The Bulldog Blog

Mia.. Pagent Dog!

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Mia has decided that she wants to be a "Pagent Dog" so I put a picture of her in a cutest dog contest. Mia would really appreciate your vote, so vote for Mia at http://gapc-vote.com/?c=multi&p=569142

Thank You!

PEOPLE WHO EAT CANDY ARE THINNER THAN THOSE WHO DON'T

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center researchers studied more than 15,000 adults and found that those who ate candy (a little over one ounce a day on average) tended to have smaller waists, a lower body mass index and a lower risk of elevated blood pressure. Seems like reason enough to raid the candy bowl!

-Emmie Schultz

DJ's Top Sport

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of recently interviewing Ms DJ Brummer. I was curious to see what she believed was the number one sport. Her immediate response to my question on her sport was, "absolutely tennis"! Tennis was DJ's favorite sport because she feels shes good at it. Ms Brummer has been playing for nine consecutive years, practicing for two hours each day, all year. I asked if she enjoyed watching tennis, and she stated, " yes, but only professional tennis, not the high school boring crap." Her favorite player to watch in tennis is Serena Williams. DJ Brummer says this is the best sport for her, because she is comfortable that she will succeed even after a bad day. She believes other people may have their own top sport which they succeed in.

Nick Nosbisch

New Look for the News!

2011-10-09T21:59:00.003-05:00

After 2.5 years and 655 posts (or so), it is definitely time that this blog got a much-needed face lift. We're also making a few other changes.

Traditionally, this blog is maintained by students seeking extra credit. Now, however, the news staff for The Bulldog Bark -- SAHS's newspaper -- will be the primary contributors. Others are welcome to post, just not for extra credit.

We hope that you like our new layout and color scheme -- and we hope you'll continue to enjoy the mix of "news" and articles. Come back soon to read more!

Alexis is the coolest person ever. NOT.

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend is a four day weekend, so I decided to ask Alexis Niebrugge about her upcoming plans and about her life!

Paige: On Thursday night do you have plans or are you going to catch up on school work?

Alexis: I have to work! BOOOOOOO!

Paige: Where do you work?

Alexis: The Hilton (in a depressed voice)

Paige: Do you have plans tomorrow morning?

Alexis: English paper.. wah.

Paige: So, your weekend seems boring... Anything exciting?

Alexis: small get together, its on the dl though..

Paige: Do you like study hall, because I'm enjoying it.

Alexis: LOVE IT (no sarcasm whatsoever) "QUIET DOWN I'M ON THE PHONE"

Alexis: I'm gonna interview you!

Paige: YAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

Alexis: Whats the last thing you watched on TV

Paige: WEEDS! Pouncy house just got busted!

Alexis:Without looking guess the time.

Paige: 2:12

Alexis:2:08 FAIL

Alexis: Did you dream last night?

Paige: I can't remember... I think about some house

Alexis: Would you ever consider living in a cardboard box?

Paige: uhmmm NO.

Alexis: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Paige: Champion

Alexis: Id ask you a question but I think people's feelings would get hurt...

Paige: (blank stare)...

Alexis: Did you enjoy my Survey?

Paige: Uhm, this is my Survey but nice try!

Alexis:Righttttttt.

Sleep

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reports hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

It is impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it.

Anything less then five minutes to fall asleep at night means you are sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you are still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not too exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

A new baby typically results to 400 to 750 hours of lost sleep for parents in the first year.

One of the best predictors of insomnia later in life is the development of bad habits from sleep disturbed by young children.

No one know for sure if other species dream but some do have sleep cycles similar to humans.

Dreams may not serve any purpose at all but be merely a meaningless byproduct of two evolutionary adaptions -sleep and consciousness.

Scientist have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock.

17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol- level of .05%.

Teenagers need as much sleep as small children (about 10 hours) while those over 65 need the least of all (about six hours). For average adults aged 25-55, eight hours is considered optimal.

Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression then men.

Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the Internet.

-Emmie Schultz

Stress Facts

2011-09-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

75% of the general population experiences at least "some stress" every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey).

Half of those experiences moderate or high levels of stress during the same two-week period.

Millions of Americans suffer from unhealthy levels of stress at work.. (A study several years ago estimated the number to be 11 million- given events since that time, this number has certainly more then tripled- studies in Sweden, Canada, and other Westernized counties show similar trends.)

Stress contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illnesses in many individuals (has been called the "silent killer").

Stress also affect the immune system, which protects us from many serious diseases.

The top three stressful cities in America are Chicago, Los Angeles, California, and New York.

Stress can make acne worse.

Laughing lowers stress hormones and strengthens the immune system by releasing health-enhancing hormones.

Eating moderate levels of dark chocolate reduces stress hormone levels.

Stress can result in more headaches as a result of the body rerouting blood flow to other parts of the body.

-Emmie Schultz

Things you should keep in mind if you are traveling to Europe

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Are you planning a big family vacation over seas to Europe? If so, there are a few things you should keep in mind!

1. Do not cheap out when buying airline tickets! Bump yourself up to first class..trust me, it's worth the extra price!

It never fails! You will sit by some stinky hobo and nobody likes that! I am speaking from experience, because they made me sit by Paige Oltman and she forgot to shave her legs...it was a painful flight. Play it safe. Upgrade!

2. Don't drink water there.

One night at dinner we thought that the water was complimentary with the expensive meal...we were wrong. We had about 6 or 7 bottles of water because we were thirsty after a long day in the hot European sun. When our waiter came up and told us about the charge due to excessive water drinkage, we all about fell out of our seats..27 euros!! That is equivalent to $40.50!! Che Palle! So we all were stunned of coarse but our lovely tour guide Danni booted the cost for us. What a woman! Play it safe. Don't drink water.

3. If you walk into a shop, try not to knock over any expensive bowls.

Yes, it happened. I was minding my own business browsing through a cute shop when some stranger bumped into me. My purse went swinging (ever so conveniently) right past the worthless trinket section and ran straight into an expensive gold plated ceramic bowl. The Italian storekeeper flew a string of Italian curse words in my direction right as my "good friends" were fleeing the scene. I took out my debit card as a sacrifice for my clumsiness. The charge was 40 euros which is equal to $60.00! The storekeeper ever so kindly lowered the price to 30 euros after I gave her my "harmless little girl face." It works every time! So play it safe! Don't be knocking over any expensive bowls.

-Katie Whightsel

CoolCop Keeps Cops Cool.

2011-05-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Being a cop is literally a hot job. From wearing that heavy and dark uniform WITH a bulletproof vest underneath it is literally a really hot job. Your normal and plain air conditioning unit is simply not powerful enough to keep a hot copper cool. All of the wonderful cold air is flowing right into the back of your car. Coolcop is here to change all of that. Coolcop is basically a giant vacuum cleaner type hose thing that runs directly from the passenger side air vent in your police car and it goes right into your shirt. The hose actually attaches right beneath your bulletproof vest to keep your shirt ice cold. It funnels the air right from the air vent to the cop. Let the back seat criminals sweat it out!!! :)

-Barbara McGuire

Osama Down. Mrs. Jones 2 Go!

2011-05-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

As you all know Mrs. Jones is not the biggest supporter of President Obama. Recently war has ensued between Poston and Jones. It all (supposedly) began when a few of Poston's students placed several photocopied pictures of President Obama around her room while Poston was distracting her in the hallway. Pictures were placed on the chalk boards, in the book shelf, and even in the printer. Today Mrs. Jones decided to get even. She brought out the big guns and employed some very willing students to put up pictures in Conceptual Physics of a page showing a creepy little girl in a yellow sweater. They plastered his room with these photos during lunch and were almost caught. They wrote REVENGE!! on the board (I wonder if it was for them or for Mrs. Jones? :D). Now it was Poston's turn to get even...

Poston's 6th hour Chemistry class (allegedly) made the above flyer (one similar to not exactly the same no evidence). And printed the flyers off on Mrs. Jones' printer. Now the feud goes on ... no telling what will happen next!

Hailey Bushue

(The Red Skittle ;) shall be credited with the coining of the phrase "Osama down. Jones 2 GO!")

Best Quotes of All Time!

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Do what makes you happy, be with who makes you smile, laugh as much as you breathe, love as long as you live.

Friendship is a single soul living in two bodies.

Pay no attention to those who talk behind your back, it simply means that you are two steps ahead.

Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect, it means that you decided to look past the imperfections.

Dare to dream, dare to fly, dare to be the ever chosen one to touch the sky.

Someday everything will all make sense so for now laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak, sometimes it just means that your strong enough to let go.

Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change, take chances, forgive quickly, give everything and have no regrets. Life is to short to be anything but happy.

Dance as if no one is watching you, Love as though you have never been hurt before, Sing as though no one can hear you, and Live as though heaven is on earth.

