GABE'S FIRST B-DAY!

Gabe recently had his first birthday party. Here are a couple of pictures that show how the day went!

NEW BONUS MAP

Same rules apply to this bonus map that applied to the previous one (if you have forgotten, scroll down and look at the first bonus map post). Here are the questions:

1. How many planets does this map say there are now?


2. How much does 100 Earth pounds weigh on Jupiter?


3. How far is Neptune from the sun?


4. What year was Pluto added to the solar system?


5. How many moons does Saturn have?


6. How many of them have been named?


7. How long is a year on Mercury?


8. How long is a year on Uranus?


9. How fast do the winds get in Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

Good luck. E-mail or blog me if you have any question!

COACH TAYLOR

GUEST BLOGGER

This is the first guest blogger on the site. Lacey and I have had a debate about the war for about a year now. Lacey put together some thoughts. Feel free to comment on them. Lacey's comments are in red. Also, I would like to point out that I do not have to agree with someone in order to post their thoughts.

The war:What's it about anyways? Is it about the oil fields? Is it about helping another country? Or is it just a move made by George W. Bush to finish what his father started? By that i mean the following: In the past, we all know that George Bush Sr. was president years ago. " I come before you and assume the Presidency at a moment rich with promise. We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better. For a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree. A new breeze is blowing, and a nation refreshed by freedom stands ready to push on. There is new ground to be broken, and new action to be taken. " ((Quote of George Bush Sr.)) Soon after that quote was made, we entered the first Gulf War on September 11, 1990. ((notice the date: 9/11))

This next segment is an article from wikipedia.com.

"This aggression will not stand," and, "This is not a war for oil. This is war against aggression." On November 29, the UN passed a resolution establishing a deadline that authorized the nations allied with Kuwait 'to use all necessary means' if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991. Fighting began on January 17, 1991, when U.S.-led air units launched a devastating series of air attacks against Iraq, with this operation referred to as Desert Storm. On February 24, coalition ground troops attacked Iraq, and on February 26, Iraqi forces began retreating from Kuwait. Coalition troops pursued the retreating Iraqi troops into Iraq, to within 150 miles (240 km) of Baghdad before withdrawing. President Bush declared a cease-fire on February 27.
In a foreign policy move that would later be questioned, President Bush achieved his stated objectives of liberating Kuwait and forcing Iraqi withdrawal, then ordered a cessation of combat operations —allowing Saddam Hussein to stay in power. Bush later explained that he did not give the order to overthrow the Iraqi government because it would have "incurred incalculable human and political costs... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq".

The war to me makes no sense at all except for the fact that we were making a returning move to the uproar in New York City caused by the bombing of the World Trade Centers by Iraqi people. Why are we still in Iraq anyways? If Saddam Hussein is dead and out of power, then what is the point in our staying in Iraq? The Iraqi people and Iraqi military ((what we helped build)) should be able to protect themselves from harm now. Saddam is not there to hurt or order them around any longer. They could now be an ally country to the US. We could form together as friends. In my opinion, it is ridiculous staying there for more than 2 more months. Start bringing back our remaining troops that we love and adore for laying down their lives on the line for us. Bring back our friends and family. We love the troops but we would love them even more if they were here.
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Thanks for the post and great job presenting your thoughts.

GUEST BLOGGER

I have been asked several times about students posting stuff on the blog in the form of a post and not just a comment. So.....being the extremely nice person that I am, I will allow it. If you have a topic that you would like to address, post a comment on the blog. I will reply and then we can set it up.
You will have to write your comment and then e-mail it to me. I will post it from there after i read it and approve it (yes approve it...some things we will not talk about...like Auburn). Let me know what you guys think.
Peace Out.

BONUS MAP

After days and weeks of people asking me for more bonus work.....here it is. In the room on the bulletin board is a map. This map and the questions with it will change periodically. On a sheet of paper, with your name and period on it answer the following questions. After answering the questions, place your paper in the folder below the map. These will be collected at the end of each week. The bonus point will range from 10 to 50 points depending on the amount of questions. We will not discuss the Bonus Map in class. 7th and 8th may do the Bonus Map.
QUESTIONS

1. What is the title to the map?


2. What do the orange lines with triangles on them represent?


3. What do the large yellow circles represent?


4. What do the large yellow triangles mean?


5. Who sponsored this map?


6. When was this map created?


7. Name 6 tectonic plates.


8. What are the light blue arrows?


9. What are the red arrows?


10. Name 1 warm ocean current.

Remember to put your name and period on the paper and put it in the folder. If you have any questions post a comment on the blog or e-mail me.

