Tiredddd...

Tomorrow we're learning about Hannukah in class! It is going to be fun, but I am tired and very ready for winter break......and New York City. =) 

Same silly students

Courtneys and Money

I <3 my students!!

MaMa and $$


Jon and Jabria!! (This is my favorite picture!!)


Jon, Jabria, and Steve - Please note my AWESOME decorated door for Secret Pals! My pal is awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!


Courtney^2

Rick, even though it's Turkey, you might be interested. ;-)

The Google side of the YouTube blocking

ISTANBUL - As scores of Web sites, including YouTube, remain blocked in Turkey, the New York Times has revealed the behind the scenes story of the YouTube ban within Google that owns the Web site. According to a lengthy article published Friday in the New York Times Magazine, in March 2007, Nicole Wong, the deputy general counsel of Google, was notified that there had been an abrupt fall in activity on YouTube in Turkey and that the Turkish government was blocking access to YouTube for virtually all Turkish Internet users. Upon this Wong and her colleagues rushed to figure out which videos provoked the court order. After identifying the video, a parody news broadcast insulting Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey, Wong called on Turkish authorities to reconsider their decision, pointing out that YouTube users had already voluntarily removed the original offending video. But after the video was taken down, Turkish prosecutors objected to dozens of other YouTube videos they claimed insulted either Atatürk or Turkishness. After having many of the videos translated into English, Wong and her colleagues set out to determine which ones were, in fact, illegal in Turkey Ğ which would be a violation of YouTube’s terms of service that prohibit speeches of hatred but allow political speech; and which constituted expression Google and YouTube would try to protect. This was when differences of opinion emerged between the team members. "There was a vigorous internal debate between Wong and her colleagues at the top of Google’s legal pyramid." Wong, who had to play mediator, decided that Google, by using a technique called IP blocking, would prevent access to videos that clearly violated Turkish law, but only in Turkey. For a time, this solution seemed to work for the Turkish judges, who reopened access to YouTube. But last June a Turkish prosecutor made a demand that Google block access to the offending videos all over the world, to protect the rights and sensitivities of Turks living outside the country. Google refused, arguing that one nation’s government should not be able to set limits of speech for Internet users worldwide. As a result Youtube has remained blocked in Turkey. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10484501.asp?gid=243

Grateful

So, yesterday was awful. Not one thing in particular, but just lots and lots of things accumulated at once. I was really upset, but lots and lots of friends came through for me. It was really awesome and it made me so so grateful for my real friends, even old ones that I haven't talked to in a long long time. .

Mrs. Katie Hurckes =)

Thanksgiving fundraiser ends in pie throw

By Catherine Leyden, cleyden@mysuburbanlife.com

Downers Grove Reporter

Wed Dec 03, 2008, 09:50 AM CST

Downers Grove, IL - 

 

Three Henry Puffer Grade School first-graders last week stood face to face with their principal.

And then they threw pies at him.

The school participated in a Thanksgiving fundraiser to help 12 of the school’s families buy a turkey. Each classroom was also given a list of canned food items needed to complete a Thanksgiving dinner. This was the first year for the fundraiser and the school raised $385.

The first-grade class raised the most money, and as a reward, classmates Elisabeth Delegan, Isabella Marrandino and Joshua Reams, all of Downers Grove, were randomly chosen to hurl a whipped cream pie at Principal Todd McDaniel.

McDaniel came prepared with a trash bag tarp. And he needed it.

Although Isabella and Joshua’s throws came close, Elisabeth hit a bull’s eye.

“It’s all in good fun and as long as it goes to a good cause, it is certainly worth while,” McDaniel said.

Katie Hurckes teaches sixth grade and is the student council adviser. She said the student council collected the money during lunch periods and tallied each class’ donations.

“We were really proud of the students,” Hurckes said. “Not only to just help out, but to help other families in the school.”

She said students could bring up to $1 a day. For every 10 cents raised by a student, their class received a stamp on the feathers of a giant turkey made out of construction paper hung on a wall in the cafeteria.

Watch the video at:

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/downersgrove/news/x415852913/Henry-Puffer-first-graders-throw-pies-at-principal 

National Gallery


Andrea Wagner from BSU always loved his quote. It's still a good one.



