An Interesting Article

http://www.betterplace.com/an-innovative-company/leadership-team-detail/shai_agassi

Better Place is a new company based in Palo Alto that I read about in the newspaper two weeks ago, and because this company idea of "creating a pragmatic plan to free cars from oil, reduce harmful emissions, and usher in an era of sustainable mobility" I became interested in reading about the company. I thought that it was very innovative and the fact that the company had made a deal with a Danish company only sharpened my interest. I looked for their website and started to read about this interesting company.

Better Place was founded in 2007 by Shai Agassi who wants us to find a new ways to become independent on oil. He is planning on building a system where we can reuse our energy so we can lower emissions and be independent of oil. The whole idea was created back in 2005 on a World Forum. Israel was the fist country he cooperated with and soon Denmark and Australia followed. One of the partners as a company is Nissan.

The main idea is to sell power in the same way as selling gasoline. So Agassi wants to build service stations here in California where you can plug you car in to a rechargeable electrical power station, according to the article that I read.

Times Magazine had just recently honored Agassi with an innovation prize . Agassi has been one of the front figures in SAP and also served on the board of directors at the time where he was working for SAP. SAP which is a computer company original founded in Germany.

You can reach Agassi on his blog: The long Tailpipe.

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Sara Palin

I was asked to write two opinions about Sarah Palin based on this interview and to support each opinion with information from the interview.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/25/eveningnews/main4479062.shtml

Opinion one:

Sara Palin believe that it has not been necessary for her to travel outside Alaska for her to gain knowledge about foreign policy. In the article she says that she has understood the world via education, books, and the media.

Opinion two:

Sara Palin is of the opinion that before we negotiate with Syria we need to build up preconditions as a protection because if Syria not meet the condition it is needed, because Sara Palin believes that Syria will destroy the United States. In my understanding the way Palin wants to fight violence is by striking back with violence and that is why she wants to build up precondition.

My Opinion:

I do still not understand why McCain did choose Palin and furthermore I do do not understand why he tried to "promote"her as the mom who is very close to her children. When I read about her she is a woman that wants power. We can read in the newspaper that her teenage daughter became pregnant before she was mature. She have a son who is born with a defect and even before he is one year old she have chosen to say yes to McCain. So the image that she signals do not fit to the words that she says. So I am only glad that McCain lost the election.

Two teachers fired suspended form their jobs!

"Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/education/30teacher.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
"Suspended Teacher Defends Book Assignment" http://www.theindychannel.com/education/15117839/detail.html

The first article” Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing” by Ralph Blumenthal describes the case of Sydney McGee, who has 28 years of experience in teaching of which the last many years has been on Wilma Fisher Elementary School. McGee, who had taken her 4^th grade kids to a museum of art, was fired by the principal because students were exposed to nude statues and other nude art while visiting the museum. McGee hires a lawyer, and things are being brought in to perspective. It is later quoted in the article that “performance concerns” and “wearing flip-flops” is some of the memorandums that the principal Ms. Lawson has against McGee. The Lawyer Mr.Gibbs, mentions that this is not about the field trip because Ms.Lawson had already approved the trip before they went to the museum so this is more a kind of personal vendetta against McGee furthermore a group of parents expresses that they think that McGee has been the greatest teacher they have had, so they are very sad that she was fired, but as some of the parents mention, knowing how things are in Texas she was not surprised about the firing.

The second article which is from 2008 takes place in INDIANAPOLIS, where a teacher have been suspended because she has taught the children from the book “The Freedom Writers Diary” before she had a permission from the principal. However, the teacher Connie Heermann had asked the parent for permission beforehand. 149 parents out of 150 said yes. Connie Heermann, who had tried to get approval from the principal many times without any luck could not wait any longer, so she bought the book. Heerman believes that most of the administrations at the central office are afraid to lose their jobs and that is why no one takes responsibility. However, Jon Bailey the school district’s attorney says that Herman violated the district’s policy by not waiting for approval.

My opinion:
I do not think the two article can be judged in the same way. The first article has to do with the fact that Ms Lawson wants to get rid of McGee. It has nothing to do with the field trip. It is just an opportunity which fits in to Ms Lawson’s plot. For me this is unbelievable that a case like that could have such big consequences for the teacher Perhaps some of the board members are “friends” with Ms Lawson
In the story about Heermann, I do follow her stand. I am an impatient person myself, but you have to follow the policy, even if it may seem slow as a turtle. Without policy it will be hard to rule a school. When this is said, it is kind of ironic that she takes this stand because this is exactly what the kids do in the book. Recently I have seen the movie which is based on the book ’The Freedom Writers Diary”. The kids in the book are gaining confidence by a new teacher that will not give up on the children, and it results in that she oversteps the line for expectations to these kids, and furthermore she brings in teaching to this class that has difficulties in being accepted by the rest of the teachers at the school. If you want to see the movie “Freedom Writers” the link is:
www.freedomwriters.com

