May 8

The History of The Olympics

 The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius”—“Faster, Higher, Stronger.” The Olympics is the biggest sporting competition in the world and its history is rich with many great details.  The Olympic ‘Torch Relay’ has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles by countless people on different modes of transportation and continues to be the opening act for the Olympics.  The Olympics also has a fun side with its silly categories which most people have never heard about.

The first recorded Olympic Games was in 776 B.C. and had a great foot race of about 200 yards held on a plain by the River Alpheus (now the Ruphia) just outside the little town of Olympia in Greece. It was from that day the Greeks began to keep their calendar by “Olympiads,” four-years between the celebrations of the famous games. The modern Olympic Games, which started in Athens in 1896, are the result of a French educator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, “Because young people and athletics have gone together through the ages, education and athletics might go hand-in-hand toward a better international understanding.”  The Olympic symbol is five interlocking circles colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red, on a white background, representing the five continents. At least one of those colors appears in the national flag of every country.  The US flag is represented by two colors on the Olympic flag, red and blue.

Olympic torch "Kiss"

Kieran Clarke via Compfight

 The Olympic flame is a symbol of the Olympic Games. The fire was introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since.  In the ancient story, the Greek God Zeus, also known as ‘the thief of fire’, kept the fire burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics.  This symbol has turned into the ‘Torch Relay’ of modern times, which transports the flame from Greece to the place of the games.  Over the last 80 years, the Olympic torch has been carried by hundreds of thousands of people and traveled on every imaginable form of transport.  Continuing the historic tradition, the flame is still lit in Olympia, Greece, in the same way as it was in ancient times – with the aid of a parabolic mirror reflecting the sun’s rays.  The flame went airborne for the first time on the Helsinki 1952 Torch Relay.  What made the Sydney 2000 Torch Relay unique was the fact that it took place mostly at sea, with the torch being transported on water from one Pacific island or nation to the next on its way to Australia.  The Olympic torch has even been underwater!

The Olympics is not always as its motto suggests of ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’.  There are some fun, more relaxed categories of sports.  Some funny “sports ” in the Olympics are 1. Club Swinging; athlete stands holding clubs that are like bowling pins in each hand. He then twirls and whirls them around. The more complicated the routine, the more points he wins. 2. Pigeon Shooting; athletes aim to bring down as many pigeons as possible. 3. Tug Of War; teams that struggle and strain to pull a rope past a certain point. Great Britain has won the most medals in this event. 4. Roller Hockey; the game follows the rules of ice hockey, but with roller skates. 5.  La Canne; ok, think fencing. Now take away the saber and replace it with a cane. You know, the walking stick type of thing? Then it’s La Canne. 6. Rope Climbing; just like in PE, climbers are timed to see how quickly they can shimmy up a braided rope. 7. Trampolining; which seems like an activity you do in your backyard, trampoline was an Olympic sport that started in 2000. Gymnasts performed on trampolines, somersaulting and flipping as stern-faced judges keep score. 8. Race Walking; competitors try to outrace one another without actually running. Even though it seems a little goofy, race walking has actually been an Olympic sport since 1904. To ensure that athletes do not run, race walkers must have one foot on the ground at all times or could be disqualification.  Which is your favorite, funny sport?

The Olympics is a world wide tradition that has as long, rich history filled with traditions still carried on.  One of these traditions is the Torch Relay, with the torch still being lit in Greece and then carried – by whatever means necessary – to its ultimate location. Don’t be fooled by the serious motto of “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, as the Olympics also has a lighter side. The silly categories may not be as well known as some of the other categories but are just as important. Next time it’s the year of the Olympics pick a silly sport to watch, enjoy and yell a new motto “Funny, Funnier, Funniest!”

https://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games/history

https://www.infoplease.com/history-olympic-torch-flame-and-relay

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/weird-olympic-sports-rio-2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols

May 8

3D Printed Prosthetic Hands

3D printers can make prosthetic hands.

What if you were born without a hand? Would you like one made by a 3D printer, maybe even one made out of plastic in the colors and  design you pick!!! Did you know that amazing prosthetics are being made from a 3D printers? 3D printed hands may seem very different from real hands, but in several ways they are alike.  They can make a kid feel almost normal like Kieran.