8th EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT

For all of you eager 8th graders...here is your bonus work. If you need to know how to get on the blog and leave a post look down at the 7th grade assignment.

Pick a person from ancient history. I do not care who it is. You need to draw a picture of them using unusual methods (no pencil and paper or crayons and construction paper). Make it in the form of a mosaic or some sort of painting. You can even do a sculpture if you get really creative. NO GLITTER! I HATE GLITTER!

The amount of points you get will depend on the amount of effort you put into the project. The minimum amount of points will be 25, with as many as 50 possible. These points will go directly into your grade. This is due November 11.

We will not talk about this in class. everything has to be in the form of a blog post or an email. If you have any questions, blog or email me!!!!!!!!

May the force be with you!
COACH TAYLOR

BONUS FOR 7TH GEOGRAPHY

For 25 bonus points, write a 30 sentence paper on Europe. Include the following:

1. Why you would or would not like to live in Europe.


2. Tell about the climate of Europe.


3. Tell about the culture of Europe.


4. A few interesting facts about Europe.


5. Tell about Europe's natural resources.

Make sure your name and period is on the paper. The paper may be typed or written. If it is written I must be able to read it. If I cannot, I will not grade it. If you have any questions about the paper, post a comment through this blog, or e-mail me ( taylor.teacher@gmail.com) . We will not talk about the paper in class. Everything has to go through the blog or e-mail.

To post a comment on this blog follow these steps:

1. Click on the comments link under the post.


2. Type your comment in the space provided.


3. Include your name in the space provided.


4. Submit your comment by clicking on "Submit your Comment".

Your comment will not appear automatically. I have to read it and allow it to be posted on my blog first. I will do this in the afternoon each day.

These are due by November 9! Good Luck!

COACH TAYLOR

Golden Apple Award

Last week I received the ABC 33/40 Golden Apple Teacher Award. This is a weekly award sponsored by ABC 33/40 and Foodworld. This also puts me in the running for the ABC 33/40 Teacher of the Year Award. It is a great honor. I thank all of my students and co-workers for nominating me for this. Below is a video clip from the news showing my award. Remember, the camera adds 10 lbs. I just can't figure out how many cameras are on me!

ASHVILLE JR. HIGH FOOTBALL

Well, it is almost time for the last game of the season. We managed to make it to the playoffs. Our record (2-4) does not indicate how hard we have worked this year, nor how much better we have gotten. Here is a breakdown of the season:

• Ashville vs. Moody- Moody is a 5A school. We are a 4A school. We lost in overtime by a touchdown. 14-8. It rained almost the entire game. 2 touchdowns scored on the defense.
• Ashville vs. St. Clair County- Both teams are 4A. We won 36-6. 1 touchdown scored on the defense.
• Ashville vs. Leeds- Leeds is a 3A school. After trailing at half time 14-0, Ashville makes a comback attempt, but fall short. Leeds wins 14-8. Two touchdowns scored on the defense.
• Ashville vs. Saks- Saks is a 4A school. Saks returned a fumble and a kickoff for touchdowns. Final score was 36-8. Two touchdowns scored on the defense.
• Ashville vs. Pell City- Pell City is a 6A school. Pell City scored on the initial drive, but missed the extra point. Ashville got a safety in the second quarter. A 95 yard drive in the last minute came up short on a goalline fumble. Pell City won 6-2. Pell City scored once on the defense.
• Ashville vs. St. Clair County- Both schools are 4A. St. Clair County put up the most points on the defense all year, 3 touchdowns. Ashville wins the game 28-18. Three touchdowns on the defense.
• Ashville vs. Tarrant. This is the playoff game. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The bulldogs have two wins this season. This is one win more than they had in the previous season. The Bulldogs have only won 1 game in the previous 4 seasons. We have improved, but still need to get better. Almost beating someone is not as good as beating them. I would like to specially thank my assistant coaches (Clint Hathcock, Michael Brown, Cody Alford, and Matt Garner) for their help this season. Thanks to the parents (especially Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Wadsworth, Mrs. Reynolds, and Mrs. Wakefield) who fixed dinner before every game. Thank you to the rest of the parents for allowing me time to spend with your children and trusting me with their care. Finally, thanks to all of the players for all of your hard work. It is easy to give up and be content. That never happened. You gave 110% the entire year. You made it easy to be a coach. I hope all of you continue to play ball in the future.

