My Reflexion About the Teen Life Project on Terrorism

Having a project like his can make you feel different things. At the beginning, you feel as if you were in the air- you don´t know what to write about, neither how to begin or end. What you only know is that you have to do it and that time is running. But when you begin – which I think is the most difficult of all-, the ideas sprout out and you write and write and sometimes you have to stop and go back and then go forth again to complete an idea or to give shape to it, or to start reading what you have written to see if you repeated an idea, or if an idea should be here or there, or if you could use this word or another. Neither way, you learn a lot. You have to find out about the topic, and the more you investigate the more you learn and the more the ideas get clearer in your mind causing you to have a position on the topic or subtopic you are talking about. An often you realize how wrong you were before or how different you think now, and you understand why someone has said this or that, and you can agree or disagree with more confidence, and you can also understand more when you watch a programme about the same topic or even participate in a conversation that people usually say that it is a grown up conversation. You also learn that sometimes your heart feels in such a different way as your mind thinks as you don´t know how you would act in a situation that you haven´t lived- but others have-, and you can forget about the problem of the topic when your living your life- I mean, in your daily actvities.

Finally, I think that if we practice about strategies that have to deal with the topic of our project- a problem of our society- in order to live better and to do something to help humanity, the project would be more effective and we really would reach our goals.

Panic caused by Terrorism

“The people terrorists kill are not the targets; they are collateral damage. The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions who are not killed but are terrorized because of the killing. The real point of terrorism is not the act itself, but our reaction to the act. And we're doing exactly what the terrorists want.” (*1).

There are many things to learn about terrorism such as it has different causes, consequences, manifestations, and levels of intensity. Being prepared and vigilant is a good thing. Sticking your head in the sand and ignoring a threat is dumb. Denying the terrorist and panic is the first step in defeating terrorism.

According to many people, terrorism affects almost everyone on earth and many people change their behaviour due to terrorism. But many others think that combating this panic is the duty of each and every citizen. And helping other citizens to fight this fear is the duty of every citizen.

I think that we, civilians that are not killed, really are not the targets of terrorists because we get terrorized for the killing. But many more people die in a car crash, in street violence and in an aerial accident, than from terrorists. Yet, people do not fear their cars, going out of home or travel. Common people are more afraid of things like diseases -heart disease, the flu, diabetes-, prescription drugs, drunk drivers, strokes, crazy people, natural phenomena, and others. They all kill more people each year than terrorism.

Although the news and the colors of terror threat alert level, I think that we don’t get terrorized for long. I have seen and heard that in many places as Cartagena, the common people don't care about threat levels for a long time. After a terrorism attack, our daily routine do not change. Maybe, this is because of the idea that people react after an extraordinary thing occurs. The world is not a safe, happy place but we live the nice little world our parents have made for us. And if we are free of fear, terrorism doesn't work, but if we are scared and depressed because of terrorism, we cannot control ourselves and the situations we could live, and finally, we can get sick and die, not due to a terrorism act, but of nervous-caused disease.

I consider that if the government work on creating good strategies for studying the causes of terrorism- as other crimes such as illegal drugs and prostitution-, for poor social services, for environmental problems, international politics, etc., instead of creating panic, we would have a different attitude to the subject. These cause of terrorism include contributions on the psychological roots, political explanations, economic factors, religion, and culture. (*3).

Education and good leadership are important in preventing panic during a terrorist campaign. Here, the communication means are important as they can give a good and real information and explanation. Thus, if all the governments teach about all these, maybe there would be more conscious people and we would live in a respectable and fair world.

*1. net127.com/2006/08/24/what-the-terrorists-want/ -

*2. english.safe-democracy.org/causes/ - 24k

*3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_Security_Advisory_System_-_43k

Color-Coded Terrorism Advisory Scale

Six months after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S.A government created a color-coded terrorism advisory scale called the Homeland Security Advisory System which provides a "comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people." *1. It was published on March 12, 2002, by Tom Ridge, who was the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. The different levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public facilities.

The scale consists of five colors that represent the levels of threat. They show the probability of a terrorist attack and its potential gravity. Each of these levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public places. The red one states for a severe risk; the orange one states for a high risk; the yellow one states for a significant risk; the blue one states for general risk and the green one states for a low risk. The green and the blue ones have never been used.