3D printed prosthetics are more advanced than they ever have been before. Did you know the original first printed hand was only a pair of hooks held together by a rubber band on a prosthetic with only zip ties holding it together? The 3D prosthetic hand is made up of a polymer called Nylon 12 [plastic melted]. They can be made in fun color combinations and designs that look out of a Superhero movie, like in this video.

3D Prosthetics are held together with nails and wire, they are also held together by elastics, pins, and  hinge caps. A design that anyone can put together, even YOU!

It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to print a 3D prosthetic hand although about 4 hours to assemble. About 4 hours per hand with the cost of only about $35 to $45. Materials cost about $45 altogether. Much more affordable than the electrical prosthetics.

Here are a few ways you can get involved: You can collaborate with others by sharing your tools (software) and knowledge. You can also purchase a 3D Printed Hand Pro and 20% of the net proceeds will be used to help different schools print and create 3D hands to be donated. In addition, you can download the file and find an e-NABLE a global community of volunteers and start 3D printing now.

May 8

Killer Plants

Some carnivorous plants are like mazes that lead to a dead end. Some are like ticking time bombs. Others, just swallow creatures whole. When I first started researching about carnivorous plants, I thought I already knew a lot about them. It turns out that while I am learning about these plants, I can’t stop thinking about them because there is a lot more to be discovered. Imagine a fascinating, beautiful plant living in a boggy swamp and getting its nutrients not only from soil, but mostly… from meat! Dun, dun, dun!

There are 630 different kinds of carnivorous plants around the world. Some carnivorous plants are aquatic and others live in the soil like most other plants do. They live in poor, wet soil that doesn’t have a lot of nutrients. Because the soil doesn’t give them the nutrients they need, they’ve adapted by eating bugs or small animals. Carnivorous plants are divided in five types, according to how they can catch their prey (food): Pitfall Trap, Flypaper Trap, Snap Trap, Bladder Trap and Lobster Trap.

This carnivorous plant is called Monkey Cup because monkeys drink the water in it.

The Pitfall Trap plants have slippery leaves that are shaped like a funnel and slant down toward their bottom. When bugs land on the leaves of these plants, they slide down the leaf into a “pool” of digestive enzymes found in the bottom of the leaf. Monkey Cup and some bromeliads are examples of Pitcher plants and some are so large that they can catch and consume rats or frogs.

Pitcher Plants have a mechanism that they can turn on and off throughout the day. Part of the day, the Pitcher Plant’s edges are dry so when a scout ant comes and smells the nectar, it goes back to its colony and brings some of its friends. But by that time, the plant is wet and the ants fall into it. The Pitcher Plant gets an ant feast! If the Pitcher Plant was wet all the time, the one scout ant would slide down and not go back to the colony to bring the other ants, which means that it wouldn’t bring back all the food. Insects cannot escape Pitcher Plants, with their pitfall hunting mechanism.

The Sundew plant uses a sticky substance to hunt. It is a “flypaper trap” plant.

When bugs land on a Flypaper Trap carnivorous plant, the sticky substance that appears to be dew when it sparkles on the sun keeps bugs from being able to get away. When the bug struggles to escape, it gets even more stuck and the enzymes on the plant’s leaf digest it faster. Flypaper Trap plants are impossible to escape. Sundew and Butterwort are a couple of carnivorous plants in this category. 

Carnivorous plants with Snap Traps catch their food by trapping bugs or small animals inside their leaves so they cannot escape. All of you might have heard of the Venus Flytrap, but did you know that if the prey touches one of the hairs on the leaf it will set a timer? If it touches another hair within 20 seconds, then the plant will shut; otherwise, the prey will be safe. You can probably make a Venus Flytrap close its jaws with a stick, but it has to feel the prey struggling to start its digestive process. If the object isn’t food, the trap will reopen in about 12 hours and “spit” it out. The Venus Flytrap can only close its mouth six times in its lifetime.

A Venus Flytrap catches a lizard.

After capturing an insect or animal, The Venus Flytrap shuts in less than a second. “All of this takes about 1/2 second,” says Julia Cooke, a plant ecologist from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at the University of Western Sydney, in Australia. But other carnivorous plants can move even faster: “The related Waterwheel Plant uses snap-traps, but underwater. This plant closes its traps in 20 milliseconds, making it one of the fastest movements recorded in plants.”

The Bladderwort is a type of aquatic carnivorous plant.

