SuperSmiley

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= = = = =__Silas Marner Book Project__.= __Question 2__ In the novel __Silas Marner__ by George Elliot, the plot is filled with people lying, stealing, behaving in deceitful manners and committing other forms of wrong doing. The outcomes of these poor actions effects every character in a different way. Silas Marner was a simple man who never did anything wrong and kept to his own business. However, his life had been changed by a lie, earlier in his life. He was also a victim of theft, and his life was strongly altered by this act of wrong doing. When Silas was a young man, his best friend, William, stole some money from the church and blamed the theft on Silas. //'[Marner said] “God will clear me: I know nothing about the knife being there, or the money being gone. Search me and my dwelling: you will find nothing but three pound five of my own savings, which William Dane knows I have had these six months.” At this William groaned, but the minister said, “The proof is heavy against you, brother Marner. The money was taken the night last past, and no man was with our departed brother but you, for William Dane declares to us that he was hindered by sudden sickness from going to take his place as usual, and you yourself said that he had not come; and, moreover, you neglected the dead body.” '// (__SM__ pg. 9) All this time, William was standing next to his friend, but he never once stood up for him. A short time later, William searched Silas' house and found an empty money sack and turned his 'friend' in, even though Silas had never stolen the money. Silas then says to William, //' ”The last time I remember using my knife was when I took it out to cut a strap for you. I don't remember putting it in my pocket again. You stole the money, and you have woven a plot to lay the sin at my door. “ '// (__SM__ pg. 11) Because Silas had been falsely accused of stealing the money, he decided to move away to another town. Now, after reading the book, the reader is able to understand that Silas moving to another town led to great things occurring in his life, although they did not appear until many years later. Another thing which led to the great things happening in his life was another theft. Dunsey Cass was a horrible person who did wrong things to more then one person. Dunsey blackmailed his brother, Godfrey, and he also stole from Silas; he took every last piece of gold which Silas owned. Although the event led Silas to be incredible depressed and miserable, the consequences in the long run were good for Silas. Because Marner had been robbed, he had to tell the town so there was a chance that his gold be returned to him. Because the town was now aware of Silas's loss, they felt bad for him and tried to help him. Although Silas still felt horrible about the loss of his gold, they still tried to console him. //' [Mrs. Winthrop and Arron] had to knock loudly before Silas heard them; but when he did come to the door he showed no impatience, as he would once have done, at a visit that had been unasked for and unexpected. Formerly, his heart had been as a locked casket with its treasure inside; but now the casket was empty, and the lock was broken. Left groping in darkness, with his prop utterly gone, Silas had inevitable a sense, though a dull and half-despairing one, that if any help came to him it must come from without; and there was a slight stirring of expectation at the sight of his fellow men, a faint consciousness of dependence on their good will. He opened the door wide to admit Dolly, but without otherwise returning her greeting than by moving the armchair a few inches as a sign that she was to sit down in it. ' (//__SM__ pg. 81) Because Silas was now a bit more open with the community and was even leaving his door open, events in his life began to change. The biggest event in his life was when a small orphan ended up entering his house. //'[A light] came from a very bright place; and the little one, rising on its legs, toddled through the snow, the old grimy shawl in which it was wrapped trailing behind it, and the queer little bonnet dangling at its back-toddled on to the open door of Silas Marner's cottage, and right up to the warm hearth, where there was a bright fire of logs and sticks which had thoroughly warmed the old sack (Silas's great-coat) spread out on the bricks to dry... but presently the warmth had a lulling effect, and the little golden head sank down on the old sack, and the blue eyes were veiled by their delicate, half-transparent lids.'// (__SM__ pg. 110-111) Silas adopted the little girl, who he named Eppie, and she ends up changing his life completely. She filled up his heart with joy and love, and she made him live like never before. If the misfortunes in his life had never happened, Eppie may have never crawled into his life. A short while after Godfrey realizes that he is the father of Eppie, but he had to lie because he was ashamed of having married his wife. Even though the beautiful child is his, he feels like he is not able to claim her, and for years he admires her from afar. He becomes the victim of his own lies and is not able to raise the child as his own like he wishes. Godfrey also had to lie to his second wife, making her believe that he had no child. After many years, he decides to tell his wife who is disappointed that she had been lied to for so many years because she bore no children and was not able to raise the child that here husband already had. Ironically enough, the body of Dunsey Cass is found 16 years after he had stolen Silas' money. He had died the night he had stolen it, and was never able to enjoy it. He caused Silas all the grief over his money for nothing, but he also ended up giving Silas a life. Lying and stealing, and every other form of wrong doing is horrible and should not be done. However, all of these events and many more are just simple examples that everything happens for a reason. We cannot control what happens or when they occur, but we can control how we handle the situation and how everything happens from there on. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Question number 3 Some personal possessions have sentimental value, while others help with basic everyday needs and wants. If my house was going to be destroyed and I had only three minutes to gather up my possessions and evacuate, what would I deem most important? What would I find necessary to take with me if I had to leave my home forever? The automatic thoughts of what I would need to take would be a change or two of clothing. Clothes are important for obvious reasons, and it is nearly impossible to be comfortable without good clothes to keep warm and dry. I would probably grab my comfortable jeans, a tee shirt and my favorite jacket which is as functional as it is fashionable. Another important thing I would need to take due to the importance of the item is my wallet which, of course, contains money. Although money is not the most important thing in life, it is often considered the most important thing for daily living in America. It is impossible to attain food or daily goods without the possession of money. The next few things I would grab before evacuating my home are all of major importance, however they are not nearly as import as clothing and money. They include my laptop and iPod. To someone who is not technologically advanced, this would seem like a foolish choice of item to bring with me, but it is, in