http://jameslogancourier.org/ News from James Logan High School en-us Nucleus CMS v3.24 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://jameslogancourier.org//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://jameslogancourier.org/ http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7758
By Russell McLendon
Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) (MCT)

If you're planting a spring garden in the U.S. this year, you may want to set aside some extra seed money. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated its plant hardiness zone map for the first time since 1990, reflecting how some crops are moving north as winter grows warmer.
Despite all the long-term dangers associated with global warming, it does have a few short-term perks, such as helping some plant and animal species expand their range. And when life gives you lemons — which, incidentally, may now be easier to grow in Northern states — you make lemonade.
The new map was revealed this week at the National Arboretum in Washington, just in time for millions of home gardeners who are still thumbing through seed catalogs. It's a big change from the 1990 version, which many growers have long considered outdated since it's based on temperature data from 1974 to 1986. As the Associated Press points out, 18 of 34 cities listed on the old map are now in new zones, as are large swaths of some states, including Ohio, Nebraska and Texas.

"It is a good thing the government updated the map," Woodrow Nelson of the Arbor Day Foundation tells USA Today. "Our members have been noticing these climate changes for years and have been successfully growing new kinds of trees in places they wouldn't grow before."
Southern magnolias can increasingly survive in Pennsylvania, for example, while Iowa winters are less deadly to passion flowers, Japanese maples and Fraser firs. "There's a lot of things you can grow now that you couldn't grow before," Boston University biologist Richard Primack tells the AP. "People don't think of figs as a crop you can grow in the Boston area. You can do it now."
The new version uses temperature data from 1976 to 2005, but that's not the only reason it's more accurate. The USDA also factored in several other climate variables for the first time, including prevailing winds, slope of terrain, proximity to bodies of water and proximity to urban "heat islands." Plus, while the 1990 map was static, this year's update adds an interactive online version, letting users type in a ZIP code to get more precise averages of the coldest annual temperature in that area.

But even if the new map is a symptom of global warming, the USDA is quick to point out it shouldn't be taken as evidence. "Climate changes are usually based on trends in overall average temperatures recorded over 50-100 years," the USDA website explains. "Because the [new map] represents 30-year averages of what are essentially extreme weather events, changes in zones are not reliable evidence of whether there has been global warming."

Still, many farmers and gardeners say they already have all the evidence they need. "If you want to look at what might be the most politically correct thing, you can say 'something's happening,'" Charlie Nardozzi, a gardening consultant in Vermont, tells USA Today. "But the climate is changing. Spring is coming sooner and lasting longer. Fall lasts longer, and overall the weather is so much more erratic now." And George Ball, chairman and CEO of the W. Atlee Burpee seed company, tells the AP that climate change "is not big news to gardeners."

2012 may be a good year to challenge your green thumb, then, and try out some crops that would've been impossible to grow a few decades ago. Growers might as well make the most of climate change, even if its benefits can never match its overall toll. But since weather trends are expected to grow less predictable and more extreme as the planet heats up — and many experts believe they already have _ it's better not to invest too heavily in any one crop, old or new.

"There's definitely a changing climate," Nardozzi says. "But that doesn't mean we won't have a harsh winter again that could kill all their plants."

ONLINE
See what the 2012 plant hardiness zone map looks like.

Russell McLendon is an eco-journalist who blogs about science, politics and other earthly matters at www.mnn.com/featured-blogs/rmclendon.

(c) 2012, Mother Nature Network, http://www.mnn.com.
Distributed by MCT Information Services]]> News http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7758 Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:09:39 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7757
From wikipedia:
Annie Bethel Spencer (better known as Anne Spencer) (February 6, 1882, Henry County, Virginia – July 27, 1975, Lynchburg, Virginia) was an American Black poet and active participant in the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance period.

Anne was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry. Also an activist for equality and educational opportunities for all, she hosted such dignitaries as Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, George Washington Carver, Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Weldon Johnson, and W. E. B. Du Bois.

