Word of the Day. 11-30-12

Word of the Day.

canonize- to glorify and honor

Word of the Day. 11-29-12

Word of the day

epithet- any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual attributed quality.

My Short Story.

A day in the Life of Damien DonkeyKong the Glowing Vampire

The only time that Damien DonkeyKong, yes DonkeyKong, could go anywhere was on days that it was raining or gloomy. Otherwise, he had to go out at night and there wasn't much open in the middle of the night. Not being able to go out in the day, unless it was rainy, was one of the many parts of being a vampire that he didn't like. Although one thing that he did like was how it made him look. His skin was much lighter than before, which made his hair look darker and his eyes more blue. He guessed that technically he could go out in the day, but most people would probably get a little freaked out when he started glowing like a lightsaber from Star Wars. Luckily he lived in London and it was pretty much raining all the time.

He had a lot today do today so he got out of bed, got dressed in his normal clothes, jeans, a black t-shirt, and boots, then he walked into the living room. Then he started to separate and the next thing he knew there were four more of him standing in the living room looking at him. Being able to to make four more of yourself and be in five places at one time was cool, he had to admit that, but it was very tiring and it was a pain to make sure people didn't notice it. Although most of the time he didn't have to worry about humans noticing it because they weren't very smart, at all. But he still had to be careful. He was still staring at the other four of himself. Although seeing so many of himself was one thing that he would never get used to. He doesn't know why it happens, but he hasn't met anyone else that can do it. Although, it's not really a very good conversation starter, “Excuse me sir can I ask you a question? Can you clone yourself like I can? If so how many of yourself can you make? I can make four!”

He didn't have to tell them what they had to do, because they already knew. They were him. They still had the same brain, thoughts, and memories. One of the downs of cloning himself was that when they separated he didn't know what the other hims were doing or thinking. He had to wait until they were all back and he became one person again to know how the whole day played out.

Today wasn't different than any other day, he'll stay home and do all the things that needed to be done around the house. One of him will go to work; he works in the basement of a warehouse, that manufactured toothpaste, by himself. All he did all day was unpack toothpaste, Nasty stuff, that toothpaste. He asked to work by himself in the basement that way no one would see him. Then if someone did see him when he was supposed to be working, then there wouldn't be a misunderstanding. One of him would see his friends of family. He spent more time with his friends, because they were vampires too, so there was nothing he had to hide. Although his family was a little harder to be around, if he spent too much time with him they would know that he was different. Plus they lived all the way in Wales, a four hour drive, but he hated not being able to see them when he wanted. He loved his mother, father, and his sister, but he was pretty sure that they thought he hated him, considering he left when he was sixteen, That's when he changed, and started “traveling”. That was his excuse, telling them that he was going all around the world. He even told him that he went to 42 Wallaby Way Sydney and they believed him, but in reality he did the same thing every day. One of him did the more enjoyable things at his second house like reading and playing the piano, and the last one of him fed. He didn't drink human blood, only animal blood. It was the only thing that could make him feel like less of a monster. He made sure to feed every day. He had never lost control around a human before and he didn't plan too.

He still remembers the change, before then he hated blood, the thought of it made him sick, but afterwards that's all he wanted. He was walking home in the middle of the night, although now he can't even remember where he had been coming from, He was just walking and then out of nowhere someone bit him and he was in agonizing pain. He realized what he was when he woke up, felt his fangs, and the horrible burning I his throat. He didn't go home after that. He bought an apartment in London, then called his family and told them that he was going to travel. He didn't even build up the courage to go see him until four years later.

Damien suddenly  realized that he was still standing in the living room and everyone else had left, probably about five minutes ago. He did this a lot, just stood or sat somewhere and thought about random things. You didn't really have to worry about wasting time when you lived forever. Realizing that he had nothing better to do, Damien walked into the Kitchen and started cleaning.  

CNN Student News. 11-27-12

Topics included in todays news- 

Lots of Work to do on the recovery of hurricane Sandy

Auto Racing 17 year old Tristin Nunez brings awareness about texting and driving

Jack Taylor beats the college basketball record for most shots in one game

Santa Clause Festival

Word of the Day. 11-26-12.

