Squire Enquirer
Volume 3 2021
Don't Miss Out on School Memories! On line Sales END April 30th!
Welcome to 2021 Squires!!
Don't forget, you can send in anything creative in which you took part--photography, painting, essay writing, poetry, how to do something (hobbies or specialty things of which you are a part), reviews of music, books, movies, podcasts, games, events to which you want to bring about awareness...
We look forward to you sharing YOU!
Spring
By Jacob Baker
Spring- a great time of year
When everyone starts to cheer
When you see birds high and low
And plants start to grow.
Out comes the big big sun to help clothes dry on racks
And animals will come back.
Hope is in the air,
People fill with glee
And dance with the trees.
Boys and girls wear ties and bows
And the wind starts to blow.
And people go to fairs
to get on Ferris wheels
and find all the deals.
Spring is a great time of year.
In Honor of Martin Luther King, Lauren Hoffman Created This Incredible Sketch. Bravo Lauren!!!
Our Own Pool Shark at Cave Spring Middle School !!!
By: Precilia Kinsley
I have recently started to get more involved in pool, otherwise known as billiards. I had a Junior International tournament in early January. I met some amazing kids that also have a love for pool and gained friends from that experience. This Junior Tournament has now become a tour, and throughout this year I will be traveling to many states playing pool against the world’s best junior pool players. I am excited for the months coming, to meet and become friends with more amazing people. This event has brought up a lot of opportunity for me in the future and creating an idea of what I want my future to look like. I have been playing this game for many years now and have just realized the amount of mental endurance it takes, in these tournaments the matches take on average 2 hours to 2 and a half hours, it is draining but with practice it becomes easier over time. In this tournament, The Wolf’s Den in Roanoke, where I play and compete, had an amazing photographer, Chris Robinson, taking great pictures of all the juniors. Chris Robinson is a very well-known pool player, it was nice to get to know him in the middle of my matches, his photo art is very good. Here are a few shots he got of me while I was playing.
Conspiracies of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing By Miles Holland
Since the year 1969 about 52 years ago people lately have been questioning if the moon landing was indeed real or not. But first let me tell you some facts of this moon landing, around this time the Soviet Union had been racing against America to be the first country on the moon. America successfully Made a rocket that would fly to the moon they named the project Apollo 11. They had lift off on July 16, 1969 and had landed on the moon July 24, 1969. According to History.com the project brought back 47.5 pounds of rock and moon dust for NASA scientists to study and are still studying it today (2019).
Now let’s dive into some of the conspiracy theorist’s conspiracies. Richard Godwin says that the U.S.
Was lacking technical prowess to make it to the moon a company called Rocketdyn a company that designed the Saturn V rocket engines. In 1976 he published himself that said we had never gone to the moon. (Godwin, 2019), Elizabeth Howell says Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Even back then people were skeptical of if their technology was that good that we could land on the moon successfully. (Howell, 2019), Space.com has made a list of things that they saw suspicious they had noticed the flag was fluttering and there is no wind in space that could move the flag. They claimed that there looked to multiple different light sources casting the shadows around the astronauts. DO you remember the footsteps left on the moons lunar surface well the article says that to leave an imprint on the moon there had to be some sort of moisture? There was no meteor of the powerful rocket engines on the moon’s surface. (Space.com 2019) What do you guys think was the moon landing faked or not? (Godwin,2019 Howell,2019 Space.com,2019)
Miles Holland,2021
Two Amazing Photographs Taken By Our Own Charlie Fetzer.
Our Own Mary Wissinger's Beautiful Canine Creation
How to protect yourself and others from COVID-19
By Mathew Young
What happens if I do get COVID-19?
In the event that you do get COVID-19, you should try to stay at least six feet apart and you should self-quarantine for 2 weeks.
How can you protect yourself from COVID-19?
By making sure you were a mask, if you get the opportunity to get the vaccine you should because it helps you and others.
Why should you stay six feet apart?
According to the CDC (CDC.gov, 2021) You should always stay at least six feet apart because it helps people who are in danger from COVID-19 and it helps so many other people. It also helps stop the spread of COVID-19.
What else can you do?
You can try not to get in crowds as much as you can. You want to avoid crowds because usually they are less than six feet apart.
Why do want to wash your hands frequently?
You want to wash your hands because it washes a lot of the germs off your hands.
Why should you disinfect things and what should you disinfect?
Clean and disinfect. You want to do this for the same reason you want to wash your hands because it washes away the germs. You want to disinfect doorknobs, countertops, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and desks.
How can you monitor your health?
You can do this by buying a thermometer you should check once or twice a day especially if you are going out in public.
Works Cited:
N.A. “How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC.gov. Updated March 8, 2021.
An Interview With Magnus Harvard's Track and Field Mom
Guðrún Arnardóttir
I can say personally that my mom is the coolest person in the world. She is a world champion! The best thing that Guðrún Arnardóttir did was her hurdles. She was one of a kind. She was the fastest at Georgia and one of the fastest in Iceland, too. She has given speeches in Reykjavik and Kopavogur. I was there for both, and she did it off the top of her head.
