Dan Biss's Top Ten Subs of 2008

1)      Mr. Swift

2)      Mr. Orlando

3)      Mrs. Murray

4)      Mrs. “K”

5)      Mr. Cote

6)      Mr. Costa

7)      Mrs. Lazaras

8)      Mr. Azar

9)      Mrs. Rutka

10)  Mrs. Craig

Wal-Mart ‘R Us

When I sat down to write my article this week, I felt the need to stray away from my usual department to write something closer to home. I normally write for science, but it seemed like all my articles were the same, so I decided to change for the week. We were told to try to think of an article that relates to the season, so I started to think of maybe scientific toys. That got me thinking about Toys ‘R Us and how when I drove by it the other day, the parking lot was empty. What is the source of this downfall?

When I was a kid, the greatest thing to do when running errands with my mom was when she took me to Toys ‘R Us. It was such a great store and I had fun looking at the toys and playing with them. I have not been in Toys ‘R Us in awhile, but I often drive by. The parking lot is always empty and until recently, I thought nothing of it. As I drive further down Route 1, I pass Wal-Mart. Then it hit me, Wal-Mart sells toys cheaper and is a one-stop place to pick up everything. This is very convenient, but what about the joy of going to a toy store?

 When I go in Wal-Mart, I am bored and I feel like I am in a store, not a fun place for kids. Wal-Mart may be convenient for parents, but a bore for kids. I think it is a shame that Wal-Mart has been taking all of the toy business away because it is taking away from kids what I enjoyed so much as a kid. Eventually, Toys ‘R Us won’t exist and children will have no fun place to buy and play with toys. I understand that Wal-Mart is a better business and has more of a variety of items; I am just disappointed in the way that the times are changing. 

New Solar System?

NASA’s Hubble Telescope has recently taken the first visible photos of a planet, Formalhaut B, which orbits the star Formalhaut. The star is 25 light years away and the star is about 1.8 million miles inside of the ring surrounding it. The planet is 10.7 billion miles from the star, but the gravitational pull is still strong enough for the planet to be in orbit. The planet is no more than 3 times Jupiter’s mass. Scientists think that more planets may possibly form because the gravitational pull between the planet and the star is moving debris that also orbits the star.

The photos were sent to Earth on November 13, 2008. In 2004, the telescope took the first pictures of the Formalhaut star. These pictures revealed that there was proto planetary material orbiting the star as well as pieces of ice the size or Pluto. It has taken so long for photos of the planet itself to be taken because the planet is very fast moving. The first traces of the planet were in the 1980s when dust was found around the star.

The planet is very bright because there is a ring of debris orbiting it that reflects the star’s light. What is next for the planet? The next photographs that will be taken will be in infrared light so that NASA can see if there is water vapor on the planet, thus able to support life. The James Webb Space Telescope will be launched in 2013 and will be able to look for other structures in the system, such as other planets, asteroid belts, and things of that sort. Perhaps the new solar system resembles ours. We will have to wait and find out.

Space Portal

Portals connecting the Earth to the Sun, called FLEs or Flux Transfer Events, connect the Earth to the Sun temporarily every 8 minutes. This connection transfers energy from the sun to Earth. This information was presented at the 2008 Plasma Workshop in Huntsville, Alabama.

Around the Earth, there is an invisible magnetic field containing energy particles from the Sun. The field is a bubble that surrounds the planet like the atmosphere. When a part of the world is receiving sunlight, during the daytime, a cylinder connects the bubble to the sun. In the cylinder, energy is transferred and can be traced from the Earth to the Sun.

How do we know these are real? They sound made up, maybe out of Star Wars, but they are very real. NASA sent space ships to survey the size of the cylinder. The ships were able to read the energy particles traveling through the cylinder, proving they were present. Now, so they are easier to predict, scientists know how much energy flows through at a given time so they can simulate it on computers.

Putin's Pooch

Who: Vladimir Putin’s Dog, Koni

What: Satellite Navigation System, GLONASS

Where: Moscow Russia, Soon the Entire Russian Territory

When: October 17, 2008, System Will be ready in 2009

Why: Originally Created to Match U.S.’s Navigation Satellite System in the Soviet Era

How: Tested by putting a Tracking Collar on Koni

 

Putin’s Pooch

 

Vladimir Putin’s dog, Koni, became the first dog in history to be tracked by a government satellite on October 17, 2008. The Russian government did so to test out their GLONASS global navigation system. Koni was tracked in Moscow, Russia, but the system will be covering the whole Russian Territory by the end of the year with 21.