my personal opinion, essential. My laptop can be easily taken anywhere and can connect me to the world. Without a computer, human interaction is near impossible, considering the fact that I do not own a cell phone. A television is too bulky to be taken while evacuating, but a laptop would be able to keep me informed on what is going on in the world and locally due to newspaper websites. Laptops also offer entertainment which is considered important to a teenager. Something else that offers serious entertainment is my iPod. As simple as it is, music is important to me. Music is one of the few things that can instantly make me happy and get my mind off of any upsetting things that may be occurring, and loosing a home is completely horrible. The simple pleasure of listening to my iPod would provide a small sense of comfort. The last category of items that would be taken from my house if I had to leave would be sentimental items. The most important thing of all my items which I would take with me would be my __Bible__. Nothing in the world is more important to me. As a religious person, to have my __Bible__ with me would give the most comfort I could receive from any inanimate object, and would be able to remind me that there is still a higher power that would be able to rescue me from the situation that I would be in. The other sentimental item which I would have to take would be a bracelet. As simple as the item is, as unimportant it seems to any passersby, one specific bracelet is incredibly important to me. Someone I truly care for gave me the small bracelet as a reminder that he cares for me, and it is the most beautiful thing I own. The sentimental value of the small pink and purple bracelet is enormous and I would be devastated if the bracelet was left behind in the ruin of a house. From obviously important items to the smallest of sentimental possessions, there are some things that I would have no choice but to bring with me if I were evacuating from my house. After thinking about all the things which matter most to me, it becomes quite obvious to me what exactly I would bring out of my house. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Question Number 4 The “class system” is everywhere; lives are effected every day because of the way people are treated due to the system. The class system today consists of lower, middle and upper class. The majority of America is in the middle class, but there are still many people in both of the other class levels. The lower class consists of poor people, the ones who do not have much money. Some of this class lives in run down houses in poverty while others may even sleep on the streets. These people often live in homeless shelters and struggle to keep a job, if they have any at all. Some lower class people may also live off of welfare which is money that the government gives them from taxes that they collect. People in this class are often judged on their lack of possessions and are thought to be useless, horrible people. In reality, someone in the lower class is just as likely to be a kind person as someone with ten times as much money. The middle class of people is the part of the population that has enough money to live day to day. The people can afford basic needs and live quite comfortably. Those in this class range normally have good jobs and are able to buy things that they want such as cars and clothing, but they quintessentially are required to keep an eye on their income and spending. The upper class consists of people who are well off. They have a lot of money and are normally considered as rich and have high incomes. The people in the upper class have more then enough money to live their life as comfortably as possible and get most of the things that they want. Rich, upper class people, due to television, are often considered as snobby and rude, simply because they have a large some of money. Many people assume that upper class people automatically believe that they are better then the rest of the population. However, rich people are not necessarily this way. In fact, many upper class people are quite charitable and donate a lot of their money. It is unfair for people to be judged based on their money. In __Silas Marner__ by George Elliot, there is a class system, although it is slightly different then the class system in America today. In the book, there are two classes, the rich and the common folk. The two groups are often divided among themselves. //' The Rainbow, in Marner's view, was a place of luxurious resort for rich and stout husbands, whose wives had a superfluous stores of linen; it was the place where he was likely to find the powers and dignities of Raveloe, and where he could most speedily make his loss public. He lifted the latch, and turned into the bright bar or kitchen on the right hand, where the less lofty customers of the house were in the habit of assembling, the parlour on the left being reserved for the more select society in which Squire Cass frequently enjoyed the double pleasure of conviviality and condescension. '// ( __Silas Marner__ pg. 42 – 43) It is easy to see how the “class system” effects the way people think and react with one another. In the time of Silas Marner, and even in our more advanced society now, different level classes effect who is around who and what we think of each other. It is not necessarily a good system because it plants false opinions in our heads, but it is a system that has stayed around for many years, and it is not expected to be dismissed any time soon. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Question Number 5 What is an enabler? An enabler is someone who makes someone else able to do something by giving power or authority or even giving knowledge and compassion. The person who is enabled is able to complete a task or do something easier with the help of an enabler. People often give each other help, but in __Silas Marner__ by George Elliot, who is the greatest enabler? In the twisting tail, the person who is the greatest enabler is none other then Silas Marner himself, although this is not shown until late in the book. When the old weaver finds a small child on his hearth, he immediately becomes fond of her. The small child, later named Eppie, was born to a broken family and a poor mother who could not properly care for her. Because Silas took Eppie in, he enabled her to have the chance at a better life. Through the young girls life, Silas cared for her and did what was best to raise the child. He helped her grow and become a better person. She became a strong, proud, beautiful young woman, and this could not have happened if not for Silas. Silas also gave Eppie happiness. //' “I wish we had a little garden, Father, with double daisies in, like Mrs. Winthrop's,” siad Eppie, when they were out in the lane; “only they say it 'ud take a deal of digging and bringing fresh soil-and you couldn't do that, could you, Father? Anyhow, I shouldn't like you to do it, for it 'ud be too hard work for you.” “Yes, I could do it, child, if you want a bit o' garden: these long eventings I could work at taking in a little bit o' the waste, just enough for a root or two o' flowers for you; and again, i' the morning I could have a turn wi' the spade before I sat down to the loom. Why didn't you tell me before as you wanted a bit o' garden?” '// ( __SM__ pg. 19) Because Silas does so much for Eppie to make her life as happy as possible, he is truly the biggest enabler in __Silas Marner__.

