The Blurb

Atomic Bomb Rap 2

I hope you didn't think that the previous rap was the last you would ever see of us! We would never get an A+ with just 1 video! Anyways, we had to have two different essential questions for our research, so we chose: how did the atomic bomb effect Japan physically, and how did the atomic bomb effect Japan ppolitically.

This rap is about the second question that I am not going to restate because I just said it a second ago. Why did they surrender? Did they fear the USA? Who decided to give up the war and unconditionally surrender? Well, all of these questions are covered in the rap.

Oh, and one of our beat-boxers couldn't partake in this rap because he was to busy cooking and baking food in his Home Economics class. But I don't think he wanted us to mention that, so I'll just say that he was, uh, dancing in the lunchroom? Oh, I don't think he would want us to say that either. Well, I'll just say that he "mysteriously disappeared." Well, enjoy this, because it is probably the last rap we will do for you, unless our eighth grade teachers next year demand that we reunite for a project.


ENJOY!

Here are the lyrics:

THE POLITICAL EFFECTS

By: The A- Bombers 

ONCE--- upon a time

JAPAN--- was committing crimes

Japanthought they were so jocky

So we dropped a bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

REWIND (break down)

The U.S. was sittin’ and chillin’ in a chair

We thought WWII was Europe ’s affair

It was pretty much true, it wasn’t our war

But that, my friend, that was before

The Japanese bombed Pear Harbor

The cut us up like a New Yorkan barber

We felt a need to display our wrath

The Atomic Bomb was the right path

We dropped it not once, but two times

Left Japan standing there like a clan of mimes

The A- Bomb is effective: then and now

But now I must explain how

We proved to Japan that we weren’t stopping

These A- bombs we would keep on dropping

After the bomb got Japan soft and tender

We demanded an unconditional surrender

Japan then extremely feared

That if they didn’t their end was near

They were hoping their living conditions would improve

So I guess their surrender was a pretty sweet move

Once Japan was blown to the bone

They said they would surrender if Hereto stayed on the throne

Once Japan chilled from super nova

Hereto said on the radio: “The war is over”

The Atomic Bomb Rap

What's up blurb fans? I am back, The Wicked Awesome Monkey Dude, to educate your young minds on the interesting subject of seventh grade social studies! We had to do a project on something involving South East Asia and WWII, so why not learn about the innocent bloodshed of Japanese lives.

That's right, we did our project on The Atomic Bomb.

But there were some major problem. Such as the fact that Nacho Libre was in a different block, and Hotdog Bob still could only do a guitar imression by dilliberately going "nanananan na nanana" so I assembled a new crew for you few who take a cue and listen to what we do. We called our selves the

A-BOMBERS!!! (we know, it's a pretty tight name!)

The over all idea that America showed to the war by dropping the atom bomb was complicated, so let me sum it up for you:

War does not decide who is right.

War decides who is left.

So here you have it: The A- bombers:

THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS

Here are the lyrics, so when you are alone at your house you can break out in song randomly, without any point (kind of like High School Musical!):

THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS

By: The A- bombers

Hit the floor

Here comes the World War

The second

We come reckin’

We threaten You

With the Atomic Bomb  

Hit the deck

Today our subject

Are the physical effects

Comin’ atcha like a T- rex

 

Can you feel the pain?

Well, that’s the black rain.

Comes down in a dangerous shower

It falls for about one full hour

 

It’s radio-active

Takes you captive

Just one of the effects that proves

The A-bomb effective

Definition of Thermal Hear:

The heat emitted, when the bomb is cleared

Causes thermal burns, and loss of eyesight

Thermal Hear is here to help win the fight

 

The blast is comin’ fast

It’s killin’ the mass

I’m feelin’ the heat, so check the thermometer

Because the blast destroys wood within 2.3 kilometers

We found the A-bomb as our answer

And one of its effects:

It distributes cancers

 

The A-bomb is the path we chose to abide

Through it already 210,000 people have died

The A-bomb was our helping hand

When we dropped it twice upon Japan

Don't think this is it, we'll be back in a couple of days for the Political Effects rap!