Read more about Anne Spencer and her poetry, free from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Celebrate Black History Month with The Courier
The only child of Joel Cephus Bannister and Sarah Louise Scales, Anne Spencer was born Annie Bethel Bannister in Henry County, Virginia on February 6, 1882. Her parents separated while Annie was very young, and she moved with her mother to West Virginia, where she was placed under the care of William T. Dixie, a prominent member of the black community. Sarah noticed her daughter’s quick abilities with the English language and sent her to the Virginia Seminary, where she graduated in 1899. Also in this year, she met her husband, Edward Spencer, whom she married on May 15, 1901. The celebrated Harlem Renaissance poet James Weldon Johnson helped to discover Annie’s talent as a poet, and also gave her the pen name of Anne Spencer.

Adulthood
From 1903 until her death in 1975, Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home at 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA. As an adult, Anne's poetry grew in popularity and meaning. The Harlem Renaissance allowed her to meet people like herself, who inspired her poetry through their ideas and artwork and eventually led to her work being published. Johnson and De Bois were regular visitors at her house and would often spend the day in deep conversation discussing everything from art to politics. They all shared similar likes and dislikes and were all strong, independent thinkers. Anne became more and more involved in her local community and the NAACP. Although most of her poems remain reflections of her own ideas and thoughts, hints of influence from her work with the Harlem Renaissance began to show. Aside from her involvement in her community, Anne’s most important role was that of mother. Together, she and Edward lovingly raised their three children — Bethel, Alroy, and Chauncey Spencer.

Some of her letters are held at Yale University. She was included in the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women.

Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home on 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA from 1903 until her death in 1975. The local chapter of the NAACP was founded from her home. A garden and a one-room retreat, where Anne did much of her writing, are also part of the property. Her papers are held at the Anne Spencer House, Lynchburg, VA.]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7757 Mon, 6 Feb 2012 08:07:57 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7756
Fireworks closed the 2008 Futenma Flightline Fair
at the Marine Corps Air Station, Okinawa, Japan.
U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Antwain Graham
The Yomiuri Shimbun (MCT)

TOKYO — Japan and the United States are discussing the transfer of U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa Prefecture out of the country ahead of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, government sources said.

The move comes as part of a review of a 2006 bilateral agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in the country. Under the accord, the transfer of the Marines to Guam and the relocation of the Futenma station were supposed to be handled together.

Senior officials of the foreign and defense ministries of the two countries will meet in Washington on Monday to start full-fledged negotiations on a new realignment plan, according to the sources.
The review of the 2006 accord was proposed by the United States in mid-January, the sources said.
Washington apparently took the step in line with its review of the country's defense strategy, announced on Jan. 5, which is aimed at drastically reducing its defense spending.

The two governments plan to keep the number of U.S. Marines to be transferred at 8,000, in line with the 2006 accord.

However, instead of moving all the Marines to Guam, the two countries are considering temporarily stationing some of them in Australia, Hawaii and elsewhere.

As for Futenma Air Station, Japan and the United States still want to relocate the facility from the congested city of Ginowan to the Henoko area of Nago in the prefecture, according to the sources.
"We've adopted a flexible stance in negotiations with the United States on ways to move forward on both the relocation of Futenma Air Station and the transfer of U.S. Marines to ease the burden on Okinawa Prefecture at an early date while maintaining a deterrence," Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told reporters Friday night.

This statement suggests the transfer of Marines might precede the relocation of the Futenma Air Station and the scale of Marines to be redeployed to Guam could be reviewed.

Along with the relocation of the Futenma facility, the transfer of Marines from Okinawa Prefecture to Guam is considered a pillar of the realignment of U.S. forces in this country.

The review of the 2006 Japan-U.S. accord could influence the scheduled return of six U.S. military installations in southern Okinawa Prefecture, a plan incorporated in the agreement.

The U.S. government is expediting efforts to transfer Marines to Guam, even if the plan has to be separated from Futenma's relocation, apparently to counter China's efforts to boost its military presence in the western Pacific, observers said.

Tokyo has agreed to shoulder $6.09 billion of the amount needed to transfer the Marines to Guam. This includes a maximum of $2.8 billion in financial assistance, which the government plans to review, according to the sources.