The government provides general guidance for civilians and federal agencies, but some of its actions of the different threat levels are not published. These actions include increasing police and other security presence at landmarks and other high-profile targets, more closely monitoring international borders and other points of entry, ensuring that emergency response personnel are ready, and, in some cases, deploying members of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement on security details. *2. And the alert level was raised once in 2004, the tear of the past presidential elections that cause many people to think that the president of the United States government used it for political purposes rather than security ones.

I think it is a good try to have a code of colors for possible terrorist attacks risk, but I am not so sure that the levels of threat are accurate as, for example, “the evidence cited to justify changes in threat levels has been stated vaguely (see below) and its sources have seldom been revealed. This lack of disclosure makes the system vulnerable to manipulation by government officials.” *3. and according to what I have heard on TV. News, some of the actions of the government violate the rights of many people. I think that the risk of a terrorism attack can not be registered in a table as, for example, the Beaufort Scale *4., in which scientists can classify and register the type of wind according to their characteristics such as speed, direction, height, etc., and of course, the damaged caused. Thus, how can the people of the security- or any other-, of a country can determine how terrible will a terrorist risk be, how long will it last, where can it come from, etc.

I agree with the published terror alert that all American citizens, especially the ones that travel in the transportation systems, "to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately." Also, that people have to prepare an emergency preparedness kit and a family emergency plan.

I would like to search and learn more about what common people think about this scale of color for the possible terrorist attacks risk -what they think, feel, and how do they act about it.-, I also would like to know how this new color code affects the life of them.

*1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_Security_Advisory_System_-_43k_–

*2. http://www.answers.com/topic/homeland-security-advisory-system%20-%2056k

*3. http://www.answers.com/topic/homeland-security-advisory-system%20-%2056k

*4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale_-_30k

Analizing Terrorism

I beging this essay copying some different definitions about terrorism, from different people who are from different places, but from the same world:

"the strategy of the weak for weakening the strong" (Roskin and Berry, p. 4);
"seeking to further political objectives through the threat or use of violence
usually in opposition to state governments?"(Kegley and Wittkopf, p. 222);
"Terrorist groups, seek the political freedom, privilege, and property they
think persecution has denied them" (Kegley and Wittkopf, p. 222); "usually used
by the powerless against the powerful" (Mingst, p. 178); "the use of violence to
achieve a political objective" (Papp, p. 127); “Using random and horrific acts
of violence against unsuspecting and innocent non-combatants is terrorism, and
moral people will condemn such acts no matter who undertakes them.” ( Michael
Walzer, in Just and Unjust Wars); “Terrorism is a strategy to weaken a hated
political authority. It is a security threat, but almost the opposite of the
nuclear one: little pinpricks instead of a huge bang." (Stanley Michalak ).

And so many others. I have read many definitions and thoughts about terrorism. Also, some interesting things about its history: Why it is called terrorism, when was it used for the first time, the meaning before and the meaning today - a strategy that explicitly targets innocent civilians -, etc. Also, about the opposite ideas abot who are the real terrorist as in the expressions: “One person`s terrorist is another person`s freedom fighter” 1. and “One group's 'freedom fighters' may be another group's 'terrorists'". 2.

Reading and analizing and comparing different definitions about terrorism made me learn that we are different.; I mean, everybody is different and we are always going to be different, and people try to reach their goals in different ways. Some of them are peaceful and others are violent as terrorism. I don´t defend neither support any act of terrorism. Based on the definition that terrorism uses violence usually in opposition to state governments or legal rules, I consider that several nations undertake terrorist attacks, too.

Concluding, from all these things I agree on three things. The first one is that although terrorism kills a few number of people, people worry about terrorism as it creates panic. You don´t know where the following attacks will be, how they are going to be, where you and your family and … will be. How would you act if you or one of your relatives are or is the next victim. Worst of all, you don`t know if you will be alive to talk about it. The second one is that I agree with the concept of terrorism is in the eye of the beholder: constitutes terrorism is often in the eye of the beholder and, in this case, killing civilians with a bomb dropped on a building by a warplane is no different than (sic) killing civilians by planting a bomb in a building". 3. It is natural that every one defends its opinion. Several powerful countries define terrorism in a self serving way. And the third one is that I agree with some people who say that defining terrorrism is difficult. I just would like fighting to stop. Violence brings violence. No one was born being violent. I just want to say that terrorism – or the way I definne it: a silent not loudly progressing war that sometimes expresses itself.

as a “boom”-, does not distinguish between civilians and military, and women and children, or the “good ones” and the “bad ones” as we children recognize in a cowboys movie. Terrorism used in a good cause is terrorism - as big or little lies or sins: They are still lies or sins.- and violence against unsuspecting and innocent non-combatants is terrorism, no matter who undertakes it so any act of violence cannot be excused and considered as legal by any justification.

