Hyenas: Docile or Vicious?

The hyaenidae, also known as the hyena, that live in Africa are very deadly creature. Most people mistake the hyena to be a scavenger, which makes them underestimate the strength and tenacity of these amazing creatures. These creatures have perfected the way of "The Hunt." The stay in groups, or clans, of about 80 other hyenas and savagely attack their prey. They don't stalk their prey like lions which make their attempts at kills a lot more efficient than most wild animals, like lions. They also have one of the worlds strongest bite forces in the animal kingdom. 

These animals are very vocal, social. They are always talking amongst one another with high vocal screeches, which often people say sounds like mad laughter. They are also known to have very coordinated attacks, because of the sheer number of hyenas in a clan they can overpower most anything that they see as sustenance. The leaders of each pack are females, and there is always an alpha female in each clan, with the males being very low on the ranking system. Often males had to forage or try and scavange pickings off of the females kills. Females in charge, in my opinion, seems like it would work out so much better, not only in an animal clan but in a human political system as well.

The hyenas have one of the most deadly bite forces in the world. It's bite force is measured at about 1,100 PSI, also known as pounds per square inch. The hyenas bite force passes the bite force of a lion, at 691 PSI, and the tiger's bite force, at 1,050. This bite force is only trumped by a few animals, like the hippopotamus, which is at 1,821 and the crocodile, which is at 5,000 PSI. The hyena has the third highest bite force in the animal kingdom and can tear through muscle, and can even chew through an elephant's bone. It feasts on it's kills while it's still alive and reduces them to a bloody pile on the floor.

A hyena is not likely to attack humans, but if a hyena is injured it will most likely go for a human since humans that are unaware of the threat of hyenas are fairly weak towards hyenas. A hyena would usually attack a human during the night since they have very good hearing and eyesight during the night. They kill humans in less than three minutes, and eat every part of them, clothes, bones and all. So in conclusion don't mess with a hyena, they are no laughing matter!

I got most of my information from a show called Nature's Deadliest.

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Love Symbol

There are many symbols for love such as the rose,but I think that the heart it the best symbol. There are many reasons that i think this such as it represents many different things involving love and happiness.

One of them is happiness it self which is one of the most important things in life. It is something that people should seek for in there life.

Another thing the heart represents is charity which is a way to express empathy. This is to help people who need it.

The other reason I think that the heart is the best symbol of love is because it is something that you need to survive so, you are figuratively giving them your life. This is what I think is the best example why the heart is the best symbol of love.

I strongly believe that that a heart is the best symbol of love. The reasons to this is what it represents and, among these are happiness and joy. Although their all others they do not express it the way that the heart does.

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The many symbols of love

One of the many symbols of love is a baby (that is what the kid who sits next to me in English said). A baby is a big symbol of love reasons why having a baby means you are so in love with your girlfriend or boyfriend or husband or wife that you wanted a person (a baby) to share what the soon to be mom or dad's characteristics that they have. I mean most people don't just have a baby for no reason.

Another symbol of love could be a fake flower or fake rose because when most of time when someone is going out with someone they give them a rose to show when the rose is alive that is how long the relationship is going to last , but then after a week of keeping the rose it starts to die or is probably already dead. So then if you think oh the real flower or rose idea might not work after all so then you get a fake rose or flower and it will last forever unless you burn it or you guys just start hating each other. also it will last as long as a rock too.

in this article it talks about a heart being a good symbol for love . One reason why it is your heart is the most important thing in your body without it you are done for. so being told to some one that they will alway have a spot for you in their heart for me it is awesome and epic and cool and something many girls will cry when you say that but not me.

A Love Symbol Like No Other

The most important love symbol is the heart. The heart represents charity, joy and compassion(as well as love).

Charity means when you help out with other people. When you make charity possible, it makes others feel full with hope and confidence. It makes a difference in their lives, as well as yours. Like in a relationship, you help each other out with certain problems or difficulties by talking it out. In charity, there's always something to give. You can never go empty handed when in a relationship.