Although the redeployment of the Marines will help reduce Okinawa Prefecture's burden in hosting U.S. forces, some observers warn that treating the transfer separately could mean Futenma Air Station will remain permanently at the current location.

This, they say, is because the momentum for relocating Futenma would fall if the Marines transfer is handled separately.

The Japanese and U.S. governments aim to reach an agreement on the review of the realignment plan at a summit meeting expected to be held in spring, the sources said.

As the United States is plagued with a massive fiscal deficit, Washington believes reducing the number of Marines to be transferred to Guam will help cut defense spending.

For its part, Japan hopes to visibly show the prefecture that it is trying to reduce its burden by handling the Marines transfer separately from the relocation issue. Relocating Futenma is a much more difficult proposition.

Both the Japanese and U.S. governments want to relocate Futenma to the Henoko area in Nago. But they must overcome strong opposition from Okinawa residents, who fear the Futenma facility will become a permanent fixture in the prefecture.

(c)2012 The Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo)
Visit The Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo) at www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy
Distributed by MCT Information Services
]]> News http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7756 Sun, 5 Feb 2012 09:36:00 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7755



]]> Comics http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7755 Sun, 5 Feb 2012 04:31:00 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7754
From wikipedia:
Jefferson Franklin Long (1836–1901) was an American politician from Georgia. He was the first African American from Georgia to be elected to the United States House of Representatives.

Long was born a slave near the city of Knoxville and Crawford County, Georgia on March 3, 1836. He was self-educated. He became a merchant tailor in Macon, Georgia. Long was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused when the U.S. House declared Samuel F. Gove not entitled to the seat and served from December 22, 1870, to March 3, 1871. Long was not a candidate for renomination in 1870, but did serve as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1880. He resumed business in Macon, Georgia, and died there on February 4, 1901. He was interred in Lynwood Cemetery.

Read

Jefferson Long's 1871 “Speech On Disorders In The South,” free from Blackpast.org.

Celebrate Black History Month with The Courier]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7754 Sun, 5 Feb 2012 00:13:00 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7753
By Tierra Negra, Courier Special Correspondent

One night, my youngest daughter walked into my bedroom to show me her English portfolio with a dedication letter. As I was reading the letter, she seemed obliged to clarify that she did not add me because she ran out of space.

I kept wondering what would have been her purpose in having me look at such thing if it was only acknowledging her far away father for raising her up alone (up to a couple of years ago) and the coach for supporting her throughout the season. I also asked myself why it hurt so much. It must have been praise what she was expecting of me.

I grew up used to being told only when things were done wrong so they could be corrected and improved. I do not recall ever receiving words of praise from my parents. I might have been the smartest of the family but, if this was understood, it was never spoken of or acknowledged because they feared I would grow up arrogant or vain forgetting to be observant of my flaws.

My parents must have already sensed what I recently read in a report about the way praise hamper students’ efforts or willingness to try new things if it is just directed to their intelligence and not diligence or hard work.
Because of the way I was brought up I am shy to receive recognitions making me feel uncomfortable at times (even though I rarely get them). I keep thinking what good would it be to have another trophy or plaque to dust or display occupying a space that I could use for more practical things with less work involved?

I have stopped wondering about the purposes behind the abundance of acknowledgement through Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammys, or Halls of Fame awards for people that through their professions do so little for their community accumulating so much money on top of success. We have been well trained to be happy admiring at a distance how they show off their fortunes easily obtained through their ability to lye and make us believe in dreams and fantasies.

Jokers and entertainers used to be looked down with disdain perhaps still a century ago. Their latter capacity to climb the social class and economical ladder has been proportional to a generalized increase of leisure time. However, with the emergence of the internet, movie and record industries have been losing a lot of revenue and privileges and now they come to the realization that laws such as SOPA and PIPA might get them back what they seem to believe they “rightfully deserve”.