Don't regret the past, just learn from it.

A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself.

It takes three seconds to say I Love You, three hours to explain it, and a whole life time to prove it.

Dreaming permits each and everyone of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.

Never give up if you still wanna try, never wipe your tears if you still wanna cry, and never settle for the answer if you still wanna know.

If people are trying to bring you down, it only means that you are above them.

It's not who you think you are that holds you back, it's who you think your not.

Sometimes we must get hurt in order to grow, we must fail in order to know, sometimes our visions are clear only after our eyes are washed away with tears.

-Barbara McGuire

Top 10 best Fashion Designers

2011-05-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

1. Dolce and Gabbana

2. Stella McCartney

3. Valentino Garavani

4. Giorgio Armani

5. Tom Ford

6. Prada

7. Donatella Versace

8. Alexander McQueen

9. Karl Lagerfeld

10. Vivienne Westwood

-Barbara McGuire

Top 10 tips - how a guy is flirting with you!

2011-05-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here's some quick tips for a girl when meeting a guy!

1. The Eyebrow lift -When a guy sees a girl he's attracted to, chances are his eyebrows will rise and fall quickly.

2. Gaining your attention - Exaggerated movements or gestures usually mean that he's trying to stand out from the crowd.

3. Slight Parting of the Lips - His lips may automatically part of a second when your eyes first meet.

4. His nostrils open slightly - As his eyebrows raise and his nostrils flare slightly so with the parted lips, he has an open, friendly expression on his face.

5. He shifts to the classic male courtship stance - The macho stand, he'll probably lock his thumbs in his belt, point his fingers down, spread is legs about shoulder length apart and tilt his head to one side.

6. Touches his own hair - He may rub his chin, brush his cheek with the back of his fingers or touch his ears.

7. Strokes his shirt front, smooths his jeans - More unconscious preening-smoothing a shirt sleeve, tie, shirt pocket.

8. Fiddles with his hair - He may smooth or tussle his hair involuntarily and more often than you might realize - again preening for you.

9. Eyebrows arc while talking - Exhibit a slightly surprised expression with slightly raised eyebrows - which means he is interested in you.

10. Sock Adjustment - If a guy pulls up or adjusts his socks in your presence, it's almost 100% sign he is interested and trying to look his best.

-Melissa Bushur

Say Cheese

2011-05-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

(Just now surfing the web for Obama photos when I found this HE IS ADORABLE!)

Introducing Mr. Tadpole...

"Captured in detail with a high-powered electron microscope, this one-centimeter tadpole appears to be smiling for the camera. The remarkable image of the 14-day-old tadpole was taken after science photographer David Spears placed him under the microscope. The tadpole is actually forming his 'smile' through scraping algae from the surfaces of rocks as food. (Source: Huanqiu Online)" (http://gotosay.com/archives/5549).

This just goes to show you that things are not always what they seem.

Hailey Bushue

Interview with Rachel.

2011-05-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm here with my sister Rachel, and I'm going to ask her some questions about random stuff. Enjoy!

1. What do you think of the show Survivor, as were currently watching it?

- it's awesome! it is sooo exhilarating!

2. What are your plans for this weekend?

- loosing at sectionals, hanging out, and doing some fun homework!

3. Do you currently have a crush on anyone?

- hahah, maybe..

4. Do you think Adam Levine from 'The Voice' is hot?

- BABY! he's sexyy! hahah.

5. Do you think Albert Pujols is the all time best MLB player?

- I'm a fan, but there are other people better!

-Melissa Bushur

Talk About Sand in Your Shorts

2011-05-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

High-hoe sand sculpture! This was made on a beach out of sand (craziness!!!!). Ugh! sand would be everywhere just think you go to the beach and sit down for an hour and let's be frank you get sand in your shorts (unless your like me and wear 'bottoms' :* ... ). Just imagine the uncomfortableness they would have to go through...

Hailey Bushue

Top 10 MLB players.

2011-05-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

All of you probably wach Major League Baseball, so here is the top 10 players according to ESPN!

1. Lance Berkman - STL

2. Matt Kemp - LAD

3. Matt Holliday - STL

4. Jose Bautista - TOR

5. Miguel Cabrera - DET

6. Joey Votto - CIN

7. Ryan Braun - MIL

8. Gaby Sanchez - FLA

9. Howard Kendrick - LAA

10. Adrian Gonzalez - BOS

-Melissa Bushur

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake!

2011-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

7 oz. caramels

1/4 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 (9 inch) prepared chocolate cookie crumb crust

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups milk

1 (3.9 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup hot fudge topping

Directions

1. Place caramels and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stir continually until smooth for about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into pie crust.

2. Combine cream cheese , sour cream and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Add pudding mix; process for about 30 seconds more.

3. Pour pudding mix over caramel layer, covering completely. Chill, loosely covered, until set (it usually takes about 15 minutes).

4. Drizzle fudge topping over pudding layer in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle top of cake with remaining pecans. Chill, loosely covered, until serving time.

-Melissa Bushur

Magneta-Boy

2011-05-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

This photo and the Title basically says it all...

...yet if you would like to know This little boy is "magnetic". The seven year old Serbian boy, Bogdan, has the odd gift of magnetism apparently since birth. Not only does metal "stick" to his chest but china plates and the television remote control also "stick". Even going near things like computers is difficult; such things will stop working if he is around (That would stink if you had to type a Religion III paper for Father Bracco. I doubt he would believe that you were magnetic, so you were not able to use a computer).

Another child saw this boy on television and came forward saying he could do the say thing. The 6-year-old Croatian boy, Ivan, can even hold up to 55 pounds of metal on his chest. His "powers" reportedly work better when he is calm and in the morning.

Hailey Bushue

Peanut Butter Bars.

2011-05-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

1 cup reduced fat creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fat free milk
3 cups Rice Krispies
or 3 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, melted

Directions

In large mixing bowl beat peanut butter and butter on medium speed until combined. Add powdered sugar and milk. Beat until fluffy. Stir in KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal, mixing until thoroughly combined. Press mixture evenly into 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate until firm.

Drizzle chocolate over cereal mixture. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set and cereal mixture is firm. Cut into bars. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

-Melissa Bushur

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

2011-05-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

- 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
- 1/3 cup diced celery

- 1/3 cup finely chopped onions

-1/4 cup diced cooked ham
- 3 1/4 cups water

- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

- 1/2 teaspoons ground white of black pepper

- 5 tablespoons butter

- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour

- 2 cups milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 -15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk had been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes

3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Charlie Schultz

Top 10 Ways to Procrastinate

2011-05-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Everyone does it, when it comes to homework, projects, or even just getting up off the couch, at some time or another we will experience procrastination. Just in case you run out of ideas when trying to avoid doing something productive, here is a list of ways to procrastinate.

10. Eat- It's easy to convince yourself you can't function without food, so why not?

9. Sleep- We're all sleep deprived, and what if there's no other time to catch up on sleep?

8. Play xbox- Nothing is more important than passing that next level.

7. Convince yourself you're taking a study break- If you intend to study it still counts as being productive right?

6. Watch TV- Your favorite show is only on once a week!

5. Doodle- It's kind of like creating art, right?

4. Walk your dog- He needs at least 3 hours of attention a day.

3. Paint your nails- Your saving money on a future needed manicure!

2. Check your email- What if you have an urgent message waiting.

And for number one, drum roll please..

1. Facebook- No need for explanations

By: Liz Wortman

How to Make a Fruit Smoothie

2011-05-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

A smoothie is an easy way to make a drink that is a healthy alternative for deserts or breakfast.

Instructions:

1. Add 8 to 16 oz of fresh or frozen fruit into blender.

2. Add one whole banana. Break into pieces.

3. Add one 8 oz container of yogurt. I prefer plain yogurt because it doesn't take away from the taste of the fresh or frozen fruit.

4. Add 8 oz or orange juice. Other types of juice can work too.

5. Blend until thick and creamy. Add more juice or fruit to your liking.

-Emmie Schultz

Ways to Prevent Getting Sick

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

1. Drink a bunch of water and a little lemon. This balances your pH system.

2. Probiotics. They play a huge role in keeping your immune system healthy.

3. Essential oils like lavender and tea tree are great for warding off bacteria.

4. Don't eat if you get sick, Chicken broth, fruit juices, and plenty of water are what is best to consume.

5. Don't try to lower your fever if it isn't that bad. The fever is designed to kill the sickness, so letting it do its job is what is best.

6. Take herbs and other supplements, these help ward off sickness also.

Mexican Ring Cookies!