Word of the Day.

deign- to think fit or in accordance to ones dignity.

just look for it.

Source: silent-rainfall.tumblr.com via Taylor on Pinterest

5 random facts you don't need to know...

The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet (9 m).

There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people. The kangaroo population is estimated at about 40 million.

The average person makes about 1,140 telephone calls each year.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet (2 m) away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV.

Word of the Day. 11-20-12

Word of the Day.

deviate- turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.

CNN Student News. 11-19-12

Topics included in Todays News- 

Increased fighting between Israelis and Palestinians

Myanmar shifts toward a democratic government 

Presidents visits Asia

Flu and Cold Quiz

Hostess Closing Down

The Twinkie

Word of the Day. 11-19-12

Word of the Day.

eccentric- deviating from the recognized or customary practice; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd.

CNN Student News. 11-16-12

Topics included in Todays news- 

Hearings in Capital Hill

Attack on US Consulate in Benghazi Libya

The largest Criminal Fine in US history

Fiscal Cliff

New leader in China

13 deaths have been reported to the FDA

Accidental Overdoses

The Star Spangled Banner Controversy 

Word of the Day. 11-16-12

Word of the Day. 

eccentric- deviating from the recognized or customary practice; irregular; erratic; peculiar; odd.

CNN Student News. 11-14-12

Topics included in todays news-

Civil war in Syria

Natural disaster in Venice Italy

U.S. Presidential Cabinet

Car of the Year: Tesla

Homecoming

Word of the Day. 11-14-12

Word of the Day.

canonize- to glorify and honor.

CNN Student News. 11-13-12

Topics included in todays news-

Sandy's Damage

How people are recovering from it

U.S oil boom

Drilling for oil in the Arctic

U.S. Navy punish 7 of its Navy SEALs

The festival of Diwali (Hinduism)

A program that aims to educate teenagers on gun violence

The Summit Church.

Week 1: "We Are Blessed" from The Summit Church on Vimeo.

This is a video from our church service from Sunday and the message of this video is about Gratitude. With thanksgiving right around the corner gratitude is a good thing to learn a little about. This video talks about what gratitude is and why we need it. The reason we need gratitude is because it completes the circle. Whats the circle? Well you'll have to watch the video to find out! :)

Impact.

Over/Under #1 (11/07/12) from Impact Student Ministry on Vimeo.


This a video of my youth group service last Wednesday. I go to The Summit Church and on Wednesdays we have a youth group service called Impact for grades 6-12. Last week the message was about being above the Influence of God. Being above the influence of God basically means that you are doing things that God wouldn't want you to do such as lying, cheating, being mean or rude to people, doing drugs, etc. This is a very good service and is a good message to teenagers and adults.

Word of the Day. 11-13-12

Word of the Day.

disbosom- to reveal; confess

the choice is yours.

Source: etsy.com via Taylor on Pinterest

5 random facts you don't need to know....

The numbers '172' can be found on the back of the U.S. $5 dollar bill in the bushes at the base of the 

Lincoln Memorial.

In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.

Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.

The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million.

CNN Student News. 11-9-12

Topics included in todays news-

• Economic Record in Greece
• Protests in Greece
• Guatemala Earthquake
• Japan still suffering with leftover debris from Tsunami
• Veterans Day
• 21 uses false documents to attend high school and be on the football team
• Peewee Football Player
• Monster Truck Teen

Word of the Day. 11-9-12

Word of the Day.

beatitude- supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.

The Election.

I am so very done with the election. I do not want to here another word about it. It has been on tv, the radio, and all over Facebook for months. All I here is "Obama does this" and "Romney does that". Be quiet.

 What bothers me a lot too is all of my friends that are only 13 and 14 are completely devastated or absolutely joyous that Obama won. People are either saying that it is so awesome that he won or they're saying that America is in big trouble and they can't believe that he won. Honestly it doesn't matter what they think because they can't even vote yet.

