Hope

Hope is the inextinguishable flame in our hearts. This flame cannot be doused by water. The only thing that can douse hope is happiness.

Our heart struggles to hold onto the last strings of hope. Give it more. Let your heart overflow with hope.

The only thing that helped the Black slaves survive was hope. The only thing that helped the Europeans survive after the Black Death was hope. The only thing that helps me survive is hope.

Reasons to be Kind to Animals

Humans have hunted many kinds of animals in the past for their fur or shells. The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle is one of those animals. The estimated number of nesting females in the year of 1947 was 89,000 but it dove to an estimated 1,000 by the mid 1980s. It was listed as endangered for the first time in the United States on December 2, 1970. Another product from almost extinct animals was ivory. The animals that were killed for their tusks or ivory were elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal. When these animals were nearly extinct the government put a law for not killing these animals. The elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal were saved, but the Kemp’s Ridley turtle was already extinct. Now there are conservation groups who take care of these animals. These animal populations have improved a lot after the conservation groups were created. People still hunt for these animals illegally, but honest people always remain honest and follow the rules.

Animals are useful to us in many ways. Camels are used a lot for traveling in the deserts. Cows are one of the most used animals. They are in agriculture or farming for plowing in India. They are also the milk-giving deities. They produce a lot of products such as cheese and curd. Another animal is the elephant. It is used to lift heavy things like lumber or wood. Animals are useful to us in many so we should be kind to them and take care of them.

Riding Freedom

By: Pam Munoz Ryan

Date reported: Sunday, June 07, 2009

This story is about a young girl named Charlotte. Charlotte was a kind young girl who loved horses. She lived at a very strict orphanage because her parents died when she was 3. Now Charlotte was 9 and she still didn’t get adopted because people wanted a boy to help them work in the farm not a girl. Her only friends were Hayward, a cute 7 year old boy, and Vern, a stableman who let Charlotte be his stablehand. Charlotte always helped Vern with the stable.

One day she ran away to a place far from the orphanage, Rhode Island. There she cut her hair and dressed as a boy. Her name, sorry, his name was Charley. She then went to California and became a stagecoach driver. One day she lost her sight because a horse kicked her in the face. Later she proved herself by using her sense of smell and hearing to drive. She was called One-eyed Charley. She bought her a home with an apple orchard and chicken coop. She settled in California. She was the first woman to vote in California and in the United States.

“One day”, she said, “I will reveal my real identity.”

This is a very inspiring book. In this book I learned that you should always follow your heart. This book is based on a true story of Charley Parkhurst. It happened during the Gold Rush period.

Diwali

In my culture, Diwali the festival of lights marks the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom Ayodhya after defeating Ravana (the demon king) - the ruler of Lanka in the epic story of Ramayana. It is also believed that it is the day Lord Krishna’s wife Satyabhama defeated the demon king, Narakasura. It depicts the victory of good over evil.
Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atma. With the realization of the Atma comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (inner joy or peace). Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. Diwali being festival of lights, across India people celebrate it via symbolic diyas or kandils (colorful paper lanterns) as an integral part of Diwali decorations. Rangoli, decorations made from colored powder, is popular during Diwali. Diwali celebrations are spread over five days[5] in India and all over the world. All the days except Diwali are named according to their designation in the Hindu calendar.
Hindus wake up well before dawn, as early as two in the morning, have a fragrant oil bath (it is believed that taking a bath before sunrise, when the stars are still visible in the sky is equivalent to taking a bath in the holy Ganges) and wear new clothes. They light small lamps all around the house and draw elaborate kolams outside their homes. They perform a Lakshmi puja with offerings to Krishna or Vishnu, as he liberated the world from the demon Narakasura on this day. Lakshmi puja: Diwali marks the end of the harvest season in most of India and Nepal. Farmers are thankful for the plentiful bounty of the year gone by, and pray for a good harvest for the year to come. Traditionally this marked the closing of accounts for businesses dependent on the agrarian cycle, and the last major celebration before winter. Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead.There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan. The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana avatar of Vishnu, the incarnation he took to kill the demon king Bali. Thereafter it was on this day, that Vishnu came back to his abode, the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi on this day, get the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being. After the puja, children burst firecrackers heralding the defeat of the demon. As this is a day of rejoicing, many will have very elaborate breakfasts and lunches and meet family and friends.
Melas: To add to the festival of Diwali, fairs (or 'melas') are held throughout India.[11] Melas are to be found in many towns and villages. A mela generally becomes a market day in the countryside when farmers buy and sell produce. Girls and women dress attractively during the festival. They wear colourful clothing and new jewelry, and their hands are decorated with henna designs.