My Candidate for President

Based on the following articles I should conclude with candidate I would vote for if I was able to vote in the United States
Read David Kirkpatrick’s profile of John McCain http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/weekinreview/26kirkpatrick.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=John%20McCain,%20Flexible%20Aggression&st=cse&oref=slogin
and Jodi Kantor’s profile of Barack Obama http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/weekinreview/26kantor.html?scp=1&sq=Barack%20Obama,%20Forever%20Sizing%20Up&st=cse

If I could have voted on the 4^th of November my vote would have gone to Barak Obama. Even before I read the article I knew from following the debate that Obama was my presidential candidate. However, I have read the two articles but they did not change my opinion.Overall I would also like to say that in my opinion although the two articles are not enough documentary to base your choice on, I do not think that the two articles cover the ideas that the two candidates have.

Why do I choose Barak Obama,? I do so because I am a socialist and a democrat. I do see the benefit that my country has being a socialist country compared to the USA,which is capitalistic country. I do not believe in individualism as strongly as people do here in the USA.At the moment we see that people are struggling to make ends meet. People do not have proper health care; education needs an overhaul in USA if we compare it with other countries. People need to have three jobs to earn enough money to pay for there needs.

So that is why I would have voted for Obama because he will try to change that, by saying that people with an income over $250,000 a year will pay more tax that the rest of the population. I like the attitude that he has that the widest shoulder has to help the ones that do not have so much.This I not based on the article because a lot of the statements in the article are just phrases taken out of different speeches or small quotes that the journalists have collected.Personally I do not have confidence in McCain, and I do not understand why he drew in Palin. It is not enough to be Vice-president just because you are good looking, furthermore I do not think that she has enough education and knowledge to take over if McCain suddenly would have died.Because McCain has served the country and been a war prisoner, that does not qualifies him to be a president. But at least he has worked in politics for many years. Still I do not like his politic.I do think that the Journalist David D Kirkpartrick presents McCain as a “Maverick” and do we want a “Maverick” to be the next coming president. The world is so tense today that we need a president that thinks before he acts and so bee it. Obama has now been elected and will be the the new leader of this country I do believe the future for the United States is in good hands.

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An Interesting Website

www.megwaiteclayton.com

I have chosen to introduce this website to you because I find it fascinating. I got to know about this website because the author is the mother of my son’s friend in the Robot club.

It was by a coincidence that I saw it. His mother was replying to an email and there this reference was. I do not know the author, but I do know her son, who had told me that his mom had changed career to become a writer.

There she was and I was interested to see her work, because I found it fascinating that someone has taken such a huge step in life, and risked not attaining the goal of becoming an author.

Then the website surprised me because of the way it is structured and built. The book takes place in the sixties, and on the website the author has mentioned all the characters in the book ( in this moment of writing I do not know if the characters exist) and shown them in pictures. Furthermore if you click with the mouse on the characters there is a lot of information about the sixties when the events of the book take place.

I find the website fascinating because the characters are dragging you in, and you feel that you want to know who is hiding behind the picture. This website is unusual in its structure, and that is why I have chosen to share it with you.

And do I want to read the book….sure and if you are interested to, the name is"The Wednesday Sisters"
by Meg Waite Clayton.

Introduction

Hi,

My name is Jonna, and I am from Denmark. I came here in 2006 because of my husband’s job. My husband has for many years wanted to work here in Silicon Valley and I have always wanted to try to live aboard. Suddenly he was offered a job her Palo Alto so we grab the chance, and I must say we do LOVE to stay here.

I have a son 16 years old, and he loves to stay here as well. He have joined the Robotic club at Paly ( Palo Alto High School) he socialize a lot with the kids there and have integrated very well.

When you move to another country you are very nervous if the whole family can adapt. In our case we can only say “it’s way over what we dreamt about”

I Denmark I worked as a Controller/Manager in a furniture company because I did not use my English professionally I felt that the time was right for me to do something about this and that is why I study here at Foothill.

Last semester I had Rita W in my grammar class and I felt that I learned a lot, but still I am not god at grammar and spelling so that is why I have signed up to this class.

I do attend 25 and 177 as well.

I 2003/2004 we lived for 9 month in Cupertino, but now we live in Palo Alto, and for me it is amazing to see such a multicultural mix of people and I enjoy every day that we stay here.

As Marina mentioned she is not in the beginning of her life the same goes for me, I have been working for the last 30 years, so for me it is really a luxury that I can be able bought financially and time wise to study here at Foothill.

If you have any questions you want to ask me feel free to write to me.

Looking forward to read about you on our new websites.
All the luck with your exam.