Although I do not need any sort of acknowledgement to feel proud about my achievements, it does not necessarily mean that I would not appreciate some gratitude and respect from the people that surround me. Alas, that must be one of the hardest things ever to achieve because I am not a celebrity or someone far away that could not constantly remind everyone around how imperfect and annoying I can be when I allow my flaws to emerge.
]]> Opinion http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7753 Sat, 4 Feb 2012 19:06:59 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7752 ]]> Opinion http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7752 Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:47:38 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7751
From wikipedia:
Frank Wills (February 4, 1948 – September 27, 2000) was the security guard who alerted police to a possible break-in at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., which eventually led to the uncovering of the truth about the Watergate Scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Frank Wills was born in North Augusta, South Carolina.

In June 1972, Wills was working as a private security guard at the Watergate office building, the location of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. On the night of June 17, he noticed a piece of duct tape on one of the door locks when he was making his rounds. He removed it, and continued on his patrol. One of the five burglars — Frank Sturgis, Virgilio González, Eugenio Martínez, Bernard Barker and James W. McCord, Jr. — noticed that the tape had been removed, and replaced it with another piece of tape on the door (the tape was placed over the latch bolt to prevent the door from latching). When Mr. Wills returned, he saw that the tape had been replaced and called in the police. The five men were found in the DNC offices and arrested. This triggered the chain of events which exposed the Watergate scandal and eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Read more about Frank Wills, free from the Los Angeles Times.
Wills played himself in the film version of the book All the President's Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's account of their reporting work on the Watergate scandal, but never recovered from his moments of fame. After his part in history, he quit his job as a security guard because he did not receive a raise for his role in discovering the burglary.

In 1973, the topical song magazine Broadside published the song "The Ballad of Frank Wills", written by Ron Turner. Mr. Turner later recorded the song for Broadside/Folkways album, Broadside Seven.

Wills worked for the comedian/activist Dick Gregory, lived in the Bahamas, and had a Harry Nilsson album dedicated to him. He made some money on the talk show circuit, but was unable to hold down a steady job.

He returned home to South Carolina in the mid 1970s and cared for his stroke victim mother for several years.

He was convicted of shoplifting in 1983.

After her death in 1993, he was so destitute that he was washing his clothes in a bucket until James Kilby founded an organization, Treat Every American Right (TEAR) to raise money for Wills. Frank Wills died nearly penniless from a brain tumor on September 27, 2000, at University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, having lived in poverty most of his life.

Spike Lee loosely incorporated Frank Wills' story into Lee's 2004 film, She Hate Me. In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, Wills is the guard who takes Forrest's call complaining about men with flashlights across the street disturbing his sleep while he is staying at the Watergate Hotel across the complex from the DNC office.]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7751 Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:09:14 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=1519
Robert Earl Jones (February 3, 1910 - September 7, 2006) was an American actor and the father of actor James Earl Jones. While born in Mississippi, the actual location of Jones' birth is unclear as some sources indicate Senatobia, while others suggest nearby Coldwater.

Roots in the Harlem Renaissance
Jones was a grade-school dropout and a sharecropper before making his way, via Chicago, to New York City and a career on stage and in film. Altogether Jones appeared in more that twenty films, including The Cotton Club (1984) and The Sting (1973). Jones was a living link with the Harlem renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, having worked with Langston Hughes early in his career. After moving to New York in the 1930's (after a short career as a prize fighter in Chicago where champion Joe Louis used him as a sparring partner), Jones worked with young people on the Works Progress Administration, the largest New Deal agency, through which he met Langston Hughes, who cast him in his 1938 play, Don't You Want to Be Free?

Visit the Earl Jones Institute website.

Celebrate Black History Month with The Courier
Jones told the New York Times in 1974:

"It was kind of natural. Langston Hughes' aunt, Toy Harper, taught me how to read my first poem: 'I am a Negro black as the night is black/ Black like the depth of my Africa' and several other poems. It was poetic drama, put together by several of his poems. We linked them together by a narrative, and I was that narrator.

Stage and screen career
He was a boxer and ran in marathons in addition to his acting. The Amsterdam News reported that Jones ran several marathons including the 1996 New York City Marathon at the age of 86.

