Clever Names

THE CAT WITH A SIXTH SENSE

Does Oscar The Cat Have A Sixth Sense? One Doctor Certainly Thinks So

By Meera Dolasia on November 23, 2014

CCSS NAS-6 Grades: 3-8 Word Search

When the administrators of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, adopted six 'therapy' cats from an animal shelter, they had no idea that among them was one that possessed an uncanny sixth sense to predict the impending death of terminally ill patients.

Oscar the tabby cat's story begins in 2005, when the newly born kitten was placed on third floor of the nursing center, home to patients that are in the last stages of illnesses like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer. The kitten spent the first year lazing around and watching the bustling activity around him. Then, just before his first birthday, Oscar began visiting each of the 41-patients on the floor regularly, just like the doctors and nurses did.

Initially, the hospital staff did not pay much attention to the feline's behavior. However, after some of the people that Oscar was snuggled next to passed away, they began to notice a pattern - the cat only went close to those that were a few hours away from dying. Otherwise, he would curl up on a desk and spend the day sleeping.

To test if it was just a coincidence, the staff tried to place Oscar next to a patient they believed was close to dying. But the paranormal cat refused to stay put and decided to snuggle next to someone else. Turns out he was right because 'his' patient died that same evening, while the one whose death the nurses had thought was imminent, lived on for another two days.

Among the biggest believers in Oscar's paranormal powers is Dr. David Dosa, ageriatrician and Assistant Professor at Brown University. He is so convinced of Oscar's unusual 'gift' that he not only published a paper about him in the New England Journal of Medicine, but also wrote a book. Entitled "Making rounds with Oscar: The extraordinary gift of an ordinary cat’, the 2010 publication outlines the various pieces of evidence he has been able to gather about the cat's predicting powers. Also convinced is the hospital staff who has been using Oscar's foretelling abilities to inform family members so they can bid farewell to their loved ones before it's too late.

Of course, not everyone believes that Oscar has a sixth sense. Some feline experts think that his perfect timing may have to do with a certain smell that the cat has come to associate with death. Others speculate it may have to do with the lack of movement in people that are about to die.

Then there are the skeptics who maintain that Oscar's record is not as perfect as it has been made out to be. They think that the hospital staff and Dr. Dosa have simply 'cherry-picked' the occasions when Oscar has been accurate and ignored the ones when he has not. Fortunately, none of this negative chatter has affected nine-year-old Oscar who continues to provide comfort to sick people in their final hours!

Orientation Day - Girls College

Our day started by everyone lining up at the school gate to wait for the buses when they arrived everyone crowded onto the buses then we were off. When we arrived at girls college we went strait to the hall. After a few speeches we went to a classroom with one of the teachers. Then we did a tour of the school and a few activities then we went back to the hall for the farewell. 

I learned quite a few things during our visit one of the things I learned was where everything was. I also found out what  I would need for next year and what the classes would be like. Another thing was how the bell system worked so we knew where we would be and when.

When we started off I felt really nervous but after a while I felt more confident and started to get the feel of the place.

Life Ed Movie

Movie Challenge reflection

Embed your movie into your blog. Write a reflection underneath that outlines

What your group did well?

We made our characters so they did and said what someone of that age would. Basically we made them believable.

What would YOU do differently next time?
I would try make the teacher costume more believable and get more into the characters place because I don't think the teacher was very good.

Based on the criteria, how would you improve your movie if we gave you time.
Criteria:
Teamwork
Able to work collaboratively as a team to produce a movie
I think that it was a pretty good movie but the one thing that we could improve was the sound quality in some places. If I could I would plug in a microphone so the sound quality was even.


Quality of message -
Life Ed theme. Shows understanding or learning from Life Ed programme
Able to use film making conventions
Camera angles, dramatic intention
Sound quality
Ability to ensure all dialogue is heard
We made our movie and we tried to make it interesting by using different angles and dramatic intention the sound quality wasn't the best that is probably one place to improve because you could hear it but it wasn't that clear in some spots.

WAIMARINO

From my perch above the water I watched as crowds of loud noisy children swarmed into the Waimarino Adventure Park yelling excitedly at each other. Then the noise started to fade as the teachers settled the hypoactive children. The large group headed down to the far end of the park out of my sight. Ten minutes later the children came back in crowds disappearing into the small changing room then coming out dressed in togs, wetsuits, thermals and more.

After that I watched kids plunge into the dark murky water the flinging their arms about paddling like mad to reach the shore. Once they had all done their supposed swim test they scattered in different directions to the other activities. I watched as people swung off the platform holding onto the rope then falling in to the water yelling and making a fuss. Also, I stared as the kids came flying from no where on mats and in kayaks. I laughed as kids fought each other on the gladiator pole shoving each other to make them fall off. I watched as kids flew into the air only to come strait back down into the water. I also observed the kids who did back flips off my cold solid back.