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Since I first made these for a food day in Spanish, they have been a big hit. They are delicious and cute (they look like little donuts:))! This recipe makes 12, but I usually double it because they disappear so fast!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour 2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter Colored Sprinkles (jimmies)

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. Mix together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in the dry ingredients.
4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Make hole in the center of each ball and form into a ring. (I recommend holding the ball between your thumb and pointer finger and push your fingers together then form the ring. This step does take some time, so get some friends to help!)
5. Dip top of ring into sprinkles. (If you like a lot of sprinkles, you can pour extra on top!)
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and let cool on racks.

Enjoy!! Jessica Runde

Brownie Pudding!

2011-05-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

Ingredients.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup good cocoa powder 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

-Melissa Bushur

Jack - by Dalton Anderson

2011-05-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

Jack Fifer is an extremely talented and gifted young man. He has ways with words that will boggle the mind. Here are numerous facts about Jack that may surprise but yet impress you:

1.) He wants someday to be a professional wrestler.

2.) He is known for throwing a cow over the Statue of Liberty.

3.) He once kicked a basketball into the atmosphere.... it's whereabouts are still unknown.

4.) Jack painted the ceilings.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

2011-05-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

You may be asking yourself anorexic, bulimic, or ....? but you would be wrong. This is Lizzie. She was born with a syndrome that forces her to have to eat every fifteen to twenty minutes (Wish we could all be half that lucky: I don't think so). Lizzie has almost died twice due to this syndrome and even went blind in one eye. People tend to judge her as anorexic without even contemplating an explanation for her size that is not her fault: the syndrome. Lizzie must constantly look after her weight and gets extremely excited when she gains even just one pound. She eats many things including pop-tarts, pizza, noodles, crisps, sweets, chocolates, chicken, cake, doughnuts, and ice cream each day. So remember don't make snap decisions based on appearance because you may (most likely) be wrong.

Hailey Bushue

ALMOST shark attack!

2011-05-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

It was last summer when my family and I were vacationing at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My cousin and I (my cousin was only 10 at the time.) were just swimming and messing around in the ocean when all of a sudden we saw all of these people along the beach looking down in the water. My mom was trying to stay calm when she told us to get out of the water. I knew something was up, but she didn't want to scare us. All of a sudden people were screaming SHARK! So, my cousin practically jumped on my back because she was scared, even though I was too, and we tried to run in the water to get back to shore. When we finally got back to shore we were freaking out! We knew there was a shark and we could see it. Everyone was standing at the edge of the water looking at it. People everywhere were surrounding this shark and you could just see the fins go up and down in the water. The shark wasn't a huge one but it wasn't a baby one either, it was just the right size that it could hurt you. So, my mom went up and asked the life guard how it got so close to shore and he said that it somehow got over the sandbar and was stuck on the other side (closer to the beach). So now that I was freaking out, I didn't go into the ocean for the rest of the day!

-----> picture of everyone looking at the shark!

-Melissa Bushur

Anna Utz!

2011-05-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

My good friend Anna wanted me to write a blog on her, so I said I would. Anna loves spending time outdoors, watching Survivor, hanging out with friends, playing softball for Stanfield, swimming in her pool, and taking long walks on the beach at midnight. She can't wait for 71 days because that's when she can drive her car without her mother yelling at her in the front seat. She loves going to PE everyday because me and Lexie put a smile on her face when she sees us. Anna can't wait for school to be out and summer to start! :)

-Melissa Bushur

Random Fun Facts

2011-05-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

President Kennedy was the fastest random speaker in the world with the record of 350 words per minute

Odontophobia is being afraid of teeth

According to the suicide statistics, Monday was the most favored day for self-destruction.

When you die, your hair keeps growing for at least a couple more months.

One in every 5,000 north Atlantic lobster is born blue.

There are 10 human body parts that are only three letters long such as: eye, gum, lip, hip, rib, jaw, toe, ear, leg, and arm.

The word lethologica is a term that describes the state when you can't remember the word you want.

The king of hearts in a deck of cards is the only king without a mustache.

The three best known western names in China are, Jesus Christ, Richard Nixon, and Elvis Presley.

Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump.

The human heart build up so much pressure that it can squirt blood 30 feet.

Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do when you watch T.V.

The largest number of kids from one woman was recorded at 69 kids.

Cats can hear ultrasound.

The plastic things on the end of your shoelaces are called aglets.

-Barbara McGuire

15 interesting facts!

2011-05-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

1. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying. 2. The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal. 3. The roar that we hear when we hold a seashell up to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in our ears. 4. Bats always turn left when exiting a cave. 5. Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die. 6. When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red. 7. The plastic things on the end of your shoelaces are called aglets. 8. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. 9. Women blink nearly twice as much as men. 10. The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of nitrogen bubbles bursting. 11. There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. 12. When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red. 13. Most soccer players run 7 miles in a game. 14. In most watch advertisements the time displayed on the watch is 10:10 because then the arms frame the brand of the watch. 15. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg up in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. -Melissa Bushur

Funday Calendar in May!

2011-05-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

May 1 - Save a rhino day.

May 2 - National Truffles Day.

May 3 - National Day of Prayer.

May 4- International Firefighters Day.

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo.

May 6 - Nurses Day.

May 7- National Roasted Leg of a Lamb.

May 8 - No socks day!

May 9 - National Butterscotch Brownie day.

May 10 - National Shrimp Day.

May 11 - Eat what you want day.

May 12 - Kite day.

May 13 - National Apple Pie Day.

May 14 - National Buttermilk Biscuit Day.

May 15 - National Chocolate Chip Day.

May 16 - Love a tree day.

May 17 - National Cherry Cobbler Day.

May 18 - Rooster Day.

May 19 - Bike to work day.

May 20 - Flower Day.

May 21 - Armed Forces Day.

May 22 - Buy-a-musical instrument day.

May 23 - National taffy day.

May 24 - National Escargot Day.

May 25 - 1st national spelling bee held.

May 26 - Sally Ride's birthday.

May 27 - National grape popsicle day.

May 28 - National hamburger day.

May 29 - JFK's birthday.

May 30 - 1st Hovercraft landed.

May 31 - National Macaroon Day.

-Melissa Bushur

Top Vacation Spots!

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you probably love going on vacations! So here is some ideas that could take you on your next trip! :)

-Florida

-Hawaii

-Las Vegas

-Mexico

-California

-Disney World

-Disneyland

-Jamacia

-Europe

-Maui

- Melissa Bushur

Best Restaurants in Urbana IL.

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you probably love going shopping in Champaign IL, so zip over to Urbana and get some yummy food from the best restaurants there! 1. Biaggi's 2. Houlihans Restaurant and Bar 3. Bacaro 4. Aroma Cafe 5. Minneci's Ristorante 6. Alexander's Steakhouse 7. Courier Cafe 8. Timpone's Restaurant 9. Kennedy's at Stone Creek 10. JT Walker's Restaurant and Sport's Bar -Melissa Bushur

Tips to Imporve Your Writing

2011-05-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

Avoid alliteration. Always

Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.

Eschew ampersands and abbreviations, etc.

Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

Contractions aren't necessary.

Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

One should never generalize.

Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said," I hate quotations. Tell me what you know".

Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

Be more or less specific.

One-word sentences? Eliminate.

The passive voice is to be avoided.

Who needs rhetorical questions?

Exaggerations are a billion times worse than understatement.

If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.

Hope this helps! For more tips visit jokes4teachers.com

-Emmie Schultz

Quotes

2011-05-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Move on. It's just a chapter in the past. But don't close the book, just turn the page.

Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. If means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.

Live for the moments you can't put into words.

The only people you need in your life are the ones that need you in theirs.

Take your time. Don't live too fast. Troubles come, and they will pass.

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.

You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Be happy and grateful for everything in your life.

Life goes on.

Cousins are friends that will love you forever.

When it hurts to look back, and your scared to look ahead, look beside you and your best friend will always be there

Best friends are angels who life up our feel when we have trouble remembering how to fly

Be yourself cause everyone else is taken

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

You just have to live your life not caring what they think and shake off the drama and prove to them that you are better than they think you are!

There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all life is too short to be anything but happy.

-Emmie Schultz

Monster Cookies

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (12 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup raisins, optional

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins(if using), baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not over-bake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in a large resealable plastic bags.

Yield :

3 dozen

-Brianna Siemer

Unusual Softball Facts!

2011-05-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some unusual facts about Softball:

Softball was originally intended to be an indoor sport which explains the shorter distance between bases compared to baseball.

The reason softball is seven inning compared to baseball's nine is due to the actions of a Minneapolis fireman in 1895. He believed that nine innings was too long and shortened it to seven. This was adopted as the official length soon after though there are variations.

Softball was known as various other names including 'diamond ball' and 'mush ball' before a Denver YMCA official suggested the name softball in 1926 when talking to the National Recreation Congress.

Fast pitch softball was the dominant version of the sport inn the 1940s but its dominant version of the sport was short lived. The slow pitch version of the game was deemed to be the true form of the sport in 1953.

