Technology 101, Week 2.

Proper laptop charging and use

There have been some complaints about house fires caused by laptops. I'm not kidding, it's possible. Most laptops don't have the space for a decent cooling system, and the CPU, or central processing unit, heats up and can burn things. Eric fisher, from boy scout troop 72, has had a pair of synthetic pants melted by his laptop. Another family had their house completely destroyed by a fire started by a laptop charger that overheated when left on a bed. All of these accidents could have been avoided if a few simple actions would have been taken. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

Step 1: Avoid leaving a laptop on a flammable surface.

Even if the laptop is not overheating, don't leave it on or near any flammable surface. Charging a laptop can make it hot, and that heat can react with any cloth near it. You know the fire triangle! Heat, oxygen, and fuel make fire, and you are providing just that.

Step 2: Limit your usage.

Laptops are not the only culprits of fire or melting, there has been a report where a smartphone has melted through all layers of a mattress and bed when put under a pillow. You should always limit your time on a device, and if you hear the computer's fan kick on, or you feel the top-left corner of the device heating up, it's a good sign that you should close your computer, unplug it, and do something else. You could go outside, read a book, or do both... at the same time!





If you have any tech related questions that you want answers to, just leave me a comment! I would be happy to research and write about it!
Goodbye for now!

Image Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Top Ways to Keep Your Locker Clean

It's really hard to keep your locker clean in high school with all the tests, homework, and stress in general. It is really hard to maintain and it happens everyday, seeing people with stuff just falling and overflowing out of their locker. Here are some tips to keeping a clean locker throughout the stressful high school year.

1. Get rid of anything that doesn't belong in the locker
Cleanse your locker of any garbage or any old papers left in there. That should clear up a little space.

2. Get a locker shelf to help prioritize space
Locker shelves can open up space so everything isn't piled on top of each other.

3. Don't bring a big backpack to put in it
Putting a giant backpack in a locker can take up a lot of space.

4. Organize as "take home" and "leave in locker"
Make folders or binders that you keep in the locker and take home. This will help with piling stuff on top of each other when it's crucial to get in ant out quickly of the locker

5. Make time to clean it out
Clean it when you get to school in the morning or when everyone is at lunch.

These are some good tips that will be useful in surviving high school. Hopefully they will help when it's time to be quick and get to the next class.

The New Toys of 2015

The New Toys of 2015

260 exhibitors go to the London Toy Fair January 20-22. This is the 62nd year for the fair. Tons of exhibitors come and show-off their new toys. Some of the toys that are predicted to be hot are minions from Despicable Me, Lego Mine craft, Ninjago Legos, and Jurassic Park themed items. “The toy market can be very unpredictable,” says senior accountant manager Rory Partis.

There are Jurassic Park Legos, and action figures.  Many of the new toys have new and never seen dinosaurs and characters from Jurassic Park 4. Jurassic Park 4 is coming out June 12.

Another toy that is predicted to well in 2015, but has also done well in 2014 is Frozen. There are Frozen hair clips, jewelry, plush toys, and hula hoops. In the United States alone Frozen led to $531 million  in sales. Even though Frozen came out in 2013 the toy Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle is said to be one of the best new toys.

The Star Wars Lego’s are also said to be a big hit. The children’s TV show Star Wars Rebels is a very popular show shown on Disney XD. The best-seller of this lego set is Ezra’s Speed Bike.

Paddington Movie Review

Paddington Movie Review

Paddington is a children's movie that is about a Peruvian bear that travels to London with nothing but marmalade and a hat. An explorer came years previous to Dark Peru (which is wear Paddington used to live) and is very intrigued with the bears. The explorer was told to get a specimen, but he didn’t. The explorer left his hat and told them that they would have a warm welcome in London. His Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo have wanted to go to London ever since.

He then meets the Brown Family which has Mrs. Brown, Mr.Brown, Judy, Jonathan and the housekeeper Ms. Bird.  They have many fun adventures together with bathtubs, umbrellas and even marmalade. The Brown’s say that Paddington is only welcome until he finds the explorer so he is still on the look-out. He meets the daughter of the explorer, but she wants to stuff him. The Browns come to the rescue.