As many people, I want and I hope terrorism to stop for ever. I would like young people to learn about it in order to learn the culture of the no violence. As terrorists use any means to express their incomformity, we can learn to use strategies to work on peace and finding peaceful ways to get our goals but based on values: fairness, respect to others, tolerance, etc. Students from all over the world can work on this by having practices or dynamics of things that occur in our own class. Thus, we can try to use them in our families, in our groups of friends, neighbors, players, etc., as we are always going to find things we do not agree with or like. Of course, we must remember the gold rule “Do not do others what you do not want for you”.

1.http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/66/Who_Owns_the_Word_Terror.html
2. http://hnn.us/articles/1129.htmlç
3. Rourke, pp. 346-47

Bibliographie

buffalo-israel-link.org/page10.html

hnn.us/articles/1129.html

adbusters.org/the_magazine/66/Who_Owns_the_Word_Terror.html

hnn.us/articles/1129.html

Terrorism

Terrorism means violence or any harmful act made against civilians by groups or persons for political or other ideological goals. Terrorism is a political tactic for creating fear or terror to try to convince a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or fear of harm, destabilization of an existing government, causing a discontented population to join an uprising, hoping to break the actual state, showing the hardness of a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause that the government has forgotten. Terrorists rarely identify themselves as such, and usually use other terms such as: separatist, freedom fighter, liberator, revolutionary, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerrilla, rebel, or any similar-meaning word in other languages. Many political organizations have been using terrorism to reach their objectives as some both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic, and religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments. They usually use explosives or poison, or weapons of mass destruction.to solve big political conflicts such as secessions, or dominance of a territory; dominance of resources by ethnic groups, imposition of a form of government, Economic deprivation, or opposition to a domestic government or occupying army.

I think terrorism is a terrible strategy used to try to get something as I consider it is not necessary to damage others. I agree with Walter Laqueur of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "the only general characteristic [of terrorism] generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence".*1 However, I think there are many acts that include violence that are not terrorist. I also think that as people do not think in the same way neither have the same thoughts, interests and feelings, there will always be injustice. Also, we are always changing our minds. However, we may not use violence or any other means to force others to think or act the way we do.I have never been in a situation of terrorism but I think it would be horrible. I have listened to the news and to the comments of some adults- my parents, my grandfather and others- about terrorism and I know that it is a hard problem to solve. Maybe it never ends, but we have to work hard on not to accept people who use or support it –sometimes we know or heard about people who are not terrorists but seem to agree with their ideas or acts-. The result will always be harm and injuries most of which can never be repaired. Nobody can give the life back to a dead person. On the other hand, I think that many countries have to build new treats that should have to be checked and changed according to the situations in order to be safe.

Terrorism affects us in different ways. For example, we have to think about how technology have influenced on terrorism and on the security and publications against it. Maybe, the way we use the web –as an example of technology-, could help on changing our minds. I agree with one of the philosophers of the Morris Institude for Human Values: "The Double Power Principle." It says that the more power anything has for good, the more it correspondingly has for ill. It's up to us how we use it. Nuclear science has great power for good. It also has a correspondingly great power for ill. *2. We have to analize the way in which we use things.

There’s a lot to know about terrorism, and there are many people who support or are against it. Nobody has the last word. I don’t think it is a matter of patriotism, but of humanity. No one wants to become a victim of terrorism. We cannot give up.
I´m very concerned about terrorism. It really makes me feel worried. I would like to have a magic stick to dissapear terrorism from the mind and hearts of people all over the world, but it´s only a dream. But many dreams can become true. If we learn and study more about it, and if we share our feelings and findings with others, and we begin by trying to solve the problems of our “different ways of thinking” around us, we will be building a better world. If all the governments teach the practicing of peace, we colud breath peace, too. Perhaps, in this way we could find solutions to this problem.

*1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism Terrorism, official definitions, Violence.

*2 www.morrisinstitute.com/weekly/mihv_pc_morris_65.html , Weekly Wisdom, Some Thoughts on Terror, Tragedy, and Ultimate Triumph.

