Earth Hour 2009

Although I'm not a huge believer in global warming, I think this is a great idea. I some what participated last year and I can't wait for it this year. I find myself thinking quite often, "what can I do to improve the world?" This is something easy that can make a difference, even if you are only thinking about your electric bill. This is a great chance to do something fun and help the world at the same time, I'm going to try and get people to play night games during Earth Hour. They have been really talking it up at my school this week, trying to spread the information to as many people as possible. So I thought I should continue spreading the word...Saturday turn off your lights from 8:30-9:30 pm local time and enjoy. More information is available at http://www.earthhourus.org/main.php. You will surprised how much fun it can be.

End of the Quarter Rush

Thursday, March 26 is the end of the third quarter for us at school. I love and hate the end of a quarter-- it is always a stressful time for what we call the "end of the quarter rush." Students all of a sudden start to truly care about their grades and start begging. You always have a few students that try and do the entire quarters work in one week; then of course promise me that next quarter they will do their work the first time. Then you have the students that have an A- and beg for extra credit so they can get an A. Or my personal favorites, the students that have a 98% and want extra credit so they can get a 100%. I'll be honest, I was one of those students- the one trying to get the higher A, not the one doing all the work in one week. It is interesting seeing it from the teacher's point of view now, and how much extra work it gives me. The good news is Friday is a teacher work day, so we can get our grades done. Best part of that is that I get to sleep in some, I figure their is no point going in at 7:00 in the morning just to grade papers. It also means that it is almost a safe time to start and count down the number of school days until summer.

Friday the 13th

Here are five of Friday-the-13th facts:
1. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths is science- is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.
2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.
3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.
4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.
5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.