Carnivorous plants with Bladder Traps, like the Bladderworts and the Pinguicula, live in the water. They suck bugs and other small animals out of the water (like a vacuum cleaner)and into the bladder so they can be digested. There is no escape. 

The Cobra Lily uses the “lobster trap” mechanism to catch prey.

Carnivorous plants with Lobster Traps use tiny hairs which are all going the same direction to force bugs to walk toward the bottom of the plant’s leaves. The Cobra Lily and the Corkscrew are types of Lobster Trap plants. There are mazes inside them that are easy to enter but hard to leave that they use to catch prey. When the bugs hit a “dead end” with a pool full of digestive enzymes, they can’t escape.

I never knew that carnivorous plants were so interesting and that they were divided in five categories based on how they eat bugs and animals. They are beautiful but dangerous, inviting but deadly. Not to humans though, so don’t be scared if you see one in action. I hope you do.

May 8

April the Giraffe

April and her baby.

April, the giraffe, and her new baby.

On February 22, 2017, Animal Adventure Park in New York, put up a live feed of a giraffe who was expected to give birth at any time.  The giraffe was known to the World as April the Giraffe.  The World quickly became obsessed with watching and watching and watching the feed and waiting and waiting and waiting for the arrival of the baby giraffe. 

With over one million eyes watching, April’s baby boy was born on April 15, 2017,  He was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 129 pounds.  April gave birth while standing up which is normal and when the calf falls to the ground the umbilical cord severs.  About 45 minutes after the calf was born he stood up on wobbly legs with his mom’s help.  The zoo is currently having a contest to name the calf. 

As I said earlier the world became obsessed with April the Giraffe.  As a matter of fact a group of second and third-grade students wrote a book to document the internet sensation April had become.  The book is being sold here on Amazon.  Being able to watch April have her calf was amazing and really cool to see. You also watch the giraffes live here.

May 8

Weird creatures

You look around you. Suddenly you see a weird looking lumpy blob. What could it be? It’s a blob fish! These are nasty looking creatures who live in water up to 1,200 meters deep ( 3,900 feet )! They live off the coast of: Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Blob fish tend to be 30 centimeters or a foot long.

Aye-Aye 1

The weird aye-aye!

Have you ever heard of the aye – aye? These are strange creatures that don’t look like they are related to chimpanzees, apes, and humans but are related to them. Aye-ayes use echolocation to find their prey. They are the only primates that do this. They live on the island of Madagascar. They have an average lifespan of 20 years and their head and body length is 14 to 17 inches and their tail length is 22 to 24 inches.

This weird creature is most likely the biggest crab you will ever hear about. This is the Japanese spider crab. These crabs obviously live in Japan as stated in their name. The spider crab can reach a length as long as 18 feet. They can also be up to 42 pounds in weight. They can be found in water as deep as 1,970 feet!
In my opinion, this is the craziest shrimp ever. These are the mantis shrimp. There are more than 450 kinds of mantis shrimp. The largest mantis shrimp ever caught was 18 inches long most are 15 inches. These shrimp are extremely aggressive. They can be known as thumb splinters. In captivity, some of the larger species of mantis shrimp can break through aquarium glass in a single strike!   

These next animals look like bats and flying squirrels. This animal is the sunda colugo. They are lemurs that can glide. These are one of only two species of lemurs that can glide. These creatures can glide up to 100 meters in 10-meter elevation. These animals can be up to 27 inches long. These lemurs weigh up to 2.9 pounds. These animals are located in these places: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.

In Conclusion, these animals are small and large, weird and weirdest. These animals are all around us most of the time you just don’t notice. You see animals every day but these animals everyday. These animals can be weird and freaky or they can be beautiful and cool. What do you think would you like to be a creepy weird animal?

May 5

Clouded Leopards and their Pro Skills

Did you know that clouded leopards are the smallest of the big cats, yet they have the biggest teeth for their skull size? In this post you can read about the amazing clouded leopard – its origins and relations, climbing skills, and its prey and predators.

The clouded leopard originally came from a line of cats that divided into snow leopa

Image result for clouded leopard hanging upside down from tree

Picture from www.wildcatsmagazine.nl

rds and clouded leopards. Clouded leopards are related to snow leopards, leopards, lions, tigers, and jaguars. The clouded leopard can be found in Asia, mostly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

 

The clouded leopard’s prey can be attacked from the trees and the ground. Clouded leopards mostly hunt birds, monkeys, deer, squirrels, and wild pigs. They are prey to tigers and leopards. They are also poached for their skins by humans.

