Thanksgiving Day Tradition

Thanksgiving Day is a communal celebration marked as a sense of gratitude people feel for all the good things in life. This is done by offering prayers, gifting your near and dear ones. The fourth Thursday in the month of November is marked for the yearly celebration. The tradition of Thanksgiving continues till date in the form of a family reunion.

Family Reunion and Feasting

Family feast is an important tradition during Thanksgiving. The entire family sits at the table during dinner and offer prayer to the Lord Almighty for his continuous grace. It is also a time for relatives living in different places to come together and celebrate.

Tradition of Turkey

The traditional stuffed turkey adorns every dinner table during the feast. Pumpkin pie, Cranberry sauce, Corns are some of the dishes cooked everywhere to mark the day. Though historians don't have an evidence to prove that turkey was eaten during the first Thanksgiving dinner, but the thanksgiving celebration will be incomplete without it.

Parades

The traditional Thanksgiving parade probably started with President Lincoln proclaiming it an official day. The full-dress parade is a way to display the country's military strength and discipline. The main aim of such parades is to lift the spirits of the spectators, provide them with wholesome entertainment. In the present day, parades are accompanied with musical shows and celebrities.

Football Games

Watching NFL football during Thanksgiving is a popular tradition. The traditional game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers continues. One of the most memorable games having been played on this day.

Source: http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/thanksgiving-day-tradition.html

Body Image Survey

Last week, following up our lesson about the Teen´s World and Being Beautiful, we asked our Students from 1001 to answer to the Body Image Survey (that is on their Textbook) anonymously.

So, today we are posting here the results we gathered from the survey.

We hope you enjoy it and we THANK YOU for your collaboration.

And keep in mind that what you see on TV and in advertisements is not the “real story”. Look for the beauty inside yourself!

André said...

When I turned thirteen years old, I thought that a new world would appear into my life, adolescence. It was a huge change which altered my personality. Now, I can talk about me and who I am.
I love theatre and history is one of my passions, in fact I want it to be part of my future.
I’m crazy for music! Abba, Mika, Phantom Planet, Norah Jones, to sing... Thriller and the nicest kids in town to dance... And all the others to listen!
I would like to visit England or Scotland, but Famalicão or any other place where I am with my friends is good.
Tennis is one of my hobbies but I also spend lots of time reading or playing computer games.
My idols aren’t famous people but friends of mine and who I admire a lot.
Fourteen, here I come, be prepared!

André Pedrosa, 801

More about Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh. As a child he suffered from tuberculosis and spent much of his time in bed composing stories before he could even read. Stevenson studied engineering at Edinburgh University but, due to his ill health, had to abandon his plans to follow his father's footsteps. He changed to law and passed the Scottish bar in 1875.Stevenson then took some time to travel to warmer countries in an attempt to improve his health. These experiences provided much material for his works.Stevenson is especially known for his adventure novels. His first success was the romantic adventure story Treasure Island. His other proeminant works include Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Black Arrow. A characteristic of Stevenson's novels is a skilful use of horror and supernatural elements. His stories are often set in colourful locations, where his characters can forget the restrictions of Victorian social manners.

Dr.Jekyll

The Strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, published in January of 1886, sold 40000 copies. The mystery of Jekyll and Hyde is gradually revealed through the narratives of Mr. Enfield, Mr. Utterson, Dr. Lanyon and Jekyll's butler Poole. Utterson, Jekyll's lawyer discovers that the nasty Mr. Edward Hyde is the heir of Dr.Jekyll's fortune. Hyde is suspected of a murder. Utterson and Poole break into Jekyll's laboratory and find the lifeless Hyde. Two documents explain the mystery: Jekyll's old friend, the late Dr. Lanyon tells that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person. In his own account Jekyll tells that to separate the good and evil aspects of his nature, he invented a transforming drug. His evil self takes the form of the repulsive Mr. Hyde. Jekyll's supplies of drugs run out and he finds himself slipping involuntarily into being Hyde. Jekyll kills himself, but the last words of the confession are written by his alter ego: "Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Dr. Jekyll to an end."The story has been considered as a criticism of a Victorian double morality, but it can be read as a comment on Charles Darwin's book "Origin of Species" – Dr. Jekyll turn in his experiment the evolution backwards and reveals the primitive background of a cultured human being. Henry James admired Stevenson's "genuine feeling for the perpetual moral question, a fresh sense of the difficulty of being good and the brutishness of being bad". Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde has become and icon of popular culture and was adapted among other into screen over twenty times. The story of double personality and metamorphosis appealed strongly to Victorian readers.

