990910 Wildfires Rip Through Colorado –Michael

Wildfires Rip Through Colorado
A fast-moving wildfire destroys dozens of homes near Boulder
BY CLAUDIA ATTICOT
Strong winds—some with gusts of 45 miles per hour—spread a large wildfire through Fourmile Canyon near Boulder, Colorado, on Monday morning. The blaze forced more than 3,000 people out of their homes. So far, officials say about 1,000 homes have been evacuated and dozens have been destroyed.
Fast-Moving Flames
The five-square-mile blaze spread quickly through three canyons, causing officials to close roads. Giant plumes of smoke filled the sky, some of which could be seen for miles.
Tom Neur, whose house was destroyed by the fire, drove through a wall of flames to escape the fast-moving fire. "The bumper is melted off in the front of the van," he said. His wife, Anna, who had been evacuated earlier, was relieved to hear that he had survived the blaze. "I don't care about the house," she told him. "I'm just glad you're ok."
No Cause Yet
Officials say they have not determined the cause of the fire, but area residents think dry weather is to blame. "We haven't had any rain in almost a month. Maybe more than a month," said Craig Douglas, who was forced to leave his home. "The humidity the last couple of days had been in the single digits, so it was a fire waiting to happen."
Nancy Engellenner and her husband Philip Helper believe they may have lost their home in the fire. "The way the wind was, it was just spitting flames everywhere," said Engellenner. They won't know for sure until it's safe to return to the area.
Although high winds make the fire difficult to control, firefighters hope to have it completely under control by Tuesday.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2016479,00.html
990910 Wildfires Rip Through Colorado –Michael
There was a big fire in Fourmile Canyon, Colorado. The fire was very big and very scary. The big fire has destroyed one thousand homes and there were about three thousand people had no homes to live because of the big fire. The fire burnt a lot of places and a lot of people had just escaped from the deadly fire. The reason of the wildfire is because of the dry weather. It didn’t rain for about one month and all the dry woods might be the reason of the dry woods. The dry forest doesn’t have enough water so it causes big fire. The wildfire not only burned a lot tree but also damaged the environment. The wildfire might also cause mudslides and air pollution. When the tree burns it will make a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2) the carbon dioxide will cause the global warming and the earth will get hotter and hotter. When the atmosphere has too much carbon dioxide, it will make a lot of problems. So having a wildfire isn’t really a good thing.

Understanding Labor Day

Understanding Labor Day
Americans set aside a day to honor the nation's workers

To many Americans, Labor Day marks the end of the summer, a day off from work and school, and one last chance to relax. But Labor Day is much more than just a day off. It represents a very important victory for laborers everywhere. The holiday is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.
Fighting for Change
More than a century ago, workers were forced to deal with harsh conditions. They were paid very little, and they often worked 10- to 12-hour days. Men, women and even small children were forced to work even when they were sick.
Tired of long hours and dangerous conditions, workers began organizing themselves into labor unions. On top of fighting for higher pay and shorter workdays, they also fought for the rights of children. The workers wanted employers to place limits on the age of their workers so that small children were not overworked or hurt in factories.
A Holiday for Workers
A New York City carpenter named Peter McGuire is credited for coming up the idea for Labor Day. In 1872, after working many long hours under poor conditions, McGuire rallied 100,000 workers to go on strike. The workers marched through the streets of New York City, demanding a better work environment.
McGuire spent a decade fighting for worker's rights. In 1882, he proposed the idea to create a special holiday for workers. On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade. Two years later the celebration was moved to the first Monday in September. And in 1894, Congress passed a law making Labor Day a national holiday.
A Relaxing Celebration
Americans celebrated the first Labor Day holiday with a parade, picnics and fireworks. Today, many people hit the road to enjoy the last of their summer vacation. Others enjoy the long weekend with picnics, backyard barbecues or just rest and relaxation.
However you spend Labor Day, remember that the holiday is a time to pay tribute to the workers who have made America what it is today.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,1836908,00.html

990903 Understanding Labor Day –Michael
I think the Labor Day is a very important holiday. It has a great meaning to all the labors. More than a century before, workers were forced to work in bad conditions. Such as working with a long time to get a little money or they have to work even when they are sick and not healthy. It was not good for the labors to work such a long time to just get little money so the labors started to fight for their fundamental rights. They fought for higher paid and shorter workdays, and they also fought for the children’s right. The labors wanted employers to place limits on the age of their workers so that small children will not get injured while they are working. A New York City carpenter called Peter McGuire, he stands out and fights for all the labors right. On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade. This parade let the Congress of America made the Labor Day into a national holiday. So I think that Peter McGuire is a great man, he fights the right for all the labors!