Joy is when you bring happiness to yourself or to other people. In a relationship, you try to make your boyfriend/girlfriend happy by taking them places, going out to eat, go to school dances, and more. When you are sharing your thoughts and feelings among other people, that brings you joy because you know that they're listening to what you're saying. They will always know that you have confidence in him/her.

Compassion is when you have ups and downs and you don't know what to do. For example, let's say that your best friend's grandma died. While she is going through a hard time, you try to be empathetic with him/her. In a relationship, you TRY to say and express your feelings with him/her, but you just can't! This is what causes break-ups(mostly). Having compassion is taking into mind what people are going through.

Love can bring out the best in a person.

Love Symbols...
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The best symbol for love is a jade turtle

Jade is a beautiful brown or green Gem stone. Jade is not like a rise that rots and wilts. Jade is everlasting. It reflects a loving relations ship by constantly adjusting its temperature it keep its companion comfortable. Jade is not easily faked so you know it's a true message.

Turtles are a message of longevity of life. In ancient china jade turtle were consider good luck. The dome of its shell symbolizes the wide open blue sky's beauty .

Is The Symbol For Love A Heart, Or Is It Something Else?

In my personal opinion the best symbol for love has to be represented by a book. A book is very strongly built on the outside, but on the inside it shows the sweetness of the two lovers with soft paper. It also shows how, in a long book, you need to commit to the book so you can finish it. Also if you don't pay attention to the book while you are reading it than in the end you will not understand a single thing and will just give up. Another thing about the book and love is that in a relationship not only do you need undying compassion, you also need intelligence.

The hard cover of the book represents that a relationship needs a strong base/structure to stand on. If the book or the relationship doesn't have a good, strong cover than the beautiful insides would just fall to the floor, and disappear with the wind. Also the soft and beautiful insides are just as important as the hard outside. If the insides where not there than the relationship would be, sadly it usually is, just a hollow shell with either no or only one person with feelings for the other, while the other person is just looking for more that a "kiss" or "hug" from the other person.

If a book is good than you will continue to read it and will enjoy it all the way through it. The same goes with a relationship, if you have a good relationship than you love the person very dearly and don't want to stop being in their company. How would you react if someone took your favorite book from you while you were reading it? Well most likely you would try to get it back, am I correct? Well wouldn't the same go for your dear love? if someone tried to take your love you would try, at any means necessary, to try and get them back.

When you are reading a book that is fairly long you cannot skip things, and you definitely cannot shove off details, or else in the end you will just crash and burn. Same goes with a relationship, if you cannot listen to your "partner" or if you shove off things that they say than in the end you will just crash and burn, and your lover may just leave you.

Lastly a relationship needs two intellectual people. They need to be smart enough to know when they need to apologize for a stupid argument, but if they are smart enough and love each other dearly than they will try to stray away from idiotic and petty fights. Also if they are both intellectual than they usually will stay together. These are reasons why I feel that a book is a great, if not the best, symbol for love.

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Banned Books

In the article on ABC News it has a list of banned books. I don't believe that all of the books listed should be on there. Some of these books are classics and have been around for a while. parents of some students have read these books.

One example the book 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was banned because of the excessive use of the N word but it was the way that they spoke at the time that the story took place. I know that the word is bad but it is part of the of the character's personality. These things give us insight on how their character is. Things like this have happened to multiple authors and books. Another example is the book The Hunger Games it made the list of banned books because of the graphic content. This it does in fact have because of the fight to the death, but I believe that it teaches readers how far people will go to survive. A third example is the book Harry Potter because it was believed to have been promoting witchcraft. I have read a couple of the books in that series and I would disagree with that. These are just three examples of the long list of books that have been banned.