Later on I watched as the kids climbed into the kayaks and paddled out onto the calm lake. Then some of the children tried to stand up but they ended up falling into the water. Then they made a large circle out of kayaks while the instructor gave them instructions.

When they came back they when down to the tent got their gear and came back to get changed then just like they had suddenly arrived they left.  

LIFE EDUCATION - ADDICTION

Addiction is when you need a drug to feel normal.

While we were at life education we got given a acronym to help us remember what parts of the brain gets affected by drugs the acronym was MR J M ICE here is what it means.

M - Memory
R- Reason

J- Judgement

M - Mechanical Skills
I - Intellect
C - Concentration
E - Emotions

While we were at life education we got given a acronym to help us remember why teenagers get affected by drugs quicker than adults. The acronym was FAR it means.

F - Faster
A - Absorption
R - Rate

We also got told an acronym that can help you get out of a tricky situation it was REACH WITS this is what it means.

R - Reason
E - Excuse
A - Assertive
C - Change the subject
H - Humor

W - Walk away
I- Ignore
T - Tell someone/Toughen Up
S - Say NO

About Methamphetamine

What is Methamphetamine?It is an illegal drug that is classed with cocaine and many other drugs. It has many street names that include meth, crank, chalk, speed, ice and glass. This drug is a dangerous and potent chemical that is mostly taken in groups with other people.

What Methamphetamine Does To your Body?

Methamphetamine starts by acting as a stimulant but then it starts to destroy your body by burning up the bodies resources this creates a dependance that can only be relieved by taking more of the drug. This drug is highly addictive and some people say they tried it once and they were addicted instantly. This drug can make people angry, unpredictable, aggressive and psychotic.









Cases about methamphetamine addictions:
Antonie Dixon after taking methamphetamine attacked two of his friends with a samurai leaving one of them with nasty gashes around both her wrists and the other with only one hand. Then also after stealing a car he went and shot another person in te atue.


Steve Williams killed his daughter Coral Burrows after staying up for five days in a row and barely eating anything. His statement said that he said she got cheeky to him and he flew in to a rage repeatedly punching her in the jaw. The police say that he was on methamphetamine when he committed the offence and later found out that he was out raged that she had left something at home and got angry hitting her and killing her almost instantly.

Ceramic Painting

During the holidays I went to a ceramic painting class to learn to and create a ceramic item. I make a cupcake trinket box to hold my jewellery in. The lesson started by learning how much paint we needed,  what we had to do, how many layers of paint etc. After that we got to choose what we were going to paint. As I said I made a cupcake trinket box. Once we finished painting the they all went into large trays ready to be fired in the kiln. Then we had to wait one week because the trays had to be full before they went in to the  kiln.

Here is me painting the cupcake:

 Here are the colours we got to choose from:

Here is the after photo:

Here is the cupcake before firing:

My Home Cooking - three course meal one

Yesterday night I made a three course meal for my family.

For the entrée we had:

• Chips and Dip
• Chilly Philly and Crackers
• Salmon and Cheese Platter

For the main we had:

• Chicken Filo Pie
• Potatoes
• Salad

For dessert we had:

• Banoffe Pie

Afterwards I had lots of people write me comments

Entrée comments:

• Well presented, nice dip
• Very well presented. I liked the square platter.
• Love the salmon
• Great Jordan going to hire you as a chef some time soon
• The dip was a good consistency and was delish. Presentation was 100/10. So perfect. Overall amazing.

Main Comments:

• That was the most delicious pie I've ever had
• Loving the filo pie like usual
• Presentation was good and loved the filo pie. The pastry was nice and crunchy.
• Delicious crunchy and tasty filo pie. Colour of coleslaw brightened up the plate.
• Delicious chicken pie was ammaazziinngg.

Dessert Comments:

• Delicious 
• Yummy amazing
• Dessert didn't last long because it tasted so good!!! I liked the menu's too.
• Yummy 

Here Are Some Photo's:

Visiting The Elderly

04/09/14

Today me and mum made a meal for one of the elderly ladies in our church. We made her a casserole with mashed potato and broccoli. We started by putting the casserole on early in the morning then later on we mashed some potato and cooked some broccoli. When all of that was done we put it in a container and took it to her house. She said that it was a very nice thing to do.

Multiplication Practice Over Holidays

My goal is to get a full ten by ten finished in under 2 minutes.