A Lot Like Our Solar System

August 25, 2010
A Lot Like Our Solar System
Astronomers have made an exciting planet discovery
BY SUZANNE ZIMBLER

Picture our solar system. In the center, there's our star, the sun. Orbiting the sun are eight planets, including Earth. But what about planets outside of our solar system?
About 15 years ago, scientists developed the tools to detect these "exoplanets." Since then, they have spotted about 450. Most of the finds include one, two or three enormous gas-filled planets orbiting a star.
But on Tuesday, a group of European scientists announced an unusual discovery. They say they have identified a solar system that is similar to ours. It is made up of as many as seven planets orbiting a sun-like star. The star is more than 100 light-years away from us. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. (A trillion is a million million!)
A Small, Small World
The five planets that the scientists are most certain about are giant—up to 25 times the size of Earth. According to Christophe Lovis, one of the scientists behind the find, these five planets are similar to Neptune. "They are made essentially of rocks and ice," he said. "They are probably not habitable."
There are also signs of two more planets. One is thought to be similar to Saturn. The other may be the smallest exoplanet ever spotted. It is only slightly larger than Earth. Because it is so close to its star, the small planet takes just over a day to orbit it.
Planet Hunting
Spotting faraway planets is challenging. The blazing light given off by the star they orbit makes the planets hard to see. According to the European Southern Observatory, the task is like "spotting a dim candle in front of a raging forest fire."
That is why we cannot yet be 100% sure about these seven planets. The scientists have not actually seen them. Instead, they used a powerful telescope to study the star for six years. The star gave the scientists clues about the planets that orbit it.
According to scientist Alan Boss, who was not involved with the study, this method is best for "finding the big guys." But, he said, the discovery shows that spotting smaller planets is also possible.
"The really nice thing about finding systems like this is that it shows that there are many more out there," says Boss. "Mother Nature really had fun making planets."


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2013396,00.html

990828 A Lot Like Our Solar System-Michael
The universe is a special place. There are still a lot of things that we don’t know about it. Such as new stars, new planets, new systems or even new living creatures that are in space. A group of European scientists had discovered a new system that was similar to our solar system. In the middle of that system has a star that is just like the sun. There are also seven planets surrounding the star in the middle just like ours. The star is more than 100 light-years away from us. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. So the star is very far from us. But the European scientists said that there aren’t any living creatures and air on the planets. Rock and ice is what that covers on the planets. Scientists will still find out more things about the system that is similar to us.

Viva España!

June 12, 2010
Viva España!
Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 in the final match of the World Cup soccer championship
BY RACHAEL HOROWITZ

Spain was victorious against the Netherlands in the final game of the World Cup on Sunday. Playing before a crowd of 84,490, the teams fought into overtime in a close match that was decided by a single goal in the 116th minute. The match was one of many close games during the month-long soccer tournament hosted in South Africa.
"You felt that the team that would score first would win," said Bert van Marwijk, the coach for the Dutch team. His feeling was correct. Andrés Iniesta scored the only goal of the game, taking the win for Spain. "It just had to go in," Iniesta said.
A Tough Match
Neither team had ever won the World Cup. The loss was particularly hard for the Netherlands. This was the team's third unsuccessful trip to the World Cup finals.
The referee handed out a record 14 yellow cards during the game. Yellow cards are given as an official caution to players for offenses such as unsportsmanlike behavior.
If a player receives two cautions, he must leave the game. This happened to the Netherlands' John Heitinga, leaving the team one player short for the last 11 minutes of the game.
Victory for an Underdog
The Netherlands was the unofficial home team of the final game. The crowd was mostly dressed in orange, the Dutch team's color. The Spanish team, which had never before made it to a World Cup final, was viewed as the match's underdog.
Spain began the World Cup with a loss to Switzerland, but came back strong, winning every following match. This is the first time in the tournament's history that a team that lost its opening game went on to win the title.
After scoring the winning goal, Iniesta ripped off his jersey. His teammates immediately surrounded him, celebrating their hard-fought victory.
"We have all done an incredible job," Iniesta said.
990717 Viva España!-Michael
The World Cup has a new champion! It is Spain; Spain had won the World Cup’s champion! In the final game of the World Cup on last Sunday, Spain was going to play with the Netherlands. It was a very exiting match! There were about eighty thousands of crowds in the stadium. Everybody was cheering and shouting all around. The wanted their team to win the champion. When Spain and the Netherlands were playing their match they didn’t scored any points a long time. Until the game was almost over, just in the one hundred and sixteenth minute, Spain’s soccer player, Andrés Iniesta had given a shot, and finally the soccer ball went in the goal and all the Spanish fans were all shouting. They had known that their country had won the champion. After scoring the goal, Andrés Iniesta ripped of his clothes and all his teammates came to surround him! The Spanish were all happy, after the game in South Africa they went back to their home country. Everyone was celebrating for their victory. Although Spain lost their game at first but winning all the games after that! It was a tight game but still they have made it!