 

The GLONASS was originally set up during the soviet era to compete with the U.S.’s system. Due to technological errors, the system is just now getting into motion. It is expected to be completed in 2009 with 24 satellites and will operate worldwide.

 

The system is nothing short of incredible. Koni was given a collar with a tracking device installed. The device not only gave off his position but also showed when he was walking or sitting down in a puddle. Putin says, "My dog isn't a piglet, it doesn't lie in puddles." The system is very reactive and operational; Russia has finally caught up after so many years!

A New Side of Mercury

NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft has orbited Mercury and has taken gorgeous images of the surface of the planet closest to the sun. Over 1000 high resolution images were taken and Earth received the first photographs on October 6, 2008. A wide-angle camera on MESSENGER took the photos. The images have given NASA a better understanding of the geography of Mercury.

 

The pictures revealed many new craters never before seen by human eyes. This has been made possible by the high-resolution photos being taken so close to the planet. In the past, Earth telescopes have observed the planet and in the mid 1970s, the Mariner 10 photographed less than half of the planet after flying by it three times. In MESSENGER’s first flyby, it received images of 20% of the surface and an additional 30% during its second flyby. As you can see, MESSENGER is a very advanced spacecraft capable of taking better and more pictures over a shorter period.

 

After Earth receives all of the images and MESSENGER has completed its rounds, NASA will have a global perspective of Mercury and will completely understand its geography, therefore gaining a better understanding of our solar system. Mercury was discovered long ago, but we are just scratching the surface on how the planet is made up and there is a whole planet of information yet to be discovered.

Another Side of Mercury

Who: NASA’s MESSENGER Space Craft

What: Over 1000 High Resolution Photos of Mercury’s Surface, New Craters Discovered

Where: Mercury

When: October 6, 2008

Why: To Improve the Knowledge about Mercury

How: A Wide Angle Camera (WAC)

 

A Picture Taken on MESSENGER’s Second Fly-By

Recess on the Moon

Who: The CHS Cross Country team without the inclusion of a few runners.

What: Are traveling to run in a meet.

Where: In Belfast, Maine.

When: The weekend of October 4, leaving school Friday and returning Saturday.

Why: To compete against new teams they would not normally face.

How: By Conway bus and staying at the Comfort Inn

 

Recess on the Moon

 

            The boys and girls Cross Country teams are traveling to Belfast, Maine this weekend to run in a meet with teams that they haven’t faced before. They are leaving on Friday October 3 and returning Saturday October 4. They are staying at the Comfort Inn and taking a Conway bus from Cumberland High School. The itinerary involves going to a local school for a pasta supper and a very important race on Saturday. The team is very excited and the chaperones are Tom Kenwood, Roland Roy, and Joyce Bonner.

            Teams from all over New England are competing. The Cumberland boys team has a 9-1 record going into the meet and the girls have a 10-0 record. Both of these are unbelievable. Cumberland’s varsity boy squad that will be racing includes: John Morgan, Sean Connolly, Brian Sullivan, Jeff Ferrucci, Chip Redihan, and Steve Healey. They have all had a phenomenal season and should do well in the Belfast, Maine Festival of Champions.

Questionairre Part Two

What are the advantages and disadvantages of working independently?
The biggest advantage, in my opinion, of working independently is that you work on your own schedule at the place of your choice. An independant worker can work at their house and sleep late every day. They don't have to follow a nine-to-five schedule. Also, they can work when they're in the mood. The biggest disadvantages are a non-steady paycheck and of course loneliness. Working from home keeps you away from your peers, but this can be easily solved by visiting a coffee shop. Also, it is always unpredictable whether or not your articles will be published.
How does your occupation/ position/ or status affect your potential
opportunities or career direction?

Well, having prior expericience in a field such as accounting or management is a neccessity. When working on your own, you must manage your own time well and keep track of your own funds. There won;t be a boss there to tell you what to do, so you need to take charge of yourself.
How does the frequency or infrequency of payment from freelancing
affect to the budget of a writer?

The budget of a writer must be stretched greatly. Although an article may give a big payday, there won't be a definite opportunity for another pay day. A writer must save up their funds because they don't know when they will be replenished.
How do flexibility, organization, and discipline affect a freelancer’s
capacity to research, generate and produce quality work?
A writer must have a flexible schedule because they never know when a golden opportunity will arrive. A publisher might make a sudden demand for a revision and a write must be prepared. They also must be organized so that they can keep track of there work and stay on top of it at all times. Discipline is applied in the same way, a write must know how to keep themselves on task at all times or they will fall behind.
How does one’s expertise or ignorance affect a freelancer’s choice of
assignment?
If a writer recieves an assignment toreport on something that they know everything about, they will not only have an easy time reporting and researching, but they will also have a good time while doing it. If they recieve an assignment in a field where they have little experience, then they will have great trouble researching and won't enjoy themselves.
Should you say no to an assignment? Why or When (at what point)?