I have tried to do what she did, but I did not suceed. The only time I have ever beat her in track was the 100 meter sprint. I love to sprint. That‘s why I do sports. In Iceland, people can see were she grew up, where she ran for the first time, and won for the first time.
Question in Icelandic: Hvenær fæddist þú?
Question in English: When were you born?
Answer in Icelandic: 24. September, 1971
Answer in English: September 24, 1971
Question in Icelandic: Hvar ólst þú upp?
Question in English: Where did you grow up?
Answer in Icelandic: Ég ólst upp í Kópavogi á Íslandi
Answer in English: Kopavogi, Iceland
Question in Icelandic: Hvers vegna valdir þú frjálsar íþróttir?
Question in English: Why did you choose track
Answer in Icelandic: Íþróttakennarinn minn hvatti mig til að byrja í frjálsum.
Answer in English: My PE teacher encouraged her to
Question in Icelandic: Í hvaða greinum kepptir þú?
Question in English: What did you run?
Answer in Icelandic: Ég keppti í spretthlaupum og þrístökki en var best í grindahlaupi.
Answer in English: I ran 400 meter hurdles in 54.34 (53 seconds is Olympic quality—your time was AMAZING!)
Question in Icelandic: Hvers vegna valdir þú grindarhlaup?
Question in English: Why hurdles?
Answer in Icelandic: Ég valdi grindahlaup því mig langaði að keppa með landsliðinu og fara í keppnisferð til útlanda og grindahlaup gaf mér besta tækifæri til þess.
Answer in English: I wanted to compete with the national team and runing hurdles gave her the best opportunity
Question in Icelandic: Hvenær byrjaðir þú að æfa frjálsar íþróttir
Question in English: When did you start track?
Answer in Icelandic: Ég bryjaði að æfa frjásar þegar ég var 14 ára
Answer in English: I started when she was 14
Question in Icelandic: Hvers Vegna valdir þú Georgíu háskóla?
Question in English: Why Georgia?
Answer in Icelandic: Vinkona mín var að hlaupa fyrir Georgíu og hvatti mig til að kome.
Answer in English: Because her friend was on the track team and encuraged her to come
Ocean Clean Up
By: Parker Ray
Did you know that in some rivers there are plastic collectors, made by The Ocean Cleanup? This company has been working to solve the oceans’ plastic problem for 8 years. If The Ocean Cleanup had not done anything, then in a while, we would have no oceans-just plastic masses. Their goal “is to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.” With a few systems all over the world, they are working towards this goal! (The Ocean Cleanup. 2021.)
The Ocean Cleanup is a company founded in 2013 by a Dutch inventor named Boyan Slat. At the age of 16, he became interested in this topic of plastic pollution after he dived in Greece and saw more plastic than fish. He then went on to talk about his concerns for our oceans on a TEDx talk. Soon After, the video went viral. During his TEDx talk he said, "Once there was a Stone Age, a Bronze Age, and now we are in the middle of the Plastic Age”-Boyan Slat. 2012. CEO/Founder of The Ocean Cleanup.
Next, he recruited an initial team and raised $90,000 through crowdfunding. The company established their headquarters in the Netherlands, in the city of Rotterdam. Now he has over, “90 engineers, researchers, scientists, and computer modelers working daily to rid the world ocean of plastic.” (The Ocean Cleanup. 2021.)
Then The Ocean Cleanup announced the Mega Expedition to map the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) and to collect data on plastic pollution. From July 23rd, 2015 to August 23rd, 2015, 30 boats crossed the GPGP, using the San Francisco Port. The GPGP is large- “It covers the approximate surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers” (Snowden, 2019), and it is a floating mass of plastic and other pollution, halfway between California and Hawaii. The Ocean Starr served as the main vessel on this expedition. “On this boat was a lead oceanographer, and 15 researchers and citizen scientists, aided by vessel crew. The boat was equipped with 2 manta trawls, two 6-meter nets, and a survey balloon. The crew deployed these instruments at the same time.” After this expedition, testing began to make an ocean cleanup system. They conducted some scale model testing and made and tested a few prototypes. (The Ocean Cleanup. 2015-2021.)
In 2016, The Ocean Cleanup announced the Aerial Expedition to get measurements on how much plastic and other debris is out there. For this expedition, the team needed a large aircraft with a long range to get the measurements on ghost nets (lost or discarded bundles of nets and/or rope) and other large objects. The team used a C-130 Hercules plane that had fought in Vietnam. They named it “Ocean Force One, following a Twitter suggestion.” They used two sensors: one to make 3D images of the ghost nets and another uses an infrared camera to detect ocean plastic. (The Ocean Cleanup. 2016.)