Clouded leopards are great climbers. They have a low center of gravity and a long tail which are great for balancing. Amazingly, they can hang upside down from tree branches. They are also the only big cat that can run down trees head first.

The two types of clouded leopards (Normal and Sunda) are great climbers and hunters, and are related to some of the coolest big cats. What is your favorite fact about clouded leopards?

This video shows good close up shots of a Borneo clouded leopard.

Video credit: WWF-Australia

 

 

April 4

My Favorite Things Photo Gallery

These are a few of my favorite things presented in a gallery.

 

March 20

Supersonic Transit System

Not long ago, billionaire Elon Musk had a vision of the future. He dreamed of a supersonic transit system. Soon after, he released a 57-page document on a concept called Hyperloop. Hyperloop is a huge supersonic transit system that travels in between cities filled with traffic. The sponsor of Tesla motors and SpaceX dreamed of a friction-less, low-pressure, vacuum-sealed pod. Powered with energy from solar panels, it should be able to withstand major natural disasters. Elon believed this pod would shorten travel times drastically. For example, the distance from San Francisco to Los Angeles takes 6 hours. This pod could get there in 35 minutes.

Continue reading

March 17

Wonder Woman

Sensation Comics #11 (1942) cover by H. G. Peter Tom Simpson via Compfight

What feminine character has all the strength of Superman plus all the attraction of a good and beautiful woman? If you guessed Wonder Woman, you are right. Wonder Woman was one of the first superheroes to be a female. She was loyal, caring and a good hero of Earth.The Amazons taught her the skills of a warrior as well as the lessons of love and peace. Princess Diana, better known as Wonder Woman, was a new kind of superhero, who would win not with fist or firepower, but with love. In this report, I will introduce you to Wonder Woman, tell you about her mission, her powers and how she got created. Listen close or she, Wonder Woman, will get you!

Wonder Woman was created in December 1941 by William Moulton-Marston. She is Princess Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman, Princess of Amazons. She is one of the Earth’s most powerful defenders of peace and equality and a member of the Justice League. Wonder Woman became a frontrunner for the suffragettes who fought for the rights of women in the early 20th century.

Sculpted from clay by her mother, Queen Hippolyta and given life by Athena. It is told, that her father is Zeus. Named Princess Diana of Themyscira, Diana was raised by her mother and aunts on Themyscira, an island of Amazonian women. The Amazonian women taught her all her skills that combined with her superhuman powers that were gifted to her by the Greek Gods.

Wonder Woman had superhuman powers and more. Wonder Woman’s powers are strength, speed, durability and longevity. The Amazonian training helped her in skills of strategy, hunting, and combat. You may know what strength and speed mean, but do you know what durability and longevity mean? It means to last long or live long. Wonder Woman could live a very long time. Wonder Woman had flight too! Flight means the ability to fly at fast speeds. She was skilled in hand to hand combat and could handle weapons. Wonder Woman had a Lasso of Truth. It possessed strength and was unbreakable most of the time. When truth is challenged it can break. Wonder Woman had indestructible bracelets.The bracelets could absorb the impact of incoming danger. She had a sword and shield to protect her in combat.

Wonder Woman’s mission was to go to man’s world on a mission of diplomacy and peace to make things right. Princess Diana, Wonder Woman, acted as a strong moral guide and role model for females. Wonder Woman was an activist for justice. She became a founding member of the original Justice League of America. She saved people.

What did you learn about Wonder Woman you didn’t know? We’ve learned a lot more than you think. We learned when and how she was created. When the creator was thinking about the story, his wife said to him “fine, but make her a woman”. We learned about her superhuman powers and her mission.We found out about all her special weapons she used while fighting for the good. What amazes me about Wonder Woman is that she had longevity. A fun fact to know is that this June 2017, a new Wonder Woman is going to be in the movie theaters. I can’t wait, can you?

February 22

Do animals have emotions?

 

elephants-kissing-1.jpg (550×825)Imagine two elephants that have not seen each other in 20 years and when they see each other again,  they are extremely happy to see each other. So that means animals have emotions just like people. Animals can get sad, angry, joyful, jealous or happy.

One reason, animals have emotions  is  orangutans get happy when they play with lights. They  usually slide to try to touch the lights. Same thing  with cats except they do not slide around they run around.