=__//**"National Treasure" Project**//__=

__Assassination__

 * __Victim__ || __Assassin__ || __Reason for assassination__ || __Cite found at:__ ||
 * Abraham Lincoln || James Wilkes Booth || Booth was racist and a Southern sympathizer during the Civil War. Booth blamed Lincoln for the South's ills and wanted revenge. || http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln75.html ||
 * Gandhi || Nathuram Godse || India was split into India and Pakistan becasue of Gandhi and caused Hindu-Muslim riots. Godse, a Hindu, had been maddened by Gandhi's efforts to reconcile Hundus and Muslims. || http://www.vov.com/leaders/gandhi.html ||
 * Archduke Gerdinand || Gavrilo Princip || Princip envisioned the death of the Archduke as teh key that would unlock the shackles binding his people to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. || http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/duke.htm ||
 * Benazir Bhutto || Still under investigation || Bhutto was a politician, the former Pakistani Prime Minister || http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/pakistan.bhutto/ ||

Many important people in history who had the hopes of a better world have been assassinated. Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Archduke Ferdinand and Benazir Bhutto are four such people. All four of these extraordinary people had visions of peace for their people as well as for the world. For example, Lincoln was an American president working for peace between the North and South during the Civil War. Like with many cases, however, there were people who disagreed with these politician's opinions and showed their disagreement by assassinating the politician. The assassination of any important political person who has good thoughts for their country comes as quite a blow to most people. Had any of these victims survived, the world may have become a different place, and for the better. Had they stuck around and continued teaching people how to be kind and peaceful, then the world may have already grasped that concept and begun world peace. But instead, assassins took the great, inspirational and peaceful people out of the world.