Two German's, a French man, a Brazilian, and a dad.

more...

Washington Monument

Memorial at the Holocaust Museum



At the Smithsonian Natural History Museum...it was $1.01 to make a smooshed penny.......talk about inflation......unbelievable.

Washington DC

John F. Kennedy's grave at Arlington with Lee's house in the background.


Jennifer and me in front of the capital building.

Daniel and me at the White House!

Lincoln Memorial

Fatih


Sevgi

Fatih and Sevgi came to Chesterton to see me before Thankgiving!! I love when they come. It is sooo nice to relax and be with them. Helps me miss Turkey a little less, except when they leave...then it's sad.

Fatih loves Jackson!

Fatih doesn't mind Jackson in this picture....

But he's a little concerned in this one...


Fatih and Sevgi at the beach....I don't know why Sevgi brought her purse though!


Those tiny people are Sevgi and Fatih!

PHS Basketball Game!

Portage crushed Highland. 12 and 44 are in my class.


Student Council meeting before the food drive.

Holiday Cards

We made holiday cards for soldiers in my US history classes.


Courtney

John and Steve
Nick with his card.


Kendall and me. =)

My sister's awesome fundraiser!! =)

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/downersgrove/news/x415852913/Henry-Puffer-first-graders-throw-pies-at-principal

http://nwi.com/articles/2008/11/24/news/top_news/doc7baa7f70e37c70f78625750b0012f4f2.txt 

World Rovers

I don't know if "proud" is the right word, but today I was really proud of myself. I set up a non-profit organization/company today at the bank. I had to get a EIN number and bank account. It is called "World Rovers" and it will give me the liberty of taking student groups all over the world. It is a big step in doing exactly what I want to do.

If I wasn't clear...I own a business now.....hah. =)

Vinyl Avenue

A student at my school writes Vinyl Avenue, a blog. He is an awesome writer and even if you have no idea what he is talking about, the words and descriptions are great.  It is smart, witty, and charming. 

He describes it as, "We are Vinyl Avenue. We are music. We are fashion. We are movies. We are the trends and the threads that bind them together. We are the ones who walk down the hall and make your heads turn, but we are also the ones that, after you get to know us, you realize how fantastic our taste is. We're not mean, we're not loud. We're opinionated and relaxed.

But what the christ is Vinyl Avenue? It doesn't exist, let's stomp that theory right now. Physically, at least. It is the mental place that those of us with a clue go, where music throbs in the step of the street, where the many styles of today's people walk and speak. Where the best shops and cafes line the road, and the lights at night shine brighter than the sun, any day. A place that doesn't sleep. Where books are read and films are watched.

But enough with the imagery and personification. If we offend you, good. To be offended is to be enlightened (you can quote us etc.) We will tear down those artists of music, film, fashion, and the written word that don't deserve their pedestal, and we will raise to the highest those who deserve it. We may trash your favorite band, and tarnish your favorite author. But we may, just maybe, praise your favorite film and fill your want for better fashion."

So check it out at http://vinyl-avenue.blogspot.com/ I like it. =) 

Snow.

I woke up this morning and this was the view from my window. There wasn't any snow on the ground yesterday.  We even had a two hour delay from school because there was so much ice on the roads. 

What better way to serve G-d than to serve people? 

Some things...

I made a new bulletin board since the election is over. I know this is somewhat offensive if you're Turkish, but it's not really, it's just a play on words. My students know that I love Turkiye! So I made them sign their names on a turkey (the animal) and it is like I love them too!


I have lots of Obama things in my room, now I am just patriotic!!


On Saturday, I raked with the Portage Youth Commission and my cheeks are now really wind burnt and red!

"Team Awesome" as they called themselves!! So many leaves!

The whole world is celebrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

America can be good again, atleast there is a new hope! 

Mary Poppins said:

Practically perfect people never permit sentiment to muddle their thinking.

Oh my gosh...I want Obama to win so badly!!!!!!

Awesome Fall Break

Matthew and Rachel on U of I's campus during our walk on Saturday!

Rachel, me, and Sevgi at Rachel's friends place, we ate awesome Indian food.

My sister with her students on Halloween as Puffer Elementary in Downers Grove!

On the swings at recess. We're pretty darn cute!