The second reason is a rhino can get along with donkeys because they would walk together as if they were talking to each other. Also they would eat together. So that means that rhinos can be friendly with other animals like donkeys. Rhinos are much happier when other animals are around.

Then the third reason is that chimpanzees can throw temper tantrums. In an experiment chimpanzee likes to eat bananas but if it gets a mystery food which means a food  they do not like,Also if they get a food they do not like they can throw a temper tantrum which means they can get very angry.       

And finally the last reason is a dog can get jealous when its owner because the owner would play a stuffed animal dog. Then the real dog would push it aside and tried to get attention so the owner would play with the real dog.

In addition, I think that animals have emotions because an animal could be sad, angry, joyful or friendly for example So i think that animals have emotions. Try to pay attention to your dog when you leave it might get sad or angry.

 

       

February 22

Do Elephants have Emotions

Have you ever seen elephants holding trunks or putting them in each other’s mouths? This is one of a couple of reasons I think elephants have emotions. Elephants care for each other and they comfort one another.

First, elephants comfort each other when they are sad. They calm each other by locking trunks or putting their trunks in the other elephant’s mouths. 

Another reason is elephants have one of the greatest memories and care deeply for each other. After 20 years of not seeing each other elephants will still remember each other. This happened to two elephants named Shirley and Jenny. They bent metal bars that were separating them to get closer together.

Elephants care for each other. Shirley and Jenny were the closest things to family they ever had. They give each other baths. They snuggled with each other. They also comfort one another.

Finally, I think elephants have emotions.  Just like humans. Elephants comfort each other. They also have great memories so they always remember each other and how they feel about one another. They help each other when they sad. Do you think elephants have emotions? If you don’t think about Shirey and Jenny? How they played with each other and loved each other. I think elephants have emotions. How about you?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

February 22

Dogs And The Beach

All summer I love going to the beach! It’s the best place to meet up with friends, family, get fresh air, and just socialize, right? It’s an awesome place to be, but I hate being alone. Probably 10! It’s the same with or without dogs but it would just be lonely without them! I would love to have dogs on the beach!

For example, the beach is a great place to walk dogs, and we can all share that big space together. Dogs like to run, jump in the water, and have fun just like humans and they deserve it too. If you live on the coast it is a very convenient place. They have fun and get exercise at the same time, the same as us. We can even have more fun than we always do! Our minds get moving just as our body.

Clearly most dog owners are responsible for their fuzzy friends. And owners pick up to keep the beach clean. They also put leashes on dogs so it won’t bother anyone, can it? What’s the worst that could happen? People and dogs need exercise to stay healthy and the beach is a perfect place! It takes care of all your needs. Humans litter more than dogs and “MISS” the trash can.

Since dogs keep humans moving, happy, and healthy we should all learn to become every dog’s friend. People love dogs so very much. They get along very well . I guess the beach still is the one of the top ten places in the summer, but imagine how lonely it would be without dogs.

But who doesn’t know the torture of  stepping in a pile of dog poo or hearing dogs bark while you are relaxing. It’s not that pleasant, but still you know it’s not likely to happen since dog owners are very responsible for their outdoor pets anywhere, anytime, everywhere.
Dogs are almost just another human, and they are living creatures so we should treat them like they are, shouldn’t we? They should be just as cared for as we are. Dogs and people are friends not enemies, so we should be able to get along just fine. We all get moving, we all are responsible, and we all know how to share big, open spaces. Right? What more could happen? Send a letter to your mayor or encourage your school/neighborhood to help!

January 29

Should We Use Wrapping Paper?

What’s your favorite holiday? Most people say Christmas. What do you use to wrap presents? Wrapping paper of course. But what if I tell you that wrapping paper is bad for the environment? Did you know that 2 million tons of wrapping paper are used each year? That must waste a lot of trees. Guess what, there are also cheaper, and also other    ways that do not waste trees.  People should not use wrapping paper to wrap presents for Christmas.

 

My first reason to not use wrapping paper is that wrapping paper is NOT recyclable. Wrapping paper is laminated which means it is covered in plastic. Plastic takes about 450 years to decompose in a landfill.

Another reason is that wrapping paper wastes trees. Wrapping paper wastes more than 3,000,000 trees each year! If we keep using wrapping paper there might not be enough trees left to take in the carbon dioxide.  As the biggest plant on earth, trees give us oxygen and  store carbon dioxide.