__Assassination, Execution and Homicide__
There are some words that are thrown around in ways of describing a murder. Three popular terms that are used are assassination, execution and homicide. However, many people do not realize that these three words mean different things. People automatically assume that saying any of the three words will suffice when saying that a person was killed, when factually, each of the words means a completely different type of murder. An assassination is a type of murder that especially means the killing of a politically important person. The murder must be suddenly or secretively, like a surprise attack. One of the most prominent assassinations in history is the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. This attack at Ford Theatre was completely by surprise. Many other assassinations have taken place or have been attempted around the world since the beginning of time. An execution is quite different from an assassination. An execution is the murder of a person as punishment for acts against the law. If a person commits a horrible crime that deserves worse than jail time, he may then be put to death, and in this case, it is considered an execution. This is so different because a person is executed for doing things against the government, rather than being assassinated for being a part of the government and having opinions that some people are against. Homicide is a more general term that can be used to speak of the murder of a person. Homicide is the killing of one person by another. In other words, when someone murders another person, it is considered homicide. Unlike an assassination, it does not have to be the murder of a political person, and it does not have to be a surprise attack. It is also different in comparison to an execution because it does not have to be murder by the law. If a man went to his next-door-neighbor’s house and killed someone, it would be considered a homicide. Although all three terms describe murder, they are quite different. It is important to know which word is which because saying the wrong word may mislead someone. Different types of murders deserve to be called their real names, just like different people. So, stop throwing around the wrong words and understand the difference between assassination, execution and homicide.

assassination - to kill suddenly or secretively, esp. a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously; to murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. execution-The act or an instance of putting to death or being put to death as a lawful penalty. (death by law) homicide- the killing of one human being by another (__[|www.dictionary.com)]__

__Treasure__
Treasure is something that astounds people of all ages, all across the world. A treasure is simply anything that a person values. However, the value of a treasure strongly varies from person to person, and the form in which the treasure takes also changes. The traditional perception of a treasure is gold or silver, hidden away for centuries and then found again. This particular idea normally goes hand in hand with treasure maps and pirates, something which is an old concept. Another idea of a treasure may be an old family heirloom passed down through the generations. Although the item may be worth nothing to any passersby, it may be worth more then all the gold and silver in the world to the owner. A treasure does not even have to be old. It could be a necklace a mother gives a daughter, or a book from a best friend that moved away. “A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift. A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift. A friend is someone who fill sour lives with beauty, joy and grace and makes the world we live in a better and happier place.” (__Friend is a Treasure__, author unknown. http://www.allinspiration.com/Friendship/Poems/friend_is_a[| _treasure_poem.html]) A treasure is absolutely anything that has value to the owner. However, ownership is sometimes fought over. For example, if one man from America finds a buried treasure, the American will say that the treasure belongs to him. Later, though, a descendant of the man who buried the treasure may hear that the American man found it, and say that the treasure belongs to him because it belongs to his ancestors. Because of these two different opinions, a large dispute may arise to determine the owner of the once buried treasure. With the treasure listed in the above matrix, it is easy to see that treasure is most often thought of as coins, because three of the four are ancient gold and silver coins, but the other treasure is far from coins, though still old. The fourth treasure is a collection of ancient bowls which are considered a treasure because they will help to show lifestyles of an ancient civilization. Even though the four treasures were found in different parts of the world, they all help tie together a story about ancient people and the way they lived. No matter what the treasure is, wither it is old or new, worth no money, a lot of money, or priceless, and wither it is found at the bottom of the ocean or the bottom of a drawer, there is at lease one person who really cares about it. After all, it is a treasure.
 * __Treasure__ || __When it was found?__ || __Who found it?__ || __Impact?__ || __Cite Found on:__ ||
 * A jar full of ancient silver coins || July 2005 || Bretislaz Jehlicka || 1000 year old history discovered || http://www.radio.cz/en/article/67297 ||
 * Sunken ship with $500 million worth in gold and silver coins || May 2007 || Odyssey Marine Exploration || Helped Odyssey Marine get out of debt and found an ancient peice of history. Also helped the 3rd "Pirates of the Carribean" get a jump start at the box office. || http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/186043.html ||
 * Thirty 900 year old valuable bowls || July 2007 || Octopus and Korean fisherman Kim Yong-Chul || Helps people see the pottery from ancient Koryo || http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/article/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=470566&in_page_id=1811 ||
 * 6 rare Sweedish coins from the reign of Olof Skotkonug, king of Sweden from 944-1022 || September 2007 || Tage Pettersson || Coins are well preserved, and come from a period about which little is know interms of coin history || [|http://www.the] local.se/8484/20070914/ ||

