Her Blog - Jennifer Nickerson

I read an article yesterday in which an 18 year old girl came home to find her boyfriend smoking crack in her bathroom. Apparently he wouldn't stop so she beat the crap out of him with a toilet seat. The police were called and he was charged with possession and she was charged with assault.

Seems to me that he had what was coming to him. Seems to me that they should be commending her for the fact that she wasn't going to tolerate the crack smoking punk. Maybe if the penalty for smoking crack was being brained with a toilet seat, fewer people would do it. (Okay, I really doubt that, but it SOUNDS good, doesn't it?) I hope like hell they gave her a standing ovation when they booked her.

About 5 years ago on a fall evening my dad and I were out on the back patio of our house in California when we heard a cat meowing. My dad grabbed a flashlight and we observed the skinniest cat that we had ever seen. He wasn't afraid of us, nor our 50 pound German Shepherd mix. I thought for sure that my dad was going to just tell me to let the cat be, but amazingly he offered to get it some food.

The cat ate ravenously, drank some offered water and promptly hurled on the bricks and began eating again. This time we only let him have a little and drink as much water as he cared to. We decided to put him up in the garage for the night with a bit of food and some water. I said to my dad, "You know he's here to stay." To which he replied, "Yeah, I know." We already had a cat and I didn't figure that he would be too interested in having another one.

Of course he stayed. Now began the task of naming a nearly full grown cat. He was very affectionate and appreciative. In fact, within a very short time he began eliminating the rat population in our garage. (We figured that this was pretty good exchange for room and board.) We thought about naming him Damn Cat II. We thought about naming him Lucky Bastard. We thought about giving him a myriad of other names. He didn't really seem to care what he was called so long as there was food and people. We finally settled on Killer as it soon became apparent that he was proficient in this area.

It should be noted that this cat probably DOES have nine lives and that by the time he adopted us, he had used at least one of them. Our backyard virtually opened into a vast wilderness called Angeles National Forest. Bobcat and coyotes frequented our yard, as well as racoons and owls. The fact that he avoided starvation and being eaten was pretty amazing, all things considered.

His next mishap was getting closed in the garage door. Face out, ass in. Yep, picture a yellow tabby cat protruding from the front of your garage. That would be him. Opening the garage door seemed the only logical way to get him out and as soon as he was free he sauntered off, unharmed. (Perhaps his dignity was bruised, but that was all.)

He also has a penchant for fighting. So each Spring that he has resided with us he gets carted off to the vet to stave off some infection that has left him lethargic, wounded and sick.

When we moved from L.A. to Florida he was no where to be found when it came time to put him in a crate and cart him off to LAX for the trip. At the last moment, literally as I am closing the car door, he saunters across the street. I pack him up and the next thing he knows he is on a plane to God knows where.

I have to give this cat a lot of credit for adjusting. I attempted to make him an indoor cat once we moved to Florida, but Chloe, my decidedly indoor cat, objected strongly and Killer is perhaps the whiniest beast I have ever encountered when he doesn't get his way. He wanted OUT! Now he enjoys the best of both worlds, at his whim. And he thanked us for his freedom by decimating the rat population in our new garage. I had to ask him nicely not to bring us any cute animals such as squirrels and bunnies as token of his undying love and appreciation. He seems to have gotten the point, but not until after he had made a minor dent in these populations.

Perhaps the quirkiest thing about this cat is his habit of lying in the middle of the street or behind my car. Or worse yet, when he sees me coming down the street, he goes and lays in the middle of the driveway. He seems to know that all of this makes me crazy. You see a cat that I had previously was hit while crossing the street to greet me when I came home from work. So to ensure my peace of mind, I get out of the car and chase Killer out of my parking space, out of the middle of the street or out from behind my car. And sometimes, he promptly comes right back and plops down in the same spot, usually about the time that I have gotten back into my car. I am pretty sure that he knows exactly what he is doing.

I am happy that he chose us. I think he did well to do so. He seems pretty pleased with the arrangement. Did I mention that he drools? Well, I will save that for another time...

A guy walked into the local welfare office to pick up his check. He marched straight up to the counter and said, "Hi. You know, I just HATE drawing welfare. I'd really rather have a job."