Commentary by Patrick Nelson

Jekyll and Hyde represent two of the most often used characters in literary history. The story involves a middle-aged scientist who experiments with different potions until he transforms into a completely different person: a situation resembling multiple personality disorder. The story has become popular since we all relate to it. As Hyde takes more and more control over Jekyll, "All things therefore seemed to point to this: that I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse". All efforts to help Jekyll end in failure as Hyde continue his life of crime, allowing authorities to close in. Jekyll pulls in a short list of friends forced to confidentiality. Living in fear of Hyde, they all try and help out their friend Dr. Jekyll. It´s a tale of self-deceit, friendship, paranoia, addiction, and personality disorder. The story´s popularity plays on our fear of the uncontrollable worse, our lack of self-control.

Our opinion about the book

We didn't have the chance to read the book because the public library didn't have the book... From what we've read this book seems to be an interesting story that represents the cases of double personality, that are becoming more common in our society. We can't say too much about the book because we didn't read it but we hope that this work makes someone have the will to buy or try to get the book... With this work we also got the chance to know a bit more about Robert Luis Stevenson, a writer that we didn't know well.

Artur, Daniel, João Melo, Marli, Mónica

901

Mr. Atkinson or Mr. Bean...

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson was born on January 6th, 1955 in Newcastle. He studied at the University of Oxford where he graduated in engineering. In 1990, he married to Suneta Sastry, in New York during the filming of «The Blackadder». He is still married and lives in Oxford, along with his two children, Ben and Lily.

In contrast to his characters, he is shy, discreet, serious, very reserved, and hates talking about his private life. Rowan drew critics attention at the festival of Edinburgh in 1977. In 1978, he became a founder member of "Not the Nine O'Clock News Team" of the BBC - it was experience that gave him several awards as LP Platinum and Gold, many books of success, the Silver Rose in Montreau, an International Emmy, the Academy Award for English Actors and became the BBC's Personality of the Year.
In 1981 Rowan became the youngest player to have a show in London's West End - the success of the season at the Globe Theater and won the Society Award from the West End Actor and Comedian of the Year.
After five years and four series, he won three awards from the British Academy, an International Emmy, three times the ACE award and awards for his personal performance. Rowan again was voted the BBC's Person of the Year.
He became internationally known for his charismatic character Mr. Bean that he created and plays. The shows have already been sold in over 200 countries. In 2007, while filming "Mr. Bean's Holiday", Rowan announced "the end" of Mr. Bean.

I regret his decision a lot...

Alexandrina 902

bi@ said:

Hi bloggers!
I’m going to introduce you to a new Portuguese rock star, Slimmy.
Paulo Fernandes is the real name of the Portuguese singer born in Oporto, Slimmy.

Slimmy’s project started in 1999 when he decided to write his own musics. At that time, he was a DJ and that’s why his musics have electro influences. His idol is Duff McKagan, ex-Guns N’Roses guitar player, who now plays at Velvet Revolver.
Slimmy’s first and unique album, Beatsound Loverboy, came out in 2007. It has eleven musics: “Beatsound Loverboy”, “You Should Never Leave Me”, “Showgirl”, “Bloodshot Star”, “Self Control”, “Set Me On Fire”, “Far From You”, “On My Own”, “Inside The One”, “All You Gotta’ Do Is Stay Alive” and “Good Night Good Souls”. “Beatsound Loverboy” and “You Should Never Leave Me” are in Morangos com Açúcar’s soundtrack, “Bloodshot Star” is in CSI Miami and Self Control is in the generic of a TV show from Sky Sports. He’s got three singles, and the fourth is coming.
Slimmy was nominated to “Globos de Ouro” in the category of “Portuguese Revelation of The Year” and to “Best Portuguese Act” in the Europe Music Awards from MTV.
Slimmy has already played in Festival Paredes de Coura, Festival Marés Vivas, Festival Noites Ritual, in the bar Tertúlia Castelense, ...
On stage Slimmy has the support of Garim (bass) and Garcez (drums). Slimmy’s management and production are made by Saul Davies, the drummer of the famous british band, The James.

Beatriz, 901

Wired Teens Changing Communication Norms

In this age of MySpace, instant messaging, cell phones, and email do teenagers still have time for face-to-face human interaction? According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the answer may be no.
Pew found among teens with access to multiple forms of communication (be it text messaging, online chat, and cell phones) only 35 percent listed personal human interaction as an everyday means of communication. That makes face-to-face communication the second least popular option for communicating among wired teens. The only thing less popular than face-to-face communications was email with only 22 percent of teens saying they sent an email daily.
Cell phones are a teenager's main method for communicating with 70 percent of Pew survey respondents saying it is their primary means of communicating with peers. Next it was SMS text messaging with 60 percent of teens saying it was how the communicated with friends.
The Internet is close behind with 54 percent of teens saying they sent an instant messaging daily to a friend. Forty-seven percent listed social networking sites as how they communicated with friends daily. The landline phone is still alive and kicking with 46 percent of teens they used it once a day.
For my money, nothing will replace actually meeting people in person. Sure virtual communication can be more convenient. But emoticons can only do so much in a text or instant message.