Safety in Cartagena

Is it safe there for kids to walk on the streets? Ashley M. from Mr. Fisher’s Class wrote that question that I would really like to answer. Really Yes, here in Cartagena the safety is very good that’s why on weekend, almost every body go to place walking or hangout on streets with there friends with no problems. Obviously there is always a first time so you need to be careful with the time you get home or the age you need to be in some places.

Here in Cartagena the main neighborhoods that are Bocagrande, Castillograde, and Laguito are very secure, but if you go to the poor neighborhoods that they are kind of far away you may found a lot of thief, many bad people etc. All these reason is caused because of poorness. As you now here in Cartagena there are allot of poor neighborhoods where people doesn’t have houses, food an also many people have house with no roof.

What We do Usually After School...

Luis Carlos wrote a question that really interests me, because here in Cartagena not al people hangout on days of school. Normally when we finish school we go home do our homework or sometime if you are in sport teams some people do them when they come from practices.

Some people when they finish their practices they go to friend’s houses to do their homework’s together or sometime to practices quizzes or tests. I don’t do my homework with my friends or study tests with them because my mother doesn’t let me go out during school days, unless for projects or for soccer practices.

The reason why my mother doesn’t let me go out during days of school to do our homework’s, is because she said that we are no going to maker our homework’s together, that we are going to copy each other. And for study tests I really don’t ask here because usually I study tests by my self, and if I’m having problems understanding she helps me.

Hangout Places...

What are your favorite hangout places in your town/city? This is one of the Physical Environment questions that I took from the Teen Life Wiki from Tyler and Dustin from Mr.Fisher's class. In this city there are not so much places to hangout, but we usually go to Mc Donald, Corral, Crepes, Campito, Club, or some time to a friend’s house.

Mc Donald, you now all what it is, but Corral I very similar like Mc Donald where they sell also hamburgers etc. Crepes is a place where obviously they sell crepes but also waffles. Campito is one of the most famous places in Cartagena. Campito is a place where people go to play soccer, baseball, eat pizza or even hangout with your friends. Club Cartagena is the most famous club in Cartagena wre people go to the pool, to play soccer, to play tennis, and also you can go with your family to eat at the restaurant. Cub Cartagena usually organizes some events like the comparsa, parties at the end of the year and some time concerts.

My Intro...

My name is Stephano P., but my fiends call me Tefi. I live in Cartagena, Colombia. I’m thirteen, but I’m almost fourteen. What I most like to do is to play soccer with my friends. My favorite team is Arsenal. I also like to play the accordion –I’m learning how to play it.

I’m concerned about global disarmament and the use of children for war. I think that many young people –as the ones of my age- are so busy on having good times that they don’t realize that there are many others suffering due to wars. Also, that we, human beings, are damaging our lives –our bodies, our minds- with many things as chemical and radioactive substances, new types of foods, weapons, pollution, and drugs.

I think that the best way for solving these problems is to stop fighting. But this is not as easy as we would like because we have to change the way we feel and think. I also think that in order to change we have to be educated. I mean, government must have to prepare people to educate us on the culture of love and tolerance. People in every country should work on spreading the terrible consequences of war and child soldiers. Teachers should be trained on how to teach us respect for life and for differences.

Every government should make a system of programs for people to learn how to avoid, stop or refuse to be involved on any of these problems. Some examples are having conferences periodically in which people who have suffered any of these problems can expose his or her experience, or having organizations and institutes with workshops in which people from different ages can learn and practice what is being tolerant. And to share them with others from different parts of the world.

My favorite soccer player is Thierry Henry who plays in Arsenal F.C., and also Arsenal is my favorite team. I like other teams like Valencia or Rome, but steel Arsenal is my favorite. In world Cups Italy is my favorite, but when Colombia qualifies obviously is team I go for. Write now there is a sub-20 tournament in Paraguay, South America where all the team of South America competes. Colombia is one of those and in there group the won first place by winning to Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela and loose one with Uruguay.

On Colombia sub-20 there is a player whose name is Pino and he is from Cartagena. Pino is the best player of Colombia sub-20, but he had only score one goal vs Ecuador, and that goal took us to the victory.

On Friday January 19 Colombia will play vs Chile and we are all sure Colombia will be the victorious.