Then on February 13, 2018, The Ocean Cleanup announces that they bought Alameda Port to build System 001. The system is going to be built to help capture ocean plastic in the GPGP. They also have two large boats, The Maersk Launcher and The Maersk Transporter to help with the offshore operations, meaning that they are going to tow, manage, and collect the plastic from System 001. (The Ocean Cleanup. 2018/2021.)
The welding of the System 001 floater sections begins, along with the screen attachment. System 001 is a long floater-a floating tube, 600-meters long- and a screen. Currents push the floater into a “U” shape. On top of the floater are some sensors and lights, that also help stabilize the system. A 120-meter tow test commenced on May 19. The building crew continued to build the system, nicknamed “Wilson”, to its 600-meter length. They even added some logos! Once the building is done, the crew begins to lower “Wilson” into the lagoon. On Sept. 8th, Wilson left the port for the GPGP. On Oct. 16th, Wilson arrived in the GPGP. On Oct. 24th, Wilson collected his first plastic! Way to go Wilson! (The Ocean Cleanup. 2021.)
On Dec. 31st, Wilson had to return to Hilo Bay, Hawaii for repairs and upgrades. The crew upgraded the frames and screens, as well as added a sea anchor and made the system more modular. They also took out the stabilizers. (Boyan Slat, 2019) On July 27th, System 001/B arrived on the scene in the GPGP. The offshore team did a series of tests with the different designs (buoys or parachutes-to help the system collect and keep the plastic). On Nov. 14th, the team brings 001/B home after the tests. On Dec. 12th, Boyan shows off the plastic collected. Showing us how bad ghost nets are, on Jan. 27th, the crew goes on alert due to a ghost net stuck in one of the engines. The crew got the ghost net unstuck and pulled it onboard. (The Ocean Cleanup. 2021.)
But there is more! The Ocean Cleanup has also designed The Interceptor, a system designed to cleanup rivers-to “close the tap.” (Boyan Slat/The Ocean Cleanup. 2021.)
The Interceptor stops plastic from entering the ocean in five steps:
STAGE
The barrier:
The conveyor belt:
The shuttle:
The dumpster
The emptying and recycling process.
FUNCTION
The conveyor belt then drops them onto the shuttle.
Once the shuttle is full, it moves to an empty dumpster, and dumps in the plastic
When the 50m3 dumpster space is almost full, The Interceptor sends a text message to operators to come and collect the waste.
Operators then remove the barge-which the dumpsters sit on-and bring it to the side of the river, empty the dumpsters and bring it back to the system. The waste is then sent off to local waste management.
Chocolate Bar by Claire Yanishak
Chocolate Bars
Now I am quite sure that you know someone who likes chocolate because it is one of the most loved foods across the globe. There are many diverse types of chocolate bars and candies, but I am here to share some of the most loved ones and the ones that are not so loved. To start off, the Abba-Zabba is not popular, and few people like it considering it has nothing to do with chocolate, yet people still call it a chocolate bar. This interesting candy bar seems to be made of taffy with a layer of peanut butter on the inside. Next up is a Mr. Goodbar, which is a classic chocolate bar and when it first came out, the Hershey Company advertised it as a healthy chocolate bar because it had peanuts in it and those have lots of protein in them. Crunch bars must be familiar to you considering they are super popular. The 100 Grand bars are just like a Crunch except they have a chewy caramel that takes away that delicious snap that you have when you bite into the Crunch. A Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Crème is a fan favorite, but many people still do not enjoy white chocolate, which is why it is not so popular. I know that you have tasted a KitKat before. Whether you have had the classic one with milk chocolate and caramel or had one of the more interesting flavors (like baked potato which can be found in Japan). Next up is Twix because it is an incredibly unique candy, and it catches many people’s eyes when they see those soft buttery cookies with a layer of caramel on top coated in luscious milk chocolate laying on the shelves of the grocery store. Snickers is one of the most loved candies because of the amazing flavor combination and how when you look at it you can find yourself drooling. The runner up is Hershey’s classic chocolate bar because you can either eat the sweet bar plain or throw it on top of a graham cracker with a gooey marshmallow and make a s’more out of it. Coming up in first place is the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups which is the all-time American favorite chocolate bar even though it is not really a bar it still comes in first and will always take the lead to be the best chocolate candy ever!
Ruiz, Erynn. “Officially Ranked: The Best US Chocolate Bars, From 25th to 1st”. The Recipe. 2018
My Dad’s Sports Life By: Ty Barbour
Ty Barbour: So, we will start easy. When were you born?
Denny Barbour: April 12, 1976.
Ty Barbour: What year and how old were you when you first started to play sports?
Denny Barbour: I was four, so it was the spring of 1980.
Ty Barbour: What was the first sport you ever played?
Denny Barbour: It was Tee-Ball.
Ty Barbour: Do you remember your jersey numbers. If so, could you tell us why you chose them?