Stormy Weather Hits the Gulf

June 30, 2010
Stormy Weather Hits the Gulf
Strong winds from Hurricane Alex slow cleanup efforts for the oil spill
BY JARED T. MILLER

Cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a full-time job—but not this week. Hurricane Alex, currently a Category 1 hurricane headed towards the Texas-Mexico coast, has put a halt to cleanup efforts for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Although Alex's projected path is west of the affected areas, winds from the edge of the storm are already creating six-foot waves and winds over 25 miles per hour. The hurricane is expected to make landfall on Wednesday night.
Buildup on the Bayou
Ships near the site of the original rig explosion are continuing skimming work, unaffected by the weather. But many crews responsible for clearing oil from the beaches and waters of the Gulf of Mexico have been ordered to put their efforts on hold until the hurricane passes. In Louisiana, oil has washed up on beaches that had been free of the toxic substance, erasing progress that has been made in the Gulf so far.
"The sad thing is that it's been about three weeks since we had any big oil come in here," said marine science technician Michael Malone, about Grand Isle and Elmer's Island, Louisiana. Tar balls the size of apples have hit the beaches this week. Because of the weather, officials have had to move barges that were blocking the oil from reaching important wetland areas. Workers have also had to reposition floating containment boom.
Winds from the storm haven't helped the beach cleanup crews, either. Workers are fighting gusts that blow sand into their eyes and mouths as they make their way across the coastline. Humidity, higher than usual because of the weather, is causing the oil-soaked sand to stick to the workers' skin. On Monday, officials from New Orleans reported oil entering nearby Barataria Bay, an area that diverse wildlife species call home.
Help from Alex?
Others are more hopeful about the stormy weather. Scientists have suggested that choppy waves from the storm will break the oil apart and make it evaporate faster. "It's good news because there is less on the surface," Coast Guard Commander Joe Higgens said. "It's surface oil that washes up on the beaches." The waves, combined with chemicals sprayed by the Coast Guard, have broken up a 6-by-30-mile oil patch into smaller pieces, Higgens said.
In the meantime, the U.S. has accepted international assistance. Help is on the way from Mexico, Norway, Holland and Japan in the form of skimmer boats. Canada is providing more containment boom to stop the oil from hitting shorelines, and Croatia has offered technical advice.

990702 Stormy weather hits the Gulf-Michael
It is a very big work to clean up oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. There were a lot of oils split out from the pipes because the pipes were broken. There is a hurricane going to strike the Texas-Mexico coast. The winds from the edge of the storm, Hurricane Alex, are already creating six-foot waves and winds over 25 miles per hour. So it will be a hard work to clean up the oils in the ocean. Now, most of the crews who clean the oil from the beaches and waters of the Gulf of Mexico have been ordered to put their efforts on hold until the hurricane passes. The workers are waiting for the hurricane to pass and start to clean up the oil until the weather gets better. Some scientist said that the choppy waves from the storm will break the oil apart and make it evaporate faster. When the oil breaks apart it will also help the workers easier to clean up the oil because the oil that floats on the ocean is really a big problem for the American government and the Mexico government. Maybe some days later the can clean up all the oil to make the environment better.

Should this Ball Be Dropped?

June 14, 2010
Should this Ball Be Dropped?
Soccer players complain about the official match ball of the World Cup
BY ALEXANDRA DIPALMA