The social worker behind the counter said, "Your timing is excellent. We just got a job opening from a very wealthy old man who wants a chauffeur and bodyguard for his beautiful daughter."

"You'll have to drive around in his 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL, and he will supply all of your clothes. Because of the long hours, meals will be provided. You'll also be expected to escort the daughter on her overseas holiday trips."

"This is rather awkward to say but you will also have as part of your job assignment to satisfy her sexual urges as the daughter is in her mid-20's and has a rather strong sex drive," she added.

"A two-bedroom loft type apartment with plasma TV, stereo, bar, etc., located above the garage will be designated for your sole use and the salary is $200,000 a year," she continued.

The guy, just plain wide-eyed said, "You're bullshittin' me!"

The social worker said, "Yeah, well, you started it."

TEACHER ARRESTED.. - A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, the Attorney General said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a problem for us," the Attorney General said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns,' but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. A s the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle.' When asked to comment on the arrest, Senator Ted Kennedy said, "If God had wanted us to have better Weapons of Math Instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."

White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the Senator.

As you may know one of the horses run in the Kentucky Derby broke down immediately following the race and had to be euthanized because of a catastrophic injury. Essentially, she fractured both of her front ankles. In horses this type of injury is rarely treatable in one leg, let alone two.

PETA is calling for the jockey to be suspended from the sport of horse racing. Hello? Officials have called it a clean race in which there was minimal bumping. The owner, the trainer and track officials have not made any accusations that the jockey did anything that would have led to this horse breaking down.

I am not a huge fan of horse racing. I happen to like horses very much, in fact much of my school time was spent drawing and daydreaming horses.

I think a bigger problem is handicapping. What is up with that? Why on God's earth would you penalize an animal that has proven statistics on winning? Because a close race is more exciting? Bullshit. I want to see the animal that is the fastest and the best based on purely what the horse and the jockey can do. I don't want a "fair" race. I want an actually fair race. So what if one horse is substantially faster than the rest? I want to see that champion! As adding weight increases the amount of stress on the leg bones (duh!), I believe that this contributes to more horses breaking down on the track.

I am sure that there are other innumerable factors to horses breaking down in races. But blaming the jockey seems ridiculous. Maybe if he had run his horse into the fence or into another horse intentionally, but why on earth would he risk his own neck?

I think we need to start a new group called People for the Ethical Treatment of Jockeys. Seriously. These guys practically starve themselves to keep the weight off so that they can maneuver a 1200 pound beast down a track for under two minutes. Is that not cruel and unusual?

I still hate PETA.

Sarcasm: Good or Evil? (Or is it just so much damn fun being evil that it doesn’t matter?)

I recently received an e-mail “ad” for a new (fake) drug that alleviates sarcasm. While I must admit that it was amusing, I found myself thinking what my life would be without sarcasm. Not pretty.

Firstly, I am sarcastic. A lot. (No really, I wasn’t being sarcastic there!) I love nothing more than hanging out with my friends and getting a good volley going between us. Part of that involves a good bit of this brand of humor. I can take it and I can dish it out. In fact, sarcasm directed at those that don’t get it is completely wasted. I would much prefer to play with a worthy opponent.

Sarcasm is humor. It is funny. Sarcasm is a rejection of a “reality” that is ludicrous. Ludicrous is defined as “Utterly ridiculous because of being absurd, incongruous, impractical or unsuitable”. (Encarta) Does this not call for a bit of justifiable sarcasm?

I must admit that mostly the things that my friends and I knock back and forth are not serious (or real situations) to begin with and therefore the sarcasm is not directed at anyone personally or with much basis in actuality.

Can sarcasm be used for evil? Sure. (But I have NEVER done that! Okay, that was pretty blatant sarcasm.) The really awful thing is that it is STILL kind of funny. However, the effect that it can create is pretty unfunny. I don’t relish creating bad effects in others. (Except that one guy. See, there I go again!)

Here’s an analogy. Both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader had light sabers, right? One used his for good, and one used his for evil. Sarcasm is a bit like that, don’t ya think? I want to use sarcasm for good, specifically to have a good time with my friends. Sure, there are other things we could do, certainly more constructive things we could do. But I work hard and I willingly and happily donate my time and energy to benefit others on a very regular basis. I earn my loafing time. So sue me if I choose to spend it with my other like-minded friends in pursuit of a good laugh at the expense of the ludicrous, and occasionally that one guy.

