is Roseau, at Dominica, West Indies. This writer was of African descent, as the most Dominica’s people.
Her father, William Rees Williams, was a Welsh doctor and her mother, Minna Williams, was a third generation Dominican Creole of Scottish ancestry.
When she was a child, Jean was educated at a convent school in Roseau. She loved literature since yet and she loved to visit the places that she read about.
When she was 17, Rhys was sent to her father to England to live with her aunt. She attended the Perse School, Cambridge (1907-1908) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London (1909).
When Jean’s father died, she was forced to leave her studies. Her mother, Minna Williams, wanted that Jean was live to the Caribbean, but Rhys wished to go to a musical tour as a chorus girl. In that tour, Jean wrote a book about furniture.
During World War I, Jean Rhys worked as volunteer in the soldiers’ canteen. In 1918, she worked in a pension office.
A year later, the writer went to Deutschland and married with the journalist and songwriter, Jean Lenglet.
She lived with him, in 1920 to 1922 in Vienna and Budapest, while Lenglet was working for a disarmament Commission. She also lived in Paris and mainly in England, after 1927.

Jean Rhys and Jean Lenglet had two children. Their son died in infancy and then they had a daughter.
Rhys began writing under the patronage of Ford Madox Ford, whom she met in Paris, France. In that time, her husband, Jean Lenglet, was sentenced to prison for illegal financial transactions.
With her husband in prison, Rhys tried to support, only with her earnings, their daughter and herself.
Her patronage with Ford Madox Ford ended with a lot of bitterness.
With all that things happening in the Rhys’ life, the writer and her husband divorced, but in her books, instead of her second and third marriage, Jean talked all the time about Lenglet.

Ana Bezerra, Ana Oliveira, Daniela Miranda, Sara Pinheiro 901

The 3 R's

"3R's" is a very famous term used to describe the three ways one can help produce less waste, and is often symbolized by three arrows, arranged in a triangle.

Reduce:
It simply means throwing away less. This involves the purchasing of long-lasting goods that come in minimal packaging. Since reduction prevents the production of waste in the first place, it is the most preferable method of waste management in the long term.

Reuse:
Waste can also be reduced by reusing old items. This includes repairing them, donating them to charity groups or using them in a different way. For example, most electrical products can be repaired by replacing the necessary parts, old clothes and toys can be donated to the orphans and the less fortunate, and old bottles can be used as home-made plant pots.

Recycling:
Recycling can be considered a breakthrough in waste reduction strategy. It turns materials, that would otherwise become waste, into valuable materials. By recycling, we can conserve resources for our children's future and reduce the need for new landfills and incinerators.
The recycling process involves the collection of recyclable materials, sorting and processing them into raw materials and manufacturing them into new products.

IN DANGER!

It has taken million of years for life to become used to the conditions on Earth. As weather and temperature changes, the homes of plants and animals will be affected all over the world.
For example, polar bears and seals, will have to find new land for hunting and living, if the ice in the Arctic melts.
Many animals and plants may not be able to cope with these changes and could die. This could cause the loss of some animal and plant species in certain areas of the world or everywhere on Earth.
The changes in climate will affect everyone, but some populations will be at greater risk. For example, countries whose coastal regions have a large population, such as Egypt and China, may see whole populations move inland to avoid flood risk areas. The effect on people will depend on how well we can adapt to the changes and how much we can do to reduce climate change in the world.

Mandatory Task 801/802

Bearing in mind what you have learnt in class, write a short composition on the topic.

Pollution

Clouds of choking smog; beaches coated in oil; rivers turned red by chemicals. All of these are obvious examples of pollution.
However, not all types of pollution are easily seen.

For example, invisible plumes of gas may drift over our towns and cities. They can cause asthma and chest problems. They can also kill trees.

Another problem is finding out the size of the area affected. Winds can blow pollutants across thousands of kilometres, from one side of an ocean to the other. Chemicals flowing down large rivers can pollute many countries on their way to the sea.Then there is the problem of finding out who is to blame.
Satellites are key weapons in this never-ending fight to keep the planet clean. Space-based instruments can detect harmful gases and chemical waste released by industry, power plants and traffic.Satellites can pinpoint the sources of pollution, watch it move through the air and see where it ends up. They can also study ocean colour and detect oil spills at sea, both day and night.From hundreds of kilometres above the Earth, these “spies in the sky” help to identify major exporters and importers of pollution across the world.

Greenhouse Effect

The Earth is wrapped in a blanket of air called the 'atmosphere', which is made up of several layers of gases. The sun is much hotter than the Earth and it gives off rays of heat (radiation) that travel through the atmosphere and reach the Earth. The rays of the sun warm the Earth, and heat from the Earth then travels back into the atmosphere. The gases in the atmosphere stop some of the heat from escaping into space. These gases are called greenhouse gases and the natural process between the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth is called the 'Greenhouse Effect', because it works the same way as a greenhouse. The windows of a greenhouse play the same role as the gases in the atmosphere, keeping some of the heat inside the greenhouse.

THE EFFECTS
With more heat trapped on Earth, the planet will become warmer, which means the weather all over Earth will change. For example, summers will get hotter, and winters too. This may seem a good idea, but the conditions we are living in are perfect for life, and a large rise in temperature could be terrible for us and for any other living thing on Earth.
At the moment, it is difficult for scientists to say how big the changes will be and where the worse effects will occur.

Let´s celebrate May

MAY DAY - The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It is said to be a time of love and romance. It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter.

4TH MAY - International Firefighters' Day (IFFD) is a time where the world's community can recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day in which current and past firefighters can be thanked for their contributions.
International Firefighters' Day is observed each year on 4th May. On this date you are invited to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. At the same time, we can show our support and appreciation to the firefighters world wide who continue to protect us so well throughout the year.

5TH-11TH MAY - A week when thousands of Red Cross staff and volunteers come together to celebrate the organisation´s work and services, raise money and recruit new volunteers.

9TH MAY - Europe Day, marks the anniversary of the day in 1950 when the European Union was conceived. French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman gave a speech calling for European countries to combine their coal and steel production under a single European institution, paving the way to our current European Union.