USA Today

School orders students to remove blogs

NEWARK, N.J. — A Roman Catholic high school has ordered its students to remove their online diaries from the Internet, citing a threat from cyberpredators.
Students at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta appear to be heeding a directive from the principal, the Rev. Kieran McHugh.
McHugh told them in an assembly earlier this month to remove any personal journals they might have or risk suspension. Websites popular with teens include myspace.com and xanga.com.
Officials with the Diocese of Paterson say the directive is a matter of safety, not censorship. No one has been disciplined yet, said Marianna Thompson, a diocesan spokeswoman.
She said the ban has been on the books for five years but is only now being strictly enforced. Thompson said students aren't being silenced but rather told that they cannot post online writings about school or their personal lives.
A search of both myspace.com and xanga.com Wednesday by The Associated Press found no postings by users who mentioned the school. Profiles posted by other users include photos and detailed personal information on topics such as musical tastes, body measurements and sexual history.
Kurt Opsahl of the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, which champions the rights of bloggers, said there have been several attempts by private institutions elsewhere to restrict or censor students' Internet postings.
"But this is the first time we've heard of such an overreaction," he said. "It would be better if they taught students what they should and shouldn't do online rather than take away the primary communication tool of their generation."
Thompson said parents of students who enroll in the schools sign contracts governing student behavior, including responsible Internet use.
That could dilute the students' free speech claims somewhat, acknowledged Ed Barocas, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey.
"The rights of students at private schools are far different than those of public schools because administrators at public schools are agents of government," he said. "That's not the case here."

Associated Press

Teens wear their hearts on their blog

Millions of teens who grew up with a mouse in one hand and a remote control in the other now pour out their hearts, minds and angst in personal online. And anyone with a connection — including would-be predators — can have a front-row view of this once-secretive teenage passion play.

Welcome to teen America — on display at your nearest computer.
Unprecedented numbers of teens are using blogs — Web logs — to do what they once did through personal diaries, phone conversations and hangout sessions: cementing friendships with classmates, seeking new friends, venting, testing social limits, getting support and getting all emo ("highly emotional" in blog-speak).
"Blogs are basically reality TV for the Web," says Pete Blackshaw, with marketing analysis firm Intelliseek
"This is the new way kids interact," adds Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future in Menlo Park, Calif. "Fifty years ago, they borrowed their parents' phones or made their own phones out of string and Dixie cups. Today they have their own cellphones, and they have their own computer accounts and Web pages and they have their own blogs.
"It's part of life in the cyber age."
And it's not just a handful of kids. At least 8 million teens blog, according to Intelliseek. The Pew Internet & American LifeProject estimates 4 million teen bloggers. Those statistics were collected a year ago, and the numbers might be higher if you factor in not just blogs but the world of social websites, especially the booming MySpace, a hybrid site that allows people to post their personal interests, write blogs, put up video and set up ways to communicate with their friends. That site has exploded to 34 million users in just two years — and is dominated by 14- to 34-year-olds.
Blogs and social sites are so popular that many schools have banned them. Just last week a private school in New Jersey took it a step further, telling students to dismantle their personal Internet diaries or face suspension. Scroll through teen pages on sites such as LiveJournal, Xanga and MySpace and see firsthand what the fuss is.
Teens complain about parents and homework. They share daily dramas, post songs from the latest bands, display pictures of themselves. They write angst-ridden poetry, detail supposed sexual exploits and complain about each other or offer support. But mostly they simply relay the details of their daily lives.
Teens are ecstatic, hooked and hopeful about the medium. Law enforcement officials are wary. There have been cases where predators have found kids who posted too much information about themselves. And parents — those who actually know what their kids are doing online — are "freaked," says Parry Aftab, executive director of online child safety site WiredSafety.diaries.

Parents should be concerned, especially when it comes to monitoring what kind of personal information teens post, Aftab says. They regularly reveal everything from where they go to high school to where they live, work, play and study — all big no-no's.
But she says parents also should put what teens are doing in context. Teens have always strayed outside boundaries; it's what they do. It's just that before the Net, they did it in private.

USA Today, (adapted)

Teens and SMS

SCHOOL students are chronically sleep deprived, leaving them grumpy and disadvantaged at school the next day — and the culprit is the mobile phone.
Many lose precious sleep because they stay up late into the night sending text messages to friends, education expert and clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller said. Mr Fuller, who is conducting school-based research on the sleeping habits of students, found sleep was most elusive for female students because they were typically the most eager SMS users.
In a sample survey of 213 boys and 193 girls late last year, 42 per cent of boys and 40 per cent of girls were found to be chronically sleep deprived to the extent that it would impair their concentration in school.
Mr Fuller said lack of sleep could have serious ramifications for students' ability to learn and retain information at school the next day.
"The amount of sleep you have directly relates to how much serotonin you have and how vulnerable to stress you are. It means they get less deep sleep and less dream sleep. Sleep helps consolidate long-term memory, it has a big role in learning," he said.
Mr Fuller, who is soon to release his latest book, Tricky Kids, recommended banning mobile phones from bedrooms.