Lastly, is that there are MUCH cheaper ways that don’t waste resources. Here are 15 alternate for Wrapping Paper; baskets; wallpaper; newspaper; tissue paper; tins; cans; or jars; paper grocery bags; reusable fabric bags; fabric scraps; plain brown paper (butcher paper, freezer paper); reusable bags; pillowcases; maps; towels; blankets; or, scarves; feed sacks; and old calendar pages. That’s not all, there are probably hundreds of more ways to not use wrapping paper.

Other people may think differently about this topic. Some people enjoy the tradition of wrapping paper. Wrapping presents goes back to a really long time ago where ancient traditions celebrated holidays that involved giving gifts, so it kind of a tradition. People also like the designs on the paper for holidays like Christmas or birthdays. It does go with the season or celebration, but really, is it worth it?

In conclusion, wrapping paper is bad for the environment and also uses resources we can’t get back. Even though we use wrapping paper to feel festive on the holidays, it is still bad for the environment. There are hundreds of more ways we can substitute wrapping paper that are not only cheap, but also non tree wasting. Nobody should use wrapping paper.

Sources

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-we-wrap-presents

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/holiday-waste-6-million-tons-of-trash-to-landfills.html

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/12/15-ideas-for-wrapping-paper-alternatives.html

http://greenblizzard.com/2010/12/17/conserve-your-use-of-holiday-wrappings/               

 

January 29

Is Football Safe for Kids?

Image result for youth tackle football

Is the football field a safe place? Should kids in grades lower than grade 5 play tackle football? The following information about tackle football vs. flag football just might change your mind about your opinion about tackle football. I believe that kids should be allowed to play tackle football at all ages.

For example, to be safer on the football field, youth leagues like Pop Warner are banning kickoffs to prevent future injuries. The reason why there are more severe injuries during kickoffs is because people come head-on to the team that is catching the football. This ban will help prevent injuries for all youth tackle football players.

The youth league coaches are teaching their players how to tackle properly, so less injuries will happen. Also, kids are not allowed to swipe people out from the legs. Now it will be a lot safer when you get tackled during football.

Also, kids are now getting the proper protective gear to play tackle football so the hits   don’t cause as many serious injuries. The helmet worn provides head protection so you won’t get a concussion if you get injured. The chest plate prevents you from breaking your rib cage or collar bone. The back plate prevents you from breaking your spine, a.k.a. your backbone.

Youth of all ages should be able to play tackle football. You may think that younger children shouldn’t play tackle football, but they are learning many new ways to be safer out on the football field. Instead of not allowing younger kids to play tackle football, coaches should make sure that kids are not allowed to do kickoffs, they should teach kids how to properly tackle, and they should enforce that kids use proper protective gear. Therefore, if all of these rules about playing tackle football are followed, kids of all ages should be allowed to play tackle football because they will be a lot safer out on the football field.

January 29

Should There Be An Extra Tax On Sodas?

Mountain Dew Mango Heat Game FuelHow many Americans drink soda each year? 48% and that’s almost half of  the people in the United States but some laws might take soda away from some people. I’m here to make sure this doesn’t happen.  You’re probably thinking why I said that the  law might take soda away from certain people. This is because  the state thinks that soda is bad for you in some ways and are putting extra tax on it. Some people might just say “ Well, I don’t want to spend extra money on a puny can of soda.” But I think this is wrong. Soda can keep you away from falling asleep from late nights driving. If you have an addiction to alcohol, you can drink soda instead. It’s a healthier choice. This helps with almost any addiction. If you’re bored you can get soda and collect the bottle caps. These are just some of the reasons I think soda shouldn’t be banned. Soda helps us in many ways, so go out there and drink some!

Brent Moore via Compfight

January 29

Should We Use Wrapping Paper?

Every holiday season wrapping paper Is one of the first items off the shelf, but is this cheerful wrapping really worth it? I say no!  Lots of people use this paper but there are better ways to keep our presents a surprise.There are recyclable, non-tree wasting, cheaper alternatives that don’t use 2 million tons of paper each holiday! There are a lot of reasons not to use wrapping paper!

My first reason is that most holiday wrapping paper is laminated, so you cannot recycle it! That means when you use wrapping paper, you are using resources we cannot get back. According to Ask Pablo, Treehugger, “In the U.S. an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays. Four million tons of this is wrapping paper and shopping bags.”