Next year, we beat everyone! Go Dawgs!

BULLDOGS ARE BACK

Watch out for the group of 7-8 graders who play football. They are the next championship group from Ashville. They do their jobs, work hard, and listen. If they keep at it, they will win, and win a lot! Go Dawgs!

BACK TO THE GRINDSTONE!!!!!!

Well...it seems that it is that time again. Time for all of those young eager minds to enter anew into the world of education and enlightenment. Yes my friends, school is in session again. It is time for all of the boys and girls to pry themselves out of bed in the morning (harder than you would like to think when you go to bed at 3 a.m.) and join the rest of the groggy adolescents for days filled with facts, figures, and teachers who push you too hard (they have a class in college called Pushing Students Too Hard 101).Here are some helpful pointers that will ease the transition from lazy summer vacationer to enthusiastic pupils who soak all they can out of the educational experience.

1. Remove you X-BOX 360 or PS3 from your house. Send it to grandmas for a couple of weeks.

2. Massage your thumbs, and try to hold a pencil or a pen. (this may hurt at first)

3. Go outside for a few minutes. (Some of our gamer teens look like vampires when they return to school)

4. Eat something that does not come from a drive thru window. Preferably something grown in the ground and served with a fork.

5. Go to bed before 10:00 p.m. Make sure you check to see what time zone you are in.

6. Shower....enough said.

7. Deodorant.....more than once a week!

These few things will help ease the transition from sloth to super student. You may even find that you can live without your Ipod ear buds in your ears.

Good luck this year. Try hard, do your best, and enjoy school. Who knows...you just might learn something!

Coach Taylor

My son Gabe....

For all of you who have been wondering and asking how Gabe is doing, here is an update. He is wonderful. God has really blessed him and us with his health. He is just over 7 months old and currently weighs 19 lbs and is 28 inches long. This is not huge by some standards, but it is almost average for his age and EXTRAORDINARY for a baby with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Most babies with HLHS are nowhere close to his size. He has completed three surgeries (two openheart repairs and one exploratory surgery), but we still have one open heart surgery left. The doctors tell us this will probably somewhere around a year in the future. They say that.....but he is growing sooooo fast. All of his doctors are very pleased with how he is growing. He was a little slow rolling over, but now he has it and would be happy to roll everywhere he goes. He sleeps through the night and eats like a mastodon. We are teething (not fun at all), and leads to some interesting nights and days. Especially when the child is not supposed to cry a lot because it puts strain on his heart. Someone needs to rethink that rule. Have any of you tried to keep a teething baby from crying? Not very easy. Almost impossible really. He has also begun his veggies and other stage one foods. The picture included is of our dinnertime fun. We are going slow with the food by orders of the doctor, but he is doing well with them. He loves sweet potatoes, applesauce, and bananas. Not so much for green beans and green peas.

Anyways, please continue to pray for him and us. He is doing wonderful and so are Marisa and I. We still have a long way to go and everyday we do well is a blessing. Every prayer is needed and we are thankful!

BT, Marisa, Baby Gabe

THIS IS AN ARTICLE FROM BREITBART.COM
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070724144415.2esww75r&show_article=1
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IRAN IS ONE OF THE MORE POWERFUL NATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND CURRENTLY THREATENING THE UNITED STATES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. SLEEP GOOD!