The U.S. government has concluded that childhood vaccines contributed to symptoms of autism in 9-year-old Hannah Poling. The unprecedented concession was in response to one of three test cases that allege the mercury-containing vaccine preservative thimerosal caused autism in children.

According to the case, the child was healthy and developing normally until her 18-month well-baby visit, where she received vaccinations for nine diseases, two of which contained thimerosal. Within 48 hours of the shots, Hannah became ill, refused to walk and could not sleep through the night. Within three months, she began showing signs of autism.

According to U.S. Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, the shots "significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder" and resulted in a brain disorder "with features of autism spectrum disorder."

Although federal officials continue to say there is no link between autism and vaccines, this concession says otherwise.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that Hannah’s family is entitled to compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund in an amount that is still being determined.

There are currently 4,900 autism cases pending in Federal "Vaccine Court."
Sources:
• Organic Consumers Organization February 25, 2008
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution March 6, 2008

This is an unprecedented admission by the U.S. government, which, until now, has clung to their statement that vaccines do not cause autism. Though they are still saying this, they have now conceded that the vaccines “significantly aggravated” an underlying disorder and caused autistic symptoms in at least one child.

It will be interesting to see how the other 4,900 cases waiting to be heard will turn out. No doubt many of these cases will report similar stories to Hannah Poling’s, where a healthy infant receives vaccinations and then suddenly becomes withdrawn and unable to communicate as they did before.

There is little doubt that thimerosal, a preservative that is 49.6 percent ethylmercury, is a contributing factor in many cases of autism. It is a well-established fact that exposure to mercury can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions -- all similar to traits defining, or associated with, autism.

There may also be another component in vaccines that is causing damage. For instance, according to Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD:
“Another important factor with regard to mercury on the mind … is synergistic toxicity -- mercury's enhanced effect when other poisons are present. A small dose of mercury that kills 1 in 100 rats and a dose of aluminum that will kill 1 in 100 rats, when combined have a striking effect: all the rats die.

Doses of mercury that have a 1 percent mortality will have a 100 percent mortality rate if some aluminum is there. Vaccines contain aluminum.”

Have Autism Rates Declined Since Thimerosal Was Removed From Vaccines?

Thimerosal was taken out of most childhood vaccines at the beginning of the decade. In 2006, studies of two government databases indicated that autism rates went up as thimerosal dosages increased, then began to decline as thimerosal was removed.

Yet, if you look at this Time magazine article, it says that autism rates have continued to climb since thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 2001. Why the discrepancy?

It could be due to the fact that in 2002 the U.S. government began recommending flu shots to children under 2 (and now recommends them for kids until they’re 18). Well, most flu shots still contain thimerosal, so many infants are still being exposed to mercury.

There is also the issue of vaccine timing.

“Giving too many vaccines over too short a time to infants whose nervous system is not yet fully developed can also trigger autism and its spectrum of disorders,” Dr. Miller says.

And, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock, multiple vaccines given close together over-stimulate your brain's immune system and, via the mechanism of "bystander injury," destroy brain cells.

What Else is Fueling the Autism Epidemic?

Autism now affects about one in 150 U.S. children. A small portion of these cases, perhaps 1 percent, may be due to genetic defects, and the rest are likely caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, viruses or other environmental influences.

One environmental influence that you may not have heard about was suggested by a November 2007 study in the Journal of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine. It found that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi devices and other similar wireless technologies may be an accelerating factor in autism.

After five years of research on children with autism and other membrane sensitivity disorders, the researchers found that EMR negatively affects cell membranes, and allows heavy metal toxins, which are associated with autism, to build up in your body.

Meanwhile, autism rates have increased concurrently along with the proliferation of cell phones and wireless use.

EMR, the researchers say, could impact autism by facilitating early onset of symptoms or by trapping heavy metals inside of nerve cells, which could accelerate the onset of symptoms of heavy metal toxicity and hinder therapeutic clearance of the toxins.

If Your Child Has Autism …

There are several things you can do to help:
1. Have your child eat a diet tailored to their nutritional type. In my experience, nearly ALL children seem to respond favorably to the dietary changes when properly implemented.