I would highly recommend Paddington for all kids. It is a very fun and entertaining movie and is even more exciting if you read the book before. It is appropriate for kids of all ages. The movie is 95 minutes and has an amazing cast of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman and Ben Wishaw.

Success is in the Air - Most Likely To Succeed (Movie Review) - Corrine and Emma

Most Likely To Succeed

Sundance is quite the phenomenon here, in Park City, Utah. The traffic is awful the people are crazy, but the movies are great.

We attended the movie Most Likely To Succeed and as you know Sundance Movies can be a hit or a miss. Well this was a hit. The movie premiered on Sunday, January 25th, 2015. The whole theater was full, not one seat was open. As the movie was playing, not a sound was made.

The movie drew  us in right from the start and did not let us go until the credits started rolling. The Q&A was amazing and the whole stage was filled up with an army of cinematographers, family, directors, teachers, producers and so many more. now what is this movie about you may ask? School.

Most Likely To Succeed explained how college degrees used to mean guaranteed employment in your future, but that now more than half of new college graduates were unable to find a job. Greg Whiteley, director of the movie, took matters into his own hands and located that the problem was not in our economy, but in our education system. This system was created during the Industrial Age, and has changed little since. With the internet being only a click away, and workspaces requiring skills with collaboration and critical thinking, the United States’ education system is now ineffective and outdated.

Throughout the movie, it follows students, parents, and teachers from High Tech High, a charter school in San Diego that has replaced standardized tests and compartment subjects with project-based learning and a student-focused curriculum. Over the two and a half years of filming, directors and producers wanted to see if this new system could reawaken the love of learning, and offer a great shift if the education we know of today.

The movie was overall inspiring and entertaining to watch but most of all it made you think and want to help. The thing about High Tech High is 48% of the students who attend are below the poverty line. After finishing high school, 98% of all the students who attended High Tech High graduated from college. The average from other high schools ranges in the 60%s . The difference is extraordinary and makes you wonder whatever they are doing at High Tech High is working. As students we look at school like this and want to go. Its more fun, engaging, teaches you life skills, cool teachers and so much more. The United States school system was created in the 1860’s, almost 200 years ago.  It is time to chance and that was the message of the movie.

This new curriculum is different, but definitely seems to be working in more than one way. Will there be a change to education systems everywhere? We just have to wait and see.

By: Emma and Corrine

Blizzard Takes out the East

Blizzard Takes Out The East

As you know ,the big blizzard of 2015 has hit the East Coast and is still going strong. 58 million people affected by the storm and ready for it to end. Roads are bad, the power is sketchy, and snow is piling up.

    “On the Coast the seas are swelling 10-12 feet high,” said Bonnie a resident in Monroe,  Connecticut.The Blizzard swooped down from the North and hit the east hard. The blizzard planned to hit Monday through Friday. While the storm is raging parents are stresing and kids are sledding.

    Back East schools are closing, roads are sketchy, and winds are whipping. Schools of Long Island have been closed for the past two days, the school boards are curious when the storm will end, and to pick up where they started with the students. All across the board roads have been closing, snow gathers up and starts to close up driveways for the locals. Before the storm started, people of Long Island gathered their stuff, and left for local hotels for safety and electricity. “ We heard the storm was coming fast and the conditions were becoming bad, so we packed our stuff and left for a hotel in New York City, before traffic and the snow got bad,” said Sophia a local of Long Island, New York.

    In the North of Boston all travel will be impossible and life threatening across the entire region. Roads are blocked up by the snow but luckily the local ski hill is possible to reach for kids, so instead of being locked up you can just ski with the locals of boston.They love the snow days but they won’t when it comes summer time.

If you step outside here in Park City it is 50 degrees F. In Boston Mass its 16 degrees F. Our ski towns snow is melting. On the flip side the east coast is getting 2-3 feet of snow over a few days time. Estimated snowfall is 2-3 inches per hour in Massachusetts. That means in one days time it 72 inches of snow could pile up. Currently north of Boston has 2 feet of new snow. The winds are blowing at 30 mph and the wind is making it feel like -1 degrees F. when it is really 16 degrees F. Bottom line is the residents are hating the snow and locals here want it. The children from Back East are skiing, sledding and playing in the snow when kids here wish they could be doing the same.

