A Tricky Mystery

Tornadoes. The very word makes some kids shake with fear. So do I, but these nasty weather phenomenons can't be prevented. The only thing you can do is try to be safe. At school, this usually means crouching down in a corner, doing the "duck-and-cover" - this means your knees are tucked under your chest, your hands over your head. I've had a about fifty thousand tornado drills in my life, but today it just occurred to me: Were they all tornado drills? Were they really? 

    At a school, they may not tell you if it's an actual tornado, not simply a drill. Why? Same reason they never tell you what the crimes are doing a lock down: so kids don't flip out. If a tornado hits, it's much easier to manage a bunch of kids than a bunch of scared kids. 

    So today, I recalled a tornado "drill" that took place when I was in the fourth grade. It was right in the middle of math class. We were right in the middle of a fairly important lesson, and my math teacher kept complaining that the whole thing was "unnecessary" and how they "wished it never happened". Well, according to a person whom I interviewed (they went to my same school and saw the whole thing) my math teacher shouldn't have said that. Here's why:

• The tornado drill was totally random! If it was just for practice, they would've mentioned it during the morning announcements. But here's the thing: they didn't.
• We were stuck doing the duck-and-cover for a really, really, REALLY long time! Usually, a tornado drill lasts about 5 to 10 minutes. But this one took forever - that's why we missed math lessons.
• Right in the middle of the twister, the lights went out. Usually in storms, the lights may go out if a power line got ripped apart - especially in a tornado.
• The person I interviewed claims that they could hear the violent storm. Honestly, I don't really remember too much about that particular drill - only that my math teacher hated it.

So, you have all the dead-on facts. The person I interviewed witnessed it firsthand. Of course, he/she might be an unreliable witness. But we have to prove it, and no one has. So until then, let's assume it's true.

    Now, after hearing all of these facts, you're probably thinking that it was indeed a real live cyclone. But someone else ay argue that

• the teachers could've forgotten to mention it,
• it might've simply felt like a long time 'cause we were bored and wanted to get on with the math lesson,
• the lights going out could've simply been a coincidence,
• and there might've been some awful din (lawn mowers, construction, etc.) that my witness had heard that day.

So now that you know everything - and really everything - it's time for you to make your decision. Was it a real tornado that hit our area that particular day in the fourth grade? This is a trial. You are the jury. Take all the facts and possibilities, roll them together, and turn them into a conclusion. But this might take a couple days, and until then this still remains a mystery.

A Slightly Experienced Person's Guide to Avoiding Screamers

Picture this: it's Halloween. You're trick-or-treating with your friends. You walk up the front path. All of a sudden, a statue by the door jumps out at you. You:
a) Run for your life!
b) Ignore it.
If your like me and you're afraid of your own shadow, you might get nervous when Trick-or-Treating on October 31st. This past Halloween, A.W and I were on the lookout for decorations that jump out at you when you walk by, or as I call them, "screamers". Here are a couple of strategies we created:

• If you see something suspicious-looking, wait while all of the other trick-or-treaters in your group go up there and see if it moves.
• Stay away from suspicious-looking decorations altogether.
• Avoid life-size plastic statues!
• If something moved last year, it might move again this year!

With that said - have a safe and happy Halloween!

2012 Presidential Election

    Yesterday something very important happened. Around 11:18 PM, Barack Obama was re-elected president of the United States. Yet the very next day, I was staring at the TV, and the announcer pointed out that they still didn't know which candidate had gotten the most Florida votes. It's amazing how long an election can last, even though the president has already been chosen.
    This is a quick summary of how I spent Election Day:
    I climbed into my PJs and snacked on some almonds while watching the election on TV. I watched reporters count the votes, waiting for the new president to be announced. I finally went to bed thinking I'd find out who won in the morning. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I woke up at midnight and was informed that Obama had won. Even though most of the states had more Romney votes, the states that had more Obama votes were all the heavily populated ones: New York, California, etc. But there was Florida, jutting out of the Southeast corner of the U.S, yellow for "undecided". 
    Even though this election was announced late into the night, it was actually early compared to most presidential elections, which surprised me. But then again, millions of people live in the US. Who knows how long it took to count those votes? 
    That's it for this election, but I'll see you in another four years. However, what happens in the future is yet to come, so we'll save it for when it, someday, becomes the present.  
    