Every four years, sports fans across the globe turn their attention to the World Cup, the world's biggest soccer tournament. On Friday, June 11, the event kicked off in South Africa.
The U.S. team's first game, against England, ended in a 1-1 tie. The U.S. goal was scored when England goalkeeper Robert Green let a shot by American Clint Dempsey slip through his hands. Green took full responsibility for the blunder, calling it a "horrible mistake."
But not all players are taking the blame for mistakes made on the soccer field. Instead, some are blaming the ball. The ball, designed by Adidas, is said to be too light and too unpredictable. Adidas has named the ball Jabulani, which means, "to celebrate" in Zulu, one of South Africa's main languages. But so far, no one has been celebrating the new design.
On the Ball
Italian player Giampaolo Pazzini calls the ball a "disaster." England goalkeeper David James agrees. "The ball is dreadful," James said. Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar went so far as to compare the new ball to something from the "grocery store."
Despite the complaints, Adidas says the ball is a technological achievement. It is perfectly round and made of eight molded panels, fewer than ever before. The ball also features 11 colors. They represent 11 players on a team, the 11 official languages in South Africa and the 11th straight World Cup for which Adidas has designed the game ball.
The company claims the new design allows players to have perfect control of the ball in all conditions. "The ball is much more accurate, making the best players in the world even better," said Adidas spokesman Thomas van Schaik. "If they kick the ball, they want it to go where they are aiming for, and even the goalkeepers get a better idea of where the ball is going."
Out of Control
So far, the players have found the opposite to be true. The main problem, they say, is the fact that the ball is extremely hard to control due to its weight and shape. Players complain that they are unable to properly judge the ball's path.
"It's very weird," said Brazil striker Luis Fabiano. "All of a sudden it changes on you. It's like it doesn't want to be kicked. It's like someone is guiding it."
The soccer ball has come a long way from the clunky leather balls used when the game first began in the mid 1800s. But players are not impressed with Jabulani's technological features. "Technology is not everything," said Marcus Hahnemann, the American goalkeeper.
The debate over the ball has not affected sales. Adidas has already sold twice the number of balls in the U.S. than were sold in 2006. And if you don't mind Jabulani's bad reputation, it can be yours — for $150!
990618 Should this Ball Be Dropped?---Michael
Every four years, the biggest soccer tournament “World Cup” is back! Every sports fan turns their attentions to the “World Cup”. The game starts in South Africa. Every team for the world comes to South Africa to play the game. The new soccer ball this time was designed by Adidas. They named the ball “Jabulani” it means “to celebrate” in Zulu. In fact, the truth is that nobody is celebrating this ball. A lot of people blamed of the ball. Some people even call it “disaster” because it is really dreadful. Although the spokesman of Adidas, Thomas van Schaik said that the ball is very light and easy to control it also has a good accuracy, too. But again, the truth is always different from what the spokesman said. It was totally opposite because a lot of player said that the ball is too light to kick and it flies away easily, so most of the player said that the ball was very awful. The first game of U.S. was played with England. They ended with a score of 1:1. It was a tie. Most of the people put their attention in the “World Cup”. Maybe there will be more exiting games later.

The Remote Controls
Children are watching way too much TV. How much? The answer may surprise you
By Jonathan Rosenbloom

Kids are watching more TV than ever, says a recent study of 6,700 young people. The study, conducted by Nielsen Company, finds that kids from ages 2 to 11 are watching the tube for a total of more than one day a week. TV's youngest viewers, children from 2 to 5 watch, on average, more than 32 hours a week. Kids 6 to 11 watch more than 28 hours. The reason for fewer hours for the older group: They are in school while preschoolers are often home during the day. The number of viewing hours is at an eight-year high.
Why So Much TV?
How many hours a day do you spend in front of the TV?
What's the reason for the increased tube watching? According to Patricia McDonough, a Nielsen senior vice president, more and more shows are aimed at kids. McDonough points out that video-on-demand is very popular among the youngest kids who watch their favorite shows over and over.
The report says kids are mostly watching live TV, but they're also watching taped shows on DVRs and programs on DVDs. Also, kids ages 6 to 11 play video games on a TV for an average of nearly two and a half hours each week.
What does all this viewing mean? Sitting in front of the tube could lead to weight gain since viewers could--and should--be doing something active instead. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics--a group made up of doctors who treat children--recommends that kids under 2 should not watch TV at all. And kids older than 2 should limit their TV time to less than two hours a day.
Michael-I think that watching TV is not a good thing but watching TV can entertain us. A lot of children watch a lot of TV. Watching TV has some advantages and disadvantages. Watching TV can learn some knowledge from it. And TV can also help us relax. But TV can also damage our eye sight and make us near sighted. Watching TV is children will do every day. Children watch over twenty hours in an average. We shouldn’t watch too much TV. Or it will harm our health. A lot of couch potatoes watch a lot of TV and don’t exercise; you will gain a lot of weight and get over weight. Some people even eat snacks while they are watching TV, and this will let them get over weight more quickly. Watch thirty minutes of TV and take a small break to let your eyes relax. Watching TV 2 hours a day will make you more healthier.