My Life in Seventh Grade

When I finished sixth grade I was very happy because I had experienced what middle school was like. I knew that the higher I reach at school, the harder it would be. So there would be more larger things to do, and I had to be more responsible, more studious, more hard working and more punctual. I had to read more, analyze more and think not as elementary boy, but as a middle school one. I mean, I had to make a comparison of my life as a student was before and what it would be now and then. And that means several things, too. First, that I had to think and analyze about the way I had worked on the different subjects, and to find the mistakes I had committed, and the way I could do for not repeating them. Then I had to trace my plans for the next year, seventh grade. They included the time at school and out of it.

When I began classes on last August 9, I was so excited. I wondered who my teachers and my classmates will be, in which course I would be. I thought of the things I expected for this school year. Then, I had to find out what I needed to reach my goals as a student and as a sport boy- because I can not leave apart my soccer ball and my sport friends, and if I did well at school, mom would let me practice my passion.

The first term was good for me. I didn’t get any detention for being late. I finished all my class work on time and I finished my homework on time except the notes of one of the social studies sections. What I haven’t corrected myself is talking too much –I do so many things every day that the whole free time is not enough for me-, but I will try to do my best. I haven’t forgot my books at school so I could do my homework so I haven’t had to ask a friend to lend me the books. I have been careful with my handwriting and spelling, and with the order in my notebooks.

This year I want to improve in science and to make an excellent project for the Science Fair. I want to learn new passes in soccer. I also want to learn how to play new songs in my accordion.

As a conclusion seventh grade has been easy and fun. At this time of the year I have not accomplished many of my goals but I have learned more interesting things, I have done more fun things and I have met many nice people. And I will still be working hard because I want to improve in everything I have to.

Respond to MDMS

The closing has several comments. ¨The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices- to be found only in the minds of men.¨ This means that people or humans overcome or subdue others not necessarily by force and by using real weapons, but they can do it by mental or moral force as ideas, concepts, judgements, opinions, behaviour, conduct or position, and unreasonable judgement that we form without due examination of facts. ¨For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a spacegoat has a fallout all of its own for the children yet unborn.¨ This means that for example, the opinions we make without adequate basis can kill indirectly –affect, damage, impair, injure or cause loss-, and that suspicion can ruin totally, and that a careless non considerate fearful search for a spacegoat has terribly consequences for innocent people. ¨And the pity of it is that these things cannot not be confined to the Twilight Zone!¨ This means that the worst of all is that all these things can not be limited to the dimension of imagination, or the area or zone of imagination.

I think that the message the author is giving to us, is good because it is true that any person can destroy without real weapons, but with fairly ones which are our thoughts, attitudes and prejudices, by using terrible, sarcastic, offensive, silly words, or by being or acting in a scornful, mocking manner. Also I think that there can be a real war without weapons, that can leave destruction of the most important things we have,- our feelings, our hearts, our souls – and that if those things don`t kill us, they can leave a wound as deep as a trench that can not heal as when you wrinkle a piece of paper and you realize that you really need that paper, and you try to mend it and turn it as it was before. You will never get it because now it has a lot of lines that are not erasable. And these thoughts, attitudes and prejudices are product of our minds.

I think the tele play ¨The Monsters are Due on Maple Street¨ could be updated if we change many things in the story such as using different objects as computers, cell phones, internet, watches, etc. thet would be affected by the blockout, too. Now there are many people who think that alliens do really exist as a lot of evidence scientists have found and have not explained. Also because humans have traveled into space and have sent spaceshuttles and spacecrafts into space, and maybe because many people think that scientists do not show and say everyting they find out to the public. Also, the story would be set in Arizona as there is a lot of open land. And I think Tommy would know that events could have been caused by alliens due to the lot of information we can find throughout the world by using the internet, or maybe they could have been caused by solar flares that can disrupt electromagnetic signals and electricalpower probles for homes and businesses.

Negative Effects of IPods

Taking your music everywhere on your iPod is wonderful. Even plugging in the ear buds to sleep to music at night is great. It sometimes gives you the opportunity to get into your favorite sounds.

But according to some hearing experts, ear buds on these and other portable music players are causing a lot of damage. They say that anything loud can harm hearing, and ipods and any ear buds on these and other portable music players are an example of this.

Maybe, we haven’t seen the effects yet., and maybe we become an ear, nose, and throat specialist, patients in the next 10 years because of having some hearing loss as a result of portable music players.