Denny Barbour: I did not get to choose in Tee-Ball and have no idea what it was. When I could choose a number from hockey, I tried to choose number ten, but it was always taken by the coach’s son, so I ended up with seven in hockey. And then in football I pretty much wore number ten with the exception of two years where I had to be number nine-teen. During my first year of football, I had to be number thirty-two. And baseball I have no clue. I was always number ten in lacrosse, but the first year of high school I did not get that. It is always for the captains and the higher caliber players, so when I first got to high school, I wore number seventy-two.
Ty Barbour: So, you go on that dirt bike trip a lot. When did you first start riding dirt bikes and ATV’s?
Denny Barbour: I was probably ten years old the first time I rode a dirt bike. It was a Honda xr-50 mini-bike, and then I was thirteen when I first rode an ATV.
Ty Barbour: Do you have any stories of sports that put you in the hospital? If you do, could you tell us?
Denny Barbour: Yes, in seventh grade, in the batting cage at Green Valley, I crushed all my fingers and my thumb. My pointer finger is stuck crooked because of that. I would have to do finger exercises to get the blood going so I could keep the finger. If I didn’t do that, they would have to amputate it. And then I had the ATV accident two years ago that put me in the hospital for four days with a concussion, three broken ribs, a collapsed lung. My collar bone completely broke in two, so now I have a metal plate in my collar bone.
Ty Barbour: So, I know that you’re a coach. When did you first start coaching, and what was the first sport you coached?
Denny Barbour: Lacrosse, and I was sixteen so that I could get my player fee paid for by the Roanoke Rec League.
Ty Barbour: What sports have you played up to this day?
Denny Barbour: Up to this day, I have played lacrosse and hockey.
Ty Barbour: Have you made good coaching accomplishments that got you on the news?
Denny Barbour: I was in the news last year, but it was not for me. We were in the news because two of my players: one got a full division two ride to school. He does not have to pay one dollar. And the other one division two went to Tampa. They both went to Florida and the second one got seventy percent of his tuition paid for him by the school, so he is only paying thirty percent of his money.
Ty Barbour: Okay last question, do you have any cool sports stories, like playing with Tiki and Ronde Barber that must have been cool right?
Denny Barbour: Well yeah it was awesome! You know I was fortunate enough that coach Tolley asked me what position I wanted to play and I said I wanted to be the quarterback and he actually gave me the shot at being the quarterback, and I got to say that I was a quarterback for them while they were both on offense.
Ty Barbour: Alright well that’s all the question I got thank you dad.
Denny Barbour: Thank you.
Barbour, Denny. Interviewed by Ty Barbour. 16 March 2021.
Alex Morgan A Soccer: An Amazing Soccer Player
Alex Morgan by: Rory Basel
Have you ever heard of Alex Morgan? Alex is a talented soccer player on the US Women’s National Soccer team. These are some accomplishments that Alex achieved when she played soccer. Alex scored the goal that won the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s world cup, helping the US team to win the championship. In the 2011world cup, Alex was the substitute, which means that she was the back-up player. Then Alex Morgan got a spot on the 2012 Olympic team and won a gold medal.
Here are some fun facts that will tell you more about Alex. Did you know that she has a cat named Brooklyn that has six toes on each of its front feet? (Teamusa.org, 2021). Alex is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 137 pounds. She has the license to ride a motorcycle, and her favorite color is pink. Alex was born on July 2, 1989 in San Dimas, California. Her hometown is Diamond Bar, California.
Alex started to play soccer as a child, and she of course still plays today. When Alex was fourteen years-old she started to play club soccer. She got the nickname “Baby Horse” because of how young she was and her equine-like gait (Ussoccer.com, 2021). She went to the University of California at Berkley and graduated with a degree in political economy. Right now, Morgan plays for the club, Orlando Pride. She is one of the best soccer players in the league and will continue to be.
Works cited
(N.A. “Alex Morgan.” Ussoccer.com 2021)
(N.A. “Alex Morgan.” Teamusa.org 2021)
The History of BOBBLEHEADS
By Scott Sowder
I wrote this on January 7th, 2020 which is National Bobblehead Day. When I wrote about the national day, I got my information from nationaltoday.com. According to National Today, the first record of bobbleheads dated back to the 1700s. Now back in the 1700s, they didn’t call them bobbleheads. In the 1700s they called them “temple nodders”. “Temple nodders” were modeled after Buddha and other religious figures. In the 1760s, bobbleheads made their way west. Made from ceramics, bobbleheads were imported to Europe from China. The first sports bobblehead didn’t come until the 1920s. Of course, it was nothing fancy. It was just a generic basketball player. Now, in the 1960s the most common bobblehead was probably The Beatles bobbleheads. In 1964, they were one of the first sets of human bobbleheads that were not athletes, That’s what really set off the popularity of bobbleheads in the United States. Bobbleheads didn’t stay that popular, and lack of interest started in the 1970s. Fast forward a few years, in 1999 they gained more popularity again. To memorialize the 40th anniversary of Candlestick Park, the San Francisco Gants gave out a bobblehead of Willie Mays to 20,000 visitors. The very first National Bobblehead day was celebrated in 2015. Also, in 2015, one of the two surviving bobbleheads of the 1961-62 New York Yankees team auctioned for almost $60,000.