How YOU Can Go Green

Contrary to popular belief, going green isn't hard, and isn't expensive.  In fact, going green can save lots of money on electricity and heating bills.  It can also help relieve a guilty conscience.

Tips on shopping:

• Buy in bulk.  Not only will you save money, you will pollute less when you throw the packaging away.
• Look for the recycling symbol on product's packaging.  That means that either it is recyclable, or made of recycled materials.
• Some stores offer recycling programs for plastic bags, and this is a great way to help the environment.  In fact, NC is pushing for plastic bags to be illegal, at least in their coastal region.

Tips on saving energy at home:

• Configure your laptop and desktop to the most energy efficient mode.
• Use a cold rinse cycle on your washer.
• Turn the TV off when you aren't using it.
• Unplug charging devices when they aren't in use.  These devices, even when not in use, use minimal amounts of power 24/7.
• Instead of watching TV, playing video games, or chatting online, go outside or pick up a good book.  The best way to save electricity is not to use it at all.
• Open up the blinds, and turn off the lights.  Not only will this save electricity, it will brighten your room with a softer, more natural light.
• Set a delay timer on your wireless modem.  Not only will this save electricity, it protects your computer at night.

• Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to turn your computer off every chance you get.  Turning your computer off still drains about 2.8 watts, and sleep mode on a Mac drains just 4 watts.  This is hardly any energy saving, and wears down your hard drive because of the high speeds at start-up.  Therefore, it is better to just make sure your computer goes into sleep mode.

Tips for helping the environment at home:

• Recycle all that you can.  It may sound obvious, but it is surprising how much people still throw away.
• Save scrap paper.  Any old one-sided printed paper makes great scrap paper on the back.
• Plant a garden.  Plants rid the air of green house gasses, and if you have a houseplant, it acts as an air purifier.  Gardens can either look great, or give you fresh produce, which saves you money when you go to the grocery store.
• Keep your neighborhood clean, and free of trash.

Other Tips:

• Be creative.  There are tons of good ways to help the environment.  A google search on "helping the environment" returns almost 77 million hits.
• Spread the word.  Encourage your neighbors, friends, and coworkers to help to.  If one person can do this much, how much can 100, 1,000, or even more do?  If every viewer that has ever been to the blurb were able to turn 1 60 watt light bulb off for 2 hours a day, over the courseof 1 year, Blurbers would save a combined nearly 300,000 dollars based on the national average.  In Hawaii, the state with the highest electricity rate per kilowatt hour, Blurbers would save a total of nearly $700,000, just by turning off a light bulb for 2 hours a day.  As you can see, there is strength in numbers.

Signed,

The Blurb's Senior Assistant Editor In Chief

So what do you think?  Share your stories of helping the environment, and your ideas by commenting here at The Blurb.

Obama's Energy and Environment Plans

Obama campaigned aggressively last year on the Environmental and Energy crises, and these have typically been strongholds for democrats.  A Gallup poll illustrating this is below:

I have also created a Voicethread on Obama's environment plans.  Please comment.

(As you can see, Bam Bam has learned a few tricks from back when Melvin The Chicken Hunter and I were frequent posters, and taught them to me)

Remember to comment here on The Blurb!

Signed,

The Blurb's Senior Assistant Editor In Chief

Green Energy

One aspect of being green is replacing our fossil fuel energy sources with renewable ones.  Our new president, Barack Obama, has promised to do this soon (click here for a shorter version).  I also wrote a letter to President Obama expressing concerns about this.  Here is one quote:

"You, of all people undoubtedly know that green energy can create millions of jobs, and reduce government spending in the long term, but I am concerned that you support "clean" coal technology.

There is no good reason to support "clean" coal technology over any renewable sources.  "Clean" coal is still dirtier than renewable sources, less efficient, can be implemented in the same amount of time, can be implemented for a similar amount of money, and most importantly will run out someday.  We know that if "clean" coal is used, we will be right back to where we are today in fifty years, just down however many billions of dollars required to build coal plants.

However, if renewable sources are used and created, we will have access to energy that never runs out, hence "renewable."  Also, many renewable sources don't pollute at all, except for building the wind turbines, solar arrays, or tide generators.  Renewable sources will create the same number of jobs that "clean" coal will create, but jobs will not disappear when the coal runs out.  This will also gain us favor with European countries that have implemented carbon caps."