Hannah Edwards, The Age

Internet Safety Tips (8th grade)

How Can You Protect Your Privacy?
-Never fill out forms or enter contests on commercial websites without your Mom or Dad first checking their privacy statements before completing any information.
-Always check with your parents before adding any information to a website form.
-Guard against becoming too comfortable about submitting information as a regular part of online activities.
-It is easy to forget and share personal information without stopping to think that you may be in a risky online environment.
-Put a note on your computer to remind you: NEVER give out personal information!

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

-Tell Mom and Dad about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable when you are using the computer.
-Teach your parents to stay safe while using the computer. You probably know more about the computer than they do.
-Set a good example for younger brothers and sisters when you are using the computer. They learn from you. -Help to keep them safe!
-Your parents want to protect you all they can, BUT you have to help them do that.

Have fun using the Computer by making safety a priority!

Children ignore net chat dangers

Children are still arranging face-to-face meetings with people they talk to online despite warnings about the dangers of internet chatrooms.
And 60% of children do not know that people they chat to online might not be who they say they are, a study shows.
Risky business
The good news from the research was that chatrooms are losing favour with many children, said Rachel O'Connell, head of research at the Cyberspace Research Unit at the University of Central Lancashire that carried out the study.
"There's been a drop in the overall numbers using chat," she said, "but the proportion of those going to face-to-face meetings has increased."
"There's definitely a profile emerging here," she said. "We're dealing with a group of children with a particular understanding and set of behaviours."
Many of the youngsters who still use chatrooms take more risks and are less bound by social inhibitions, said Ms O'Connell, and were more likely to ignore warnings and meet the people they talk to online.
Figures collected by Japan's National Police Agency about crimes associated with electronic dating and chat sites shows that the dangers are real.
It found a 190% increase in arrests for crimes against children associated with dating sites between 2001 and 2002.
Ms O'Connell warned that the way to change children's behaviour was not to try to scare them into avoiding chatrooms as the mention of danger might make using them more attractive.
Instead, she said, parents need to get involved in what their children do online.
"Parents are fully involved with children's friendships offline," she said. "The same care needs to be applied to online friends too."
Ms O'Connell said research had produced tools that schools could use to spot those children that might be most at risk.
It has also shown that any advice given to children needs to be tailored to the different things that the net is used for.
Ms O'Connell said the research had shown that fewer children were giving out personal details in chatrooms but more were putting them in e-mail messages.
Safe surfing
The interim results of the research were released to coincide with Safer Internet Day that offers advice to parents worried about what their children do online and brings together the organisations and agencies working to educate children about the net.
The day is being held in 16 countries and will showcase educational materials created by schools as well as initiatives that try to get children using the net responsibly.
In the UK a conference is being held at the British Library in London to bring together many of the organisations involved in making the net a safer place.
It will also feature contributions of children about their experiences of going online.
Ms O'Connell said it was encouraging that so many organisations were pulling together to help kids use the net safely.
In the UK the day is being co-ordinated by the Cyberspace Research Unit and Liverpool Hope University.

BBC NEWS (adapted)

Drogba in trouble over coin throw

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is in trouble after throwing a coin into the crowd during a match against Burnley.
The Football Association have charged him with violent conduct and police are looking into the incident after Drogba hurled the coin at Burnley fans.
It happened after he celebrated his goal during Chelsea's Carling Cup fourth round defeat on Wednesday.
Nobody was injured and Drogba said he threw the coin because it was thrown at him. He has said sorry for doing it.
Drogba said: "This is not something I should show in a football match. It was an incident in the heat of the moment and I regret it. It was just a mistake and nothing more."
He now has until 6pm on 17 November to respond to the charge, before his case is heard on 18 November.
Fan ban
But Drogba isn't the only one in trouble.
An FA spokesman said it was totally unacceptable for players to be put in danger by supporters throwing missiles onto the pitch and they're working with the police to find out who did it.
"The FA wants anyone found guilty of throwing missiles to face the strongest possible action," he said. "That includes life bans from attending football matches."
Penalties
The coin throwing was part of a miserable night for Chelsea who were booted out of the Carling Cup after losing 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
In 2002 Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was sent off in an FA Cup tie against Arsenal after he threw a coin back into the crowd. He got a three-match ban and was fined by his club.

CBBC

Mandatory Task - 11th form (1101, 1105, 1109)

GM Foods - Friend or Foe?

An Internet WebQuest on GM Foods

Introduction
Imagine this...an orange that contains all the nutrients in a multivitamin, a tomato with more flavour as well as cancer fighting substances, sweeter strawberries, a potato that produces healthier french fries, allergen-free peanuts, a rice high in beta-carotene as well as bananas that deliver needed vaccines.
Is this science fiction or real science?

It's real science and it is happening in laboratories today as genetically engineered foods.