Thoughts On The Media by Syriah Bousquest
The media has always been an important factor in our lives. From television to news stations, to newspapers, and more recently, social media, people all over the world utilize these sources for entertainment, news, and more. Media, over the last decade, has undergone many changes. Of these, there are three main ones: how we’re more impersonal, how we advertise, and where we get recipes.
First, people don’t interact face-to-face as much as they used to. They used to meet in person or have lengthy phone calls. Now, people mainly text and email. As the popularity of social media platforms grows, fewer people interact directly. We don’t hang out in person a lot and we tend to be a bit more vocal and direct. Most people on social media utilize a username. This often lends a person a sense of anonymity where they feel more comfortable vocalizing thoughts and opinions. While this can be a good thing, it can also offer the individual a false sense of security where they think they can speak without repercussions.
Second, the media has changed how we advertise. For example, you used to have to paste ‘help wanted’ posters and flyers all over town and hope that someone would take notice, come into your shop, and ask for an interview. Now you add your contact information, and the website, Facebook, or Twitter page. Billboards used to be the main source of ads. Now companies promote on social platforms with ads, sales, and gimmicks. And since many people check their personal accounts many times a day, they come into contact with the brands.
Finally, the way people post food recipes to the web. People love surfing the internet for new recipes. Platforms like Pinterest and Reddit often have many recipes from all different cultures. In fact, many YouTubers have channels dedicated entirely to making and trying different recipes.
The media has always been an important factor in our lives—ever since the first printed newspaper came out in 1604! We use it every day for the news, gossip, and even entertainment. However, over the last ten years, it has changed a lot. And with it, we changed. There are three main changes that it brought: how we’ve become more impersonal, how we advertise, and where we get recipe ideas.
In my opinion, along with these changes comes responsibilities. The news stations and papers should put out factual information, no matter if they are on-air, in print, or on social media. I also believe there should be a clear division between factual and opinionated statements. Another thing I believe is that newscasters should address real-world problems and solutions to the community because they have the ability to reach large audiences and make a difference.
Social media should monitor how people use their platforms. Giving warnings, report buttons safeguards like that. They have the duty to make their app a safe place for everyone.
Moonlight Snow on the Way Home to Floyd
We are Highlighting CSMS Faculty and Staff Animal Family Members...Enjoy the Fur and Love!
Tavish Hill
Tavish, my King Charles Spaniel, is the sweetest, happiest little dog you will ever meet! He is six years old, and he is energetic, curious, and constantly hungry. Tavish loves everyone he meets (especially if that person is willing to feed him dog biscuits).
His favorite activities include going for walks and trying (unsuccessfully) to scare the deer who reside in my back yard... and eating... eating is probably Tavish's favorite activity! Here is a picture of Tavish eagerly awaiting his next dog biscuit!
Carli Bowen Feeling Lonely When Everyone Has to Leave for the Day.
Mrs. Moore's Grandkitty
“When you can’t have lunch in the cafeteria with your friends because of social distancing.” LOL!
Berk Andrews as a Baby
Berk's friend is Lucy
Berk Andrews as a Beauty!
Lady Thalia Bousquest
I named her after the Greek muse of comedy because she made me laugh when I got her. I was feeling really low, and she picked me up. She was supposed to be a mancoon cat! The breeder assured us that she was, but honestly? She looks more Bengal. The breeder was also working with Bengals. She has a stuffed rabbit that I got from my great-grandmother when I was six that she uses to knead. Mom calls it Thalia's "Mama Bunny".
Sosha Mihalo is oh, so lady like!
Lily Sarrell
She loves to wait by the window for my daughters to come home from school. But she loves her mama and will jump up on my lap while I am reading or watching a show. She is a sweetheart and she is a great addition to our family!
Leroy, Riley, and Rosie Goodman like to stare out the front window and guard the house.
Leroy WAS 10 pounds when he came to the Goodman family a year ago. Now he is 125 pounds!!
Little Riley sleeps weighs 8 pounds and sleeps way under the covers snuggled with his mama.
Tulips and Nina Mihalo
Josie Mihalo
Hi, I am Tucker Schurdell...Could I look any MORE Sweet?
Hera Hard Looking Oh, So Relaxed and Happy!
Mrs. Prim's Sweet Babies
These are American Eskimo Spitz Dogs, mini size. They might look like Samoyeds or Pomeranians, but they aren't. They are their own separate breed. They were bred to be companions and circus dogs. They are smart, easy to train and loyal. Their names are Elsie( left) and Lucy ( right) they make me think of arctic foxes. Elsie is three and Lucy is almost 13. They love apple slices and dislike when I wear hats. They are our furbabies and they stick with us, even if we let them off the leash, which is great in a city.