Softball was not introduced to the United Kingdom until 1972.

Softball has been an Olympic sport since 1996 but will not be part of the 2012 games due to a decision by the International Olympic Committee.

In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Joanne Brown of Australia stunned the home crowd when her dramatic home run snatched victory for her country. The United States women's team have rebounded by winning the next three Olympic games however.

-Brianna Siemer

Dalton Anderson---- by Jack Fifer

2011-05-02T22:56:00.003-05:00

Dalton Anderson is a very interesting and wild human being. Here are some facts I bet you didn't know about him:

1.) He was born April 20, 1995.

2.) His favorite golfer is Phil Mickelson.

3.) He is known around town as a "Straight up G".

4.) Dalton is the 3rd most interesting man in the world, behind Chuck Norris, and the Dos Equis dude.

5.) He likes sea salt and marshmallows in his coffee.

BAILEY WENTHE!

2011-05-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

You all by now should know Bailey Wenthe. She is a VERY loud and short person but she loves it! She loves hanging out with her mom by participating in boxing matches. Bailey participates in track, basketball, football, wrestling against the big boys, lacrosse, and spending time with her siblings Kori and Wade. Her favorite food is Haggis. She loves when she can eat the whole thing because she feels special. Bailey loves laughing at her own jokes because they make no sense. She can't wait for summer to spend time with her lovely friends. Later in life, she can't wait to become the chief security at the Champaign Mall and become like Paul Blart (mall cop). :) -Melissa Bushur

Roger Federer Facts- Jack Fifer

2011-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

- Federer has both a Swiss Citizenship and a South African Citizenship. -Federer was born in Binningen, Switzerland. - He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players to ever play the game. - Hes is married to former Women's Tennis Association player, Mirka Vavrinec. - He has won $62,037, 032, just in career winnings. - He has endorsement deals with companies such as: Wilson, Nike, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Net-Jets, Jura, and he also has his own line of apparel through Nike.

Counting Down!

2011-05-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

I know many people are counting down for school to end, 16th birthdays, or maybe even graduation. We are know we asked someone who is counting down or we count down ourselves. We are all getting excited for summer, turning 16 and getting their license, or starting a whole new chapter in their lives. We all know we are excited, but more people show it then others. Some people who are counting down for 16th birthdays are; Lauren Horn- May 3rd(2 days) Meghan Woltman- May 5th(4 days) Jessica Runde- May 9th(8 days) Me(Brianna Siemer)-May 17th(16 days) Many others..... Count Down to Summer Vacation: 26 days counting weekends 20 days not counting weekends Count Down to Graduation: 20 days counting weekends 15 days not counting weekends Everyone is getting some kind of fever for something coming up soon. We may say we are not excited about something, but we all are. Once 4th quarter finally meets us, which it has, everyone knows we have something to look forward too. -Brianna Siemer

Root Beer Float!

2011-04-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Fill your glass 3/4 full with root beer (or your choice of soda)

Slowly add one scoop of vanilla (or chocolate) ice cream to each Glass. Pour a small amount of root beer in top of the ice cream. This will turn to foam.

Be careful because the glasses may begin to overflow as the ice cream begins to float.

Eat slowly, starting with the cold frozen foam on top, scooping ice cream and root beer together with your spoon.

Use the straw to sip the remainder of the creamy root beer left in the glass.

-Emmie Schultz

ANNA UTZ!

2011-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our good ole' friend Anna is indescribable. She was born on the 15th of July in 1995. Anna is a very interesting person. She participates in tennis, wrestling, playing with her cat Freckles, swimming in her pool with her studly brother Eric, and father/daughter pogo stick lessons. Her favorite food is the school's grilled cheese because she loves the bouncing cheese and the soggy tater tots. Anna can't wait for Friday's so she can sing the song "Friday" by her favorite singer Rebecca Black and not feel totally weird about it. She loves to bungee-jump on her free time and also can't wait for the next school week so she can get more homework. Anna can't wait for summer so she can get a job as a liger trainer. :) -Michaela Zumbahlen!

22 Random Facts!

2011-04-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

More money is made for Monopoly everyday then for the US Treasury.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

The word TYPEWRITER is the longest English word that can be typed using only the letters in one row of the keyboard.

The cigarette lighter was created before the match.

Donald Duck was banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

Pinocchio is the Italian word for "pine head".

The ABC song and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" use the same tune.

The word "byte" is a contraction for "by eight."

A violin contains about 70 separate pieces of wood.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

In Iceland it is considered rude to tip someone.

Table cloths were originally designed to be used as towels for guests to wipe their mouths on after eating.

Your right lung can hold more air then your left lung.

The human brain is 80% water.

The parachute was invented by Leonardo Da Vinci.

There is no word in the English dictionary that rhymes with "MONTH."

Ants never sleep.

Most lipsticks are made of fish scales.

Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.

An apple is more effective at waking you up in the morning then a cup of coffee with caffeine.

Ice is as hard as concrete.

-Brianna Siemer

Emmie Schultz

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was very bored in Speech today and I thought I would write a blog about Emmie. I asked Emmie if I could and she said she would love to be written about. Emmie Schultz was born on August 23, 1994. Emmie has always been a hyper little kid since I have known her. She has known how to ski since she was three years old. Her grandparents and her parents own a lake lot at Lake Sara. Her favorite people to be around are Me, Katie, Sarah, and her brother, Christo. When her brother goes off to college she will be heart broken and will miss him every second he is not at home. Emmie's favorite activities are cheerleading, golfing, tumbling, cross country, playing the harp and piano, playing in church with me, and dancing around her house with music blasting uncontrollably. Her favorite move is "my hand is a dolphin". When Emmie gets older she wants to be exactly like her brother. -Brianna Siemer

Facts about Abraham Lincoln

2011-04-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

- Born on February 12th, 1809.

- His home state is Illinois, but he was born in Kentucky.

- He was a republican president from 1861-1865, when he was assassinated

- His vice presidents were Hannibal Hamiln and Andrew Johnson

- He was preceded by James Buchanan and succeeded by Andrew Johnson

- His wife was Mary Todd Lincoln

- Mary's parents disagreed with her marrying Abe because he had a poor backround.

- He had 4 childen.

- He was the first president to be assassinated

- He had deep depression, even though he would frequently tell stories and joke to friends and family.

- He was the tallest US president at 6ft 4in

- His birth mother died from milk sickness

- His father remarried a widow, and Abe was very close with her

- He ran a store in New Salem

- He loved animals

- He was the 1st president to have a beard.

- He was fond of pets, and owned horses, cats, dogs, and turkey.

Charlie Schultz

I want to go back to the time when....

2011-04-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

1. Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo"

2. Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming "do over!"

3."Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest

4. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly"

5. Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening

6. It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends

7. Being old referred to anyone over 20

8. The net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and rules didn't matter

9. The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was "cooties"

10. It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb

11. Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot

12. Nobody was prettier than Mom

13. Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better

14. It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park

15. A foot of snow was a dream come true

16. Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"

17. Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action figures

18. No shopping trip was complete unless a new toy was brought home

19. "oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense

20. Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles

21. The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team

22. War was a card game

23. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon

24. Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin

25. Ice cream was considered a basic food group

26. Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors

-Barbara McGuire

http://www.suddenlyseniors.com/iwanttogoback.html

Patrick Martelli

2011-04-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

Age: 16
Birthday: August 24th, 1994
Sports: Track
Hobbies: fishing, being at Dalton's, and driving around
Interest: Mrs. Cross's English class
Favorite Ice cream: Dirt Sundae from Homewood Grill
Favorite Baseball team: Cubs
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite car: BMW
Fun Fact: Former heavy weight champion of the world
-Emmie Schultz

2011-04-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

All About Brianna Siemer! :) It was on May 17, 1995 when Brianna was born. She was a tiny little girl and that's why her mom loved her. Brianna is involved in sewing with her grandma, dancing, softball, playing with her little siblings and most of all spending the time of her life with the one and only Brian Brunk! :) I, Melissa, is Brianna's all time favorite friend along with Michaela....kinda! She loves spending time with friends on the weekend but most all all likes to work on Mrs. Cross's class assignments. Emmie says HEY! Lastly, Brianna can't wait for summer and to become the manager at Long John Silvers! -Melissa Bushur

You know your getting old when...

2011-04-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

1. Your back goes out more than you do

2. You got cable for the weather channel. Old folks MTV!

3. You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.

4. You wake up with that morning-after feeling and you didn't do anything the night before.

5. You don't care where your spouse goes, just so you don't have to go along.

6. It takes twice as long to look half as good.

7. People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"

8. The pharmacist has become your new best friend.

9. There's nothing left to learn the hard way.

10. You come to the conclusion that your worst enemy is gravity.

11. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

12. You sing along with the elevator music.

13. Getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot.

14. Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.