Although what bothers me the most is that people will get so fed up and Mad at each other over it. Just because someone wants to vote for a different person than you does not make them stupid, they have their own opinion. People shouldn't start to hate each other because of it. Obama is not worth losing your friends and fighting with your family. He will be gone in 4 years, period. 

CNN Student News. 11-8-12

Topics included in todays news:

• People of the World watch the election

• Election and Social Networking (Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram)

• Challenges Ahead

• U.S. Debt

• Tuesday's "Firsts"

• Leadership Change in China

• What's a Nor'Easter?

• Ping Pong Robot

Word of the day. 11-8-12

Word of the Day

climacteric- a critical period.

Word of the Day. 11-7-12

Word of the day.

glean- to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly

CNN Student News. 11-6-12

Topics included in todays news:

• Election Day

• How the day and the math could turn out

• Electoral College 

• Referendums in the U.S.

• Look back on previous Elections

Word of the Day. 11-6-12

franchise- 1. the right to vote

                  2. a privilege of a public nature conferred on an individual, group, or company by a                          government    

Characteristics that Make a Good Parent.

It takes a lot to be a parent. It takes a lot of time, sacrifice, and you need to have a lot of good characteristics. 

I think that the most important characteristic to have when you are a parent is to be very loving. You should always show your kids that you love them and that you would do anything for them. I think that kids learn from what they see, so if they grow up in a loving environment then they will grow up to be loving people. Also you should really make sure your kids know that you love them. You might know it, but if you never say "I love you" or if you don't give them hugs and those sorts of things, then they might know that you love them, but they won't really feel  loved. Also I think that kids just like to hear a parent say "I love you", just like a parent likes to hear their kid say "I love you".

I believe that parents should be VERY encouraging to their kids. It is really important to show your kids encouragement and show that you believe in them, even if what your kids want to be is the exact opposite of what you want them to be. You should always try and remember that what they want matters and try to be encouraging of it.  If kids don't think that people, especially people as important to them as their parents, believe in them then they will have trouble believing in themselves. Not only does encouragement help them believe in their self, but when people believe in you and you believe in yourself it makes want ever you are trying to do or what you are trying to reach so much easier! I believe that part of being encouraging is trust, not the kind of trust such as trusting your kids to go out with their friends and trust they won't do anything wrong, although that's important to do too. But you have to know how to trust that your kids know what they want.

A very important characteristic of being a parent is being a good listener. Kids will most likely be more open with their parents if they know that they will listen to them if they want to tell them something. Plus, when kids are more open with their parents that creates a better relationship. I also think that you should listen to your kids no matter what they want to talk about. Meaning if they are talking about something that happened at school or if they are talking about something important and heartfelt. 

I really do believe that it takes a lot to be a parent, but i think it would make it easier and better if you are loving, encouraging, trusting, and you are always a good listener. 

Fallacies!

A fallacy is an error in in logic- a place where someone has made a mistake in his thinking.

Here are some fallacies.....

Red Herring: A red herring introduces an irrelevant point to an argument. Someone may think (or may want us to think) it proves his side but it really doesn't.

Son: Why can't I go see The Day of the Spatulas with my friends?
Dad: Isn't there some other kind of move you could go see instead?

Special Pleading: When someone uses a double standard or argues for an unjustified exception, he is committing the fallacy of special pleading.

"I know I need to control my anger. But Officer, this time my wife was nagging me so much, the only thing I could do was lock her in the closet."

Ad Hominem: An ad hominem attack is attacking an opponent's character or his motives for believing something instead of disproving his argument.

Jenny: My uncle says that all murders should be put to death because then nobody would want to murder anybody anymore.
Sylvia: Wasn't your uncle in jail once? I don't think we can trust the opinion of someone who was once a criminal.

Genetic Fallacy: The genetic fallacy is condemning an argument because of where it began, how it began, or who began it.

Bert: Mr. Gritchus, why do you always wear suspenders and never a belt?
Mr: Gritchus: Because belts were developed in the military centuries ago and were used by soldiers. Since the Military is evil, and belts came from the military, therefore I can't wear a belt.