The iPod's buds - which fit into the ear - increase the amount of sound pressure directed into the ear canal. Because they seal into the ear, there is less sound escaping than in traditional headphones.

Listening to too many loud rock concerts, having the TV on too loud, or listening to a number of music devices including the iPod can all have negative effects on hearing. Any sound device with the capacity to cause ear damage. Especially those with headphones.

I know that many people know that listening to music insanely bad is not correct.

Car Crash

Boom-boom, prrrr, prrrr,

“I’m going to win you,’’ said Carlos to Ricardo.

‘‘No, you’re not!,’’ yelled Ricardo.

Carlos and Ricardo where playing Ps2 on their house. They were very unite, but one day Ricardo who was the older one decided to take the car with out his parents permission.

‘‘No’’ said Carlos, ''That's a silly act.''

‘‘I don’t care!,” Ricardo yelled.

“You should promise me not to tell anything to mom and dad,” said Felipe kind on angry.

It was a very difficult promise because Carlos had never lie to his parents and Ricardo was like his best friend, and they would always have confidence in each other. Ricardo took the car and look for his friends in Bocagrande to run. It was about eleven o’clock when Ricardo called Carlos.

“Hi, Carlos. I’m here at a bar with some friends and then I’m going to run.” Said Ricardo.

Few hours later, their parents arrived home, but hopefully they didn’t see that the car wasn’t there because they parked their car in the garage of the first floor. Few minutes later their father decided to buy some things at Carulla. He wanted to take the car that was on the second floor. But that car was the one that Ricardo took out. Ricardo’s father got furious. He phoned the doorman.

“Who took my car out?” asked him.

Ricardo, sir,” said the doorman. “He went out about two hours ago”.

“Who did he go with?”, asked Ricardo’s father.

“Alone”, the doorman answered.

Then Ricardo’s father called Carlos. Ricardo got nervous. He had listened to his father.

“Yes, dad”, answered Ricardo.

“Come right now”, his father yelled.

Carlos trembled in fear. He went to the living room were his father was looking for a telephone number in his cellphone.

“Who took my car out without my permission?,” asked his father.

“I don’t know”, answered Carlos.

His father repeated the questions once more.

“I don’t know,” said Carlos looking at he floor.

“Tell me the truth, Carlos,” his father shouted furiously.

After seeing that, Carlos looked at him and said the truth.

“Dad, please, forgive me,” said Carlos.

“I do know. Ricardo took your car.”

“Where did he go?” asked his father.

“He told me he was going to a bar where he usually goes,” replied Carlos.

Later on his father went to look for Ricardo, his older brother. Two hours later, they started to get worried.

When they arrived to the bar, people from the bar told Carlos and his father that Ricardo had already left.

While they were at the bar, Ricardo was going to the bay with some friends. He was driving too fast. They took a curve so fast that the crashed with a tree. Hopefully, nothing bad happened to them except for some bruises. But the front part of the car was a ruined. The boys were very nervous, especially Ricardo.

Minutes later the police arrived to the place were the accident had occurred. They asked them many questions and tested them. They were drunk. Then a crane came by and took the car with it. The police put Ricardo a fine that cost a lot.

Now, Ricardo was more nervous and worried. His father will be very angry. And he had not enough money to pay for the damage. His friends said they had no money. So he had to solve the problem by his own.

An hour later his father saw a lot of people on the street where the accident had occurred. He got nearer and saw Ricardo with the police around him. He stopped there. When he got out of the car, he grabbed Ricardo by the ear and took him home. He was so angry that he said to Ricardo that he was going to talk to him tomorrow The next day, Ricardo was the first one to wake up. He went to Carlos´ room to say him that he was a tattletale. Carlos told him that he was sorry, but he did it for his safety. When his father woke up he told Ricardo that he was punished three months with out car, and two weeks with out going out. Ricardo told him that he was sorry and that he was not going to do that anymore.

Not a Good holiday!

Had you ever feel that all is against you? Two years ago we were in U.S.A. and it was a holiday.1) My family and me decided to go either Best Buy, Tony Roma’s(a restaurant), or staid at home. We decided to go to Best Buy.2) Best Buy is cool, fun, and interesting. With many electronic things.3) We buy some games, movies, and we search for more things. When we finish buying all the things we went to the car to put all the things we buy because we were going to the fourth floor to buy some sport equipments.4) Just imagine that when you came to the car, you are happy because you are going to play with you ps2 games, and when you open the car someone had still you all your things. Hopefully they didn’t still us the van.