15. Your new easy chair has more options than your car.

16. Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work

17. A "late night" now ends at 10 pm... If that.

18. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don't remember being on top of it.

19. Many of your co-workers were born the same year that you got your last promotion.

20. Happy hour is a nap.

-Barbara McGuire

http://www.c-boom.com/humor2.htm

Movies

2011-04-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Viewers top 10 movies of all time!

1. Star Wars

2. E.T.

3. Annie

4. The Shawshank Redemption

5. The Fugitive

6. The Sound of Music

7. 2001: A Space Odyssey

8. King Kong

9. Grease

10. The Wizard of Oz

- Melissa Bushur

2011-04-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Summer is getting closer and on every one's mind, especially as the weather warms. Though summer may be all we think about, here are three easy tips for keeping your focus on school.

1.) Enjoy high school experiences. Attend some track meets, softball games, or baseball games. Get involved in clubs, sports, and other volunteer work.

2.) Keep a schedule. Use your assignment notebook to keep track of tests, finals, and (of course) the beginning of summer!

3.) Conquer procrastination. When you truly feel like not doing your homework. Sit down at a desk or counter and just do it. Your weekends will be free and they will feel like little pieces of summer early! (think about that while doing the assignments)

-Emmie Schultz

The Math Moan

2011-04-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

One time in Algebra II when it was all quiet I moaned unexpectedly. It wasn't on purpose and I honestly didn't mean to. I was going to clear my throat but instead of making the clearing throat sound it came out as a moan. I did this at the worst time mostly because it was really quiet when I did it. Everybody stared at me like I was on crack and it was just really embarrassing. My two friends, DJ Brummer and Olivia Koester, started laughing which then caused me to laugh also. I felt my face get hot and there were tears at my eyes. DJ told me that I was as red as a tomato. I was literally crying I was laughing so hard. This is probably the most embarrassing thing I did my whole Freshman AND sophomore years (so far anyways...). Look at this as a lesson. When you go to clear your throat make sure you don't moan instead. - Barbara McGuire

Movies in Effingham

2011-04-20T13:46:00.003-05:00

Bored on the weekend? Visit the Village Square Mall in Effingham and see one of these movies.

1.Rio 3-D (G)

2. Arthur (PG-13)

3. Atlas Shrugged (PG-13)

4. Hop (PG)

5. Scream 4 (R)

6. Soul Surfer (PG)

7. Source Code (PG-13)

8. Your Highness (R)

Charlie Sheen

2011-04-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Charlie Sheen's life has been going down hill ever since leaving the Television show, "Two And A Half Men." Rumors have been floating around that Warner Brothers were thinking about paying the 3 million an episode to Mr. Sheen. Warner Brothers said they don't want Charlie back and want nothing to do with their misbehaving former star. Sheen said he has changed since his children were taken away on March 2. Charlie Sheen is becoming more popular each and everyday with his videos on the Internet to his breaking news from TMZ.com. Charlie Sheen doesn't have to work for "Two And A Half Men" because he is making a profit off his mugs and t-shirts that have his famous quotes-

"I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen."

"I have one speed, I have one gear: go!"

"From my big beautiful warlock brain, welcome to 'Sheen's Korner' ... You're either in my corner, or you're with the trolls."

Scott Deters

Some stupid reasons why teenagers get grounded.

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

So, my parents find the stupidest reasons to ground me. Today my mom told me to leave my phone on my dresser while I did homework, so I left it there while I was doing homework. Then I had to get ready for work because I worked at 4 and it was already 3:30 and so I took my phone because I wasn't doing homework anymore. My mom barged in and took my phone and said I am grounded from my phone until I am 18 when I can get my own plan. How does that work??!!! I also asked some people what the stupidest things they got grounded for and here are their responses....

1. Sleeping without sheets on the bed

2. falling asleep with the T.V. on... (good thing I don't get grounded for this, I would be grounded for the rest of my life :))

3. Leaving crumbs on the table

4. Not picking up your room (I've been grounded for this many times)

5. If I didn't give a week's notice if I wanted to go out with friends that weekend.

6. Reading with the light off

7. giving a "look" when I didn't give a "look"

comment some of the stupid reasons why you get grounded... let's see how stupid they get :P

-Barbara McGuire

Random facts:)

2011-04-19T22:09:00.001-05:00

Some Random Facts:)

2011-04-19T22:03:00.000-05:00

Carrie... Paul... SWAG!!!

2011-04-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

Carrie Paul is a substitute teacher and the Saint Anthony High School Girls Golf assistant coach. She has a degree in Physical Education. She is 27 years old. She is the best substitute ever. She is pretty cool to the point where everybody assumes she has serious swag giving her the name CP Swag. She has no pets. She is currently dating (this info is classified). (AWWWWWWW!!!!! :)) Allison: laughing her butt off. She is currently wearing a blue collared shirt and plaid shorts with tennis shoes and socks. She likes pie. But I mean come on who doesn't like pie??!!! :P She has been subbing for roughly 4 years. She attended college at Eastern Illinois. She has 2 sisters. One sister and one half sister. Her half sister just turned five!! :) She makes the kids she substitutes do hard labor such as getting her drinks (DR. PEPPER just in case you are wondering). She also says that I am her favorite student next to anybody who decides to go out for the golf team so I strongly suggest that you go out for the golf team so you can get on her good side. Even though I am not on the golf team and never will be she says that I am still her favorite student. I just have that special privilege. Carrie Paul approves this message. The end! Barbara McGuire

Whale Facts - Jack Fifer

2011-04-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Whales are very interesting creatures, I will list some interesting facts on whales. -Sperm Whales have the largest brain on the planet. It may weigh 20 pounds. - The fin whale is one of the fastest whales. They can swim over 20 miles per hour for short periods. -The blue whale is the largest whale. They may grow up to 100 feet and weigh as much as several elephants. -The harbor porpoise is one of the smallest whales. They grow to only about 5 feet in length. -Killer whales are the largest dolphins. They get their name because they sometimes eat other, larger whales. -A humpback whale may eat up to a ton of food every day. -Whales can't breathe through their mouths. The mouth is connected directly to the stomach. They breathe through their blow holes, which go to the lungs. -A sperm whale can hold its breath for at least an hour. -The voice of the blue whale is one of the deepest voices on the planet. It is so powerful that it can travel for perhaps a hundred miles underwater. -The blubber on a whale which lives in very cold water may reach up to 20 inches thick. It is used to insulate the whale and also as an emergency food store. -Whales do not spout water. They are letting out air from their lungs. The warm air forms a cloud, like ours does in the winter. As it comes out it will also push any water which is covering the blow hole high into the air. -A new born baby blue whale may weigh two tons and be 25 feet long. -Some whales do not have teeth. They have baleen instead. The largest baleen is that of the bowhead whale, whose baleen may be up to 10 feet long. -There is a toothed whale which only has two teeth. Narwhales have one tooth hidden under the gums, but in the males the other tooth sticks out from their head like a tusk, which may grow to be 8 feet long. Info found at: http://www.smithlifescience.com/WhaleFunFacts.htm

Track and Field facts...

2011-04-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

Events:

Sprints: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m

Relays: 4 X 100 m relay, 4 X 200 m relay, 4 X 400 m relay, 4 X 800 m relay, 4 X 1 mile relay

Hurdles: 110 m men, 100 m men, 100 m women, 400 m all

Middle Distance: 800 m, 1000 m, 1 mile, 1500 m, 2 mile, 2000 m

Long Distance: 3000 m, 5000 m, 10000 m, 20000 m, 25000 m, 30000 m, marathon (26 miles)

Field Events: high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus

* All the races used to be measured in yards

- The 100 meter dash used to be called the 100 yard dash.

- The 200 meter was the 220 yard dash

- The 400 meter was the 440 yard dash

This means that people used to measure the track by yards instead of meters. Since, for example, the 220 yard dash came out to be about a yard and a quarter more than the 200 meter dash, separate scores had to be maintained for each race.

The 200 m dash is sometimes run on a straightaway. Mostly, it's run on the curve of the track.

The 400 m used to be a middle distance (about a 75-80% speed) but runners got so good and ran it so fast that it is now a sprint (100% speed). The 800 m may even become a sprint if runners continue to run it so fast.

The crouch start started out with Serrill of Yale in 1888 and has been universally used ever since. It used to be made by holes dug in the track, but now it is done by using starting blocks.

It takes 13 seconds for oxygen to get to your muscles so sprinter do not need to breath on the 50, 60 or 100 m dashes if they don't want to. Still, it relaxes them to breath so they really need to breath after the race or their muscles will cramp up and they will collapse.

This is what shoes looked like 20 years ago. Notice that there are no spikes.

Here's what shoes look like now. They have spikes and they cost a lot more. They are pretty fancy.