It all starts with one simple sentence, spoken almost in a whisper, but which has a thunderous effect.
A female police officer deployed in Tehran's latest moral crackdown tells a woman that her manto (overcoat) is too short and infringes Iranian Islamic dress rules.
"Azizam (my dear), good afternoon, if possible could we have a friendly chat, please allow us to have a small chat," the officer, a graduate of Tehran's police academy, tells the young woman.
"My dear there is a problem with your manto. Please do not wear this kind of manto. Please wear a longer manto from now on."
Some are just let go there, but others are escorted to waiting minibuses with dark black tinted window panes and labelled "Guidance Patrol."
A girl in a short white manto whose long hair was tumbling out the front of her headscarf is taken by the police to one of the minibuses on Vanak Square in central Tehran -- an unexpected and unhappy end to her shopping trip.
Another arrested woman is already inside the bus. She begins to cry. "I promise, I promise!"
And the minibus doors slam shut.
Tehran's police have said they are operating a three stage process in implementing the new wave of a crackdown on dress deemed to be unIslamic, which started with some intensity on Monday afternoon.
First, women are given a verbal warning on the street. If the problem is not resolved there, they are taken to the police station for "guidance" and to sign a vow not to repeat the offence. Should this be unsuccessful, their case is handed to the judiciary.
"Sure my manto is short, but there are many others whose clothes are more seductive than mine and they walking by without any punishment," one of the arrested girls in the minibus complained bitterly.
The arrested women will now go to a "centre for combating vice".
Their parents will be phoned and they will bring a longer coat and fuller headscarf for their daughters. If the young women sign the pledge they will then be released.
"We want our words to have an effect on people," a female Iranian police officer, who by law was not allowed to give her name, told AFP before being dispatched to take part in the crackdown.
"Our method is through guidance and via words. We do not face an instance that prompts us to be physical. We do not have any bats or sprays, in the toughest instances we may grab her hand and 'guide' her to the minibus," she said.
"I am doing this it as it is my duty and my job is supported by the religious teachings," another women clad in the black chador uniform of Tehran's female police added.
A girl confronted by the female police for having overly short trousers and transparent stockings apologizes.
"I am wearing stockings but, sorry, they are too light. Sorry I will change them, definitely I will change them. Now can I go?"
Not everything goes so smoothly.
One young passer-by rounds on the police for devoting such resources to moral crackdowns rather than other social problems as the minibus -- now filled with "badly veiled" women -- speeds away to the police station.
"Shame on you, look what you've done! The people's problem is not this, go fix your traffic situation, people are stuck in traffic for hours, go fix other real problems," she shrieks.
There was already considerable controversy inside Iran when the first stage of the "plan to increase security in society" was launched in April.
Many conservatives have applauded the drive, but moderates have publicly questioned whether Iran would be better off tackling poverty and crime rather than slack dressing.
Just before the new crackdown started, popular television host Farzad Hasani grilled Tehran's police chief Ahmad Reza Radan about the drive on his talk show, accusing the police of "not differentiating between people and thugs."
An old woman in a black chador in Vanak Qquare echoed the sentiment.
"Our youth have no peace of mind. They are afraid to go out, they are afraid that if they go out they will be taken to the police. Aren't they saying that there is freedom?"
Copyright AFP 2005, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium

THIS SUMMER

Hola'

I thought that I would let you guys in on what has been going on with me this summer. The previous list that I published was not exactly what actually occurred. Here is what did happen!
1. Changed ridiculous amount of dirty diapers.
2. Cleaned the house (probably not as well as I should have)
3. Finished one side of the flower bed in my front yard. (My yard is now lopsided)
4. Almost completed the room downstairs in my basement.
5. Got stuff ready for football in the fall (more to come later).
6. Helped my church move into its new building.
7. Helped my wife move her to her new office in the same building (wow she has a lot of books)
8. Spent time with my family.
9. Ate too much on several occasions.
10. Spent time with my little boy Gabriel and my wife Marisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, when I go back and think about it, I really did get a lot done this summer. By-the-way, my hat goes off to all of those of you who stay home with small children on a daily basis. That can be a handful....in a good way.......but a handful none-the-less!

Crazy Summer

I don't know about you guys, but my summer has already been booked solid. Since we left school about a week ago I have been very busy with the following:

1. Weed eating my backyard to the ground (if you saw it you would understand).
2. Changing dirty diapers (I never thought such a foul smell could come from such a small child!)
3. Planning various sports activities.
4. Planning various church activities.
5. Planning various family activities.
6. Making sure all of my various activities do not overlap (fat chance I'll ever get that straight).
7. Working on my truck (two words......paid for!)
8. Building a flower bed in the front yard (slowly but surely).
9. Trying to stay on a diet (I don't want to get too skinny.)
10. Trying to relax (relax....whats that?)

Now, for all of you kids who are wondering why you have not been able to sign into the blog, here is your answer. I had some things messed up in the settings part of my blog. It is now fixed and you may post away as needed. Not that any of you are actually reading anything now that you are out of school for the summer.

I have also added a new page to my website. It is the notes page. Some of you had asked me for a picture that we had on the notes or something of that nature. I loaded all of my power points from 7th geography, 7th civics, and 8th history onto the page. FAIR WARNING: They may take a minute to load because of the size of the file. However, once they are loaded, you can view the entire power point presentation simply by scrolling down on you mouse. Some of the power point may be incomplete or have blank pages because of changes made during the school year. Check it out!