Date: 28/09/14

Date:

All About Rimu Tree's

Dacrydium cupressinum commonly known as the rimu tree is a common tree native to New Zealand. It is a slow growing tree that is mainly found in well drained areas. It is described as having log drooping branches with a rough peeling bark. Nowadays the rimu trees reddish brown wood is commonly used to make furniture and small ornaments but earlier on it was used for framing and weather boards. When the rimu trees start to reproduce it is an important time as the tree only grows berries every 3 - 4 years. First the tree has to grow berries then the birds come along and eat the berries dropping the seeds on the ground. After that hopefully the seeds will soon start to grow into small trees and eventually into big trees. Some of these amazing trees can grow to be 800 even 1,000 years old. The rimu tree is also important not only for trade but to the maori because its bark can be crushed up and mixed with water can be used to treat burns and scalds. While the gum from inside the tree can be used to stop bleeding. It is said that they mixed the gum with a tiny bit of water can be used to stop lungs from bleeding or any aches or pains. They also used the sap to make beer and food. The reason I think rimu is the best tree in the school is because it can heel and help people get better but the main reason is because it is the name of our house and our house is awesome.

AIMS Games Multisport

Last week I was competing in AIMS Games which is a huge international sporting event. It is an event for kids in years 7-8 (intermediate). AIMS Games is held in Tauranga. I was competing in multisport which is just one of the many sports of offer at this event. Multisport is like a triathlon but instead of swimming you kayak instead. I came 30th out of 46 people with a time of 40.56 minutes. This race is said to be one of the most challenging events in all of AIMS Games. Before we got into the team we had to go through a trial of all the skills needed in the race. I was really excited when I got in but I always knew it was going to be a challenge. My two coaches Mr Hart and Sam were awesome and they helped us to reach our full potential. My favourite moment in the race was when I crossed the finish line and my friend Anneliese came rushing up to me and gave me a hug. It was awesome to know that my friend was as excited as me. I would like to thank her and the many other people who helped to encourage me to finish the race. Up above are some photos of me during the race taken by my teacher.

Guitar

Every week I go to guitar  lessons at my school with my guitar teacher Mr Campbell. My lesson is at 3:30 on a tuesday afternoon it is after school of course. Each week we start by doing revision from the week before just to make sure we have got the idea of the new concept. Then we start looking at the the new concept for the week. This week we were learning about slash chords which is when you play a chord but it is either one note higher or lower on the musical scale. We also were learning about minor sevens which is when you remove a note or two from the chord you are playing. We also looked back at a skill we were taught at the start of the year called harmonics which is a common way used to turn the guitar by ear. Once we finish the new concept we always have a competition to see who is the best. This can sometimes get very competitive.

Dangerous Decibels

This afternoon we went to a lesson about hearing called dangerous decibels. It was about keeping your hearing healthy and in good condition. We got to use decibel metres and see how loud some of the concerts and activities you do really are. One thing that I learned was that fish, frogs and birds can re-grow their hearing hairs. I found out that a rock concert is 120 decibels and that normal conversation is 60 decibels you can see the difference. I also learned what being def is like. It is not just noise getting quieter it is the noise changing and not sounding clear. We did a few experiments one was we used a tuning fork and banged it on the floor then we pressed it against a ping pong ball to see what energy was created by sound.

Bounce Below

How is Bounce Below different from other trampoline parks?

Bounce below is different because it is in an old mining cavern under ground that is full of trampolines that are connected by slides. All the trampolines are safe because they are all surrounded by netting so no-one will fall. It is also brought into effect by using lighting to make it a memorable experience.

What are some of the things visitors will experience at Bounce Below?

Underground trampolines in an old mining cavern that is full of effective lighting. They will also experience a train ride under ground to the trampoline park. They will also experience an hour or two of full on fun. Another thing that they could experience that is run by the same company is the two zip-lines in the same area.

What are the two zip-lines called? What is special about each one?

Velocity - Vilocity is a mile long and is the fastest zip-line in the northern hemisphere and allows humans to travel up to 100 mph. This zip-line is usually a common attraction for dare devils and allowing them to see the birds eye view of the beautiful landscape.

Titan - Titan has 8 km worth of zip-lines and allows families to experience this together as the individual zip-lines sit side by side. But this company hasn't finished yet they are thinking about creating a zip-line that is under ground maybe even one that can transport you to bounce below - Just a thought.

E.2. Create Original Using Recycled materials - Plastic Bags To flowers

During the weekend I found a way to turn your normal plastic bags into an amazing piece of art work thanks to my little sister. It a cool way to turn useless plastic bags with holes in them into amazing plastic roses. It doesn't take long to make but they are perfect little presents for mothers day. All you need is a plastic bag, scissors, bag ties and coloured vivid's (optional).

Here Are the Photo's:

Bali Inquiry

If you go to Bali you are most likely to come across some of these little baskets full of flowers, rice and other small treats these baskets are called 'canang sari' they are to thank the Sang Huang Widhi Wasa for praise and prayer.