Tu Quoque: Tu quoque is dismissing someone's viewpoint on an issue because he himself is inconsistent in that very thing.

Fred: I wouldn't smoke cigarettes if I were you. It is a bad habit, and it will bring you all kinds of problems.
Jake: Don't tell me not to smoke. You do it, too.

Faulty Appeal to Authority: A faulty appeal to authority is an appeal to someone who has no special knowledge in the area being discussed.

"If Paul Newman thinks organic foods are more nutritious then chemical-saturated foods, shouldn't you, too?"

Appeal to the People: When we claim that our viewpoint is correct because many other people agree with it, we are committing the appeal to the people fallacy.

"The new book, The Fallacy detective, must be the best logic book around. It has been on the best-seller list for months."

CNN Student News. 11-5-12

Topics included in todays news...

• Final campaign push.
• Sandy: A week later.
• Daylight Savings time.

think for yourself.

Shel Silverstein
Source: google.com via Taylor on Pinterest

5 facts you don't need to know....

The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.

One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove.

Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people.

Scientists have identified and described about 1.4 million species of an estimated ten to 100 million on earth.

Word of the Day. 11-5-12

Word of the Day.

deign- to think it or in accordance with ones dignity

Rich.

Do you think that you're rich? No? Well listen to this... 1 billion people in the world live of off $1 dollar a day. That means you spend a whole weeks worth of money on ONE Starbucks coffee. Every two seconds someone dies of starvation. You have a pantry full of food whenever you want it. There are people that drink water so nasty that you wouldn't feed it to your dog. The minute you saw it you would dump it out and fill the bowl up from your sink, that has an endless amount of water supply. Now do you feel rich? I do.

After hearing those thing I don't know how you feel, but I feel very blessed and RICH. I also feel like I, and everyone else, take to much for granted. When we look into our fridge full of food and complain that there is nothing to eat, we are taking what we have for granted. When we are at our house, that has phones, computers, and TV's, and we complain that we have nothing to do, we are taking that for granted.

If you have food in your stomach, no saying you have to have a steak, some corn, and cake in there, but if you have food in your stomach and clothes on you back then you are rich. As people we take stuff for granted and we really shouldn't. We are blessed in many ways. So the next time that you see something that you really want and you just have to have it, remember that you don't because you already have stuff, and you are rich.

I believe that I am rich, even though I only have a whopping sixteen dollars in my bank account, and I believe that you are too.  

CNN Student News. 11-2-12

Topics included in today's news.....

• Effects hurricane Sandy has on people individually.
• Jobs.
• Where the candidates stand on foreign policy.
• Election ads and how they've changed.
• Michelangelo's painting at the Sistine Chapel turns 500.

Word of the Day. 11-2-12

Word of the Day.

drivel- childish, silly, or meaningless talk or thinking; nonsense; twaddle.

My Favorite Subject.

My mom asked me to start putting a journal entry, or at least one piece of writing, on my blog everyday. So that's what this is for. I couldn't really think of anything to write so I looked up some writing topics and since this is for school, I'm going to write about my favorite subject.

Well, really I don't have a favorite subject because like most people school isn't really my favorite thing to do.

I really like reading so if all you had to do for language arts was read, then that would be my favorite subject. Unfortunately you have to do a lot more than that.... I like science sometimes, such as when you do experiments, but you can't do those for everything. Also, a lot of science has to do with the human body and that really grosses me out, especially stuff about blood. I definitely CAN NOT be a doctor when I grow up. History is pretty much a drag and the only thing that I ever got interested in, that I can remember, is World War II. Plus, I still wonder why we have to learn about Ancient Civilizations and Medieval times and that kind of stuff. I understand that it teaches us the past and how far we've come, but why do we have to know that? Anyway, that leaves math. For the most part math isn't that bad because I actually understand it and it's the subject that I'm best at. So I guess math is my favorite subject!

Word of the Day.11-1-12

Word of the Day.

vocation- a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career.