You should never turn down an assignment usless there is an absolute emergency preventing them from working, or they are already working on a more important story. If theres a personal emergency than obviously a person can't report on a story. Also, if theyre working on another important story, then they should cover the more important story so they can do their best.

CHS Scanner Questionnaire

Do you have a new favorite Hobby, TV show, book, type of music, film,
website?

My favorite TV show is definitely The Office on NBC and I've been listening to a lot more ska and punk-rock lately like NoFX, The Alkaline Trio, The ISHC and older bands like Operation Ivy. I've been listening to more old-school punk too like the Descendants and Dead Kennedys.
What are your pet peeves?

People who say Ee pa who aren't Portuguese. Also, i'm annoyed when somebody tries to improve something with people when nothing is really wrong.
What makes you really angry?

I get really annoyed by people who assume that they know everything even when they only know one side of a story.
What things in the world do you really wish you could change?

I wish that I could change how people see eachother. So many people hate eachother and I think that's wrong. People should just learn to accept their differences and be together.

What people, places, and ideas are in the news at the moment?

I don't know what's in the news other than the presidential race and the war in Iraq. The news I hear about are usually stupid local things that are generic, nothing big.
Are there any events coming up in the next six months or in the next year that are sure to be newsworthy and that you can get the jump on now?

I think the presidential election is definitely newsworthy but everybody is covering that. I think a good story to cover might be anything that happens in school or locally because that's who's going to be reading my articles.
What’s new in your city?

 Nothing is too new, there are more speed bumps and a newly paved highway.
[What’s new in your school?]

The new things in school are the Wellness Center and the new science hallway. Also, I think there are more new teachers.
What’s new in your immediate neighborhood?

A lot of new houses have been built in my neighborhood. Also, my neighbors have recently moved to North Carolina.
What’s new with your family?

Two of my brothers are now in college and I'm in high school. 
Is your generation, ethnic group, or racial group facing changes,

hardships, or freedoms that have not been addressed in the past? 

Well this doesn't directly affect me, but a recent issue or freedom has to do with abortion. It is very new and controversial and has made alot of news. Another issue affecting me directly is that teenagers have to deal with a lot in their lives. I have  to balance sports, obscene amounts of homework, and my friends and it's too much to handle. Adults expect too much from kids and they need to learn to let them have some time to themselves.

Google Chrome

Who: Google Executives
What: They launched a new web browser
Where: The Internet
When: Thursday September 4, 2008
Why: To change the way we use computers
How: By launching a new web browser

OJ Simpson Trial

Who: OJ Simpson
What: On trial for Armed Robbery
Where: Las Vegas
When: Wednesday September 3, 2008
Why: OJ was accused of Armed Robbery
How: He is going on trial

Kanye West Arrest

Who: Kanye West
What: Broke a paparazzi's $1,000,000 camera on the floor
Where: Los Angeles International Airport
When:Thursday, September 11 before 8 A.M.
Why: The photographer put his camera near Kanye's face so he smashed it out of self defense
How: He threw it on the floor out of self defense

“Lipstick on a Pig”

Governor Sarah Pailin made a comment that the only difference between a pitbull and a hockeymom is lipstick. Senator Barrack Obama made a comment later at the Democratic Convention in Denver that a person can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. He intended this to mean that you can disguise something and call it change but it isnt a change. This is becasue John McCaine is "all about change," but he's basically just re-naming old things. Some want Obama to apologize to Pailin even though he didnt intend to offend her.

New Ipods and “Let’s Rock” Event

Steve Jobs of Apple Computers help an Apple Event called the, "Let's Rock," event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on September 9, 2008. He help this event to show off new iPods such as a less expensive Touch and a motion sensitive iPod Nano. He also showed off the new genius playlist software that automatically makes playlists for you based on what you are currently listeneing to. He did all of this in a conference.

Some News Websites

www.cnn.com
www.cspan.org
www.capitalnews.org
www.msnbc.com
www.npr.org
www.foxnews.com
www.projo.com
www.bbc.co.uk
www.nytimes.com
www.wpri.com
www.turntoten.com
www.wgbh.com
www.fox64.com
www.usnews.com
www.abc.com
www.nbc.com
www.cbs.com
www.itn.co.uk.com
www.motherjones.com
www.reuters.com

First Post

This is my first post. I just wanted to see if it would work so this is just a test. This blog is for Cumberland High School.