But now, what about fruits and vegetables that contain a gene from a bacterium that make these crops more insect resistant?
Would you want to eat these foods? What if these crops found their way into our food supply right now?
Many people are afraid of this new technology and are calling these new genetically modified foods 'Frankenstein' foods.
Should we be concerned? Are these foods safe to eat? How would these new crops affect the environment? Are these genetically modified foods everything they promise to be by their proponents? Or are they something to fear according to several advocacy groups?
Are you ready for the new foods of the 21st century? Are you ready to explore the risks and benefits of genetically engineered foods?
Should we consider food biotechnology a friend or a foe?

The Quest
What are genetically engineered foods and are they dangerous to our health and to the environment?

In this WebQuest you will be working together with a team of students in your class. Each team of students will complete assigned tasks that will assist them in answering "The Quest".
As a member of the group you will explore the topic of "Genetically Modified Foods" from various resources on the web. You will be reading pages from the web, which may have vocabulary words you do not know.

You will begin with everyone in your team exploring some background information on genetically engineered foods.

Where do you begin? Here is some background information everyone:
Use the Internet information linked below to explore the basic questions on the topic:
1.) What is food biotechnology?2.) What are genetically engineered foods?3.) What are the potential benefits of genetically engineered foods overall?4.) What are the potential risks of genetically engineered foods overall?

http://library.thinkquest.org/C004033F/what_is_gmfood_text.htm - In this Website you have information about the concept of GM Food. You are advised to browse the site, What is GM Food?, to have a basic concept first. Then you can find information about the scientific principles and methods used in the production of GM Food.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/02/99/food_under_the_microscope/newsid_280000/280868.stm BBCNews. General overview of pros and cons

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/02/99/food_under_the_microscope/newsid_302000/302482.stm BBCNews. Describes test for genetically modified food.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_262000/262616.stm BBCNews. Article about some drawbacks of genetically engineered food.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question148.htm What is genetically modified foods. “How stuff works” website with link to information about cell processes.

http://www.truefoodnow.org/ - Greenpeace website against GE foods

The Quest for the Perfect Tomato. Information in cartoon format! The Gene Scene is part of the American Museum of Natural History’s Ology web site. Take note of the ‘Food for Thought’ on the issue.

Conclusion

So, are genetically engineered foods facts or fiction, friend or foe? Would you eat genetically engineered foods now? Do you now know where to find them in the grocery store? Should they be labeled? Do they harm the environment? Are they 'Frankenstein' foods or the new foods of the 21st century?

Hope you enjoyed your exploration of these new food items and learning how the science of genetics has a direct influence on your daily life. The next time you pick up a piece of fruit or snack on a taco chip you may be consuming a genetically modified food. Beware!

And now get prepared for a debate on this issue. You may have to take a position in favor or against GM Foods. Get prepared for that!

Your Teacher

"Change has come to America"

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

USA President-elect Barack Obama

Joan Baez - We shall overcome

We Shall Overcome - August 28, 1963

At eight o'clock on the morning of August 28, with only fifty people on the monument grounds, it appeared that the event would be smaller than anticipated. However, by ten o'clock there was a huge crowd of people. By the end of the day, 250,000 people had gathered. Participants included blacks, whites, actors, and about three hundred Congressional representatives.
CBS provided continuous televised coverage of the march. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began his "I Have a Dream" speech, NBC and ABC interrupted their programming to bring it live to viewers. King had originally planned to deliver a different speech, but in the middle of his planned address, he departed from his text. Although it was a speech he had given on many other occasions, to those who listened it was a powerful indictment of the injustices perpetuated against African Americans.
“I have a dream,” proclaimed King, “that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Ultimately, proclaimed King at the end of his speech, he believed that one day blacks and whites would come together and sing the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”

Author Michael Crichton dies at 66

Best-selling author Michael Crichton has died in Los Angeles aged 66 after a "courageous and private battle against cancer", his family has said.
He penned Jurassic Park, as well as books like Congo and Disclosure, all of which were adapted into films.
His books have sold more than 150 million copies. He also created the long-running US hospital TV drama ER.
"The family's statement paid tribute to a "devoted husband, loving father and generous friend".
It added: "Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand."
"He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the Earth.
A Harvard Medical School graduate, Chicago-born Crichton became the toast of Hollywood when his 1971 novel The Andromeda Strain was turned into a film.
Many of his novels and screenplays were adapted for cinema.
The most successful were Jurassic Park, which burst onto the screen in 1993, and its sequel The Lost World.
ER has won a host of Emmys since it began in 1994, and helped launch the career of George Clooney.
Crichton's 2004 bestseller State of Fear caused controversy when it cast doubt on the dangers of global warming.

BBC News (shortened)

It's not easy to be a teen!

Being Sixteen - A Poem

It's
Never been easy
Sixteening.
Reading Shakespeare,
Searching for meaning;
Playing different roles
For everyone you've met
Wanting all the applause
You can get.