=Name:= =..... Stephanie Milosh= =Due Date:= =..... October 3rd, 2oo7=

//__CAN ANYONE BE SELF-SUFFICIENT?__//
__.__ ===......No one can truly be self-sufficient. Humans have many different needs. People need food, shelter, warmth, and love as just the basic needs. No country can be isolated from the world, and no one can live alone, completely isolated from everyone else. If that were the case, the world would be a miserable place.=== ===.....Countries cannot be entirely self-sufficient. Each country grows certain types of crops, and raises only certain animals. Many crops and animals in each country aren’t even native. For example Europe did not realize that turkey or corn even existed until they came to North America. Europeans brought the corn and turkey back to their own county. Now, Europeans eat turkey and corn, but they would not have been able to have these foods if they had not traveled to the Americas. Countries trade so much nowadays that the United States barely uses their own crops. So much of the United States products are made in far away places such as China, Japan, and Mexico. If we used solely what the United States produced, there would not be enough products for everyone. We get food from all over the world, toys and clothes and other materials from China, oil from Iraq, coffee beans from Columbia, and so many other products from so many places. We could not make it all on our own.=== ===.....Human beings could not live on their own. Yes, it is possible to survive, but not necessarily to be alive if on their own. In Island of the Blue Dolphins, Karana gathers abalones, gull eggs, and fish to eat. She makes herself a home. She survives on a deserted island for many years. However, she is constantly lonely. Karana spends her time with a wild dog whom she tames, and later with a girl who spends time on the island but leaves quickly. After the girl leaves, Karana is more lonely then ever. She must constantly think of the ship of men who will come and take her to the place where her people now are. It is possible to survive, but not completely.=== ===.....No human being or country can be completely self-sufficient. A country can not grow enough crops for all of its people or supply them with everything they need. Outsiders help is important. No human can live on their own, because they cannot supply themselves with love. Human contact is vital to living, so no one can be self-sufficient.===

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===..... Because the query can be placed in two different types of situations and can have two different meanings, there is no real answer. A person is their brother’s keeper only depending on the situation. A person should share their brothers burden’s and happiness, and always help, but need not be their brother’s keeper if the brother does something wrong. That is the brother’s own choice, and although they should be told what is the right thing to do and how to fix the problem, they should not be forced to do the right thing if they would rather do the wrong.=== ===..... In Island of the Blue Dolphin, Karana’s younger brother is left on the island when the white men come to take the native’s to a new land. She goes back to save him, and in this way, she is proving to be her brother’s keeper. After the wild dogs kill her brother, she vows to kill them, and even doing this proves that she is being her brother’s keeper.=== ===..... As is almost always the case with brothers, the younger brother wishes to be just like the big brother, but the big brother does not want this. The big brother would rather keep his things to himself. North Korea has a nuclear program, just like their ‘big brother’, the USA, and wants to keep it. However, the United States does not want North Korea to have any nuclear power, and does not think that their little brother is responsible enough to keep the power. The United States has told North Korea that they have to get rid of the power my December 31 or they will halt fuel oil shipments to North Korea. In this case, the United States is trying to be North Korea’s keeper, and they do not need to. North Korea needs to be able to make their own decisions. North Korea does need to be guided in the right direction, because mistakes could be drastic, but forcing them to listen is not the right way to go.=== ===..... Being your brother’s keeper can be important and helpful, but trying to be a brother’s keeper in the wrong type of situation can be a bad thing. Being a good judge is an important factor in keeping the peace, and being your brother’s keeper.===
 * ..... Am I my brother’s keeper? This commonly used question has been used in different situations. The phrase is used to mean that a person should share their brother’s burden, and to help each other out. Another way it is used is to question whether or not a person is responsible for their brother’s wrongdoing.**