Anyway, I hope to hear from you guys over the summer. Have fun and be safe!
Coach Taylor

Your Summer Plans

Most of the time students get out for summer with no plans except sleeping late and being lazy. However, I have a new goal for you this summer if you think you can handle it.
I know several people who spent the summer taking extra classes to get themselves ahead, or involved in a reading program that helped them in some area they were lacking in. I spent a summer reading every National Geographic I could get my hands on (probably has something to do with me being a geography teacher.) A physical goal may be to run some each day, or to eat better. For those of you who participate in sports, try and train during the summer and see how far ahead of everyone else you are when school starts.
Summer is a time to relax and have fun. No Doubt! However, just because you are relaxing does not mean that you can not be accomplishing something. For those of you who have academic goals you are trying to reach, use the summer to get ahead. For those of you who have sports goals you are trying to reach, use the summer to train.
My goals this summer include turning my basement into an office, actually planting something that grows and is green in my front yard, walking a couple of miles at least three times a week,and spending time with my wife and baby boy! I also hope to catch up on some reading that has evaded me since I had a child (I didn't have a child, my wife did!!!!) Whatever you do this summer, be safe and have fun. And remember, education never stops, regardless of the time of year!
Respond and tell me what your plans are this summer, and what how you plan on bettering yourself! Peace Out!

Two-Thousand Saban (Auburn fans may need this explained to them)

I am amazed at how much flack I have gotten from putting my son in an Alabama outfit. Do you people not understand that Alabama is God's chosen team? If it weren't so, why did 92,000 people come to the A-Day game after Alabama has been less than perfect for the last 7-10 years. (By the way, less than perfect includes winning an SEC championship and several bowl games). I think the answer lies in Auburn.
Auburn fans hate Alabama more than they hate anything else. When Auburn looks back to see whether or not it had a good season during a certain year, they look to see if they beat Alabama. When Alabama looks back to see if they had a good season, they look to see if they won a National Championship. No one out of the state of Alabama even knows where Auburn is (except maybe Mississippi people who's only decent team is Southern Miss). When you talk about the great teams in college football, Alabama is at the top.
Sure, Alabama loses some games to people they should beat every now and again (Mississippi State last year). However, it rarely happens more than once. So Auburn has beat Alabama 5 times in a row. Big deal. How many SEC Championships has Auburn won while doing it. Maybe 1. How many National Championships has Auburn won while beating Alabama these past 5 years.......0. Auburn can't even go undefeated and win a national championship because they play the Blind Sisters of Norway's Junior Varsity team to rack up wins! Alabama loses sometimes. But when we do, we don't complain about it. We go and beat someone the next week.
You might ask yourself the point of all this...... Lesson 1: Auburn is almost immune to winning a National Championship. Lesson 2: If you go to Auburn, the most famous school in the state will still be Alabama, who beats you to death more times than not. Lesson 3: When you are the best, people dislike you (Auburn would not know anything about this). Lesson 4: Auburn will never be more than a stop sign in a town that has more cows than it has people (does Auburn even have a stop sign?). Lesson 5: When you dress your son up in an outfit, care enough to dress him in the very best........ROLL TIDE!!!

1st Period Comment

What is the most interesting thing that we have studied this year? This comment is only for 1st period.

4th Period Comments

Since all of you now have a user name and password, tell me what you think will be the most memorable event in your school experience for this year. Be sure to sign your name if it is not in your user name. Peace Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WAR IN IRAQ

Does the war in Iraq have any impact on your life. Is it a good or bad impact. What is your overall feeling about the war?

ONLINE TEXTBOOK

If you are having trouble getting to the online edition of your textbook, be sure to check the parents page of my website. It has all of the passwords for each edition at the bottom. Follow the link to your text book, then go to online student edition. You can scroll down and find out where to enter the user name and password. Then it should just be a matter of navigating to your book section, page, etc. Let me know if you have any problems.

This is good!

I am glad that some of you have taken the time to log on and get some extra points! Have a great weekend! Peace out.

New Bonus

Sign up for a gmail account and you can still get your bonus points. If not, tough noogies! What is your favorite color? Sign in, answer, and get 10 bonus points. Good luck. This message will self destruct in 10 seconds. 10....9....8....7....6....5.....4.....3......2......1.......boom!

BONUS POST

This is topic that you could reply to if you want to. It is worth 10 bonus points. What are you going to do this summer? Reply by clicking on the comment. Make sure that you publish you comment when you are done!