Feeling guilty
For deeds not done:
Trying to connect
With anyone:
Searching for words
With crystal clear meaning:
Never been easy
Sixteening.

A head that's full
Of new dreams each week,
Like treetops that trap
Morning mist off a creek:
Pushing out feelers
And pulling them in:
Trying to be yourself
While still fitting in:
Standing tall
When your heart's bleeding:
Never been easy
Sixteening.

Source:http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm376822.html

The Mad Forest

All the animals were very angry! Men didn’t stop destroying the forest: cutting dwon trees, dump trash onto the floor, cause fires, pollute the lakes and rivers ... This had to stop!
On that afternoon, the birds had been calling all the inhabitants of the forest for a meeting to take place that night, near the lake.

The trees were the first to appear, clumsy and noisy, with big steps because they only walked occasionally.

When everyone was already gathered, the Wolf, the chairman, began his speech:

- Friends, this is impossible! I suggest that we should ask children for help and together we will find a solution!

- Supported! - Some shouted.

- Good idea! - Exclaimed others.

It was decided then that in the next morning, it would be once again the birds to give the news to all the kids of the village. When Peter woke up, he saw a bird that said:

- You gotta help us save the forest.

The boy did not know why. The bird explained to him that Man was destroying the forest. Pedro said he had to warn the other boys. They had to go to their homes.

In the afternoon, everybody gathered near the lake.

The Wolf was the first to speak:

- We are very sad. Our house is almost destroyed! What shall we do?
Pedro had an idea:

- We will destroy the homes of the men to see if they like it.
All the inhabitants of the forest agreed. The next day, they attacked. Of course, Man did not like it a bit. When they saw their homes destroyed, they realized they should not spoil the forest. They stopped cutting down the trees, polluting the soil and the rivers and destroying the animals’ homes. From that day on, Man, animals and trees were very happy.

Hilário

Inês

1101

The Sad Lion - A Fable

Once upon a time, there was a lion, a baby lion known as the king of the jungle. His jungle was wonderful, with big maples, big palm trees, big oaks… We could find long rivers and large lakes where we could drink the best fresh water and, then, dive into a deep and transparent ocean. The little lion loved to play in the green grass and enjoy the view of his own paradise.
One day, a group of koalas came to live in the jungle. They were children and they liked to discover the world. Koalas were cute and very smart. However, the baby lion didn’t want to join them. Without a quick reason, the sweet lion started crying a little bit everyday and ceased to rule the jungle.
Day after day, koalas were becoming bigger and when the lion opened his eyes, he couldn’t see his land. He saw penguins in the savanna, hyenas in the ice, he didn’t find the trees, he couldn’t look for the pure sky… The baby lion kept crying more and more… but koalas didn’t care and went on joking. They ate the grass, they made the water dirty, they made the air heavy.
Suddenly, a baby koala woke up and said he didn’t like their Earth, their home. And, slowly, koalas started to notice the way they had put the jungle. So, some of them tried to rearrange everything they had changed. But the lion kept on crying…
Koalas saw a completely changed world and they knew who had done it. Now, it was too late… the sky was not blue, clouds were not fluffy, trees were not breathing anymore. They turned around and the animals of that grey land run away and hid themselves. The sun was strong, it was learning how to kill; the rain was acid, it was cold and not sweet; there were no dreams anymore. But koalas didn’t beg the forgiveness. The small lion cried, he also did it because of the sun. Oh, poor creature, he cried so much that he made the oceans get higher… So higher that, one day, all the jungle flushed away and there was no sadness anymore.

Joana Silva
Sara Pereira
1101

Let's Celebrate Guy Fawkes Night!

Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night, Cracker Night, Fireworks Night) is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th of November, 1605 in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, were alleged to be attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, England.

In the United Kingdom, celebrations take place in towns and villages across the country in the form of both private and civic events. They involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires on which traditionally "guys" are burnt, although this practice is not always observed in modern times. These "guys" are traditionally effigies of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators.

The rhymes and chants which accompany the celebration of Bonfire Night are as integral to the custom as the burning of the Guy and the lighting of fireworks.

Rumour, rumour, pump and derry,

Prick his heart and burn his body,

And send his soul to Purgatory.