Madison Oakes
This is Madison. She is 11 years old and I just got her two weeks ago. My half brother‘s mom had to go into assisted-living and she could not take care of her anymore. She is a cuddler and a blessing. And a really big girl.
Smudgy Whitaker
This is Smudgy. He's a 10 year old part Persian cat, who's been busy stealing my heart since October.
I had to say goodbye to my 18 year old Tiger kitty in September and I had had him his whole life. It was so so hard to let him go.
A friend told me about an elderly woman who was going to have to go into a nursing home, and couldn't take Smudgy with her. She wanted to make sure he went to a good home, with a momma that would love in him and spoil him.
Well, it's been almost 6 months....and Smudgy has certainly made himself at home. When he first came to live with me, he had a wound on his leg that wasn't getting better...so within 3 weeks of coming to live with me, he had two procedures on his leg, a two week period in the "cone of shame" and a a period of time where he was sporting a "Friends" t shirt so he wouldn't keep scratching at his leg.
He follows me around every morning now when I get ready for work, and every night, he's just got to have a little snuggle time with me before his day is complete.
He's so sweet, but...he does have that regal air about him...my dad calls him "The Sovereign," my sister calls him "Sir Smudge," and my niece??? Well, she just thinks he's boujie. Lol! Regardless of what he's called, he seems to have found his forever home with me...and I'm good with that...oh, and he constantly leaves little white balls of for everywhere he goes. That's my Smudgy.
Mr. Smokey Goff Looking Happy and Handsome
Here is a picture of my dog Smokey. Smokey is a 13-year-old Boston Terrier/Corgi mix. Even though he is a ‘senior citizen,’ he has tons of energy and loves to go walking and running on the Roanoke River Greenway and hike up Mill Mountain on the weekends. His favorite treats are baby carrots and Goldfish crackers.
Jimmy and JJ Kalafut
Sir Kalafut: Dragon in Residence
Alex is a bearded dragon. He eats crickets, lettuce, and strawberries. It is neat to see him snatch a cricket! He is an easy pet, but we do have to have special lights to keep him warm.
Milo and George Furrow...Very Best Buds
The Distinguished Monsieur Monroe
The Grand Miss Sheena Hays
Sheena is my doggie. She is a shelter dog... rescued from a "kill shelter" in Lynchburg. She is 14... or 98 in dog years. We got her at 11 months when she was full of energy and mischieviousness. We are enjoying every moment with her as we know she is reaching her final days.
Mihalo Menagerie
Luna and Bohdi Mihalo Sitting for a portrait.
Queen Mazy
Olivia Benson Mihalo
Current Events
Joe Biden: 46th United States President
The United States Has A New President in 2021
FAST FACTS
· NAME: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
· NICKNAME: Joe, Amtrak Joe
Biden lost his wife and daughter to a tragic car accident in 1972. He was sworn in to the Senate at his sons' bedsides—they had been critically injured in the crash but subsequently recovered. He began taking the Amtrak to and from Washington, D.C. every single day (the trip's about 90 minutes), so he could be at home with his boys. He did this throughout his career and said it helped him feel closer to his children.
· BORN: November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania
· TIME IN OFFICE: January 20, 2021 - current
· VICE PRESIDENT: Kamala Harris
· POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat
Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the only U.S. president born between the Great Depression of the 1930s and the end of World War II in 1945. He was the oldest of four children in a family that had fallen on hard times. His father cleaned furnaces and was a used car salesman; his mother was a homemaker. When Biden was in third grade, the family moved from Pennsylvania to Delaware, where Biden would live for most of the rest of his life.
Biden struggled to overcome a childhood stutter by reciting memorized speeches to his reflection and planning conversations in advance. He was more successful on the football field than in the classroom but went on to graduate from the University of Delaware and earn a law degree from Syracuse University in New York. He soon turned to politics and at age 29 became one of the youngest U.S. senators ever elected. Just days before his swearing in, his wife, Neilia Hunter, and year-old daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car accident. The couple’s two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured. At first, Biden wasn’t sure if he should take his Senate seat, but he eventually did; he was sworn in from his son Beau’s hospital room in 1973. He went on to serve in the Senate for 36 years, until 2009.
FROM SENATOR TO VICE PRESIDENT
Biden gained both praise and criticism during his time in the Senate for his work in such areas as judicial appointments, criminal justice, and foreign affairs. During this time, he remarried and with his second wife, Jill Biden, added a daughter, Ashley, to their family.
Senator Biden made two unsuccessful attempts to become president—one in 1987 and one in 2007—before joining the ticket of Barack Obama as the vice-presidential nominee in 2008. Obama hoped Biden’s working-class roots would help him appeal to voters in swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
On November 2, 2008, Obama defeated the Republican candidate for president, Arizona Senator John McCain. On January 20, 2009, he was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, making Biden the country’s 46th vice president.