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Anne Frank And Other Questioned Books

Books like "Tango Makes Three" should definitely be banned but, amazing literary work like "Huckleberry Finn" should be on the shelf ready for a new reader to experience.The classics and books that teach an important life lesson and history that should NEVER be repeated one example is "The Diary Of Anne Frank" it details the life of a Jewish girl and her life during the holocaust.

In reality all book are protected by the bill of rights and it is un-just to bann or filter what the reader consumes. freedom of speach is a very used and protected right anyone who banns book are not protected and are criminals in the eyes of the law.

Another book that is questionable is hunger games becuse it show humanity and care for other under circumstances. some part are graphic like petas wound (it was cencered in the movie ) but under the grapic and fighting and death and ...... ok its pretty bad. but its protected by the law.

All in all the reader should have the say in what they read. No government nor library or school should choose for you .

Have You Read Any Banned or Controversial Books?

Have you read a banned or controversial book? I have read many of these. You might be surprised about these books today. Nowadays, a lot of teachers agree with banning certain books, but others agree with reading EVERYTHING. In a lot of books and stories, they always take out the good stuff such as the rising action, the climax, and the falling action.

You're probably wondering," What does it mean by banned or controversial books?" It means that these books are not in schools or libraries. One of the banned books that I read is The Hunger Games(trilogy).This book is about 12 districts that choose 2 people, a boy and a girl to fight to the death in a battle royale known as the Hunger Games. I just don't understand why this book is banned!! To me, it has a good meaning and story to it. A lot of teachers say that this book has too much violence. For certain ages, this book is OK. But for people that are immature, don't read it. Long story short: I recommend this book!

Another book that I read is The Diary of Ann Frank. This book is about a young girl who is Jewish and had to go into hiding during the Second World War to escape the Nazis. This book is usually read in middle and high schools due to its content. For me, this book has no graphic or other inappropriate content. Teachers rarely read this book because of the way Ann describes what is going on while in hiding. This is my Book Recommendation 2.

In conclusion, some books just don't deserve to be banned or controversial.  
Book Recommendation List for Middle and High School
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The Quest To Kill God

The book The Golden Compass was challenged very harshly by religious groups. Religious groups (mainly catholic groups) saw the book as a direct representation into the catholic church. In the book it showed the corrupted church (that was not intended as an insult to any religion) and how horrible they were towards people. It also showed how humans can become falllible if introduced to something corrupt. The book is also about a orphaned girl who is treated unfairly by the church goes on her own search to kill God.

After the author of the book Phillip Pullman was confronted by the religious groups that wished to ban his book he said, and I quote “I think my position would be that throughout human history, the greatest moral advances have been made by religious leaders such as Jesus and the Buddha. And the greatest moral wickedness has been perpetrated by their followers. How many millions of people have been killed in the name of this religion or that one? Burnt, hanged, tortured. It’s just extraordinary.” — Philip Pullman. He also stated “It’s not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue.” —Philip Pullman, about him being an atheist.

His book called much attention to the horrible reality of humans. It showed how wretched and twisted some humans are. It also showed how humans can be changed very easily and that even a great and prosperous person can become horrible and twisted if the surronding of this person are wretched.

Another reason why his book shouldn't be banned is because it is an amazing adventure story. It shows awesome traits in the main character which all human beings should try to strive to be. It also shows a story of friendship, undying frienship at that. Now do you really want to ban an amzing story like that?

Also this book shows how organized religion can be a double-edged sword. While it may help people in life try and better themselves so that they can go to better places when they die, like Heaven or Nirvana, it also leads way to much corruption inside of the religious affairs. It shows that all organized religion could become corrupted very easily, and without these kinds of books reminding us we could forget these things ourselves, and in doing so our own religion could be jeopardized by the corruption of not only other religions, but also our own!

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Bad Role Models

I believe that the list of raunchy role models was a good one for what it was trying to express. Some people may disagree with some of the choices for the list, but I think that the list was spot on. I also think that their reasons were very solid.