Among the many activities that take place at a mela are performances by jugglers, acrobats, snake charmers and fortune tellers. Food stalls are set up, selling sweet and spicy foods. There are a variety of rides at the fair, which include Ferris wheels and rides on animals such as elephants and camels. Activities for children, such as puppet shows, occur throughout the day.

Fish, Sharks, Creatures that sting, Marine mammals, Sea birds, Squids and Octopuses, Sea Stars, Crustaceans.
Fish: Fish are the most common sea life on Earth. They have bones just like humans, but they are covered with scales, have fins, and breathe through gills. The most common type of fish is the bony fish. They are called as bony fish because their teeth are made out of bones. Tuna and goldfish are types of bony fish.
Sharks: Sharks are types of fish too. There are many kinds of shark like the great white sharks which is the fiercest predator in the ocean and the whale shark which is really large. Sharks have to keep swimming to not go to the depths of the ocean.
Creatures that Sting: There are many creatures in the ocean that sting to get food and escape water. There are the coral polyps that use their tentacles to sting their predators and they also use their tentacles to catch food. Jellyfish also use their tentacles to sting their prey and catch food, they are so transparent.
Marine Mammals: Marine Mammals mostly live in land and water. The most common mammals are seals, sea lions, dolphins and whales. Seals and sea lions spend more time on land than water cause they have lungs to breathe. Whales and dolphins have blowholes and spend more time in water. They come up to the surface to breathe and one deep breathe can make them stay in the water for up to 2 hours. All marine mammals give birth to young alive and feed the young with milk.
Seabirds: Most seabirds live on land and search for food in the water. Most seabirds search for food by the shore and nest on land. But some seabirds like the Albatross have long weeks so they can fly for 1 week without stopping to rest so they go deeper above the ocean to search for food.
Squid and Octopuses: Squids and octopuses both have streamlined bodies. They live in the bottoms of the ocean and hide near rocks or caves and camouflage so they can catch their prey. Whenever a predator attacks them they move quickly or they squirt ink so that the predator will get confused and go away.
Sea Stars: Sea Stars are really dangerous and poisonous even though they are slow. Many sea stars have only five legs but some have 8 or more legs. Under the legs are suck cups which suck blood from any predator or prey and their mouths are placed on their underside.
Crustaceans: Crustaceans are sea animals with no backbones (invertebrates). They live on the ocean floors too. Crabs and shrimp are crustaceans. The most common type of crustacean is the krill. Even the world’s largest animal the blue whale feeds mainly on crustaceans.

Riding Freedom
By: Priya

This story is about a young girl named Charlotte. Charlotte was a kind young girl who loved horses. She lived at a very strict orphanage because her parents died when she was 3. Now Charlotte was 9 and she still didn’t get adopted because people wanted a boy to help them work in the farm not a girl. Her only friends were Hayward, a cute 7 year old boy, and Vern, a stableman who let Charlotte be his stablehand. Charlotte always helped Vern with the stable.
One day she ran away to a place far from the orphanage, Rhode Island. There she cut her hair and dressed as a boy. Her name, sorry, his name was Charley. She then went to California and became a stagecoach driver. One day she lost her sight because a horse kicked her in the face. Later she proved herself by using her sense of smell and hearing to drive. She was called One-eyed Charley. She bought her a home with an apple orchard and chicken coop. She settled in California. She was the first woman to vote in California and in the United States.
“One day”, she said, “I will reveal my real identity.”
This is a very inspiring book. In this book I learned that you should always follow your heart. This book is based on a true story of Charley Parkhurst. It happened during the Gold Rush period.

Famous Quotes

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Oliver Wendel Homes

If we did the things we are capable of, we will astound ourselves.
Thomas Edison

There are only two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. Two as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein

Dream as if you’ll life forever. Live as if you’ll die today.
James Dean

If you knew how much work went into it, you would’t call it genius.
Michelangelo

If you’re not falling every now and again, it means you are doing nothing innovative.
Woody Allen

The most powerful weapon on Earth is the human soul on fire. Ferdinand Foch