(Usually sung by children around the burning bonfire with the guy on top)

:)

Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

As Mr. Utterson (a respected lawyer) and Mr. Enfield (a businessman and distant cousin) are taking a walk, they come across a mysterious looking door. Mr. Enfield is reminded of a strange man connected with that door. That man had run over a girl and as compensation, emerged from the door with a check worth nearly one hundred pounds. The signature on the check is that of Mr. Utterson's old friend, Dr. Jekyll. Furthermore, Mr. Utterson notices that the door leads to a laboratory that is connected to Dr. Jekyll's house. Upon hearing the story, Mr. Utterson goes to his study and takes out Dr. Jekyll's Will. It states that upon the death or disappearance of Dr. Jekyll, a certain Edward Hyde is to inherit the estate. Mr. Utterson is convinced that there is something amiss with the will and goes to Dr. Jekyll to inquire about it. Dr. Jekyll tells Mr. Utterson that there is nothing wrong, and to Mr. Utterson's displeasure, refuses to discuss his connection with the odd Hyde fellow.
Almost a year later, a maid looking out her window sees a man club an elderly man to death. The maid recognizes the murderer as Edward Hyde. The victim is a respected gentleman, Sir Danvers Carew, who is also Mr. Utterson's client. After the murder, Mr. Utterson accompanies a police inspector to Hyde's residence in seedy Soho. Hyde is nowhere to be found. Fearing for Dr. Jekyll's safety, Mr. Utterson confronts him once again about his connection with Hyde. Dr. Jekyll swears that he will have nothing to do with Hyde ever again. He even presents a letter signed by Hyde that states Dr. Jekyll has nothing to fear... (in order to find out the truth...read the book) ;)

:)

U.S. Presidential Fun Facts

Did you know that Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, was a tailor before he was President? Or that one of George Washington's favorite foods was ice cream? These are just two of the interesting facts about past U.S. Presidents National Geographic Kids has collected.Many Presidents had unusual careers before entering the White House. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President, was a peanut farmer. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President, was a movie actor. And Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, once worked chopping rails for fences.According to John Riley of the White House Historical Association, Harry Truman was a haberdasher. A haberdasher (HAB-er-dash-er) is someone who deals in men's clothing and accessories, particularly hats.Once in the White House, each President made his mark in different ways. In fact, before Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, came to office, the White House wasn't even called the White House! People called the building the President's Palace, President's House, and the Executive Mansion. Roosevelt officially named it the White House in 1901.Theodore Roosevelt wasn't the only President to invent a new expression. Martin Van Buren, the eighth President, is sometimes credited with creating the word "OK." Van Buren was from Kinderhook, New York. During his campaign, Old Kinderhook (O.K.) clubs formed to support the President. Later, "OK" or "okay," came to mean "all right."There have been many other interesting presidential firsts. James Polk, the 11th President, was the first President to have his photograph taken. Theodore Roosevelt was the first President to ride in a car while in office. His fifth cousin and the 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was the first to ride in an airplane.What will be the next big presidential first? First to ride in a spaceship? ...

- Fast Facts:
At 6 feet, 4 inches (1.9 meters), Abraham Lincoln was the tallest U.S. President.
William Henry Harrison, the ninth President, was the only President who studied to be a medical doctor.
Millard Fillmore, the 13th President, was the first President to have a stepmother.
James Garfield, the 20th President, was the first left-handed President.

National Geographic Kids

Take a Glimpse to "A Christmas Carol"

A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night. Mr. Scrooge is a financier/money-changer who has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth. He holds anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love and the Christmas season.

The story deals extensively with two of Dickens' recurrent themes, social injustice and poverty, the relationship between the two, and their causes and effects. Dickens wrote in the wake of British government changes to the welfare system known as the Poor Laws, changes which required among other things, welfare applicants to "work" on treadmills, as Scrooge points out. Dickens asks, in effect, for people to recognise the plight of those whom the Industrial Revolution has displaced and driven into poverty, and the obligation of society to provide for them humanely. Failure to do so, the writer implies through the personification of Ignorance and Want as ghastly children, will result in an unnamed "Doom" for those who, like Scrooge, believe their wealth and status qualifies them to sit in judgement on the poor rather than to assist them.
Scrooge “embodies all the selfishness and indifference of the prosperous classes who parrot phrases about the ‘surplus population’ and think their social responsibilities fully discharged when they have paid their taxes.” Allusions to history, geography and science
Scrooge offends the Ghost of Christmas Present by suggesting that the Spirit's name is linked to a recent attempt to close bakers' shops on Sundays and Christmas Day. (Poor people like the Cratchits, who had no oven at home, took their Sunday and Christmas meals to the bakers' to be roasted just as Dickens describes in the book, because the law forbade bread to be baked on that day. Closing the shops would deprive them of what might be their only hot meat meal of the week.) The Spirit angrily retorts:
“There are some upon this earth of yours...who lay claim to know us, and who do their deed of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and to all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us."