I also recently recieved a comment from Mike H, asking about nuclear energy, another renewable source, but not as good as wind, tide, and solar.  Nuclear energy is a great source of energy, but when the uranium rods run out, they leave behind toxic nuclear waste.  Wind, tide, and solar energy leave behind nothing, will create new jobs indefinitely, and help America to rise above the economic crisis.

All opposition to renewable energy is due to the fact that it is totaly new, and will take a while to build.  This is true, but we must keep in mind that it will take an equally long time (about 10 years) to create oil drills in Alaska.  According to a Gallup poll, 77% of Americans surveyed thought that America should increase energy production from alternative sources.  Another Gallup poll says that 24% more Americans say we should concentrate on protecting the environment than increasing energy sources, a big concern with drilling in Alaska.

It is clear that we need renewable sources of energy, not just to stop global warming, but also to maintain America's energy independence so we don't rely on other countries for fuel.

Signed,

The Blurb's Senior Assistant Editor in Chief

What do you think?  Should America expand its alternate energy sources?  Post your thoughts and comments here on The Blurb!

The Blurb Goes Green

You may have seen the recent color change for the Blurb.  This color change symbolizes our next project--raising awareness of the environmental problem and updating readers on steps taken worldwide to help this problem.  And what better day to kick it off than Earth Day?

We at the Blurb feel that Earth Day should be everyday, and encourage you to do the same.  This is also a chance to encourage all of your friends to be green!  Encourage them to check out the Blurb every day, and learn of the real environmental situation of America and the world.  In honor of Earth Day, I have written a poem:

Nature

 

The trees whispering,

The rain giggling,

And the birds gossiping and calling like unruly teens.

This is the lullaby of nature,

Ingrained through centuries to bring comfort,

To bring security,

And to bring calm.

Nature brings peace.

 

 

However, every year that we don't make a concious effort to preserve nature, more and more is destroyed, and we will eventually lose it.  On this Earth Day, and every day, make a concious effort to be green, and save the planet.

Signed,

The Blurb's Senior Assistant Editor in Chief

Poem for the Blurb

I am not sure where this year's blurbers have been, so I have a poem for them:

What has happened

To your current events

For you to leave like that,

It just doesn't make sense

To rep the blurb

Was your responsibility

Instead of doing so

You brought it to humility

All you have to do

Is be a good host

Every once in a while

Just write up a post

Tell everyone

What's going on around the planet

This is your station

So step up and man it

You will be forgiven

If you repent

So write up a post

About a current event

 

Yours truely,

THE WICKED AWESOME MONKEY DUDE!!!

The Warlord's Return

You knew him, you loved him, and now he's back as the Blurb's Senior Assistant Editor in Chief (or am I the Blurb's Junior Editor in Chief?).  In my first independent post, I will write an open letter to newly elected President Barack Obama.

President Obama,

I write to you with concern for this nation and this nation's future.  My three primary concerns are the economy, which I'm sure you know about, the energy crisis, and the education system.

While I believe that you understand the economy and the way to fix it with stimulus packages, I am unsure about your reasoning for your stand on the energy crisis, which can provide a much more efficient way to fix the economy and the energy crisis in one fell swoop.  You, of all people undoubtedly know that green energy can create millions of jobs, and reduce government spending in the long term, but I am concerned that you support "clean" coal technology.

There is no good reason to support "clean" coal technology over any renewable sources.  "Clean" coal is still dirtier than renewable sources, less efficient, can be implemented in the same amount of time, can be implemented for a similar amount of money, and most importantly will run out someday.  We know that if "clean" coal is used, we will be right back to where we are today in fifty years, just down however many billions of dollars required to build coal plants.

However, if renewable sources are used and created, we will have access to energy that never runs out, hence "renewable."  Also, many renewable sources don't pollute at all, except for building the wind turbines, solar arrays, or tide generators.  Renewable sources will create the same number of jobs that "clean" coal will create, but jobs will not disappear when the coal runs out.  This will also gain us favor with European countries that have implemented carbon caps.