__//O.Henry Project://__

__**William Sydney Porter: The life story of O. Henry (B1)**__ **.**
===.....William Sydney Porter is said to be one of America's greatest short story writers. Porter was a master of irony, so most of his stories included a surprising twist. Porter's stories were generally about the lives of ordinary people in New York City, where he spent the later years of his life. Porter's background spills into many of his stories, so he is able to add a certain touch of understanding to his stories that other authors would not be able to provide.=== ===......Though Porter had a number of jobs through his life, writing was definitely his forte. Over his life, he published a total of 10 story collections and over 600 short stories. Many people know Porter for some of his more famous stories such as “The gift of the Magi” and “Ransom of Red Chief” but the story behind this great teller of tales is almost as surprising as some of his plots.=== ===.....William Sydney Porter, who was known later in life as his popular pen name, O. Henry, was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Porter's father, Algernon, Porter was a physician. His mother died when he was only three years old. The young William Porter was raised by his grandmother and aunt. Porter really enjoyed reading. He always had his nose in a book. However, when Porter was 15 years old, he left school.===

.....In 1887, Porter married Athol Estes Roach; they had one daughter and one son.
===.....Ten years later, William Porter was convicted of stealing money from the First National Bank where he was working. When Porter was called to stand trial, he ran away to Honduras to avoid the trial. He was away for a few months when he heard news that his wife was dying. He home returned at once. He was proven guilty at trialand entered a prison in columbus, Ohio. His wife died soon after.=== ===.....While in prison, Porter began to write short stories. He did this in order to earn money to support his daughter, Margaret. William Porter's first completed work was the short story “Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking” which was published in 1899. This short story appeared in //Mcclure's Magazine.//Mcclure's Magazine.=== ===.....In 1901, after Porter served 3 years out of a 5 year sentence, he emerged from the prison. It was at this time that William Sydney Porter changed his name to his more commonly known pen name, O. Henry. Although no one is sure where he got the idea for using this particular pen name, some sources believe that he may have gotten the name from a warder in the prison named Orrin Henry.===

.....A year after he left prison, O. Henry moved to New York City. From December 1903 to May 1906, O. Henry wrote a short story for the //New York World//New York World every week.
===.....O. Henry published his first story collection, //Cabbages and Kings,//Cabbages and Kings, in 1904. This collection included many stories including “The Lotus and the Bottle,” “Money Maze,” and “Shoes.”=== ===.....His second collection was titled //The Four Million//The Four Million and was published two years after the first collection was released. //The Four Million//The Four Million included some of his more popular stories such as “Twenty Years Later,” “The Gift of the Magi,” and “The Furnished Room.”=== ===.....After //The Four Million//The Four Million came his next collection, //The Trimmed Lamp//The Trimmed Lamp in 1907. Included in this collection were the short stories “The Trimmed Lamp,” “A Midsummer Knight's Dream,” and “The Last Leaf.”=== ===.....The next collection that O. Henry had published was //Whirligigs,//Whirligigs, which was published in 1910. It included what is said to be the most popular of all of his stories, “The Ransom of Red Chief.” The collection //The Heart of the West//The Heart of the West was the last collection published while O. Henry was alive. It included 20 short stories about the Wild West.=== ===.....The Last few years of O. Henry's life were shadowed by alcoholism, ill health, and financial problems. He died of cirrhosis of the liver on June 5, 1910. He died in New York City at the age of 47.=== ===.....The collection //Sixes and Sevens//Sixes and Sevens was published in 1911, //Tolling Stones//Tolling Stones was published in 1912, and //Waifs and Strays//Waifs and Strays was published in 1917, all after his death.=== ===.....O. Henry's stories followed a certain pattern. He wrote many stories about people in New York City, or included the city in the plot. Other stories were about criminals, or a change in life and spirit. O. Henry wrote about what he knew, and about what meant something to him.=== ===.....William Sydney Porter's life was full of ups and downs. He lived through the deaths of loved ones, had a number of different jobs, and even went to jail. William Sydney Porter, however, did not let the bad things in his life get in his way of making himself into something good. He is one of America's greatest short story writers. William Sydney Porter did what he loved to do, and he made himself into someone that would be remembered for generations after his death. William Sydney Porter made himself great.===

//__Kidnapping (B2)__//
__Kidnapping:__ __How to stay safe, and what to do if someone you know is kidnapped.__

__Stay Safe__ Always make sure communication is open be-tween parents and children. Talk to your child on a daily basis. You need to know if an uncomfortable situation arises. Know where your children play, and be aware of who their friends are. Make sure your children understand safety rules for home, school, Internet, ect. On the next page. Know what web sites your children view on the Internet and whether they are appro-priate for their age. Check references before hiring someone as a babysitter. Check to see if there are any registered sex offenders in your neighborhood, and if so, find out where they live. Make sure your child avoids those areas.