One of the people on the list that people might argue for might be Squidward from the show Spongebob,but as the article states he is selfish and that is not a good example for kids. Another person might be Ravi from the show Jessie but again the article states that it is boosting the stereotype of the culture of the character. The article had a good reason for everyone on this list whether you agree or disagree it is the truth.

What About the old english men

        As you can see in this link that they did not add Simon Cowell to the list for being the most meanest person of all times except for Gordon Ramsay he is meaner than Simon Cowell. I think maybe it is just old men that are English . well anyway nobody would want their kid mean and rude like  Gordon and Simon. but I don't know what is wrong with honey boo boo I mean she is just a little girl who wants to be in a pageant nothing is wrong with that ,and nothing is wrong with squidward he has been mean for so long and they just now notice. Now one show I do disagree with is keeping up with kardashians there is a lot of cursing and some times the don't bleep it . The rest of the shows I do agree with.

Eric: From That's 70's Show should be included on the list.

Topher Grace, also known as Eric Foreman in a popular show called That's 70s Show should also be on this list. In that 70's show he is usually seen thinking of sexually explicit things, which may reflect on teens more than kids, and is usually one who likes to use pot. He shows that even if you do pot you may not get in trouble and that it doesn't do much in most episodes. He also is seen being very perverted to his girl friend Donna.

These things make him a very bad role model for children. He also has a half caring, half difficult home with a father and sister the pick on him all the time. But his mother is a caring a nurturing person which is displayed in many episodes. But this nurturing is seen backfiring on her son because Eric seems to wimp out of a lot of things but does not have much negative outcomes, besides a scolding from his father.

His actions teach kids that if you don't stand up to challenges than the world will be fine, but it won't, the world  can only prosper with brave souls. He also shows that perverted thoughts won't get you into trouble, and with that I disagree, if you say anything concerning a sexual nature you could be find or even go to jail. And lastly he shows that drug abuse is fun, but it is not. It kills brain cells and dulls your mind. Is this what you want your kid to grow up believing? If not than we should put Eric Foreman on the Worst T.V. Role Models list.

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Why Inst Stevie-o on the list?

Just think about it. Every thing Stevie-o does is just plain stupid. He is a prime example of a bad role model .

First he graduated .... clown school...After he began working at a flea market circus. just that and him being on TV is just miraculous.
Soon he discovered video and recording his less than sain adventures. 
The journey to becoming a TV star started with him hurting him self while skate bordering. A quote from Stevie him self "Soon it dawned on me I wasn't that great at skateboarding. So I put down the skateboard and just kept going with the camera." 

second is a aperence on wild boys and another show *cough* cuss word.
every act in wild boys more moronic than any of the acters and cartoons on this list. from a snapping turtle being attached to his derier to stapling the logo of the show on said area of his body 

Stevie-o being lit on fire by Buddy at a bar

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The 10 Worst TV Role Models

Are you trying to decide which TV role model is the best and the worst for your kids? Check out this article by Common Sense Media to see which are the worst role models, and use this reference to find the best TV role models.

Out of these 2 lists, I agree with the worst TV role models( I agree with everyone on the list). I agree because some of these characters are a bad influence on kids. Let's say Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner ALWAYS focus on themselves. They start minor arguments that don't make any sense. They worry so much about how they look. It seems like the show is all about their appearance. It doesn't matter how you look on the outside, it matters how you are in the inside. Another example is Gordon Ramsay, the famous chef and food critic. He always expects everything to be PERFECT. He just starts a storm when he sees something wrong. He is so mean! He should just give people a chance to show what they know( the people), not what HE knows. Finally, Squidward from the hit TV series Spongebob Squarepants. He is so selfish! He doesn't care about anybody but himself. When he is working at the Krusty Krab, he is just nasty to the customers. He is only happy when he gets something from someone else. You'd think that his music and art would redeem him, but he pursues them with such a pretentious and snobbish attitude. These television shows' characters are not that appropriate for our children these days.
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Color Guard

 

 

 

 