On the second issue, the education system, my main concern is that it is designed so that the lowest performing can get the extra help they need, but the higher performing get principals that won't let them advance, teachers that are inadequately equipped to handle their higher needs, and general boredom.  The top students are doomed to boredom, because the school system doesn't cater to their needs.  One of my best friends has been turned off the science in middle school, because the "science" teachers hardly teach any science!  I have asked my teachers in the past higher level questions, such as how you can find the number of valence electrons for a transition element, and they have responded with "you'll learn that later, you don't need to know that now."  Is it a wonder that the US is falling behind other countries in science and other subjects?

The education system should be revamped to allow higher level students to thrive, and put the US back on top.

Signed,

The Blurb's Senior Assistant Editor in Chief

Post your thoughts about the state of the nation, and what Obama is doing right and wrong in his first 100 days here at The Blurb!

The Hotdogs Are Back!

I know you've been waiting for it!  I know you've been wanting it!  And I'm sorry about the late release date, but I forgot the password for the Blurb.  I openly agree that I am responsible for this, but hey, I'm a boy, boys forget things, and lose things.  But whatever!  Here it is!  The Wicked Awesome Nacho Hotdogs are back from the 7th grade, and have something for you.  Take a look!

Taking Flight: Part 2, the fun begins :-)

LIGHTS, CAMERA, BUTTEERFLIES!!

As we sat down the extraordinary crew introduced themselves. Dinner time!!! Yum, the dinner was fantastic. Before we left we played a little game. (We played with stickers! Yes, we know, we know, that's for little kids, blah, blah, blah, but it was amusing :-D.) It was great but soon we had to leave. We were sad to see them go, but we did know we would have a great day tomorrow.

 The next day we were going to start filming in the afternoon at 3:30. They were supposed to call us right before to make sure they were done with the other kids. (They were filming another episode with 6 people, so it was going to take a while.)

Oh yeah, it sure took a while. We were supposed to start on Saturday right? Well it ended up starting on Sunday! They hadn't worked with 6 kids before, so they thought it wouldn't take that long, they were wrong! (I, Double Whammy, was happy because I got to go to my horse show.)

We woke up bright and early on Sunday. It was not the best thing in the world, but we did get to skip our Sunday morning activities (church, swimming, etc).

We met up at the to the butterfly house, at the Museum of Life and Science. 

We were reunited with the crew. We picked out our shirts and pants that would go together, and at the same time, look good on camera. Now it is time to get our microphones on. Vern took out 2 mics and positioned them on our shirts (Shorty had trouble later on with the mic).

It is show time!! Lights, camera, action! We first filmed with an entomologist named Leon; we ended up doing two scenes with him.

We took action. First we looked over the outline, Angie had typed up, so we knew the overall concept and we knew what we had to accomplish.  We found a great spot to film and then... standby, ACTION!! (Standby is what Mike said to get us ready. 

We filmed and filmed until we got it right (and until Leon got it right). Let us tell you, now professionals on the art of filming, you have to get close-ups, and get the lighting right, etc. Then we finally did it, yes "SUCCESS!" We were relieved, to get a couple scenes done.

We moved on to the close-ups, we finally got that accomplished too! WOO HOO!

Mike looked at us guiltily "uhhh, guys we had some technical difficulties and it didn't, uh, record. Let's try again. . . ."

"MIKE!!!!" we cried.

So there we went, doing it all over again. It was really fun. (Not really.)

That day we learned that the blue morpho  can change colors when the light changes or the butterfly is tilted. We also found out that a butterflies wings are colored by pigmentor iridescent. We had an awesome time with Leon.

 He suggested that we work with soap bubbles to find out about iridescent. 

For part of the segment we got to release monarch butterflies 

We also got to work with a Duke University professor named Fred. We looked at a blue morpho butterfly under a huge microscope (we could zoom in about 5,000, talk about a close-up!). We ended up learning that butterflies have very small scales. Butterfly means scaled wing in Latin. 

We looked at the color of the wing change when the wing got tilted, the wing turned from a vibrant blue, to a turquoise green, to a blue purple.

The next day we would be at my (Double Whammy) house.