__Things Your Child Should Know__ Talk to your child about the following. They need to understand these things to stay safe.
 * Always travel in groups
 * Tell your parents when and where you are going.
 * Say NO in uncomfortable situations
 * Tell your parents if anyone puts you in an uncomfortable situation.
 * Don't answer the phone or door if you are home alone.
 * Be careful with a web cam and pictures that you put on the Internet.
 * NEVER take a ride with someone, even if you know them, unless you have parental permission.
 * NEVER give out personal infor-mation on the Internet.
 * NEVER arrange to meet an Internet pal without parental permission; have a parent go with you if you can meet.
 * NEVER respond to messages that are threatening or obscene; tell a parent if you get such online.

__If a Person Becomes Missing__ If you believe someone you know is missing, search the area where the person was last seen, and check with their friends, family, ect. who might know where they are. If you cannot find them, alert the police. Call or go to the local station. You will need to give the police information about the missing person. The information is entered onto a computer, and it then shows up on police computers nation wide. Immediate inquiries are done to try and find the missing person as quickly as possible. Police will normally search the missing person's home for information. You should make personal inquiries and keep in touch with the officers.

__Information for the Missing Person Report__ When you go to tell the police that someone is missing, be prepared to fill out a Missing Persons Report. They normally ask for the following information:
 * complete physical description
 * a list of articles on
 * the person
 * a list of scars, tattoo's, artificial limbs, ect.
 * Places the missing person likes to go
 * health or medical conditions; doctor's name
 * events that could be linked with the diss-appearance
 * description of travel if known (type of car)
 * a list of contacts
 * 3 recent photos

__Cites for Information (Bibliography)__
 * http://www.met.police.uk/missingpersons/
 * http://ncmissingpersons.org/Whattodo.htm
 * http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/Index2.cfm?a=000003,000005,000081,001637

__Can a Leopard truly change its Spots? (B3)__
.....There is a phrase, “A leopard cannot change its spots.” This phrase originally comes from the Bible, __(Jeremiah 13:23__), //“Can the Ethiopiam change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”// This phrase means that a thing can not truly change the natural way that they are, even if they try. .....I believe in this statement. Over the generations, many people have tried and changed their ways. Even if they do succeed at changing on the outside, they will still remain at least partially the same on the inside. A person may appear completely changed for a while, but will eventually have thoughts of going back to their old ways, and may actually do so. .....Jimmy Valentine was a bank robber, and a good one, too. Even after getting out of jail, he went and robbed a bank. After robbing a bank, Ben Price, an investigator said //"That's Dandy Jim Valentine's autograph. He's resumed business. Look at that combination knob--jerked out as easy as pulling up a radish in wet weather. He's got the only clamps that can do it. And look how clean those tumblers were punched out! Jimmy never has to drill but one hole. Yes, I guess I want Mr. Valentine. He'll do his bit next time without any short-time or clemency foolishness."// __(“A Retrieved Reformation"__ [|http://www.readbookonline.net/]readOnLine/1891) .....When Valentine went to a small town, he met a beautiful girl who he fell in love with, and she was the banker's daughter. He forgot all about why he was in town, and 'became' Ralph Spencer. He and the girl get engaged to marry, but the girls niece gets locked in a safe. Ralph Spencer opens the safe to save her, but because he broke into a safe, he transformed back into Jimmy Valentine. He then forgot all about Ralph, and leaves. ..... //“He set his suit-case on the table, and opened it out flat. From that time on he seemed to be unconscious of the presence of any one else. He laid out the shining, queer implements swiftly and orderly, whistling softly to himself as he always did when at work. In a deep silence and immovable, the others watched him as if under a spell... In a minute Jimmy's pet drill was biting smoothly into the steel door. In ten minutes--breaking his own burglarious record--he threw back the bolts and opened the door... Jimmy Valentine put on his coat, and walked outside the railings towards the front door. As he went he thought he heard a far-away voice that he once knew call 'Ralph!' But he never hesitated.”// __(“A Retrieved Reformation”__ __[|http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine]__/1891) .....Though Jimmy Valentine tried to change his spots for a while, he cannot help but go back to his old ways. This is just one example why a leopard cannot change its spots.