The Worthington ALC

Insider

 Summer School  Issue #1                                                        June 15,  2004

“Is Third Time A Charm?”

By: Brittany Palaschak

 

     What a surprise! She’s done it again.  J.Lo got married to 34 year old, Marc Anthony, only five months after Ben Affleck called off their engagement and only a week after Marc’s divorce with his wife of four years.

 

     Just 40 relatives and close friends were invited to the wedding in Los Angeles.  A large white tent was pitched in their back yard with balloons covering the property. They had white tablecloths and flowers for

    

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Marc Anthony

 

 

their centerpieces.

 

    Even though J.Lo has been down the aisle with previously married to Ojani Noa for a year in 1997 and dancer Chris Judd for

nine months in 2001, she was engaged with Ben Affleck last year.  They both said the reason why the called off the engagement was because of media attention.

 

     As for Anthony, he has two young sons from his ex-formal wife.  They are Cristian, 3, and Ryan, 9 months.  He also has a 10-year-old daughter, Arianna, from another past relationship.

 

     What’s going to be next for this couple?  Maybe expecting soon? Or maybe just another failed marriage for both of them.

 


 

ALC Insider                                        June 15 , 2004                                       Page 2

 

Obsession with Time

By: Scott Arneson

 

     We may not realize it, but our lives seem to be controlled by one key factor, time.  Being completely engrossed within this society, we may not realize how completely ridiculous this seems to the rest of the world. 

 

     Americans set up their whole day in advance. We make up our schedules and adhere to them as closely as we can. We know when we are going to meet someone, when we will arrive, and when we’ll leave. To us, this seems sensible, understandable, and normal.

 

     The rest of the world, however, has a very different view of time. They view it as something that normal everyday human beings can’t control. They may say that they’ll meet one of their friends for lunch at 1:00, what they’re really saying is that they’ll try and be there at 1:00 if that’s, and this is if they’re Christian, God’s will. They may arrive at 1:30 or 2:00 or maybe not at all. To us this seems absurd and rude, but to them this is certainly normal and they don’t take offense.

 

     Another thing that Americans do that seems strange to the rest of the world, when Americans throw a party they send out invitations that have not only the starting time, but also the ending time.

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Animation by Cartooncottage.com

 

     Example, the party will be from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. Other cultures look at that and think that Americans have become so concerned with time that they even know when people will stop having fun at a party!

 

     People from other countries think of time as something that they can’t control, intangible, unchangeable. People from America have begun to think of time as an object that they can manage.  We use phrases like: save time, waste time, use time, or make time. In many languages there is absolutely no way to say a phrase like that because people don’t think that it is possible to do things like that with time.  Translators have to go into a long and lengthy explanation only to receive laughs at the absurdity of such a thing.

 

     People in the United States may not realize it, but their obsession with time has generally taken over their lives. Other cultures think that we are crazy to worry so much about something they believe can’t be controlled. 

 


 

ALC Insider                                       June 15, 2004                                       Page 3

Child dies after mower accident

By: Kelli Wilking

           

     Three-year-old Brandon Andrew Cox died after two teenage boys playing around on a riding lawn mower accidentally ran over him.  Hastings police chief Mike McMenomy called the accident that occurred on Saturday preventable, but said officers have concluded their investigation and do not plan to forward any information to the Dakota County Attorney. 

 

     There didn’t appear to be anybody that had been drinking. There were no signs other than this was a tragic accident.

 

     On a Saturday afternoon two teens, 17 and 15, were mowing a lawn. The 15-year old who was driving the mower, was a friend of the 17-teen-year old, who was Brandon’s uncle. 

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           Animation by 101funpages.com

 

Later, the two teens tied a child’s toy to the back of the mower with a rope and began pulling Brandon behind the mower.  At some point Brandon jumped off the toy.  Brandon was then running alongside the mower and Brandon fell underneath the blade, which was running at the time.

 

     Brandon’s family didn’t call 911 but they drove him to Regions Hospital in Hastings, where he was airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.  Brandon died on Sunday.

 

     Considering kids spend a lot of time outside there are a lot of accidents and most of them are preventable, but there is common sense involved with it.

 


The following are real excuses given to teachers in the Alburquerque schools.

·        "Dear School: Please excuse John from being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33."

·        "Excuse Gloria. She has been under the doctor."

·        "My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent this weekend with the Marines."

·        "Maryann was absent Dec. 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low-grade fever. There must be the flu going around, her father even got hot last night."

·        "George was absent yesterday because he had a stomach."

·        "Please excuse Lupe. She is having problems with her ovals."

·        "I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear."

 


 

The Insider                                         June, 2004                                       Page 4

 

Breakthrough Child Superstar

 

By: Rachel Leovan

 

     Lindsay Lohan is currently the most talked about in the entertainment industry for her breakthrough blossoming of 2004. She’s only 17 years old, but don’t let age deceive you of her incredibly gifted talents. She proves that she has what it takes to be the next great actress. Lindsay began modeling at the age of three.  After appearing in numerous TV commercials, she moved to series TV with a role on the daytime serial Another World from 1996 to 1997.

 

     She was already an experienced performer when she made her feature debut in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. After a six month search for just the right girl to take on Hayley Mill’s shoes, Lindsay Lohan succeeded in her place and won over many audiences with her role as both Californian Hallie and the British-raised Annie.