5)In Best Buy, they gave you a little paper that if a game comes damage you could change it. My father needed to buy the games again because he didn’t have the little paper.6) When my father buy us the games, we went home. We needed to go to Alamo.7) Arriving to Alamo, we discovered that we left the papers tou change our van.8) Oh, what a terrible day.

1)series of phrases
2)series of modifiers
3)series of objects
4)series of independent clauses
5)introductory prepositional phrase
6)introductory participial phrase
7)introductory adverb clause
8)introductory yes, no, or interjection

One of My Ideas that I Would Like to Due When I Grow Up

Have you ever think about what would you like to do when you grow up?Well, when I grow up, I would like to study in Boston to be a business manager, to create my own company, and to develop my abilities as a soccer player, or maybe to form a team in my company.

One day, when I was reading about the Boston Tea Party and how the British encountered the colonists near the harbor like 2 or 1 years ago. My uncle Humberto who studied in the University of Boston told me many good things. That’s why I want to study in that university. He also told me that there were a lot of pretty girls in Boston and he grinned at me.

I’m sure life has a lot of ordeals but I think we have many abilities to develop so we can improve. We may live a disease a difficult test, too much work, a hard contest or competition, a sudden quiz, a big mistake, living alone in strange place, or any other situation that may frighten, shake or hit you.

I would also like to participate in soccer games as an amateur and to sponsor some teams made up of children or young boys and girls in the different cities or countries where my company has business. so they could have equipments, uniforms, a coach and a place to practice. At the end, I will feel satisfied and victorious of my goals.

Sometimes is useful to start thinking about what would you like to study or work when you grow up because you could start investigating or asking things in your school about that work. And if you are a privileged boy or girl that study in a school that has Academic Elective, you would have the decision to choose something you will think that will be useful to you in your feature.

El Niño Has Arrived to Colombia

El Niño is a phenomenon that affects mainly the water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, but it can affect many places across the world. It was first noticed by Peruvian and Chilean fishermen who named it as El Niño (word for the Christ child in Spanish), for it occurs around the Christmas season. When the warm water from Australia and Indonesia come to our coasts -fish does not have a lot of nutrients-, a severe drought occurs in several departments in Colombia at the west and north coasts, and at the centre and east part of the country, and flooding along the coast of South America, and it also causes the production of Atlantic hurricanes so the agriculture and fishing economy suffers greatly. Scientists do not understand completely the El Niño yet. There is no clear cause and no way to know how long it will affect or how strong it will get. So we must be prepared for this special hot summer that will make sweat more than usually.

In Colombia, the department that will suffer the most is Sucre. It has great crops of rice and cotton, and a great raising of cattle. So many people think that at the end of this year rice, cotton, meat, milk and other products will be more expensive. And there will be light rationalization as the hydroelectric power plants will not have enough water to produce energy. According to this, we will suffer a lot with these hot days that we have started to live from the last month. All this means that they will not earn any money for months and they will get a lot of debts. And, for many others, the price of some foods is increasing as well as the price of drinks, air conditioners, fans, refrigerators and clothes. And this changes will cause other types of changes.

I think that El Niño does not only change the condition of the atmosphere, but many other things that have to do with our daily life. For example, the economy is changing. For most agriculture people, it is causing a decrease in their profits. They not only will have a little production, but in many cases, they will have no production.

As the El Niño will last until next May, we should be attentive of the news about this event, and help doing easy things such as not wasting too much energy or water. But most of all, we should not pollute our planet for these types of phenomena will not occur any more.

A Big Problem

Have you ever have problems with your brother? Obviously is not good to fight with your brother, but sometimes you get so angry that you explode and you start fighting. Sometimes I deal my problem by the good way and sometimes by the bad one. Most of them by the good way, but when I deal my problems by the bad way I explode and I start pushing or insulting the person with the one I am fighting. One of my strategies also is when I am under a big pressure I get into my room and I lock my door, then I sleep or I just stay there relaxing my self.

One day I was at home and I decided to ask my brother for his red soccer ball when he was at the computer. When I asked him for the ball he said no, so I asked him for the computer and he also said no. I got angry and I told him that he needed to share the ball or the computer. One more time he said no. I got so angry because I always share him my things, so I took his red elegant ball and I threw it to the edge of a table. When my brother saw that he stand up and said me that he was going to punch me. I run away. Later on I was at my room seeing T.V and my brother entered and punch me. I got so angry that I stand up and I threw him a little stool. Hopefully I didn’t throw him the tool too hard.

