Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Who was Martin Luther King Jr.?

He was an extremely important figure in U.S. history and a great speaker. He made many great speeches throughout his lifetime on the ideas of justice for people who were being mistreated (treated badly). You've probably heard about him in some of your social studies classes, but please take some time now and check out this video about what it takes to become great according to Dr. King.

What do you think about the video? Do you agree that anyone can be great? What does it mean to serve, or to be a servant? Leave a comment of at least 3 sentences answering some of these questions.

Presidential Race 2008 is On

With Iowa and New Hampshire down, and Michigan up next, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have each won one state for the Democrats, and John McCain and Mike Huckabee have each taken one state for the Republicans.

Pictured above from left to right are Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and John Edwards.

Click here to read about each candidates political platform (what they believe and want to do). Find a candidate that you agree with on a topic (issue) and write a comment about it.

For example, I agree with Mike Huckabee on the topic of abortion. We are both pro-life, or against abortion. I also agree for the most part with his stance (position) on immigration. I agree with Barack Obama's policy on Iraq as well.

World's Cheapest Car

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7181432.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7180396.stm

People living in India with little money to spend on a vehicle have another option now. Instead of fitting an entire family on a motorcycle or scooter, families may be able to afford a car.

Tata motors, of India, has released the Nano. The vehicle will sell for about $2,500 and allow those in developing countries to ride on four wheels.

You won't find many extras in the Nano, in fact there is no air conditioning, power steering, or power windows. The four-door five seater car, which goes on sale later this year has a 624cc engine in the rear. The Tata Nano has passed emission standards and would average about 50 miles to the gallon.

The Nano will allow for more safety and convenience as families travel. Company chairman, Ratan Tata said, "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder." It made him wonder if he could create a safe, affordable, all-weather car for families with little income (money). (story retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7180396.stm

What's your take (opinion) on the Tata Nano? Good? Bad? Cool? Leave a few sentences and let me know.

Christmas Break

I hope that all of you had a good Christmas break. I sure did. There were two main parts to my Christmas break. The first part I spent visiting my family in Canada and the second part was spent hanging out with my wife's family at a cabin near Mt. Hood. The pictures above are of Mary and I at Trillium lake after cross country skiing and our decorated Christmas tree.

When in Canada I was able to spend a lot of time with my family and friends. One night we went out and played some hockey on an outdoor ice rink while the snow was coming down. We were also able to get together with my grandma and my uncles and aunts. In addition, we were able to see my brother and sister-in-laws new house, as well as my sister and brother-in-law's apartment. We spent a lot of time playing games together throughout our time up there. It was great to be able to be back home and around my family.

We rented a cabin in Rhododendron, which is on the way to Mount Hood when Mary's family came out from Michigan. Again we spent a lot of the evenings playing games together. We spent our days skiing at Meadows, sledding at Trillium lake, having snowballs fights in the backyard, visiting the Pittock mansion in Portland, and playing Nintendo Wii with my nephews. It was nice to catch up with all of them, especially since we last saw them last Christmas.

How did you spend your Christmas break? What were some of the highlights (the best parts)? What were some of the lowlights (the not-so-good parts)? Take some time and write a comment about your time over the break.