Bali schools are different to New Zealand because kids start school at the age of seven and they finish school at the age of 15 they also start the school day on the beach.


These little fish are called garrarufa fish and they eat away the hard dead skin and leave the pink healthy skin thats underneath. They are now using them to cure some foot diseases


This lady is make batik cloth this fabric is made by using a copper stamp, wax and dye to create patterns with beautiful colours and shapes. This is a traditional balinese cloth and is very beautiful.


The Saraswati temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning, literature and art. It is a beautiful old temple and is an important part of Ubud in bali.

Term 2 PMI

P
- I got a gold in science fair and was quite surprised.
- I won an art competition with one of my foam cut prints.  
- I also got a second in an indoor rock climbing contest in Taupo.
- I really enjoyed the Argos gymnastics competition

M
- NONE - It has been an awesome term!!

I
- I found the novel we have been reading very interesting and exciting it is called the demon dentist.
- I also found multi sport trials hard but they was very fun and challenged me a lot.
- I completed my STARS click card and got a silicone wrist band.
- I also found CSI reading very interesting and it also challenged me lots.

Cave Men Matter

1. 50,000
How long ago were the cavemen alive?

2. Southern Spain
What part of spain did they live in?

3. Traces of meat
What did they find out about what they mainly ate?

4. Plants, such as tubers, berries, and nuts.
What did they think was the plant matter?

5. Anaira Sistiaga
Who thought Neanderthals probably ate what was available in different situations, seasons? and climates

6. Neanderthal teeth
What did they think that plant micro fossils were trapped in?

7. Homo sapiens
The Neanderthal species were close cousins of what species?



SC:

- Use at least 3 of the 7 servants

- Questions must make sense-  Question MUST  have a question mark.

Australia's Favorite White Humpback Makes A Rare Appearance

LINK TO ARTICLE:

What is so special about Migaloo?

Migaloo is a white hump back whale. These types of whales are a very rare sight but Migaloo was the very first white hump back whale to be documented. After he was seen for the very first time the fifty-five ton whale was classed as a 'special interest whale' this meant that no-one on boats or jet skis were aloud within 500 meters and planes weren't aloud within 2'000 meters of the rare whale. 

Cite a few facts from the article that tell you how precious Migaloo is to the people of Australia.

• They made a special status to protect him these rules were that boats and jet skis had to stay 500 meters away from him and planes have to stay 2'000 meters away from the whale.
• Every year lots of fans are on the look to spot the rare whale.
• The australians gave him  a special Aboriginal name 'Migaloo' meaning white fella.
• Some fans have set up websites and they also have set up facebook and twitters accounts in honour of him. 
• He has lots of fans that have made things in honour of him.

Why is Migaloo known as a 'hypo-pigmented' humpback? is he the only one?

Migaloo is known as a hypo-pigmented because of the what they think caused him to have white skin which is a genetic skin condition. Therefore they now call him a hypo-pigment whale. Migaloo may be a rare sight but he is not the only white hump back whale in the world, but only the first documented.

Who Knew Corn Flakes Could Look So Good

What cereal does Rosado use to create her portraits?
She uses corn flakes. The reason she started making her portraits from corn flakes is because one morning she was eating breakfast and listening to old R&B music. Then suddenly the idea struck her and she stared making them.

Why does it take so long to create each masterpiece?
The reason it takes her so long is because she first sketches an out line. Then after that she crushes them to the right size before starting the out line. Once she has finished that she uses a pin to draw the rest of the detail onto the portrait.

Name some celebrities that have featured in her cereal art series. What kind of art did Rosando unveil in 2013.

Most of them are singers here are a few of  them Alisha Keys, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson And John Lennon.

I think that her art work is amazing!

114-Foot Tower In Budapest Is The World's Tallest Lego Structure

ARTICLE LINK


Where was the most recent tallest Lego structure built? Who built it?

The latest lego structure that has beaten the last world record stands 114-feet high. It is in front of the John

Dickinson High School in Budapest and was made with 400,000 lego pieces 50,000 more than the last world record. It was made by a group of official lego builders and some of the children from the high school.

What are the two requirements imposed by the Guinness World Records before a Lego tower can be eligible for inclusion?

The first requirement is it has to be free standing so they had to remove the wires once the structure was complete. The second was it had to be built with no adhesives this meant that they weren't aloud to use any type of blue tack or glue.

Why does the author believe that a new Lego tower record will be attempted soon?

I think the author believes that someone is going to try attempt to beat this record is because in 2012 alone the world record was broken 3 times. And this might mean someone else might try and beat this record. (I don't think it will be very easy to beat!)