2. Avoid giving your child pasteurized milk. This is imperative to the treatment of autism, and includes all milk products, such as ice cream, yogurt and whey. Even natural flavorings in food must be avoided unless the processor can guarantee, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that caseinate is not included. Anyone managing this illness without restricting milk is deceiving themselves.

3. Eliminating sugar, juice, soda, French fries and wheat (pasta, bagels, cereal, pretzels, etc) from your child’s diet is also highly recommended.

4. Make sure your child is getting proper sun exposure, as there is a link between rampant vitamin D deficiency and the proportionate jump in autism. The vitamin D receptor appears in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain.

5. Use an effective intervention to address any emotional stresses your child faces as soon as possible. Potent energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) are excellent for this purpose. You can do EFT with your child, and also teach him how to do it himself.

6. Homeopathy may also help ameliorate symptoms.

Related Articles:
Origins of Autism

Good Bacteria May Relieve Autism Symptoms

CDC, FDA Cover-Up of Mercury in Vaccines Causing Autism

Submitted by Dr. Jerry Brady

At the CCHR Anniversary Dinner recently, a young mother relayed the tragic story of her 12-year-old daughter driven to suicide while taking an antidepressant prescribed because she was anxious over exams. “My child deserved to live,” the mother said. “I deserved to have my child. My daughter deserved to have a sibling instead of being an only child…nothing I do can bring my daughter back but I’ll be damned if I will stand by and watch other children die and I will do whatever it takes, I will go wherever I need to go, I will speak out wherever I can to tell people, ‘Don’t be fooled.’”

The problem parents face, especially when inundated with a $4.5 billion a year direct-to-consumer advertising campaign telling them drugs are safe and effective, is that they are not informed that there are medical and educational alternatives to mind-altering psychiatric drugs.

They also face this fundamental contradiction: “Just say ‘no’ to drugs”—unless a psychiatrist prescribes them. Never mind that the drugs are as addictive as cocaine and more abused than street drugs. In the U.S., about 3,500 people die each year from unintentional deaths due to antidepressants, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers—more than all cocaine and heroin deaths combined.

A recent article revealed that the suicide rate among middle-aged Americans, 45 to 54 years old, rose 20 percent between 1999 and 2004. In that same period, the use of antidepressants among adults rose by nearly 50 percent. Imagine what the risk, then is for young bodies. Last week, the British drug regulatory agency issued a report that the sevenfold risk of suicide in those under 18 taking the antidepressant Paxil was known about for five years before the manufacturer declared it. Meanwhile, a study published this month in the Public Library of Science Journal, found that antidepressants are no more effective than placebos (dummy pills). Yet, 1.5 million American kids are prescribed these drugs.

Grassroots public information campaign needed
Your support is needed to help launch a massive grassroots education campaign that can open the eyes of parents and families who have been denied the truth about the potential dangers of psychiatric drugs.

I urge you to go to www.cchr.org/publications/ to view this fantastic new brochure, “Psychiatric Drugs & Your Child’s Future.”

This very easy to read 16-page booklet simply asks parents to become aware of their options: question the information given them that their child has a “chemical imbalance” in the brain requiring a drug that could cause hallucinations, psychosis, suicide and death. What physical test will be conducted to confirm the child’s diagnosis?

“Psychiatric Drugs and Your Child’s Future” doesn’t dictate what parents must do; it just tells them to use their best parental judgment. However, in order to do this, they need to be informed.

You can help families from experiencing the devastation that our mother above and many like her have suffered. You can help take the tragedy of children’s deaths from psychiatric drugs and turn this into a crusade for children’s rights and protection.

You can donate today to CCHR’s campaign to get this publication distributed broadly to millions. Your tax-deductible contributions can and do make a difference.

Read again the above mother’s anguish and her response: “I’ll be damned if I will stand by and watch other children die and I will do whatever it takes…I will speak out wherever I can….”
I am asking you to do no less.

Children are our future. They are our future leaders, parents, artists, businessmen, mothers and more. Will our future generation be free to explore their inherent abilities or will they be too drugged to run the country? The responsibility rests with all of us now. We count on you in this vital task to get this brochure distributed. There is urgency in this. Too many children have been damaged, too many of their lives lost because parents were misinformed.

