Current events revised (Priya)

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2490618

A photographer named Wayne Martin Belger made some cameras, that are made out of human remains. He believes that art can help us cope with death, and that when we die our body can be turned into art which can connect us to the dead. Because he thinks this he made cameras made of human remains.

"Third eye camera" is a camera made from a 150 year old skull that Belger got from a doctor. He made this because  "[he] wanted to take this beautiful object of decay and photograph the beauty of decay."

"The heart" is another camera made by Belger. This camera is made from a fetus's heart. It allows Belger to connect himself with the dead. When he was 20 he found out he had a twin brother who died at birth. With this camera he photographs woman before they have a baby. "I've yet to have a negative response," he says.

 It's really amazing how a camera made with human remains can do this. 

Mental Toughness Revised

In my new version of mental toughness, I thought it would be an improvement to relate the article to me and my experiences as an elite gymnast.  I realized that I need mental toughness everyday at the gym.  It's one thing to train while you're relaxed, but completely different when you're competing and there is stress coming from different directions.  During a competition I worry about not doing well and this makes me anxious.  I also worry about falling which will bring my ranking down and this causes me stress.  But, I try not to think about being scared and nervous.  I just remember how many times I've practiced my skills and try and trust that it's enough to help me do well.  I tell myself being brave is the key.  Being scared does not prevent my knees from wobbling while I'm on the beam for instance.  I have to be strong and put on my bravest face blocking out all my fears.


The article talks about how you need mental toughness just to get through each day of training.  Boy, can I relate to that!  Training 5.5 hours/day, 5 or 6 days/day can become pretty repetitive and you need a tough mind to get you through it.  Sometimes I go to gym with sore muscles or I haven't slept enough and feel tired.  Even worse is when you get injured.  I've always said the true test of how strong an athlete is is when they get injured.  I broke my big toe once and I would go to gym wanting to fully train, but couldn't.  I had to let my toe heal, all I could do was conditioning.  I'm rearing to go, but I'm stopped dead in my tracks.  It takes so much perseverance and patience to see yourself through an injury and then return to full training.  It can be a long and frustrating process.  Mind over matter is the key.

There are days that I'd rather stay in school and catch up on homework, attend classes or finish a project, but I have to go to gym.  It's a constant battle, I want to be a full-time student, but can't.  I have to leave my academic goals of doing well in school somewhat on the back burner.  I'm constantly torn about where I should focus my energy.  I've even toyed with the idea of quitting gymnastics in order to be a better student.  To resolve all these internal conflicts and stay on course and never give up, I have to be extremely mentally tough.  And so, I continue in my quest for excellence as a gymnast. 


http://www.thesportinmind.com/articles/what-is-mental-toughness-and-why-do-you-need-it/

http://www.mdsports.net/docs/mentaltoughnessgymnastics.pdf

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/exercises/mental-toughness-in-sports-why-exercising-your-mind-will-help-you-excel.html#b

current events revised

Current events   Response to report cards changes in Surrey 

I think this isn’t a good idea to take out grades and just tell the student where he’s/she’s at in school. The student may or may not fall behind thinking that teachers are not going to give letter grades. Students may not push themselves to study harder and like I had said before they might fail or fall behind. This program has some pros as well. It can give parents and their child/children a better understanding about where they stand in learning so they can get a tutor to give extra assistance or ask the teacher for support. The other thing is that they should inform parents and ask them what they want. 

 This new program may be a good idea but for myself I still want letter grades. Some parents might think it’s a good idea but I think they should ask every parent for their opinion 

CURRENT EVENTS REVISED

                               'No stadium, no match'

With only less than 5 months left for the World Cup to be held in Brazil, there has been a lot of issues and delays in renovations for the stadium. Many people including the secretary general of the sport's governor body and the FIFA group are remarking that without any stadium there can't be any games.