Barbara McGuire

Most Admired Companies

2011-04-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Top 10 most admired companies in the world are:

World's Most Admired Companies

Apple

Google

Berkshire Hathaway

Southwest Airlines

Procter & Gamble

Coca-Cola

Amazon.com

FedEx

Microsoft

McDonald's

Tongue Tattoos

2011-04-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

Tattoos are becoming very common these days. There are hundreds and thousands of different designs of tattoos that you can choose from. Although tattoos are very popular, the new trend that is rapidly taking effect on the world is the tongue tattoo. Although many people aren't really familiar with the tongue tattoo, they are just starting to take shape. There are tattoos that cover all of the tongue or part of the tongue. In most cases those who already have one chose to have their tongue tattooed a different color. The designs that are most common for the tongue are stars, tribal work, or other shapes. People that get their tongues tattooed say it doesn't hurt but it provides a tickling sensation or a numb feeling in your mouth. This is because unlike your skin the tongue is a muscle. The procedure is very similar to getting a tattoo on your body. A tattoo involves needles puncturing the skin, putting ink into the epidermis. The needle moves fast just breaking the skin and leaving pigments of ink. The tongue is the same way, it will swallow the pigment on the surface after being punctured by the needle. When the pigments of ink are absorbed by the tongue, the color will remain there forever. Barbara McGuire

mushroom season

2011-04-15T14:30:00.003-05:00

Mushroom season has been really good this year; my ground that I normally mushroom hunt on isn't that good for mushrooms, but last weekend my dad and I went out and found 45 just by our cabin. I think it is because of all the warm weather we have had and also all the rain so this year should be a really good year to go mushroom hunting. So, good luck to all you mushroom hunters out there! cole heuerman

Mushroom Season

2011-04-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Mushroom season is just around the corner, as little mushrooms seem to be popping up everywhere in the woods. Just the other day, my dad and brother went mushroom hunting and brought home an entire bowl full. After soaking them fully and making sure they were clean enough to eat, my dad got the cooking materials out. First you soak the mushrooms in egg and then roll them in a powered batter of a flour, pepper, and salt mixture and then throw them in a frying pan. After they turn a golden brown color you let them cool and then salt them and they're ready to eat. This makes a delicious fried appetizer or snack that anyone will love. Even though they're hard to find, mushrooms are quite the tasty treat. By: Liz Wortman

Diet Coke

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Diet Coke was introduced in 1982 with a campaign slogan that cost the company $100 million

The then-new product was the star of the gala that was help in New York City

Diet Coke is 99% water

Aspartame is used to sweeten standard American Diet Coke

Diet Coke is not a modified version of regular coke, its a completely different formula

Tom Colicchi has appeared in a Diet Coke commercial

Diet Coke is the most popular low-calorie beverage in the world.

"Just for the taste of it", "Light it up" and "Stay extraordinary" have all been slogans for Diet Coke

In America, there have been seven other flavors for Diet Coke, including original

You can find Diet Raspberry Coke in only Bosnia, Herzegovina, and New Zealand.

-Emmie Schultz

WATER FIGHT!

2011-04-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

Easily one of the coolest teachers here at St. Anthony, Mrs. Cross, has decided to let the 10th grade have a water fight outside sometime during the month of May. The rules of the fight are no white shirts, water balloons or water guns only, and we cannot tackle the opposite team's players. The teams for this year's battle will be boys vs. girls due to the fact the are boy to girl ratio is just about 50-50. However, Mrs. Cross will not be participating this year.

Ben Hecht

Rebecca Black

2011-04-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Age:13

Stays away from fast food, but likes McChicken

Favorite song: "Always" by Panic! at the Disco

The phrase "Black Plague" was coined describing the fever of her fans

Her video "Friday" rocketed to 10,000,000 views in the first couple of days it was released on Youtube

*http://irebeccablack.com/biography/

Making It!!!

2011-04-13T21:11:00.003-05:00

Just to let you all know that everybody that tried out for the 2011-2012 cheerleading squad made it. This includes me. I was so excited it wasn't even funny!! The seniors this year are Sophie Hoffman, Liz Wortman, and Jenny Schmidt. The Juniors are of course me, Barbara McGuire, Taylor Dirks, Taylor Mefford, Paige Oltman, and Emmie Schultz. The Sophomores are . The Freshman are Paige Koester and Emily Willenborg. We have another Freshman trying out but she just got her cast on her arm taken off earlier today and she is not allowed to do anything physical with it for 4 weeks so she will be trying out at a later time. Cheerleading camp is from July 6 through July 9, that is closer than what we think, but we are all excited for the upcoming cheerleading season.

Amber Wenthe :)

2011-04-13T14:38:00.003-05:00

My dear friend Amber was born on the 31st of August in 1994. She loves playing volleyball, running track, hanging out with friends, four-wheel riding, and swimming and tanning in the summer! Amber hates when the guys call her fat but she knows it's a joke. This summer she can't wait to hang out with friends (especially me!) and go swimming everyday at Joe's! When Amber becomes a young adult she can't wait to become a gynocologist! - Melissa Bushur

Track and Field

2011-04-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

The track season has just recently officially starting having meets. So far the team has traveled to Robinson, Greenville, and Shelbyville and hosted a meet with Effingham and George Washington High School. This year the girls track team has a new coach who has had us all working extremely hard. We even have had a weekly 6 a.m. practice and have been incorporating weight and strength training along with running workouts. Our latest meet was held at the St. Anthony track against George Washington High School. For those of you who are not aware of the story of St. Anthony's relationship with George Washington, it began when two teachers wanted to begin track and cross country programs but did not have the funds to support the programs and a great number of the students did not even have shoes! St. Anthony reached out to them, raising money and donated gently used shoes to help them out. At the meet many of the St. Anthony athletes made friends with the George Washington athletes. They gave each St. Anthony track member a George Washington t-shirt and they were given St. Anthony goodie bags. The day went well and we hope to have many more great experiences this track season. By: Liz Wortman

Chuck Norris Jokes - Jack Fifer

2011-04-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of my favorite Chuck Norris jokes: 1.) Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits. 2.) Chuck Norris can blow bubbles with beef jerky. 3.) The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain. 4.) Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink. 5.) Chuck Norris can get blackjack with one card. 6.) Chuck Norris makes onions cry. 7.) When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he doesn't push himself up, he pushes the world down. 8.) Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door. 9.) Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. 10.) Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

Cheerleading Tryout Nerves

2011-04-12T20:12:00.007-05:00

Since I don't have much homework tonight I have more time to freak out about cheerleading tryouts that are tomorrow, Wednesday, April 13, 2011. I am so nervous that I keep messing up the cheers that I am doing. This is not a good sign. Today at the end of speech class, Taylor Dirks and Paige Oltman were doing the cheers with me and they were telling me that I was doing it wrong but I didn't think I was so at my track meet after school I asked Liz Wortman and she said that I was doing it right. So now I am really freaking out and I don't know what to do. I am sooo nervous. Oh well I guess. Wish me luck!! :)

-Barbara McGuire

MealSnap: a ridiculous new iPod app

2011-04-12T14:08:00.003-05:00

How many calories are in a medium McDonalds fry? Well, if you have the iPhone, all you need is a small picture of the fries and your question will be answered in an instant. The DailyBurn, a company focusing on fitness and dieting, created an app called "MealSnap" that can calculate the amount of calories in a substance after analyzing a photo of the food. The database contains over 500,000 types of food with which it compares the food in your photo to. Only seconds after you take your picture, the app identifies the food and the amount of calories, protein, fat, etc. that it contains. This extraordinary new app can also serve as a diet diary where users can keep track of the foods they eat. The DailyBurn has high hopes for this new app and believes it will encourage people to be mindful of the foods they're eating and the amount of calories they're consuming.

- Jackie Wortman

Fun Facts!

2011-04-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

-An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it

-The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910

-Armadillos can be housebroken

-A hippo can open it's mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside

-A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night

-A hummingbird weighs less than a penny

-Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite

-It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland

-A sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100 mph

-Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours

-In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on finals

-The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump, and the only mammal with 4 kneecaps

-The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head

-A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21 inch tongue

-Dirks:)

Cheerleading Tryouts

2011-04-11T18:51:00.003-05:00

The time of the year has come again for cheerleading tryouts! All the girls have been working hard on jumps, tumbling skills, and motions. As you may have read below there are many new girls trying out for the team. The tryouts are going to be ran slightly different then in past years as well. This year the tryout consists of a group cheer with 2 other girls trying out, a sideline, an idividual cheer, and a tumbling pass. The group cheer was taught by the past senior cheerleaders, as well as the sideline. The individual cheer is either made up, or taught to you by a past cheerleader, or a cheerleader you already know. The tumbing pass is an idividual skill of either standing or running tumbling of choice with or without a spot. Paige Oltman

Cheerleading!

