Hey TAS!!

Things Made in China

We're allowed to post anything to our blog if it's writing and so I posted this random little poem that I wrote in my spare time and journal time. It's called things made in China and the reality is much more than this is made in China.

Stuffed Poodles

Instant Noodles

Fake Hair

Underwear

Umbrellas that are Weather Beat

Quite a bit of Processed Meat

Lots and Lots of Frozen Peas

Drugs Shipped off to Pharmacies

Patterned Cots

China Pots

Dog Drool

Bar Stools

Glasses used by Dorks

Fatty Pounds of Pork

Cheap little Plastic Trinkets

Really small Robotic Piglets

Post-its

Toilets

Pencil Cases

Metal Braces

Books

Hooks

Chewed Lego

Stiff Play-Doh

Equipment used by Gladiators

And Most of all 6^th Graders!

Sorry

Dear Mr. Hughes,

You're probably reading this because it's exactly where the class video to TSA is. Well unfortunately my parents want me to check that every student in the class is okay with the small caption I wrote under their name. So by tomorrow morning I will have the video up. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Why is Haiti so Poor?

The earthquake in Haiti was terrible and the fact that it struck a country without the money to fix the damage made it even worse. But how did Haiti become so poor? Why didn't it have the money to fix the damage made? Many theories exist, these are some.

1. Many sources say Haiti was once a powerful civilization of Native Americans. The sources also say that once Columbus and the Europeans Haiti went downhill, the Europeans brought disease,death and misery.
2. One source also says Haiti was once a powerful colony but Haiti was on a buying binge. Haitians were buying things that they didn't need and nobody had enough money to by clothes and other necessities. The people with the money went to other places and were never heard from again.
3. The europeans took control of the sugar canes and half the island. The sugar canes were a main source of income for many people.
4. A plane stocked with cocaine crashed and all money was spent trying to stop the use of drugs.

Syren

If I could describe this book in 5 words I would say Sensational, Exciting and Keeps you awake. I thought the Septimus Heap series was losing its touch from the last book this book totally redeemed its reputation. Like the last 3 words of my 5 words, this book kept me awake.

I couldn't fall asleep until I read more and was made sure the characters were safe from the Syren.

In this book, while trying to fly home on Septimus's dragon, Spit Fyre is struck by lightning

and Jenna, Beetle and Septimus crash on the island of the Syren though they don't know it yet.

My favorite part of the book was when Septimus went up to the tower of the Syren with Syrah,

the wizard apprentice sealed off from time, and had to time all his motions and actions

carefully while still holding up his mind shield to make sure the Syren didn't get inside his head

like it did to Syrah.

This book receives 5 stars and deserves more. You can tell this book is go

od because I

finished it in December but all the action and mystery left an imprint in my brain so that I can

write about it now.

Haiti Update

Things aren't going so great in Haiti. Gangs are terrorizing people, Only few survivors are being found, Mental prisoners and Convicts are running free around Port-au-Prince and people are looting. Police armed with shotguns and assault rifles even open fired on looters killing on man in his 30's by a fatal shot to the head.

On the brighter side at least survivors are being found and everyone is trying to help. Countries from all over the earth are sending as much help as they can spare. The photo shows an australian news man holding the 18 month year old baby girl he put his camera down to rescue. He found her lying next to her dead parent's bodies and claims she had a look on her face that made it seem as though she was seeing the world for the first time.

People are doing all they can to help Haiti. But again Haiti isn't going to have all this aid forever. What Haiti needs is a way for Haiti to get back on it's feet, or for Haiti to finally start walking. Haiti has always been a poor country. It's about as deep into the shadows of places like USA and China as it can get.

Chaos in Haiti

Yesterday chaos erupted in Haiti as an earthquake hit measuring 7.0 on the richter scale. The death toll remains unknown but most sources on the internet say 100,000 people were killed. I don't know how many buildings were destroyed I don't think anyone knows the actual amount considering there was so much damage are done I think the amounts are countless. The image shows a before the earthquake and an after the earthquake scene of the Port-au-Prince, Haiti's National Palace. I'm going to guess this was probably the sturdiest building in all of Haiti considering the other building images I've seen. Even though the National Palace barely even looks like the same building. The top image looks like it could be the White House( And that's unspeakably good considering how poor Haiti is) however the place in the bottom picture could be a fugitive's hideout. I wonder how Haiti will be able to survive. First the hurricane now this. The US military relief is already headed to Haiti stocked with supplies. But will Haiti be able to live off people's aid forever? I'm not so sure.

My Break

For my break I went all over Cambodia and to Bangkok. I started in Cambodia. We met my grandparents in Siam Reap. There we went to visit the famous Angkor Wat. I didn't really like it. There are just some things that you have to be at least 30 years old to appreciate. One temple was Ok because I jumped around in the ruins. I discovered a lot of places dangerous and off limits. That didn't really stop me. I went in them anyway and here I am typing this. Other than than Angkor Wat it was just R&R and look at dead bodies. We visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum probably better known as S-21. Cambodia was involved in the world's 2nd largest genocide and S-21 had plenty of photos of prisoners and torturers. The weird thing was at least 70% of the photos of torturers were CHILDREN!!! That's because the attackers ,The Khmer Rouge, realized that the children's minds were still fresh and could be corrupted.

In Bangkok I saw the movie Avatar. It was really good. Some movies, I feel like they drag on forever even if they're only an hour and 15 minutes. Avatar was twice as long and I didn't feel like it dragged on at all. I was always thrilled throughout the entire experience. $400 million was spent on making the movie and my dad says he read that in places around the world people were standing up and clapping at the end of the movie. That scene where Jake first saw the giant hawk thing cost $4 million alone. The bad thing is there really isn't a way a sequel can be created. I mean everyone knows what can really go wrong from now on. But it's been done with movies before. I think it's the greatest movie of 2009 and maybe even 2010.