Please donate generously towards the distribution of “Psychiatric Drugs and Your Child’s Future” today. Details are below.
Sincerely
Jan Eastgate
International President

Booklet pricing:
$35.00 for 10 booklets
$87.50 for 25 booklets
$175.00 for 50 booklets
$350.00 for 100 booklets
Or donate to support CCHR’s public awareness campaigns.

President George Bush said each one of us would get a $600.00 tax rebate. It was previously slated to be $800.00, but they dropped it to a $600.00 tax rebate because of various budget problems.

Now, if we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China, if we spend it on computers, most of the money will go to Korea or India.

If we spend it on gasoline it will all go to the Arabs...and none of these scenarios will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America...so the only way to keep that money here at home is to drink beer, gamble, or spend it on prostitution. Currently it seems that these are the only businesses still left in the U.S.

I'm Elliot Spitzer and I approve of this message.

I HAVE TO PASS A URINE TEST FOR MY JOB... and I am OK with that. Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit.

In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem.

What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.

Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them?

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet.

I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their butt, doing drugs, while I work. . ..

Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? Hmmm... Something to think about.

Last night I checked out the newest coffee shop in Clearwater. I was pleasantly surprised! Pangea is located in a historic (looking) building in downtown Clearwater on the corner of Fort Harrison and Laura at 34 N. Fort Harrison.

The interior of the building is spacious and inviting with pleasant music playing in the background. We were warmly welcomed by the staff and the service was excellent. The drinks that we ordered were very good and brought out to our table when they were ready.

While I am a big fan of Starbucks, I felt more comfortable and relaxed at Pangea. There is ample space and the atmosphere is laid back and friendly. Also, the kids corner was being utilized by three children who all seemed content. I would definitely say that the environment is kid/family friendly.

Best of luck to Pangea in their new endeavor!

Best,
Jen Nickerson

This site contains a complete introduction to Scientology in video form. This site contains information on what Scientology is doing to improve education, assist in diaster relief, improve communities, fight drug addiction and forward the cause of human rights.

Best,
Jen Nickerson

This morning on myspace, I watched a video in which predictions from Nostradamus are linked to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. This post is not to dispute whether or not Nostradamus was right or wrong in his predictions. The point of this post is a message to be careful about what you are posting on the internet.

Personally, when I looked at the video mentioned above from an objective viewpoint, I would be inclined to believe that Scientologists are at best, a bit nutty. It would be easy for any non-Scientologist to look at this video and believe that our core beliefs are based on space travel without the use of our bodies. This is completely out of context in our religion. As Scientologists, we understand the inference, but someone looking from the outside will not.

I am sure that Scientology has helped each and every one of you in numerous and meaningful ways. I urge you to be vigilant about the material, written or otherwise that is posted on the internet. Please do share your successful application of Scientology to yourself and others, please do include links to actual Scientology sites so that others may get the data for themselves.

Because of recent expansion in Scientology, we as a group are more open to attack by those few that oppose improving conditions. You can do something about it. Go on course, get the data for yourself and improve your personal ability to help yourself and others. Get your personal ethics in. Do not be tolerant of low morals and ethics in others. Help get others on study.

Find out what you can do to support pro-survival activities in your area, including the social betterment groups. I understand that each individual cannot possibly support each and every group through donations of time and effort. I recommend that you align yourself with a group that you are passionate about that can utilize your talents and abilities.

Set a good example as a Scientologist in your neighborhood and community. The public does watch us, perhaps more critically than the average person. We might not be quite real to them and they have been carefully fed by the media to believe that we are strange, alien and foreign. Demonstrate to every person that you meet that Scientologists are honest, ethical and compassionate.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly we all need to ensure that we are keeping Scientology working. This includes respecting the service marks, trademarks and copyrights. I know that the intention to help our groups is very high, please take a moment to ensure that what is being posted is truly representative of us as a group.

ML,
Jen Nickerson

Natural News
Illinois Shooter was Treated with Psych Meds Prior to Shooting Rampage
February 17, 2008
by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) It comes as no surprise to anyone who's been following school shootings all the way back to the Colombine High massacre in Colorado: Every young, male shooter that has gone on a killing spree in the United States also has a history of treatment with psychotropic drugs -- typically SSRI antidepressants. These shootings have three things in common: 1) The shooters are young males. 2) The shooters exhibit a mind-numbed disconnect with reality. 3) The shooters have a history of taking psychiatric medications.