2011-04-11T18:38:00.002-05:00

This week, as many of you may have heard in the announcments, cheerleading tryouts are this week. The whole squad was worried for this years tryouts because of the fact that we would be losing six seniors. However, unlike years in the past, a great variety of new cheerleaders, from new freshmen even to new seniors, are trying out. All the newcomers and even veteran cheerleaders have been working hard to prepare tumbling tricks, jumps, and cheers for tryouts. With a new coach and many new cheerleaders this year we are all excited for a change and to improve ourself to be even better than before! By: Liz Wortman

Red Remover

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

One day I was diligently working on my speech when a friend of mine, Cody Pike, introduced me to an awesome Internet "flash" game called "Red Remover." Red Remover is a game that is very entertaining and easy to play. Your goal is to "remove" or make all of the red blocks fall without any of the green blocks falling. The blue blocks do not matter either way. In order to succeed in the more challenging levels you must make cunning plans and time everything perfectly. In conclusion, Red Remover is a game I would recommend to all of you. You can play it at http://exauge.com/games/play?id=17. Just remember not to play it at school because that is against school policy.

--Michael Goldstein

Upcoming Movie Sequels

2011-04-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Die Hard 5 - 2012
The aging Bruce Willis returns as Detective John McClane in his fifth adventure in the last 23 years. Samuel L. Jackson is rumored to return as Zeus Carver, but other than that, details are scarce. Filming is set to begin sometime this year.

Ghostbusters III - December 25, 2012
After a much too long hiatus, the busters are returning in 2012. Bill Murray has been relatively secretive in interviews, but his appearance in the 2009 video game shows that he may be willing to return for a third film.

Men in Black III - May 25, 2012

Another return to a popular series, MIBIII is now filming. The stars of the first two movies are all returning, with a few new faces thrown in (Josh Brolin, Alec Baldwin). Keeping pace with Hollywood's current trend, it will be in 3D.

Fast Five - April 29, 2011

Fast Five brings The Rock onto the scene as a federal agent tasked with taking down Vin Diesel and company. It is the first in the series to be released in IMAX theatres.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - July 1, 2011

Another entry Michael Bay's 'splosion-fest series of the war between giant alien robots. The most pressing question of this film is how it will survive without Megan Fox. Her replacement, British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, looks like she'll be able to fill Fox's shoes with relative ease.

X-Men First Class - June 3, 2011

This film explores the beginning of the relationship between Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) as they are discovering their powers. Together, they open a school for mutants as they grow further apart.

The Dark Knight Rises- July 20, 2012

The third Christopher Nolan Batman film is currently in pre-production. TDKR brings in Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (G.I. Joe, Inception) as an as-yet-unnamed villain. Rumored to be the first film in the Nolan trilogy to introduce the Batcave

The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3, 2012

The series reboot stars Andrew Garfield as the web-slinger, who is developing his powers while going through high school. Few details are known about the plot, but this is the first Spider-Man film to not feature a Mary Jane Watson or J. Jonah Jameson.

The Avengers - May 4, 2012

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Samuel L. Jackson (Col. Nick Fury) team up in what is sure to be an epic mashup. 2012 can't get here soon enough.

Fruit Pizza

2011-04-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

Sugar cookie dough (in package at Walmart)

8 oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla
fresh or canned fruit

First off you spread the cookie dough out onto a pan and put in in the oven and bake it until golden brown. You want to wait for the cookie dough to cool down a little, and then you mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together and spread it on the cookie.

Then, you can get any fruit you enjoy and drain it and lay it on the cookie that has the cream cheese mixture on it.

After, you make a glaze that goes over all the fruit to keep the fruit fresh.

1/2 cup water

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbs corn starch

You boil all these ingredients together for a minute and then spread it on top of the fruit.

I hope you will enjoy! :)

Best of Friends

2011-04-08T06:00:00.002-05:00

I have found something very rare at this school that I did not know I needed. I have found an honest-to-God best friend. At my old school I had friends, sure. I talked to them -- even though they annoyed me every now and then. But, I was never truly close to them. When I first arrived here, I knew only a few people. I followed those people around like a puppy for the first couple weeks.

Then I met Carly. She called me tall. I called her short. Instant friendship. I eventually met the rest of Carly's friends. The final one I met was Barbara. At first I understood her. She was fun and didn't have a care in the world. I liked her attitude.

After awhile I have to admit I became slightly annoyed. It wasn't until I heard her story that I gained absolute and utmost respect for her. I understood why she is the way she is. We are now absolute best friends. I love having the smallest conversations with her because I feel like her mind is always in the same place as mine.

Whenever something exciting happens, I go and tell her. I can talk to her about boys, family problems, school problems, whatever. Whenever something horrible happens, I swore to myself I will never tell anyone. I go and tell her that, too. I can't understand how people live without a true best friend in their life that is constantly there because now after I know what I have been missing, I won't want to go on without it. Best friends should be a term taken seriously. We are like peas and carrots . :) She is my true bffe!

How to make homemade Reeses

2011-04-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

My sister and I discovered how to make these Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on a day we had off from school. We were both bored and found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com. The first time we made them, my sister added a 1/4 tablespoon of salt instead of a teaspoon, not knowing this I took a huge bite of the dough and could taste the grains of salt (gross). After this incident, my sister and I started again and now love this dessert! Enjoy:)

Ingredients

1 (11.5 ounce) package milk chocolate chips, divided
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Trim 12 paper muffin cup liners to half of their height.
Place 1/2 chocolate chips in a microwave safe container. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spoon melted chocolate into muffin cups, filling halfway. With a spoon, draw the chocolate up the sides of the cups until evenly coated. Cool in the refrigerator until firm.
In a small bowl, mix together peanut butter, confectioners' sugar and salt. divide into the chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate, and spoon over peanut butter. Spread chocolate to edges of cups.

By: Claire Willenborg

Having pets is good for your health!

2011-04-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know that having a pet is good for your health? Well the CDC did research on it in 2010 and this is what they came up with...

It lowers your blood pressure

lowers your cholesterol levels

lowers your Triglyceride levels

It makes you less lonely

It increases your opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities.

It increases your opportunities for socialization.

The Masters Tournament

2011-04-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

Bob Jones and Clifford Roberts organized the first event, later named the Masters Tournament, at Augusta National in 1934.

the Masters Tournament was called the "Augusta National Invitational" for the first five years (1934-1938)

The first tournament was held march 22, 1934. Since 1940 however, the Masters was scheduled for the first full week in April each year.

Horton Smith won the first tournament in 1934.

Jack Nicklaus has the most Masters Tournament wins, with six.

Jack Nicklaus became the oldest player to win a Masters Tournament at the age of 46 years, 2 months and 23 days in 1986.

Tiger Woods was the youngest player to win a Masters Tournament at 21 years, 3 months and 14 days in 1997.

In 1949, the first Green Jacket was awarded to the year's Maters champion, Sam Snead.

"The big oak tree" on the golf course side of the Clubhouse is about 145-150 years old. This live oak tree was planted in the 1850's

-Emmie Schultz

Warning Signs!

2011-04-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

My siblings, especially Devin, love helping with my homework. These are the signs of it is time for them to not help anymore.

If you are making a dessert, make sure you do the measurements for the ingredients.

If they have a pencil, hide your homework from them.

If they want to draw, get some paper for them or they will draw all over what is in front of them normally your homework or reading assignment.

If they want to read a story, take a break and read the story to them or they will take your homework and rip it.

If they are hungry, get them a snack or they may just take a bite out of your homework.

If they are bored and your schoolwork is sitting out on the table, they may hid it or play with it.

If you think they will always listen, they will not especially if they are having fun.

REMEMBER: They will eat your homework or rip it or destroy it. It does not matter why the reason is.

Younger siblings can be very destructive with your school homework.

-Brianna Siemer

Fun Things to do:)

2011-04-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Since we live in Effingham, there is not very much to do on the weekends, but here are some ideas:

go to movies (but they are expensive)

have fire and smores!

drive around

go to a friends house

go swimming

four wheeler riding

bowling (which is pretty cheap)

go out to eat

sleepovers

if you're a guy you can game it up, and play COD!

Well enjoy these ideas!:) Have fun!:)

Stress

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tough day?....Feeling stressed-out? I know, we all have our tough moments, days, weeks, and sometimes even months. The fact is, in your adolescent years, teenagers are the most stressed. The reason for this is because it is the biggest change you will ever have to go through in your life. You are trying to discover who you want to be.

75% of the population experiences some stress every 2 weeks but how do we deal with this? Some people can't take it and they break out in hives or have panic attacks. You can actually increase your stress tolerance. Every stress you feel is actually caused by how you perceive the situation--not the event itself. Sports are an effective way to get your mind off things. Meditation can also be helpful. What I like to do is make lists. If I have many things due Friday. I make a list, title it "Things Due Friday," and prioritize 1 through 10 etc.