                                                                                       By Corrine and Sydney

Blizzard in the east

Blizzard Takes Out The East

As you know the big blizzard of 2015 has hit the east coast and is still going strong. Up to 58 million people are stuck in the storm and ready for it to end. Roads are bad, the power is sketchy, and snow is piling up. “On the cape the seas are swelling 10-12 feet high,” said Bonnie a resident in Monroe,  Connecticut.The Blizzard swooped down from the North and hit the east hard. The blizzard planned to hit Monday through Friday. While the storm is raging parents are stresing and kids are sledding.

Back east schools are closing, roads are sketchy, and winds are whipping. Schools of Long Island have been closed for the past two days, the school boards are curious when the storm will end, and to pick up where they started with the students. All across the board roads have been closing, snow gathers up and starts to close up driveways for the locals. Before the storm started, people of Long Island gathered their stuff, and left for local hotels for safety and electricity. “ We heard the storm was coming fast and the conditions were becoming bad, so we packed our stuff and left for a hotel in New York City, before traffic and the snow got bad,” said Sophia a local of Long Island, New York.

In the north of Boston all travel will be impossible and life threatening across the entire region. Roads are blocked up by the snow but luckily the local ski hill is possible to reach for kids, so instead of being locked up you can just ski with the locals of boston.They love the snow days but they won’t when it comes summer time.

If you step outside here in Park City it is 50 degrees F. If you step outside in Boston Mass its 16 degrees F. Our ski towns snow is melting. On the flip side the east coast is getting 2-3 feet of snow over a few days time. Estimated snowfall is 2-3 inches per hour in Massachusetts. That means in one days time it 72 inches of snow could pile up. Currently north of Boston has 2 feet of new snow. The winds are blowing at 30 mph and the wind is making it feel like -1 degrees F. when it is really 16 degrees F. Bottom line is the residents are hating the snow and locals here want it. The kids back east are skiing, sledding and playing in the snow. Hot chocolate for all until the power goes out.

By Corrine Sullivan and Sydney Nadler

East Coast Specialty Foods

There are many foods in the East Coast that are not in the West. The survey below shows what those foods are, and who has heard or had them before. The survey includes students from the Treasure Mountain Junior High journalism class. 

Rita’s Italian Ice

yes://

no:////////

Dolly’s Salt Water Taffy 

yes:////

no://////

Thrasher’s French Fries

yes:

no://////////

Grotto’s Pizza

yes://///

no://///

Candy Kitchen 

yes:

no://////////

Old Bay

yes:///

no:///////

Tasty Cakes 

yes:/

no://///////

Cava

yes:

no://////////

Georgetown Cupcakes

yes:////

no://////

Crab Chips 

yes:/

no://///////

As most can see, a lot of people in the Journalism class have not heard of these East coast specialties. Although some foods like Georgetown Cupcakes and Grotto’s Pizza.

“I love the bagels from New York, and the pizza. They have both of those things here, but they're not the same.” quote from school teacher Mr. Parker. Most east coasters that are living in Utah agree with Mr. Parker about east coast specialties. 

Some of these foods have been moving out to the west. For example, Rita’s Italian Ice and Old Bay is sold at some stores. 

East Coast foods are amazingly delightful. And should be cherished when ever seen.

Picture Citation:

http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/old-bay-seasoning-great-on-seafood-and-great-on-everything-else

Carmageddon in Parked City

"Carmageddon" is the term for horrendous traffic and hours long traffic jams. Over winter break a few weeks ago Park City experienced their own Carmageddon caused by bad weather, a herd of tourists, and the fact that none of the roads are prepared for such heavy congestion. With Sundance back in town it looks like the town may be facing another one.

Tourists travel from movie location to movie location in cars and the over packed buses along with moderately terrified locals. Everything takes two to three times longer to get to than normal and it gets rather annoying after awhile.

However if the weather stays nice and the roads are mostly clear, Sundance can be entertaining. Besides the traffic Sundance is an enjoyable experience for everyone. Although with dropping gas prices it would make sense that more people are going to be driving more this year than in past years. It is probably best to stick to walking as much as possible.