  This is a serious problem because the first game of the World Cup is on June 26 and the progress is not looking too good. FIFA has now given the Brazil constructors a new deadline of February 18 to show a marked improvement of the arena. The stadium is understood to be 90% completed by now but there hasn't been any progress since the end of November when it was 88% completed.

   Work on this arena has already also been halted and delayed when a local judge intervened that all these workers were at a serious risk of being killed. The secretary general known as Valcke is continuing to say that they don't need to see a completed arena by February 18 but there needs to be more progress being done.

  Luis Fernandes, executive secretary of Brazil's Ministry of Sport agreed to Valcke's criticism telling the workers: " If the pace of work at the stadium in Curitiba is kept as it is , then it would not be ready to host the world cup." Lots of high generals and secretaries are agreeing to this world and is demanding a improvement in progress by February 18. Brazil has said they would keep that in mind and guarantee to finish the arena in time to host the games.

  One major problem Brazil is having because of the construction of the World Cup is the workers dying. Lately, five workers had died on the World Cup construction site. This is one major problem that has been delaying the progress of the stadium and should go in to consideration.

 In my opinion, I think that Brazil is pretty behind in progress to finish the stadium in less than 5 months. I agree to Valcke's criticism but I believe that Brazil will finish the arena in time to hold all the games for the World Cup. However, I think that FIFA and Brazil should both consider the risk of these workers dying because of them trying to finish this stadium in time to hold the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I am worrying that these poor workers shouldn't have to be in risk of losing their life to finish the stadium.

To find this article click here.

I found my more news and articles similar to my articles on here
I found another help on here
I also found more details on here

Current events

In Grand forks just the other day a bunch of innocent horses were taken to be rescued. The owner of the horses had a abused and starved 12 poor creatures. Only 8 had been able to he rescued because 2 had sadly passed on. I think that people who are not responsible shouldn't be able to have animals for this reason. The animals have to suffer when they have done nothing wrong and if people no they are not capable thy should sell, adopt out or call somebody for help. This kind of problem has been happening all over the word and I STRONGLY believe that animal cruelty had to stop. 

~kalaya

Current Events

Today in class we read about a article to change the way of evaluating students. This article is saying that instead of giving students report cards the school should offer more help on projects and tests.

 

   About 39 schools have already changed into this new system to help their students have a better understanding on what there doing. Antonio Vendramin, prince of George Vanier Elementary school also gave his thoughts on this new system. He described that letter grades make it easy for parents to keep track of their children. However, he think that they limit students and parents interact over education. Most people agree with this word but some do not.

 

   This new system would allow students to know what there doing and how they can be better at it. However, report cards would allow the students and parents to keep track on exactly how well their children is doing. This new system wouldn't exactly tell which level the students is working on.

 

  In brief, I think the report cards is a better choice to evaluate students. For if the students do not try hard in school. The report card tells exactly the results of the students work. We have kept report cards for as long as I remember and I think we should keep it that way.

Report card changes in Surrey?!

There is an article which talks about the surrey school districts proposal to eliminate the traditional letter grade system in favour of a "constructive feedback" approach. On one had said program can eliminate pressure felt on achieving letter grades and simply allow students to focus on becoming better as a whole without superficial means and additional motives. However on the other hand this could back fire and have students living with a hear no evil see no evil principle. As crazy as it may seem students will feel much more reality with the words "You're getting a C" than you need to work on...etc. Both methods have value as well as flaws but in my opinion students have been working under the letter grade system for so many years  that putting an abrupt stop to it will have many set backs and just cause a lot of trouble, If something isn't broken why should we go out of our way causing controversy trying to change it?!

In my opinion both systems have value but I am pro letter grades!

Current Events

​​​Current events  ​​Response to report cards changes in Surrey

​​​

​​I think this isn’t a good idea to take out grades and just tell the student where he’s/she’s at in school. The student may or may not fall behind thinking that teachers are not going to give letter grades so the student might fail or fall behind. Students and parents wouldn’t have the conversations about their kid’s grades and might not push the student to study as well as before.But this program has some pros as well. It can give parents a better understanding about where their child stands in learning so they can get a tutor to assist them in the areas they need help in.