                       So what is color guard is it a type of art or sport .For those of you who said a sport hurray those of you who said a art well not every thing with the word color doesn't mean it has to do with art .So I've been doing color guard ever since my brother told me about it .So first I started practicing with a stick but it was too heavy so then with a mop but it was to heavy on one side so I told my dad about it and he cut the mop part and it was perfect . I thought that I was the best just like any other little kid would think they are at something , but then my sister said I was good so then after that I kept on practicing until my sister got into high school and told me there was a color guard team like this link and and from that day I couldn't wait for high school and I still can't . Then in Junior High they had a thing called  access and I signed up for it and eventually got accepted and started in November (like really late since school since school started in August)and when they gave me this schedule to fill out the thing that stood out the most was color guard of course and I signed up for it but never got in and my dreams were crushed . I felt so sad that day and then met this girl at my table that was really nice and she told me her color guard story and said she had it in elementary and I thought to myself my school was cheep because they didn't have access they had day care (i know like for little kids and it cost $300 a month). After that day we became friends ,and now in access we are in the same colorguard team.

Hit the Dirt

 In baseball there may be a ball hit at a distance that you may not be able to reach while running but there is a way to get to it. In order to get to a ball hit that way you will have to dive. There are steps to follow so you can catch the ball on the dive and not get hurt.

The first step is anticipate where the ball will land. You also have to time when the ball will be passing you. These steps must be done quickly in order to decide whether or not you should dive. For example in the picture above make an observation  on whether or not he followed the following steps above. These steps are important when it comes to catching the ball.

The second step is once you have decided to dive then there is no backing out. If you start to dive just go with it. When players begin to dive then decide to back out they can get hurt. One tip is to keep your head up during the dive because if it is down you can easily get your face in the dirt or grass. That would also cause you to get your eye off the ball which could cause you to miss the ball.

The third and final step is don't be worried that the ball will hit you because it is not likely. With that mentality you will never dive for a ball. Most of the time it either gets passed you or you catch it.

In conclusion, in many baseball situations where you may have to dive for a ball. There is a procedure you must follow in order to catch the ball and not get hurt. If you follow these steps you will do exactly that.

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basketball

            Basket ball is a competitive skill sport, if you got what it takes to play it all you`ll need Will be the know how to play it. Basketball is based on two teams trying to score point in one of two nets. Each net is located on opposite side of the court, which is divided in half. Points are scored by a team throwing the ball in the perspective team hoop at different distances. There are three different point groupings the first, and lowest in value is the, 1 point foul shot, the second is the 2 point shot and the last is the three point shot.

            There are many game modes to play on a basket ball court such as poison. Poison is played by at least 3 people. Each person gets a turn to throw a ball toward a hoop. If the player misses the next player needs to grab the ball before it bounces 3 times or they will be eliminated. If the player scores the shot they must grab it before it bounces three times or be eliminated, when they grab it they will try again and if they score three shot they get to bowl thee ball and whatever player it hits will be eliminated.

One time while I was playing poison me and my friends were playing like it was ping pong .boink bonk boink bonk over and over without stopping until the worst happened .The ball went over the gate!

“Oh no!”

“A cars coming !”

“ WATCH OUT!”

The ball got ran over but it was ok it survived . But then a second car came and the ball got ran over again  Imagine getting ran over twice in the same road! The car squeezed the ball till the point of explosion until…..it popped out and landed on the side walk and was recovered by teachers.

“Woo”

“It didn't pop?”

“Were lucky”

So the game continued … until it went over again.

            Another game to play on a basket ball court is horse. Horse is played by taking turns. If a player makes a shot the next player will try to make a shot. If they miss they gain a letter. The first person to get all letters loses. This game can be played with any word.

             Make your own game modes to play outside on a court and Don’t forget that basket ball is a great exercise and improve many aspects of your heath so go out and play!