This latest shooting by 27-year-old Stephen Kazmierczak shares the same three factors. Stephen was considered a "normal, undistressed person," according to press reports. He was considered "an outstanding student" and even received a Dean's Award for outstanding work in sociology. So what happened to Stephen's brain that caused him to snap and open fire on students in a college classroom?

Psych meds make good people do bad things

Psychiatric medications, of course, are well known to cause extremely violent thoughts and behavior in young males. This is actually acknowledged by the FDA and is found in the black-box warnings printed on the packaging for such drugs. In Europe, the prescribing of many such drugs to children and teens is actually illegal. But in the United States, where psychiatric medications have become the "new medicine" for American youth, nobody seems to pay attention to the simple fact that every school shooting we've seen in the last decade has been committed by a young male with a history of treatment with psychiatric medications.

The mainstream media, of course, is trying to spin the story by claiming Stephen snapped because he stopped taking his medications. MSM headlines proclaim, "Illinois Shooter Stopped Taking His Medications." What these headlines fail to communicate is the fact that psychiatric drugs cause long-term disruptions in the brain which lead to a strong dissociation with reality. These young, male shooters hardly even know they're in the real world anymore. They no longer see their fellow classmates as human beings, but rather as lifeless objects to be used for target practice. For those people taking psychiatric medications, there's even a strong dissociation with one's own life, as evidenced by the repeated willingness of these shooters to ultimately turn their guns on themselves.

More here: http://www.naturalnews.com/022656.html

Y'ALL COME DOWN, YA HEAR?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is advising hikers, hunters, fishers, and golfers to take extra precautions and keep alert for alligators while in Osceola, Polk, Brevard, and Orange Counties.

They advise people to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert, but not startle, the alligators.

They also advise the carrying of pepper spray in case of an encounter with an alligator.

It is also a good idea to watch for fresh signs of alligator activity. People should recognize the difference between small young alligator and large adult alligator droppings. Young alligator droppings are smaller and contain fish bones and possibly bird feathers. Adult alligators droppings have little bells in them and smell like pepper spray.

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day I went downtown and into a
shop. I was only there for about 5 minutes and when I came out there was a
cop writing out a parking ticket.

I said to him, "Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break?"
He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a Nazi. He
glared at me and wrote another ticket for having worn tires. So I called
him a "doughnut-eating Gestapo." He finished the second ticket and put it
on the windshield with the first. Then he wrote a third ticket. This went
on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, I didn't care. I came downtown on the bus and the car that he
was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said "Hillary in
08."

I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important to
my health.

LIVE! From the Science department, here is the latest breaking news:

It has been rumored that several parents have been disturbed recently by mysterious sounds in the dark of the night, only to find that the sound disappeared just as soon as the light was turned on to look for it… Then, giving up, the distraught parents would go back to bed, only to have the evil sound reappear shortly thereafter (and so on, ad nauseam).

Did this happen to you? If so, I'm entirely to blame J (no, really). You have been the victim of a very small electronic gadget called an "Aggravator." Quite a few of these devious devices were build by Washburn Academy high school students in the recent "Electronics 101" class.

It's a simple device that uses a light sensitive do-hickey to control a circuit that will then wait 5 minutes before activating a 'tone generator' (buzz maker), generating this highly aggravating sound. These devices were build from scratch, starting with a bag of electronic parts and a soldering iron.

First, of course, the students had to learn how to solder. Once that was in hand, they then had to identify and define the various parts: resistors, capacitors, transistors and more, and understand how to place them correctly on a printed circuit board.

This whole procedure gives the students lots of hands-on experience and mass on the various electronics parts. Then, as I follow this up with my little lectures about how the components work… well, let's just say we have a bunch of up-and-coming electronic geniuses on our hands pretty soon (so watch out!).

We have now started an Electronics Class 102, with even more students attending. This time however, we are building an electronic device that will prove only mildly aggravating towards the parents... unless you like to listen to the radio of course…

We are building about 15 FM Radio Transmitters. If you happen to tune into your favorite FM radio station in the near future, you should not be surprised if you hear your "geek" (and proud of it) child broadcasting their own special show. Not to worry – the range of these FM radio stations is only about 900 ft at their peek performance. Of course that's enough to cause some interesting effects in the neighborhood…

Anything to get our budding and blossoming geeks motivated, right?