 

The student will have more pressure knowing where his/her errors are. This new program is a good idea but they should ask parents first.     ​​​

Current Events

I have found an article about mental toughness and how athletes deal with all the stress while competing.
There was one tennis player who made two mistakes and almost lost the game because of it. But he came back strong and won the game. This is an example of mental toughness when you lose and you're determined to do better. The athlete stays so focused so they can win the next time.


When you have mental toughness you usually use your strengths and abilities. Such as when you go to compete at a competition your nervous because you didn't get enough time to warm up but you've practiced you're routines a bunch of times in your head so you go out there and you use your mental toughness!  Such as in basketball the anxiety may get to you once in awhile if you miss a basket and your team is losing, you feel like your not good and you've let your team down. But you need self-motivation and mental toughness to push through and believe in yourself and say I can do this! If you fail a lot of times be determined and hungry to come back for more. Besides, we're only human and humans make mistakes all the time!


Thanks!



http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/exercises/mental-toughness-in-sports-why-exercising-your-mind-will-help-you-excel.html#b

Artical

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2490618

I read this news about a man who makes cameras out of human remains, that do mysterious things.

I think it is very creepy and unnatural to be making cameras out of human remains. Sure it's amazing to have mysterious cameras that do mysterious things but I just think it's dead wrong. I don't think it's right to see or talk or have anything to do with the dead. Or to have a camera that's whole purpose is to take pictures with decay... Human decay. There's a point why we can't already see or talk to them, I don't know what the point is, I just know there is one. Also making these cameras out of human remains! Yuck! Why would you touch those. Just let both the body and soul rest in peace. I'm not sure about you but i don't want my body to turn into an unnatural creepy camera. I'd rather have my body burnt to ash like normal people, than turned into a camera. I don't want to be a camera! I don't want anyone else to be a camera either! That just creepy.

A human heart and a human brain as a camera, that is quite creative. But very, very disgusting. What I get from a human making a heart and a skull camera is pure creepy obsession.

I also think it's immpossible for the living to be connected to the dead. Unless while dying or near when your born.

This is only my opinion I don't mean to insult anyone by it.

My Process and Reflections
Question #5 for passion project/Genius Hour (Proposal)

Today I watched some videos on cake decorating with fondant.  I learned a technique on how to move fondant from the counter to the cake without ripping it.  You take a rolling pin and roll the fondant up and onto the cake.  It makes transporting the fondant much easier.  Also it's a good idea to put down a piece of wax paper or parchment paper before rolling the fondant as this will prevent it from sticking to the counter.  

I also watched how you can make completely inedible parts of a cake just for decoration i.e. castle towers made of paper towel rolls covered in fondant.  I also saw how fondant could be embossed using pieces of rubber that had designs etched into it.  For eg. the castle cake was embossed with a rock-like texture for its walls.  The castle door was embossed with a wood design to make the castle door look more realistic. 

If you want the fondant to stay on the cake easier you can frost the cake with any type of icing and this acts like glue to adhere the fondant to the cake.  I also went onto the Wilton website and I read about some of the techniques on how to smooth out the fondant. You can use your hands, or you can use an easy-glide smoother to take out air bubbles and creases from the cake. Then you trim off the excess fondant with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.  These are only some of the helpful tips I learned.  I can hardly wait to try this on my own fondant and cake.


Failures:

If the fondant is not very smooth it will be thin and will have some imperfections showing.  Such as lumps and uneven layers.

If you roll the fondant too much it will tear and crack.  If the fondant is too damaged it is best to scrap it and start a new piece.

Don't wet your fingers with water as this will cause the fondant to tear and crack even more!

Try to put your cake in cardboard boxes instead of in the fridge, this will avoid the cake from sweating.

Thanks for reading!