 

     In 2000, she starred in the Disney TV film Life Size with internationally famous supermodel Tyra Banks. Lindsay was also cast in actress Bette Midler's short-lived sitcom Bette.  She then took a turn as a teenage gossip columnist in Get a Clue in 2002, before turning up in another remake of a Disney classic, Freaky Friday in 2003.

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In 2004 Lindsay kicked off the year with her first big starring role in the comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. It wasn’t a big hit at the box office as wished, but in two months she would finally prove that she could carry a winning screen. The recently released Mean Girls debuted at number one.

 

     In Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan plays Cady Heron. After living in Africa, Cady, now a junior, is finally learning what civilization is really like. She had no idea how much of a culture shock she was getting into until her first day of school, where she finds out how hard it is to make friends and at the same time stay true to yourself.

 

     Lindsay recently hosted the MTV 2004 Movie Awards on Thursday, June 10. Don’t expect that to be the last we will see of her.  There surely will be many outstanding events and films we will see her evolve in, as a visual-performing artist and as a young lady.

 

 

           

 


 

ALC Insider                                      June, 2004                                           Page 5

 

6+6=2 ½

 

By Frank White

 

     Ok, how many of you have ever visited the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Well, about an hour to two hours from writing this, investigators had discovered along the border between these two states about 150 marijuana plants were found.

 

     The investigators were astonished by the finding.  Marty Plank, the county sheriff, also noted that growers had left maps of where these very interesting plants were located. Marty Plank also claimed that there were 120 more plants in the cornfields.

 

     If you don’t know anything about what they were trying to do, I will explain it. If they are trying to grow a large amount, they will probably use a crop field because the marijuana takes the food source from the other plants.  Since the crops are taken care of all season, the marijuana plant will be taken care of.

 

     The only thing wrong with this method is that it lacks the THC (tetrahydrocanibinal) and many buyers won’t like it because it would be called “bunk” –that means bad stuff. All the farmer really has is a really bad chance of getting caught like this one. Now, to me that’s one bad farmer.

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     Robert Pounds, 49, and Joseph Beard Jr., 45, were later arrested. These two very-not-so-nice criminals are being charged with manufacturing and possessing marijuana with intent to resell and tapering with evidence. Later, the authorities said that they were throwing marijuana cigarettes out the window of their car. That’s where the tampering charges came from.

 

     If that isn’t enough trouble, get this – Kentucky police got the authority and searched Joseph Beard’s house in Concord, Ky.   They arrested his wife, Juan Beard and she was charged for growing plants in their own home.

 

     So remember, don’t grow pot! It’s still illegal; and if you smoke it, don’t get caught.

 


 

The Insider                                      June, 2004                                         Page 6

The Perennial

Pepperweed…

By: Kyle Isder

     The Pepperweed is an attractive plant with dainty white flowers. It is basically a weed. That chokes everything in its path, even trees. There may be only one thing that can kill this plant – the goat.

 

 

  In one California city, about 300 goats have been employed by the government to gobble up the Pepperweed.

     These goats are an environmentally-friendly way to control weeds and brush. Throughout the USA, sheep and goats are being used to eat underbrush and invasive plants such as Pepperweed.  Sheep and goats are the animals of choice because they are quiet, and can work where spraying herbicides or using heavy equipment isn't possible.

    Bill Winans of the San Diego County Department of Agriculture says, "The goats are helping us wear out the roots of the Pepperweed. We let the goats eat the tops, then wait a month and let them eat the re-growth."   The nibbled down remains left by the goats allows plants other than Pepperweed to take root.

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   Sheep and goats are constant eaters and are wanted by various agencies in charge of public lands.

     The positive side for using the animals is that there is no air pollution from planned burns, there are no pesticides, and no noise.

     The biggest negative is the cost – the goats and sheep can be more expensive than hiring human crews to chop down the weeds. Moreover, weeds are eradicated more quickly and for longer periods of time if you use chemicals.  But chemicals can be harmful to the environment.

 

     Among other difficulties: Guard dogs are needed to protect the goat and sheep from predators, such as wolves and coyotes.

 

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The Insider                                      June, 2004                                         Page 8

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    Fences also must be set up to contain the grazing animals. Water must also be trucked in, and the animals need to be transported from site to site.

     The most effective approach is to bring animals in for long periods of time.  In the West, however, animal handlers truck the goats and sheep from site to site.  They usually stay at each place for a week to several months.

Source:  USA Today online

Anigifs by RW51

 

 180 years for Teenager

By Elizabeth De Leon

 

     Jaime Hernandez who is now 17 years old was charged in June, on 3 counts of first-degree murder. About a year ago in Salinas, California, there was a slaying like the one in “St. Valentines Day Massacre”.

 

        Hernandez was 16 when he committed the crime. He is convicted of killing 3 rival gang members. He was initially charged on 3 counts of first degree murder along with gang and gun enchancement. He was sentenced to 180 years in prison with no possibility of parole.

 

       Hernandez was a norteno”, northsider, when he was sitting on a chair in his lawn watching the surenos”, southsider, drinking beer in their own home, which was across the street from where Hernandez lived. He opened fire; killing 3 of the gang members, retaliating for having been shot I the shoulder two days prior. Jamie bragged about killing the surenos and  there were a lot of witnesses involved in making the decision. According to the prosecutors, in the trial about 40 witnesses testified against Hernandez.

 

     Judge Meyer also ordered Hernandez to pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims’ families. He was tried as an adult under California’s Proposition 21.

 

 

 


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