            

Fall Cooking

     It's that time of year again! Since it's fall, I am going to make an easy (and fun) dish. This dish is called Party Tacos. This is one of my favorites, and I hope it becomes your favorite too.
          Party Tacos*
Ingredients:
- 3 lb lean(at least 80%) ground beef
-2 large onions,chopped
-2 packages(1 oz each) Old El Paso taco seasoning mix
-1 1/2 cups Old El Paso Thick 'n' Chunky salsa
-1 cup water
-3 boxes(4.7 oz each) Old El Paso Stand 'n' Stuff taco shells
Layered Taco Toppings
Ingredients:
- 3 (11 oz) cans Green Giant Steam Crisp Niblets Whole Kernal Sweet Corn, drained
- 1 (10 oz) pkg. (5 1/2 cups) shredded lettuce
- 2 cups chopped red, yellow and/or green bell pepper
-1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 2 cups chopped Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
-1 cup mayonnaise
-1/2 cup Old El Paso Salsa
- 8 oz. (2 cups) finely shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
1) Cook ground beef in 2 batches. For first batch, spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray. Add half of the ground beef and 1 chopped onion. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
2) Stir in 1 package taco seasoning mix, 3/4 cup salsa and 1/2 cup water. Reduce heat to low; simmer 8-10 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed.
3) Cool first batch of beef mixture 15 minutes. Spoon into refrigarator or freezer container; cover tightly. Repeat to make second batch. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 1 week.
4) To serve immediately, place beef mixture in slow cooker; keep warm on Low setting. If beef mixture is frozen, thaw before heating. Place beef  mixture in slow cooker; cover and cook on High for 1 hour or until hot. Reduce heat to Low to keep warm. To serve, spoon beef mixture into taco shells. Top with Layered Taco Toppings.
To Make Layered Taco Toppings
1) Heat oven to 425 F. Spray 15x10x1 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dry corn on paper towels; spread corn in sprayed pan. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Stir; bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes or until slightly cooled.
2) In ungreased 13x9 inch( 3-quart) glass baking dish, layer lettuce, bell pepper, roasted corn, onions, tomatoes and avocado.
3) In small bowl, combine mayonnaise and salsa: mix well. Spread over vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Cover tightly; refrigarate at least 2 hours or overnight.
* Makes 30 servings
Party Tacos: One of my Favorites    
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The Beautiful Cat: The Snow Leopard

Have you ever heard of the beautiful animal called the panthera uncia, also known as the snow leopard? Well these are one of the worlds most beautiful large cats in the world. But because of their beauty they have been hunted to near extinction. There are only a few thousand snow leopards left in existence and they are still being poached to their beautifully fine coats and their organs rich with nutrition and healthy supplements when used in traditional Chinese medicine. They were also hunted to the killing of domestic animals which made herders upset, which led to the killings of these cats. Due to the lack of snow leopards in the wild they are a very rare sight, and you should count yourself luck if you ever find one of these beautiful creatures.

Now that I have gotten past the horrible truth of the diminishing population of the snow leopards, I can now talk about the beauty, power, and habitat of the snow leopards. Snow leopards have fine gray fur that is well insolated. They need this insolation when living on the steepest of mountains in Asia.

Snow leopards have very strong legs do to the amount of trekking they have to do up and down the Asian mountain ranges. Their legs are so well trained that they are able to jump 50 feet into the air. In addition to using their legs to help them, snow leopards have learned to use their own tail as a blanket to cover sensitive spots from the cold of the mountain ranges.

The main source of food for snow leopards is mammals. Even though the snow leopard can take down mammals three times bigger than it, it mainly feeds on mountain goats, but if the snow leopard is feeling a bit adventures it will travel off the mountain and hunt marmots, game birds, and hares.

In conclusion these animals should be kept safe, and there are many teams that are trying to protect them like the Wildlife Conservation Study. All I would like for you to do is get the word out about the beautiful animals, and together we can stop poaching. Now look at the beauty of this animal below in the picture.

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I thank these two sites for helping me with this blog post.