Underwater Adventures

- "Google Street View dives into the deep blue sea" by Deborah Netburn
- Published on September 27, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-virtual-diving-thanks-to-google-street-view-goes-under-water-20120926,0,1584705.story

     Have you ever wanted to see what the view is underwater? To see the different fishes and their different colors; to see the different treasures that lie underwater? Google has yet again taken another step in technology. First with Google Earth, then with street views, and now you can virtually go underwater. It includes places such as, Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines, and many more. In Heron Island, located in Australia, one can virtually walk on the beach, dive into the water, swim around with sea creatures, and walk back out on the beach again.
    We can thank the Catlin Seaview Survey, who took the pictures, for this advancement. The pictures are taken with a SVII camera, which has high resolution. The special camera shows the pictures with a wide view and a broad landscape.  Not only does this underwater adventure give one an underwater view, but also a quick vacation as well. It is a relaxing moment, where one can walk on the beach for a break or do as they please because of one advancement in technology.

Seasons Come and Go...

- "First day of fall 2012: Autumnal equinox is here" by Rene Lynch

- Published on September 21, 2012

- The Los Angeles Times

-http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-autumn-equinox-first-day-of-fall-20120922,0,2968313.story

     Finally, a new season has arrived! When we think of Fall or Autumn, we think of leaves falling from trees or the different holidays that come with the season, such as Halloween or Thanksgiving. We never stop to think that on the day of September 22, there is an Autumnal equinox. An equinox happens when the sun hits the plane of the Earth's equator and makes the time of night and day at almost an equal length all over the Earth. Earth's two hemispheres, the Southern and Northern hemisphere, receive the rays of the sun equally this way. This only happens twice a year, during spring and fall, or specifically on the days September 22 and March 21.

      From the early days of Earth, people have been aware of the sun's shift or the changes in the sky by carefully observing them throughout the year. The Machu Picchu, located in Peru, is one of the first observatories made by these people to track down the progress of the sun. The observatory, which is named   the Intihuatana stone meaning "for tying the sun", indicates the two days when the equinox shows up. There are multiple signs that make it easier for everyone to notice the equinox on these days. One easy sign is that summer is gone and winter is next. Dawn comes in later and the sun sets earlier than usual in the Northern Hemisphere. The days are much chillier than before and the sun has an arc, as it shifts towards the south. The plants continue their growth for the end of the year and change as they grow. These signs for the equinox in Autumn are usually spotted in nature.

     From the beginning of time, people have studied and observed the skies for a long, period of time to notice each change or shift. These different studies in astronomy with stars or skies help people notice things they may have not known before. Since everyone is always in a rush these days, no one stops to look around them and see how the Earth can change daily in it's nature. Now that Autumn is here, we can finally say good-bye to hot, sweaty days and hello to the chilly air and cold, winter days!

SOAPST for "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God"

     One speech that definitely tries to persuade its readers is "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God" by Jonathon Edwards. It's speaker, Jonathon Edwards, was a religious leader having his own strong beliefs in religion. Even if his speech might have been monotonous, it did not fail to send that fearful or threatening message to those that were listening. His point was to show these people how strong God is and how much he can actually influence your life and where you end up, when your own life ends. Is it Heaven or Hell? It all depends on your actions in life, but according to Jonathon Edwards, we are all ending up in Hell either way. The occasion was set in Conneticut, during the Great Awakening in the year of 1741. The Great Awakening, is known as the enlightenment period for religion; the period where religious ideas all came out. The timing greatly affects the speech because it is when everyone is paying attention or is learning about religion. This way, they understand religion from the religious leader they listen to and follow their ideas possibly until the end of their lives. The subject of the speech is salvation. The hope to be saved or wanting to save the people is set in the speech. Edwards tells his listeners that the only way to seek salvation or to be saved from Hell, is to believe that there is a God. God controlls that one choice that can affect our afterlife for the better or worse. It can be seen how Edwards is trying to save his people from the terrifying place that is called Hell.