Charles Dickens - short biography

Charles Dickens is much loved for his great contribution to classical English literature. He is the quintessential Victorian author: his epic stories, vivid characters and exhaustive depiction of contemporary life are unforgettable.
His own story is one of rags to riches. He was born in Portsmouth on February 7, 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. The good fortune of being sent to school at the age of nine was short-lived because his father, inspiration for the character of Mr Micawber in David Copperfield, was imprisoned for bad debt. The entire family, apart from Charles, were sent to Marshalsea along with their patriarch. Charles was sent to work in Warren's blacking factory and endured appalling conditions as well as loneliness and despair. After three years he was returned to school but the experience was never forgotten and became fictionalised in two of his better-known novels David Copperfield and Great Expectations.
Like many others, he began his literary career as a journalist. His own father became a reporter and Charles began with The Mirror of Parliament and The True Sun. Then in 1833 he became parliamentary journalist for The Morning Chronicle. With new contacts in the press he was able to publish a series of sketches under the pseudonym 'Boz'. In April 1836, he married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of George Hogarth who edited Sketches by Boz. Within the same month came the publication of the highly successful Pickwick Papers, and from that point on there was no looking back.
As well as a huge list of novels he published autobiography, edited weekly periodicals including Household Words and All Year Round, wrote travel books and administered charitable organisations. He was also a theatre enthusiast, wrote plays and performed before Queen Victoria in 1851. His energy was inexhaustible and he spent much time abroad - for example lecturing against slavery in the United States and touring Italy with companions Augustus Egg and Wilkie Collins, a contemporary writer who inspired Dickens' final unfinished novel Mystery of Edwin Drood.
He was estranged from his wife in 1858 after the birth of their ten children, maintained relations with his mistress, the actress Ellen Ternan and died of a stroke in 1870. He is buried at Westminster Abbey.

BBC - Historic Figures

A Story Told by...

Hello. I’m Gordon Spencer and I’m 18 years old. I’m writing this letter to tell the world about how a bully feels.
I really don’t know why I hurt people! Maybe it’s because I need people’s attention, maybe because I want respect or just because I want to be popular…
I’m orphan of father and mother and right now I’m living with my aunt Isabella. When I entered High School no one liked me…But then I met a boy named James. He showed me the school and introduced me to some people. They told me that if I wanted attention I had to do bad things to other people. All I wanted was attention so I did what they told me! I started calling names but then I entered a whole different level of bullying – aggression and stealing.
I only stopped doing this when I realized I didn’t have to do bad things to get people's attention...But when I realized it, it was already too late.
My aunt was called to school and I was expelled.
My advice is: don’t ever do bad things to get attention from others…it doesn’t work! Now I’m working at a construction site and all my dreams of having a successful career faded away…

Daniel 901

The Other Side...

Hi. My name is John Smith and I’m 22 years old.
In my high school years I was a victim of bullying and I’m writing this letter to tell you about the hell that I lived in…
Since I entered kindergarten I was a victim of bullying. I was short, fat and I worn glasses, so I had all the “motives” to be a victim of bullying. The kids there called me bad names, punched me, kicked me, stole my stuff, etc. Once, a bully caught me in a dark alley and punched me! He broke my glasses and ripped my clothes… When I got home my mom asked me what had happened and I told her that I fell and broke my glasses because I was afraid!
When I entered high school I was always away from people because I feared them and the bullies were always messing me around…
When I got really annoyed and tired of this whole situation I talked to the principal of my school and told him what I had been through in the last years…He expelled the bullies and I discovered that they were hurting other people too!
After they were gone I was relieved and I made some friends, went out on dinners and I even got a girlfriend.
My advice is: tell your parents and the people at your school about what’s happening with you and insist so that the people stop annoying you and you can be happy! :)

Daniel 901

How Technology Helps You Stay Connected

Staying connected to friends and family is important for our emotional health and well-being. Lots of people use one way of communicating — like text messaging — to get a friend’s attention and then switch to another where they can talk in more detail. Some news is more fun to share when you can see or hear a friend’s reaction in person.

Technology Can Help Our Social Lives
Technology helps people do everything from planning to meet for a movie to keeping in touch with a friend who lives in a different country.
Text messaging or IM seem to work for lots of people. But other people prefer to call. Email, IM, and other low-cost methods of communication also help people maintain long-distance friendships in ways they couldn’t have even a few years ago.Email, IM, and other low-cost ways of keeping in touch also allow people to develop brief acquaintances into long-lasting friendships.

Technology Can Help Solve Problems
Whether you’re struggling with a math problem at midnight or need to talk about something personal, technology helps you reach out and get the help you need.

Homework Help
Cell phones and online communications are the methods most of you use to get homework help late at night.

Personal Problems
Online communication methods like email and IM can be a great way for some people to manage personal problems — even if it just means venting and getting things off your chest. For lots of you, it’s most important to get support while still keeping things private when discussing personal problems online. Privacy is one reason lots of people like to talk about personal stuff in person. Not everyone wants to talk problems over in person, though. The bottom line is that different things work for different people and you just have to do what works best for you. It may not be the same thing that works for your friends, but that’s OK.

Of course, the key to making technology work for you is using it wisely. We all know people who have found themselves in trouble when an email or text message they sent was forwarded to the wrong person or read — and spread — by other people.

Just like anything else, technology is best kept in perspective. If you think you’re using it too much, you probably are! Pamela summed it up nicely when she made this comment about IM: "Beware! It’s addicting!"

Teens Health