TWO-TERM VP
As vice president, Biden played an active role in the Obama administration, with Obama tasking Biden with several notable assignments. Biden's main role was as an advisor to Obama, mostly on issues of foreign policy and the economy. Obama consulted with Biden on many decisions, including who to put in his Cabinet and how to handle the two wars the United States was fighting in the Middle Eastern countries of Afghanistan and Iraq. Biden traveled to the Middle East several times.
Obama ran for reelection in 2012 against Utah Senator Mitt Romney, with Biden as his vice president once again. The pair won and went on to serve four more years together in the White House.
Some vice presidents run for president after the president they served under serves two terms and can’t run again. (According to the 22nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. president can only serve for two terms.) But Biden decided against it. In 2015 his eldest son, Beau, had died from brain cancer; Biden noted that the family was still grieving, and he didn’t want to put them through a grueling election. Instead, he campaigned for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who ultimately lost the 2016 election to businessman Donald Trump.
A THIRD ATTEMPT AT THE PRESIDENCY
Dissatisfied with Trump’s performance as president, Biden decided to run against him in the 2020 election. He announced his candidacy in April 2019—but before he could face off against Trump, he had to beat his fellow Democratic candidates.
At first, Biden didn’t perform well in the race; several other Democratic contenders were considered stronger challengers to Trump’s presidency. But support surged for Biden after he won an important election in South Carolina in late February 2020, prompting other candidates to drop out of the race. By the end of April, Biden was the final remaining Democratic nominee for president.
PANDEMIC PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
By this time, the coronavirus pandemic had started, affecting U.S. citizens and people around the world. Both Biden and Trump faced a unique challenge: how to campaign for president while a highly contagious, deadly disease spread across the country. Trump continued to speak at rallies with high in-person attendance, while Biden chose to enforce stricter social-distancing rules and held many of his campaign events online.
In addition to the pandemic, both candidates had to address racial tensions following several high-profile shootings of Black citizens by police officers. Healthcare was another heavily debated topic.
In August 2020, three months before the election, Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate, making her the first Black and Indian-American woman to appear on a major party’s national ticket.
2020 ELECTION RESULTS
To prevent coronavirus from spreading and help keep voters safe, election officials allowed more mail-in voting to take place during the 2020 election as an alternative to in-person voting. As a result, determining the election results took longer. But on November 7, most major news outlets announced that Biden had defeated Trump. Biden won approximately 81 million votes to Trump’s approximately 74 million, winning the popular vote by 51.4 percent. In the electoral college, Biden won 306 votes to Trump’s 232. (The candidate who reaches 270 electoral votes in the electoral college wins the White House.)
Biden was formally elected as the next president of the United States by members of the electoral college on December 14, 2020, making him the nation’s oldest president ever, at age 78.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Few presidents have entered the White House facing as many challenges as President Biden. Some of the many things his administration will have to address include the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, economic hardships the country is facing as a result of the pandemic, and ongoing racial strife in the country. How Biden handles these challenges will shape his presidential legacy.
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/joe-biden
Remember the ICE STORM we had....?
Ice Storms Hit Our Area in February
Areas Hit by Storm and Power Outages
What To Have When a Storm Is On the Way.
Stock up on batteries
Stock up on water if it is pumped from a well.
A well works from electricity.
Make sure your pipes are wrapped in heat tape to keep
your water pipes from freezing and then bursting.
Stock up on firewood if you have a wood stove
or fireplace.
Stock up op on candles.
Stock up on foods that do not need to be cooked.
Don't forget, if it is winter and under 32 degrees
you can keep your food in a cooler outside and
it will stay fresh. Cold cut sandwiches, PB&J,
vegetables, fruit, granola bars, and cereal.
Always keep flashlights and radios checked to be
sure they are working at the beginning
of winter as you never know
when you will need to use them.
Make sure you have a car charger for your phone
so you can at least energize your phone for emergencies.
If you can get a generator, that will help you power
a few things that need energy—
a heater, a few lights, a radio
for updates, as well as your phone.
Generators are powered by gas or propane.
So make sure you have plenty of that on hand.
Stock up on propane if you have a propane grill, which
does not need electricity.
Landing On Mars!
NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully landed on Mars on February 18, 2021
The rover streaked through the Martian atmosphere and this morning
touched down safely on the floor of a vast crater, its first stop on a search for traces of ancient microbial (organisms so small a microscope is needed to observe them) life on the red planet.
Mission managers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles in the US burst into applause and cheers as radio signals confirmed that the six-wheeled rover had survived its dangerous descent and arrived within its target zone inside Jezero Crater.
The robotic vehicle sailed through space for almost seven months, covering 472 million kilometres before entering the Martian atmosphere at 19,000 km/h to begin its approach to touchdown on the planet’s surface.
Moments after touchdown, Perseverance beamed back its first black and white images from the Martian surface.