October 2012!!!!!!

Summer is finally over and school has started again. Time for the holiday season, Halloween, and some really out-of-place weather. It's time to close up the swimming pools (for now) and get prepared for Fall of 2012.

Hurricane Preperation

Welcome to Hurricane Season. It's around this time that hurricanes begin to spring up. But, if you're smart, careful, and understand exactly what to do, you'll be able to stay safe if your town is hit by one of these mighty storms.

Before it Comes
The first thing you'll need to do is meet up with your family and make a plan. Your plan must include:

• Where to go if the town is forced to evacuate.

• Who's in charge of what.

• What you're going to do with your pet, if you have one.

Then, you should find a safe place in the house (basement, bathroom, tornado shelter, even a comfortable corner will do if you're desperate) and stock it with food (preferably some that won't expire), water, flashlights, and (if you need them) a few books in case you get bored. If a hurricane hits and you are not forced to evacuate, you could take shelter in this place. 

Evacuation
If you're forced to evacuate, you should hopefully be ready by all the planning you did. The  place you're headed should be already planned out, and everybody is responsible for certain things. During a hurricane, everybody has to play their part. Hopefully, the place you chose to evacuate to is not so far you won't make it there before the hurricane threat is over (example: you live in Pensacola, Fl and your evacuation destination is your cousin's house in West Virginia) but not so close that the very same hurricane you are trying to escape from is going to hit that place, too (example: you live in Tampa, Fl and your evacuation destination is your friend's house in St. Petersburg, Fl).
Note: All airplane flights will be canceled, so you would have to evacuate via car or bus.

Staying Home
Remember that safe place in your house you made earlier? Well, if you are faced with a hurricane where you don't have to evacuate, you have two options:

1. You could evacuate anyway.
2. You could find a safe place to shelter in at home

If you choose to evacuate, read the section above. If you choose to stay home, double-check to make sure your shelter is stocked with enough food and water to last several days. You might also want to add your sleeping bag or some blankets in case you have to sleep there. But if it's not a comfortable spot, it might be a little too late to change it. Be ready. Be safe. Do your part. As long as you do those things, everything is going to turn out okay.

21 Things To Do When You're Bored

1. Create your own blog.

2. Take a leisurely walk around the neighborhood.

3. Invite a friend over.

4. Read a good book.

5. Write.

6. Play with your pet.

7. Start your own journal.
8. Learn how to play chess, then enjoy a chess match against a friend.
9. Find old photos and make a photo album.

10. Learn a new language.

11. Make your own mini-movie.

12. Learn to play an instrument.

13. Draw a pretty picture.

14. Make your own dance.

15. Watch a movie.

16. Listen to music.

17. Sing.

18. Learn the words to your favorite song.

19. Start thinking about how you're going to celebrate your birthday.

20. Go swimming.
21. Go to bed.

School Uniforms: Why or Why Not?

Almost every year, I get a note from school asking for a vote: should there be school uniforms? Or should there not? This is actually a very hard decision since there are very good arguments that both support it and go against it.
WHY YOU SHOULD SAY "YES"
Some people can judge others by what type of clothes they wear. If someone doesn't wear the current fashion, then they will probably face the problem of being treated unfairly for the entire school year. Also, students might wear inappropriate clothing. Then the principal might have to ban certain types of clothing, which they wouldn't have to do if they required uniforms.

WHY YOU SHOULD SAY "NO"

Who are you? This question can be answered by expressing yourself. One way is clothing. What a kid wears says who they are, and how can they do so if they're wearing clothes the principal made them wear? Also, how can you guarantee that a kid is actually comfortable wearing the uniform? What if it's hot? What if it's itchy or causes blisters? If this is the case, the uniform won't make school days better. It'll make it dreadful!

So now that you know some reasons, what do you think?