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Monday, January 31, 2011

Best Ways to Avoid Studying


Kayaker Awaiting Next Adventure

Island Hopping

Not really hopping around, just enjoying being able to push his luck and balance precariously upon a rock, he is happy to be at the river-quiet possibly about as happy as his Papa.
FISHING...and Nothing Got Away

Everytime this young angler cast- he caught one.
The imagination and spontaneity of a 3 year-old is a characteristic to envy.
No one told him to imagine that this beaver-chewed stick could be a  fishing pole.
Papa is thrilled and filled, for not only did we "eat" numerous fish, but I believe another river rat has been created.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

An Interesting You Tube Video...if you're interested in a certain one of Steven Johnson's books

Which book, you may ask?   
   
"WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM"  (...by Steven Johnson)

     No, I haven't read this book.  I  have read an essay that he wrote though; it (" Watching TV Makes You Smarter") was part of my English homework assignment.  I found this video when looking for some information about one of Johnson's websites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU&feature=player_embedded

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

REVELATION SONG - Kari Jobe

Need I say more ? Just listen, you'll hear !

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=7LDKYPNX

Trying to Find A Way to Load a Slideshow ?

     Below is the site where I received  instructions on how to complete the task of loading a slideshow. I spent what seemed like hours trying to create the first one. I would argue that I didn't waste that much time doing this. Actually I didn't "waste" any time, for (to me) it was all worth my efforts.  Well, now that it is done, I think I'll try again. Maybe this time I'll be proficient and actually be able to do it in a reasonable amount of time -so that I can study some of my assignments, like English!
     Speaking of English, "THANKS"  go out to Mrs. Aiken for the aid with the the initiation of this blog and for the assistance in creating the slideshows. Now, if  only we can improve my grammar (and the rest of my English)...!

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=4050a3750a322049&hl=en



Friday, January 21, 2011

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Kayaker Hendri Coetzee Presumed Dead after Crocodile Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101209/ap_on_re_af/af_crocodile_kayaker
http://blog.firstascent.com/2010/12/08/africa-kayak-expedition-update/
http://greatwhiteexplorer.blogspot.com/

A Picture Worth (More Than) a Thousand Words

               
 If only it were "literally" so; I could fulfill a week's worth of extra-credit blogging  work!
We were kayaking. See more of "Hank" on another page of this site.

Venomous Sunbather

Just thought I would offer a reminder to be very careful when you go to the river. Hazards are not always so easily detected. At what point do you see this one?


See it (above)?
No, I didn't really want to disturb it. I am several feet away and  it actually seemed that I never bothered it. I think it might have been molting. Its eyes were rather glassy-looking. I left it alive and well (where I found it).

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

U.S. Constitutional Amendments

    As an effort to memorize the names and numbers of the amendments, I practice them here. I am learning these, or trying to, in order to prepare for a quiz in my political science/American history class.

  • The first ten amendments were ratified on December the 15th, 1791; they are the "Bill of Rights".  
      1st-  Religion, Speech, Assembly, and Politics
      2nd- Militia and the Right to Bear Arms
      3rd- Quartering of Soldiers         
      4th- Searches and Seizures
      5th- Grand Juries, Self-Incrimination, Double-Jeopardy, Due Process, and Eminent Domain
      6th- Criminal Court Procedures
      7th- Trial by Jury in Common Law Cases
      8th- Bail, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
      9th- Rights Retained by the People
      10th- Reserved Powers of the State
    
      11th- Suits Against the States
      12th- Election of the President
      13th- Prohibition of Slavery
      14th- Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal Protection of the Laws
      15th- The Right to Vote
      16th- Income Taxes
      17th- Direct Election of Senators
      18th- Prohibition
      19th- For Women's Suffrage
      20th- The Lame Duck Amendment
      21st- Repeal of Prohibition
      22nd- Number of Presidential Terms
      23rd- Presidential Electors For the District of Columbia
      24th- The Anti-Poll Tax Amendment
      25th- Presidential Disability, Vice-Presidential Vacancies
      26th- Eighteen-Year-Old Vote
      27th- Congressional Salaries

      Now, of course I realize that by just typing in the listing of the names and numbers of these, I am not going to go very far towards memorizing what I need to know, so maybe I'll "play" with them a little now. Let's see..

Again, the first 10 amendments to the U. S.  Constitution are collectively called "The Bill of Rights".

1st-  Religion, Speech, Assembly, and Politics
     Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

 2nd- Militia and the Right to Bear Arms
      A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a nation, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

3rd- Quartering of Soldiers         
      No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in manner to be prescribed by law.

 4th- Searches and Seizures
      The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

 5th- Grand Juries, Self-Incrimination, Double-Jeopardy, Due Process, and Eminent Domain
      No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on the presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

6th- Criminal Court Procedures
      In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial , by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining Witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. 

7th- Trial by Jury in Common Law Cases
      In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

8th- Bail, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
      Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9th- Rights Retained by the People
      The enumeration of the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

10th- Reserved Powers of the States
      The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Friday, January 14, 2011

In Memorium


Hankering For The Flint
"HANK"
March 15,2003 - February 3, 2010

Always ready and willing to kayak,
 even on freezing days such as this one,
 when there was ice on the riverbanks.

A Learning Experience

Just to experiment, I type out these lines. It's obvious that I have a lot to learn about blogging. It may not look like much, but if I could just get credit for the time I've spent trying to learn how to set-up, I could retire- from this assignment of extra-credit work.