Staying Overnight for a Fire

- "Firefighters to work overnight to contain Rustic Canyon blaze" by Nicole Santa Cruz
- Published on September 15, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times 
-http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/firefighters-rustic-canyon-blaze.html

     Throughout these past years in Los Angeles, multiple fires have been spread around. Whether it is a wildfire or from the 'hot weather', there are times where the fire has no reason as to why it started. Once again, a fire was seen yesterday at Rustic Canyon. Desperately trying to put out the fire through the whole night was a determination from the firefighters. Thirty acres of land had been already burned by 8 P.M. yesterday. Over a hundred firefighters stayed overnight, hopeful to put out the fire. “We will be aggressively battling flames at the crack of dawn,” said Brian Humphrey, spokesman of The Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire, which started on Saturday afternoon, has no evidence to why it started in the first place. Thankfully, no houses or people had been harmed. The firefighters hoped to put out the fire by Sunday afternoon. Eighty percent of the fire was put out today. The rest of the fire is hoped to be put out by tonight, where it will finally be over and gone.

Wandering Around...

- "Montrose freeway-crossing bear tranquilized" by Frank Shyong
- Published on September 9, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/montrose-bear-tranquilized.html

It really was unexpected when a bear was seen wandering around on the 210 Freeway in Montrose, at 8:30 A.M. The freeway was closed by the California Highway Patrol to prevent the bear from any possibilities of escaping. Though it still managed to get out of the freeway, ending up in a residential area, where it drank water from a sprinkler. Luckily, the bear did not harm anyone. A helicopter and sheriffs were sent out, followed by a canine unity with the administrators of the California Department of Fish and Games, which were spread out to find and stop the bear. It was soon found at Florencita Lane and Montrose Drive. At 10:30 A.M., the bear was sedated and calmed down. Around eleven o'clock it was put in the back of a truck, which was to be taken back to the forest. The bear is now in the Angeles National Forest. It is amazing how quick the patrol is in Los Angeles to help us or to keep us safe. Since this area is close to the Angeles National Park, these bear sightings are usually common. Would you be afraid if you saw a bear wandering on the freeway you were on?

Did you see the blue moon?

- "Blue moon on Friday: What it means and how to see it online" by Deborah Netburn
- Published on August 31, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-blue-moon-friday-20120830,0,2507710.story

     How long ago has it been since the last time you saw a blue moon? It was said that a blue moon was to be seen on the night of August 31st on Friday night. A blue moon, which rarely every happens, occurs when there are two full moons in a month. On August first there was a full moon, the second full moon was on Friday night. The website, Slooh.com, showed a live video of the blue moon from a variety of telescopes around the world. For those who missed the chance to catch the sight of the blue moon, could have easily watched it from their phones or computers. It gives us an idea of how helpful this can be to  us for future occurences on the moon or any astrological happening. Even if it is called a blue moon, it may not exactly be the color of blue, but instead a pale white and gray. The time when it actually turns blue is mostly after a volcano errupts or when there is a fire in a forest. Blue moon is also used as a romantic term or a way of saying heartbreak. The next time a blue moon is guessed to be seen is in July in the year of 2015, as it rarely happens.

- Video about blue moons made by NASA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4HRKl0fa2dg
- Picture of a full moon.

I Scream for Ice Cream

     If any one were to ask me what my favorite ice cream flavor was, I would simply say chocolate. If I were to be specific, I would say chocolate fudge brownie flavored ice cream is my favorite flavor of ice cream. Mixed with delicious and small bite-sized brownies, this chocolate ice cream is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Would you like to eat brownies or have ice cream instead? It is not a hard question to answer because then you can easily have the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream.
    Even if it is too much chocolate, it is good enough for a quick dessert. Having low sodium, high fiber, and including many other vitamins in this ice cream, it can be healthy as well. This 250 calorie dessert has 6.7% of protein. Breyers Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream is now even included in the United State's smart choice of foods as number ten. The ice cream can make anyone smile in a minute or cool them down on a hot, summer day or probably even make their day after a hard day at work. If you are craving it you can easily eat it to satisfy your needs, if you are sad after a bad day it can help you feel better, or if you are simply hungry for something small it can fill your stomach. When a girl is heartbroken, this ice cream can help her feel better. The ice cream puts smiles on numerous people's faces and lights up their day. After a tiring day on a hot day, it can cool anyone down. Its small brownies and fudge chocolate add up to how much more delicious it is. Why not try some next time?