Later on my maid came and saw my brother and me fighting, and she called my grandmother and my mother. When my mother and my grandmother saw us they tried to stop us but they couldn’t, so they both tried to separate us with all their force until they finally stop us. Since that day almost every time we share our things.

I think is not good to fight with your brother or sister because they are your family and in the future you and your brother are going to be like best friends and even you could work with him and be with him in good times and in bad times.

A Very Cool Experience

At the beginning I thought that this idea of making a blog will be boring. Now I know that I was totally wrong, and my expectations are totally different. I think is not hard maintaining a web log, It’s even fun and that makes it easier. I feel very good about having my own blog, because this is the first time I had an own blog and I think this has been a cool and good experience to express your ideas through out the world.

Since the beginning my feelings have a lot. Know I like to have my blog in good conditions. That means that I correct my errors like capitalization and punctuation to have an excellent blog with an excellent spelling. One of the things that I have most like about blogger, is that we can put links pictures and thing like that makes your blog look fun and nice.

One of the things that have surprised me more about blogger, is that I never thought that this idea of making an own blog would be so fun and also interesting. I have learned many important things about blogger, like how to express my ideas, how to write essays and also I have learned that you never put your whole last name in a web page.

Holly Week

Every year during this week called Semana Santa, my family travel through out the world to get together. Each year it is a new experience in a different place. This year it was here in Cartagena in Islas del Rosario. It meant a lot of sun and fun. I enjoyed each one of my family member and the things we do together. All the sports we practice are very fun. Each one of my aunts and uncles cook very well and we eat like gourmets.

The first thing I enjoyed a lot was my new cousin Carolina. She is a little baby 1 year and a half old. She is learning new words and vowels and she is learning to discover the world. Sometimes she got exasperated with the hot climate and the sun. She also enjoy the warm water of the sea. She is very intelligent and understands almost anything. She learns very quickly and showed improvement each day. She always pouted to show displeasure. She is a great kid.

I spend a lot of time doing sports. My uncle Charlie is a great partner. We went snorkelling to the aquarium and saw very sophisticated animals. At the begging it can be a little scary but it is also a wonderful experience. We also did kayaking and surfing. We swam and enjoyed the water every single minute. We also had time to play soccer. Since we woke up in the morning we made plan for the day and sometimes 12 or 15 hours were not enough.

At night my aunts cook very special dinner. My Aunts Rose’s boyfriend is a Mexican who owns restaurants and cook s very well. He cooked typical food from Mexico and it was great. It was a lot of food so it was not rationed. We ate tortillas, chilaquiles, tacos and quesadillas. The adults had margaritas. My other aunts also cooked very delicious food.

This was one of my best vacations because I Had the opportunity to be with all my family . We had a great time together and enjoyed every minute doing what we like the most.

Emirates Stadium

During the 1990s, the stadium of Arsenal at Highbury had a capacity of 38,419 that was all seater in 1993. Most of the other important European football clubs had a higher capacity. So Arsenal started looking for a bigger stadium, that was something very difficult.

The club selected an industrial estate at Ashburton Grove, which was just five hundred meters from Highbury . They announced their plan in November 1999 to all the fans. They expected to open it in August 2003. However, they had planning and financial difficulties so they opening date was changed to the summer of 2006. Before beginning to build the project, they had to buy out the existing occupants and to pay for their relocation. Thus, Arsenal spent a lot of money to buy 10 acres (40,000 m²) of a former railway land on Lough Road, to house a new recycling plant.

The construction of the Arsenal´s stadium began in February 2004. At the same time, two bridges over the Northern City Railroad railway line that connected the stadium with Drayton Park were also built These were completed in summer 2004. The stadium was finished on August 2005, and was completed ahead of schedule and on budget. In February 2006, 90% of the club seats were all taken and in June, all the seats were sold.They had a ceremony on 13 March 2006 in the new stadium to install the first seat.

Their Emirates Stadium was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth IIand Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on Thursday October 26, 2006. This was a great day for the Arsenal team.

I think this is one of the best stadiums of the world because It´s big with a good structure, It´s located in a good place, it has excelent sittings and V.I.P.