His most noted role was in the 1973 film The Sting, in which he played an older con man alongside Robert Redford. He also appeared in the films Witness, Trading Places, and The Cotton Club. Jones acted mostly in crime movies and dramas and his career highlights were Cold River and One Potato, Two Potato. His career started in 1939 with a small role in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). Although he never achieved the fame enjoyed by his son, James, Jones found a comfortable niche in Hollywood with steady work from the 1960s through the early 1990s.

Toward the end of his life, Jones was noted for his stage portrayal of Creon in a 1988 musical version of the Oedipus legend, The Gospel at Colonus. He also made appearances in the long-running TV shows Lou Grant and Kojak. His last film was in the 1992 drama Rain Without Thunder. One of his last stage roles was, a 1991 adaptation by another figure from the Harlem renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston of Mule Bone.

Though blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s, he was ultimately honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the US National Black Theatre Festival.]]> In Quotes http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=1519 Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:10:00 -0800 http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7750
MISCELLANEOUS
Need Drivers Education? Your place is the Adult School. There are two offerings – April 2, 3 & 4 or June 18, 19 & 20 – 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $125. Applications are now available in your house office, or see Mr. Caruso in Room 77 for application/information.

The popcorn cart is now open Monday thru Friday near the Career Center and in Memorial Court. Mmmmm….. good!

Yes, we are open! Colt Necessities is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday during 4th & 5th period lunches. Baseball hats, knit caps, and a variety of good looking hoodies. Stop on by!

S.D.E.S. de Alvarado is holding a crab feed on February 5th and is looking for student volunteers to help with set-up, serving and clean-up. For more info on volunteering, check the Career Center link on Logan’s website, or pick up a flyer in the Career Center.

Attention TAs! If you are scheduled as a second semester TA, you must report to Ms. Quintal in the front office for your assignment. This applies to all TAs – even if you were a TA first semester and you are remaining in your previous assignment. If you have any questions, see Ms. Quintal during your scheduled TA period. Those TAs that fail to report to Ms. Quintal will continue to be marked absent.

Eastin Elementary needs volunteers to help with their multi-culture event! For more details, check Logan’s website under the College/Career link, or pick up a flyer in the Career Center.

Are you fascinated to learn more about other cultures? Do you love to mix with different cultures and are curious to know about their traditions? SIKH FORUM invites you to come and witness SIKH Marriages. You get a chance to taste delicious Punjabi food too. Sikh Forum will entertain guests every Saturday for the remaining school year. For registration and further details please contact Simrat Sahota, Pooja Gill, Harpreet Sahota or Jaspreet Kaur and other office bearers of SIKH Forum or Mr. Rana in Room 442. Hurry, as we can accommodate only 10 guests each visit."

Donate blood on February 9th! American Red Cross will be here for a blood drive. Sign-ups are in front of the stage during both lunches.

ACTIVITIES
Girls Softball tryouts are on Monday, February 6 @ 3:30 on the softball field.

Looking for a place to do school work? Need help? There’s a place from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, February 4th, Room 77. Please enter by the carpeted hall near the library.

Interested in Track & Field? Come out to the track after school.

Practice for the SAT and ACT in one test! Take the Kaplan SAT/ACT combo test on Saturday, February 25th. Buy tickets for $15 in House 3 during lunch and after school.

Come to the Youth Alive Bible Study every Friday during lunch.

Boys Tennis tryouts are 2/6/12 after school at the tennis courts. Freshmen welcome!

SENIORS
Seniors: The Senior Panoramic Picture is on Wednesday, February 8th, right after school at 1:45 p.m. in the stadium. Order forms with prices should have been passed out in your APS, Econ or Transpersonal Psychology classes. Seniors in afternoon ROP will be excused from their absence. See you after school on Wednesday in the stadium.

The New Haven Schools Foundation scholarships have arrived, and hard copy applications are available in the Career Center to all qualifying Logan seniors.

Financial aid packets for seniors are now available in the Career Center. Feel free to pick yours up before school, after school, or at lunch.
]]> Daily Bulletin http://jameslogancourier.org/index.php?itemid=7750 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 14:59:12 -0800