Stay tuned for further updates from the Washburn Academy Science Department.

Best Regards,
Chief Geek
Torben Hansen,
Washburn Academy
Math/Science Teacher

Washburn Academy can be contacted at washburnacademy@gmail.com. You can also call the main school phone at (727) 647-1668.

Welcome to the February edition of the Washburn Academy PTA Newsletter! January was a busy month as you can see from all the news below. The Parent Teacher Association encourages you to forward this newsletter to your friends and family to let them know what our children have been up to at school.

Good Will

Did you know that Washburn Academy is the largest and most active Volunteer Minister group in the Tampa Bay area? With a small army of high school and middle school students, our Volunteer Ministers are at the ready to help out at food pantries, community events, assisting individuals in need, as well as contributing their time and efforts to disaster relief and the Virginia Tech shooting.

The Lower School students in Richard and Roberta’s classes continued in their effort to keep their adopted park free of litter and more enjoyable for the community. They are definitely Volunteer Ministers in the making!

Physical Education & Sports Highlights

The Girls Basketball season got underway in January. The girls played their first game against Veritas and won! We are very proud of all the girls and their coach, Neil Washburn, as well as assistant coach and player, Ayla Hubbard.

The Lower School students are working on meeting National Standards of Health in their daily PE classes. In addition, Quentin teaches them various games and exercises.

In the Middle School and High School sports classes students can choose from a variety of activities. One of the classes offered by “Grandpa” (Bob) is tackle football on Mondays and Thursdays. This is also part of the Girls Basketball team’s practice time.

Student Highlights

The most improved student in Roberta’s class this month is Dillon. Roberta said that he has been making his targets every day and his handwriting is now extremely neat! She also said that he has become very reliable running errands for Roberta, and he is very proud to be of service. Well done!

The most improved student in Richard’s class is is Weibke. Richard said that she completed her flash cards and her math. Additionally6 she worked hard to graduate from the 3rd grade! Well done!

The most improved student for Neil’s class is Daniil. According to Neil he recently completed all of his math requirements, including the highest algebra courses that are offered at Washburn. (This is some pretty challenging math!) Daniil said that at his school in Russia he hated math and was not very good at it before. He now says that he likes math. Well done!

The most improved students in Shawn’s class were Moham and Ryan. Shawn says that both have shown great improvement! Further, both students are productive in class and reaching for more work. Ryan’s goal is to be an auto mechanic and is lining himself up to do this and attend college through a scholarship program. Shawn said that Moham is seriously rolling up her sleeves and applying study tech to get through her entrance program with no wasted time. Well done to both students.

Staff Highlights

Richard Washburn, one of our lower school teachers, is a HUGE history buff! It doesn’t take much at all to get him going on this subject! This passion extends beyond the classroom and into his private life. He is a big fan of the History Channel, but he also attends events that re-enact important time periods in history. Richard’s enthusiasm for history makes the subject interesting for his own students, but he also routinely does seminars for high school students, which they LOVE!

To Our Parents

As parents, the highest compliment that we can give the school is to refer families to Washburn Academy. The school now has business cards that you can give to people you would like to introduce to the school.

The PTA is also collecting “Box Tops” and Campbell’s soup labels. Recently when we mailed in the Box Tops the school got a check for over $50.00. This is an easy way to support the school without spending extra money!

And lastly, Shawn wanted to encourage us as parents to stay in touch with our children’s teachers. Parent conferences are supposed to be held quarterly, so if you haven’t gotten a recent update on your child’s progress, please make arrangements with your child’s teacher.
Any of the Washburn teachers or staff may be reached by e-mail at washburnacademy@gmail.com. You can also call the main school phone at (727) 647-1668. Shawn also said that parents are always welcome to see their child’s teacher after school, but in order to ensure availability call or e-mail first.

From the Editor

I decided to start a PTA newsletter to help us (as parents) be better informed about the daily activities of our children at school. I really want you to encourage you to send this to your friends and family. It is a great way to help the grandparents, aunts and uncles see what your kids have been up to. My mom loves to hear about my son volunteering at the food pantry!

Best,
Jen Nickerson