Because it takes radio waves 11 minutes to travel from Mars to Earth, the rover had already reached the Martian surface by the time its arrival was confirmed by the signals relayed to Earth from one of several satellites orbiting Mars.
It is the fifth time NASA has landed a rover on Mars.
Scientists believe an ancient river once flowed into a lake at the Jezero Crater and deposited sediments, which are small grains of sand or rock that are blown,washed or settle into place hopefully preserving signs of any life present billions of years ago.
Only about half of previous Mars landing attempts have succeeded and this location is the most difficult.
The team guiding the rover used what was learnt during previous attempts, plus more advanced technology, including equipping the rover to avoid hazards autonomously or independently and on its own.
The mission aims for Perseverance to seal the samples it collects into small tubes and leave them on Mars’ surface until future missions are launched to return them to Earth for study. Each sample will weigh about 15g, a little under the weight of four teaspoons of sugar.
HOW FAR?
Perseverance launched on an Atlas V-541 rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, US, on July 20, 2020. The Atlas V is the same type of rocket that launched InSight and Curiosity to Mars.
By February 14, Perseverance:
- had travelled more than 464 million kilometres of its 472-million-kilometre journey to Mars
- was about 200 million kilometres from Earth
- and about 827,000km from Mars
ON-BOARD PERSEVERANCE
Perseverance weighs 1025kg and is about the size of a car.
It looks like the Mars rover Curiosity, partly because Perseverance is made of about 90 per cent Curiosity spare parts.
A little helicopter called Ingenuity is attached to the underside of Perseverance. It is hoped Ingenuity can do some test flights to help engineers plan for future travel around Mars.
Perseverance is also carrying an instrument nicknamed MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) to make oxygen from the air. If this works, the idea could be used for future human settlements.
Source: NASA
Super Bowl 55...18 Year Difference Between Quarterbacks...Brady Very Much Alive
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9 Kansas City Chiefs
The Buccaneers ran out relatively easy winners over the Chiefs. The Buccaneers took control of the game in the first half and never let the Chiefs back in.
Brady completed 75 percent of his passes as he threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Leonard Fournette added 88 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Ronald Jones added 61 rushing yards. Rob Gronkowski scored two touchdowns with 67 yards on six receptions.
Patrick Mahomes could only complete 53 percent of his passes for 270 yards, and he was continually forced into uncomfortable situations by the Buccaneers’ defensive line. Mahomes would end up throwing two interceptions as he tried to force his team back into the game.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire managed to post 64 rushing yards on nine carries, while Travis Kelce added 133 receiving yards on nine receptions. Tyreek Hill added 73 yards on seven receptions, with the majority of that yardage coming in the fourth quarter. However, the Buccaneers’ defense largely neutralized the explosive Chiefs’ offense.
https://www.profootballnetwork.com/who-won-super-bowl-2021-score-results-super-bowl-55/
Oldest Known Member of the Dinosaur Group Found in Argentina's Patagonian
Scientists have unearthed fossils of what may be the oldest-known member of the dinosaur group known as titanosaurs that includes the largest land animals in Earth's history.
Researchers said on Monday the fossils represent a dinosaur species named Ninjatitan zapatai that lived 140 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. They identified Ninjatitan as a titanosaur, a group of long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs that walked on four pillar-like legs.
The dinosaur's incomplete skeletal remains were discovered in Argentina's Patagonian wilderness, south of the city of Neuquen. The researchers said Ninjatitan demonstrated that the titanosaurs as a group first appeared longer ago than previously known.
"It is the oldest record known, not only from Argentina but worldwide," study lead author Pablo Gallina, a researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET), told Reuters. (look in the mini article below for an explanation of Rueters)
"Titanosaurs are recorded on various sides of the world, but the oldest-known records were more modern than this find."
Dinosaur fossils could belong to the world's largest ever creature
At a length of about 65 feet (20 meters), Ninjatitan was a large dinosaur, but much smaller than later titanosaurs such as Argentinosaurus that reached a length of around 115 feet (35 meters). The researchers also said the presence of such an early titanosaur in Patagonia supports the idea that titanosaurs originated in the Southern Hemisphere.
The findings were published in the scientific journal Ameghiniana.
Titanosaurs are part of a larger dinosaur group called sauropods that includes others with similar body designs such as Brontosaurus and Diplodocus that lived in North America during the Jurassic Period, which preceded the Cretaceous Period.
A number of the titanosaurs that inhabited Patagonia achieved gigantic proportions such as Argentinosaurus, Patagotitan and Dreadnoughtus.
José Luis Carbadillo, another CONICET researcher, told a local university publication that the age of Ninjatitan's remains could have led people to assume that the bones belonged to a dinosaur group that pre-dated titanosaurs.
"In Patagonia, titanosaurs are only known about from less than 120 million years ago," he said.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/americas/titanosaur-fossil-argentina-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html