Almost all wrapping paper ends up in the trash

Image result for trash   Also, 2 million of those tons is wrapping paper! Consequently 30 Million trees are cut down just to wrap our gifts each holiday season! Also, since you can’t recycle this wrapping paper, most of those 30 Million trees end up in the trash!

Additionally, People have found better and less expensive alternative ways to wrap our gifts that don’t end up in the trash! You can use bags, magazines, sweaters, and much more! Using these things you can make cheaper, recyclable,less tree using, and reusable wrapping paper!

Some people might argue that wrapping paper is a holiday tradition, but I still don’t think it is worth using up so much resources for something non-renewable.Wrapping paper wastes trees, is non-recyclable, and there are other better options. With so many other choices, why use something that is so environmentally unfriendly? To help save trees, stop using wrapping paper!

Source: Ask Pablo, Treehugger

http://www.treehugger.com/culture/ask-pablo-holiday-wrapping-paper.html

January 29

Top 10 Star Wars SpaceShips

The best, a T-70 X-Wing Fighter.

Star Wars is super iconic, and some of the most iconic things it brings is the things are the things flying high in the sky, they are spaceships. Today we are bringing you are top 10 favorite Star Wars Spaceships! I have experienced watching all of those amazing Star Wars movies all those war scenes. But our favorite parts were always the Spaceships clashing to win the war that might not ever end.   

#10 The Y-wing starfighter may be slow, but it looks very cool and can drop Bombs. That is why it has Earned #10 spot on this list.

#9 One of the sleekest ships in Star Wars, is the Slave 1 is a sight to behold. Belonging to the bounty hunter Boba Fett it is very impressive.

 #8 The ARC 1-70 Starfighter has powerful laser cannons and serves the republic.

#7  The TIE Striker is a ship that battled on Scariff over the death star plans.

#6 The Millennium Falcon is an Awesome ship, but is very bulky.           

#5 Darth Vader’s tie advanced is an awesome addition to the tie family. It is cool and would have blown up Luke’s X-wing if not for Han Solo.

#4 The first order troop transport has advanced shields and can carry 20 troops.

#3 The jedi interceptor is sleek and can fly very fast.

#2 The  T-65 X-wing fighter blew up two Death Stars and is very cool.

#1 The T-70 X-wing fighter is the best spaceship of all it is very sleek and fast it has very high-powered ion and proton torpedoes. Can have a wider variety of droids as co-pilots than the T-65 and has a cool laser turret that pops up from the bottom.

January 29

NASA Makes Pumpkins

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL (via Flickr)

I read a great article on Dogo News about how NASA scientists carved pumpkins. That was the challenge posed to the excellent scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA in 2010 during Halloween. This interesting competition has turned into an annual tradition with partners trying to outdo each other with sky-high hi-tech carvings.

Photo Credit: NASA JPL (via Flickr)

This year’s entries included a Pac-Man pumpkin, a replica of Darth Vader’s meditation chamber, a carousel, a Ninja Starshade, and even a sink hole pumpkin. While the creations are certainly quite strange, what is even more so, is that the engineers-turned-artists had just an hour to complete their masterpieces!

And now, watch this epic video. Continue reading

January 29

Do Elephants have Emotions?

 

Elephant and a Saddle Billed StorkHave you ever seen elephants  holding trunks or putting them in each others mouths? This is one of a couple of reasons I think elephants have emotions. Elephants care for each other and they comfort one another.

First, elephants comfort each other when they are sad. They calm each other by locking trunks or putting their trunks in the other elephant’s mouths.

Another reason is elephants have one of the greatest memories and care deeply for each other. After 20 years of not seeing each other elephants will still remember each other. This happened to two elephants named Shirley and Jenny. They bent metal bar that were separating them to get closer together.

Elephants care for each other. Shirley and Jenny were the closest thing to family they ever had. They give each other baths. They snuggled with each other. They also comfort one another.

Finally, I think elephants have emotions.  Just like humans. Elephants comfort each other. They also have great memories so they always remember  each other and how they feel about one another. They help each other when they sad. Do you think elephants have emotions? If you don’t think about Shirey and Jenny? How they played with each other and loved each other. I think elephants have emotions. How about you?                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Creative Commons LicenseBrian Lauer via Compfight