The Birds

On December 31, 2010 thousands of birds began falling from the sky dead in Beebe, Arkansas, thirty minutes from the beginning of the new year. Days later in Louisiana more birds fell from the sky, also dead. Also in this time period fish began dying in the Chesapeake bay. In England, thousands of dead crabs began washing up on numerous shores. On top of all this, bees are disappearing all over the country, something that has been happening for years, has now reached dangerous levels.

Many speculate that these recent happenings have something to do with the 2012 predictions of the Mayan civilization. After reading the links posted in this blog do you feel that this could be related to the Mayans? Are you worried about these sudden unexpected deaths in the world? What impact do you think the drop in the bee population will have on the world?

Don't forget to respond in at least 3 sentences.

A special thanks to our first guest blogger of the semester: Pat Thompson. And remember, we are always looking for guest bloggers!

Winter Wipeout

If you have looked at previous posts on this blog, you will notice that we have blogged on the television show Wipeout several times. If you have been missing Wipeout, I have good news for you! Winter Wipeout premieres tomorrow night on ABC at 8 pm. Here is a promotional video for the show. And here is another.

If you are not familiar with Wipeout, the concept is simple. Contestants attempt to complete a series of obstacle courses, fastest time wins. The prize is usually $50,000. Of course the appeal of the show is the obstacles which are just about impossible to complete, causing the contestants to "wipe out." These obstacles include the "sucker punch," the "motivator" and every body's favorite, the "Big Balls."

For the last several years, Wipeout has been on during the summer when it is warm outside. Winter Wipeout is run during much colder times. It should be interesting to watch. Have you watched Wipeout before? What did you think of it? Will you be watching it tomorrow night? Remember to give us at least three sentences in your paragraph. Proofread!

Did He Really do That?

By now you have seen the trip numerous times. It seems that a New York Jets coach was tyring to keep a Miami Dolphins player from getting to the play during last Sunday's game. Sal Alosi's gaffe has been viewed by many people and was played back several times by CBS during the game. And, of course it has shown up numerous times on other networks, including YouTube.



Watch the video (hyper linked in the above paragraph) and read the news article. How much was Alosi fined? The answer is in two parts! Did he get fired? If you were the New York Jets owner, what would you have done?

Were his actions justified? What would you have done if you were there?



That should be enough questions. Now tell us what you think. Remember three sentences minimum and proofread!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

We are all familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." If you were to purchase all the gifts mentioned in the song, how much would it cost? Do you wonder how many total gifts that would be. For example is it only 1 partridge in a pear tree or 12 of them?

So your assignment for today's blog is simple. How many total presents will you need to purchase? How much will it all cost you? Of the twelve presents purchased, which one is your favorite and why? You will need to do some web searching and a calculator is probably a good idea. Remember to proofread.

I will check your response and let you know during class if it is good to go or not. If not, you know what to do! In order to make it fair for all and have you do the research, I will not post the replies until later today! And proofread!
On a more serious note, some of my students seem to think that posting is optional. It is not. Proper posting is required. You can not earn your full daily class grade if you do not post. So make it simple and do it.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa begins the day after Christmas. Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, culture, and community. It lasts until January 1.

This celebration looks at seven principles that some have described as "the best of African thought and practice..."

Take a few minutes and peruse the official website of Kwanzaa. It has lots of great information and is quite interesting to read. There are many things you can learn about this celebration.

Your assignment is to learn at least three facts about Kwanzaa. Put these facts in your post. This is an important celebration, so put some effort into this!

One of my goals as your teacher is to increase your awareness of the world around you. Take advantage of this opportunity.

Flash Mob, Holiday Greetings!

Maybe you have seen this video before. This has become one of the most popular videos on YouTube this holiday season. It is obvious that these are classically trained singers.

Do you think a flash mob will break out into the "Hallelujah Chorus" the next time you are eating at your favorite food court? Would you be able to join in?

Let's watch the video. Did you notice how many people seem to be smiling as they sing? Do you think they are helping spread holiday cheer? Tell us what you think of this display in your post today. Remember three sentences (at least) and proofread.

The Cows Rock!

You have seen them on billboards, television commercials, and even in my classroom. They are even at baseball stadiums and have their own college football bowl game. And, yes they are even hanging out in my room at school. That's right, I am talking about the Chick-fil-A cows! For many of us, it is our favorite fast food place to eat.

Check out their website. You will probably agree that Chick-fil-A has an interesting history and some interesting policies.

Is Chick-fil-A your favorite fast food restaurant or is it another restaurant? Tell us about it in your post. Also, include at least one fact that you learned from the website. Remember to proofread!

Here are some commercials that might get you to smile on this Monday!