Venting helps too but be sure you vent to someone you can trust. Vent to a best friend who will listen well. Avoid people who interrupt you or barge in with their own stories or add more to your plate.

All in all, STAY IN THERE! There's always someone out there who is going through a similar situation. We can all make it through tough situations together.

Black Swan

2011-04-05T17:39:00.004-05:00

My mom and I were looking through the movie list on our tv for something to watch. We came across Black Swan, and I thought it looked pretty good from the previews I had previously seen. It looked like it was going to be a scary movie about ballerinas. My mom watched the previews and decided it looked like a good movie too, so we bought it. First off, this is not a movie to watch with your parents and I had no idea. I recommend not even watching it at all, it was horrible, not to mention very inappropriate to watch with your mother, and you know what I mean. AND it was involving just girls.... Pretty much what the entire movie was about was this messed up girl was chosen to be the ballerina for the famous play, Swan Lake. She kept having these feelings that people were trying to take her spot so she became really messed up, and was herself's own enemy. She thought another girl was her enemy and stabbed her as she was getting ready to perform Swan Lake but at the end you realized she stabbed herself (because she was her own enemy...and yeah, she was THAT messed up) The whole play was about the white swan (graceful and elegant) turning into the black swan (mean and creepy)...in the middle of the play, she literally grew feathers and turned into the black swan, at the very end of her dancing, she died. All in all, I advise you not to watch it, especially with your mother because the movie is a total let down... ----Sorry for ruining the ending of this horrible movie for you...

-Taylor Dirks

Evan " Danger" Hakman - Jack Fifer

2011-04-05T09:28:00.004-05:00

As I was sitting in the library, minding my own business, a manly man by name of Evan Hakman took a seat next to me. I asked him if I could write a blog about his magic-filled and wondrous life; he replied with a strange, low pitched grunt. Evan " Danger" Hakman was born on October 17th, 1993. He gets the nickname "Danger" from Mr. Patrick Grunloh himself. In 2006, he was dubbed the tallest person to play rec ball. He currently holds to school record for high jump, long jump, triple jump, and 110m high hurdles. He says " It's a G thang." Danger's favorite sport is elephant polo. The reason he likes elephant polo so much is because of the gracefulness of the giant grey beasts, and the raw power it takes to swing a 15 ft. hammer. Every night, before Danger goes to bed, his Swedish parents, Cheynaynay and DeMarcus, read him the first book in the Harry Potter installment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, in Latin and then he can finally doze off in his comfortable race car waterbed.

Should I get a Dog?

2011-04-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

A few things to take into consideration before adopting are: finances, available time, and if you have small children.

1. Dogs can get to be quite expensive. If you are wanting a purebred, they average at the cost of $800.00. Then comes the leashes, food and water bowls, grooming, bedding, treats, food, and the list goes on. And do not forget the damage that your dog will cause and the money it will take to fix whatever they got their teeth on. With my dog, she ruined most of the wood paneling in our laundry room, about 7 or 8 pairs of shoes, and a $50 roll of stamps. haha. So be sure to have all that covered if you want a dog.

2. You need to make sure you have plenty of time to give them attention, exercise, and to train them. More than anything, dogs need lots of your time.

3. If you have small children in your home, a Labrador is not for you. During their puppy faze, they love to bite and rough house. A small good natured dog would be best for small children.

If you are seriously considering buying a dog, make sure you research the breed to know what to expect. Good Luck!

-Katie Whightsel

(Mrs. Cross, the last one about pets being healthy for you was by me too:))

Butler vs. Connecticut

2011-04-04T13:33:00.004-05:00

Tonight is the championship game for the NCAA basketball. This tournament has been full of upsets. For the first time in tournament history a 11 seed played a 8 seed in the final 4. Tonight's match-up is between the the 8 seeded Butler Bulldogs and 3 seeded Connecticut Huskies. A St. Anthony alumni, Maria Jansen, is the mascot for the Bulldogs. The tip off starts at 9:23 ET. I advise all to tune in and watch. Charlie Schultz

Roman Numerals

2011-04-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

What are Roman Numerals? Where did they come from (in usage not country duh!)? What are they still used for? What do they mean? All very good questions let's answer a few...

2011-04-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

TOP 10 MOVIES IN 2010!

1. The Social Network

2. A Prophet

3. Toy Story 3

4. Another Year

5. I Am Love

6. The Kids Are All Right

7. Dogtooth

8. How to Train Your Dragon

9. The Ghost Writer

10. Inception

- Melissa Bushur

2011-04-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Interesting facts about Elephants!

- largest animal in the world

- biggest brain (12 lbs.) & thickest skin (1 inch.)

- there trunk is about 8 ft. long

- African elephants weigh up to 14,000 lbs.

- able to draw up 4 gallons of water before squirting it in their mouth to drink

- they walk on their toes

- they eat grass, bark, bamboo, roots, and fruit

- there life span is 50-70 years

- communicate with body language and a variety of sounds

-Melissa Bushur

Top 20 Country Songs

2011-04-02T06:00:00.003-05:00

Here are the top country songs as of now... and I believe that these are some of the best songs ever!!!!!!! 1. Let Me Down Easy- Billy Currington 2. Don't You Wanna Stay- Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson 3. Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not- Thompson Square 4. Colder Weather- Zac Brown Band 5. This- Darius Rucker 6. Hello World- Lady Antebellum 7. What Do You Want- Jerrod Niemann 8. This is Country Music- Brad Paisley 9. A Little Bit Stronger- Sara Evans 10. Heart Like Mine- Miranda Lambert 11. Live a Little- Kenny Chesney 12. Little Miss- Sugarland 13. I Won't Let Go- Rascal Flatts 14. Bleed Red- Ronnie Dun 15. Without You- Keith Urban 16. Family Man- Craig Campbell 17. You Lie- The Band Perry 18. Georgia Clay- Josh Kelley 19. I Can't Love You Back- Easton Corbin 20. Tomorrow- Chris Young I strongly suggest that all of you listen to some of these songs because we all know that country music is the best!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!! :) Barbara McGuire

2011-04-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Old Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream!

My family and I usually make homemade ice cream every summer. So since summer is around the corner, here is a quick recipe to make it. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

- 6 eggs

- 2 cups sugar

-1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

- 13-oz. can evaporated milk (1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)

- 1 gallon whole milk

- chipped ice

- rock salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar gradually, stirring constantly. Add salt, vanilla and canned milk. Add about a pint of the fresh milk and mix.

Pour mixture into ice cream freezer can. Add enough of the remainder of the milk to fill can to the middle of the top board of dasher. (If the freezer can has a "fill" line on it, fill no higher than that line.)

Assemble the ice cream freezer. Add alternating layers of chipped ice and rock salt to barrel around freezer can. Crank freezer until ice cream begins to freeze (cranking will become harder as ice cream freezes), adding more ice and salt, as needed. When handle becomes difficult-to-impossible to turn, remove turning mechanism, and carefully remove top from freezer can; remove dasher. Replace top. Cover can with more ice and salt. Cover ice with an old towel, allowing ice cream to "cure" for at least 1 hour. If yours is an electric freezer, follow manufacturer's directions, but the curing step is essential.

Makes about 5 quarts of ice cream.

- Melissa Bushur

Final Four

2011-03-31T19:57:00.003-05:00

NCAA Basketball!

As everyone's brackets are messed up now, you could probably tell that there are no #1 seeds in the Final Four this year. According to my bracket at least, I'm done for. I had all the #1 seeds in the Final Four but it just didn't happen this year! As you might know by now there is a #3, #4, #8, and #11 seed in the Final Four this year. It takes strong young men to play basketball no matter what seed you are. Even though you may not think they are the best teams that are in the Final Four, they are. They have played their butts off to get here. So, if you have never seen a team play, this weekend is your chance! Connecticut is playing Kentucky on Saturday at 8:45 and Butler will be facing VCU at 6:00. (I'm not sure about the times though!)

-Melissa Bushur

2011-03-31T19:49:00.003-05:00

TRACK!

It was last Monday when the St. Anthony girls and boys had there first track meet at Robinson. It was a cold night but we handled it pretty well. The boys ended up getting third and the girls ended up getting second out of four teams, I guess that's not too bad for our first meet! Well, if you heard my 4x200 relay team kind of got screwed over. Barbara was starting it off when a girl walked right in front of her to pick up some blocks and Barbara had to stop. So then we were behind. Later when she handed it off to Claire, some other girl got right in front of her and switched lanes on us! Oh well, they got disqualified. Anyway, everyone should come out and cheer for us on out first home meet, Tuesday against T-town/effingham/Stew-Straws! Go Bulldogs!

- Melissa Bushur