Today in Chemistry, fourth period, we were all diligently working on our worksheets. The class was completely silent, a pin could have been heard if dropped, when suddenly a blood-curdling scream rent through the air of peacefulness. Everybodynearly jumped out of their skin, a few gasped and looked around wildly. Everyone was rather concerned for what sounded like the poor girl having her arm hacked off down the hall. The scream was so audible and conveyed a very alarming, intense, and instinctual message telling everyone to immediately run out of the class room and investigate or take cover. The movie Scream couldn't have produced a more original or terrifying scream. Ms. Kraemer, the chemistry teacher, went out into the hall but by that time the girl was probably running for her dear, endangered life. She came back in and told us to shut up and get back to work. Sasha turned to me with his hand pressed to his chest, "H-how-how are people not freaking out right now?! That gave me a heart attack." Even I was more than a little startled and I do not scare easily at all.
It was actually rather hilarious and when my pulse had slowed a bit I wondered whether it couldn't have been a very bored prepubescent high school boy. But the scream was just too genuine. When the period ended and I walked out of the class room I half expected to see a pool of blood down the hall. We were in the science wing so maybe some very vain girl had had something blown up in her face and when she discovered her lack of eyebrows, which she would have paid for to be perfectly sculpted, she just could not handle the shock. The world may never know.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Watertown Historical Society: Essay Contest 2009, First Place Winner
The Charles River: The Heart of Watertown
By Jeffrey Conde
The Charles River has always been the heart of the area that became Watertown, Massachusetts. People living here have depended on the Charles River for thousands of years. The river has been an important source of food and water and was used to transport people and goods. Later the river provided vital power for mills and manufacturing. Life would have been much more difficult without the Charles.
Native American cutting tools found along the banks of the Charles date back to 1600 B.C. and are displayed at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. The Pequossette Tribe lived along the north bank of the river in 1630. They greeted Roger Clapp in May, 1630 when he landed near the site of the present day Perkins School for the Blind. Their exchange of a large Bass for a biscuit is portrayed on the Town of Watertown’s Official Town Seal. (Tougas)
The Charles River was the route for Sir Richard Saltonstall and Reverend George Phillips when they helped to found Watertown as the first inland settlement in Massachusetts in July, 1630. The new colonists treated the Pequossette tribe well and in return the tribe taught the colonists how to plant corn, catch fish, and make shelters. The tribe taught the colonists to dig a hole, plant five seeds of corn, and add a fish for fertilizer. They also showed the colonists how to make a weir to better catch fish. Finally they taught the new arrivals how to bend sticks so that they could be used to build shelters (Hodges).
The river was teeming with fish. The following description is from “Crossroads on the Charles – A History of Watertown, Massachusetts,” by Maud deLeigh Hodges: “Particularly at spawning time, great quantities of bass, salmon, and herring were borne upstream on the tides, many of them pushing their way over the rapids to quiet waters. As many as 100,000 fish could be netted in a day so easily that young boys would wade into the stream and fill buckets of fish.” (Hodges)
Eventually the river provided for many of the needs of the settlers. Thomas Mayhew built America’s first grist mill in 1638 upstream of modern Galen Street. A dam was built and a mill race was dug that diverted water to power the mill. The mill ground Watertown farmer’s corn, wheat, and rye to flour. The river was now helping to provide settlers with fish and flour for food as well as fresh water for irrigation and personal use. Watertown continued to grow along the river during the 1700’s. The Charles allowed easy transportation of goods and people between Watertown and Boston. During the siege of Boston, after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere lived on the south side of the Charles near the rapids and printed currency that paid the Continental soldiers (Watertown).
The river helped Watertown become a leader during the Industrial Age. The river helped power a variety of mills and factories. The Bemis factory was built near Bridge Street and provided the sailcloth that was used on the U.S.S. Constitution during the War of 1812. The famous Crawford Stoves were built by the Walker-Pratt foundry which was located next to the grist mill in Watertown Square. Factories for chocolate, cotton, starch paper, dyes, lace, and shirts all operated on the Charles River in Watertown. There were also factories that manufactured medicine, soap, candles, bobbins, and needles for sewing machines. These mills and factories employed many working class families. The river was now supporting much of Watertown. The farmers relied on the grist mill, the manufacturers relied on the water power, and the workers relied on the factories for employment (Watertown).
The Charles River helped with the defense of America during the Civil War, World War I, and World War 2. President Madison selected the Arsenal site because of its location along the Charles. It was built in 1816 for the storage of munitions. Eventually the Arsenal was expanded and manufactured artillery and other weapons during the World Wars. The Arsenal also performed Materials research until it was finally closed in 1995 (Watertown).
The river attracted “high technology” in late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Sterling Elliot was a brilliant inventor and businessman who lived near the corner of Hunt and Maple Streets in Watertown. He built a tunnel from his house to his bicycle factory on the Charles River below. Mr. Elliot invented the first inflatable bicycle tire. He also invented a four-wheeled pedal vehicle called the Quadricycle. Probably his most famous invention was the steering knuckle which allowed the front wheels of the quadricycle, and later the front wheels of automobiles to turn easily. This invention is still used in cars today! Eventually Elliott sold his factory to the talented twins Francis and Freelan Stanley. The Stanley’s founded the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. They manufactured steam powered automobiles, nicknamed Stanley Steamers, along the Charles from 1897-1917. In 1906 a Stanley Rocket set the world land speed record of 127.7 miles per hour. The Stanley Steamer outsold all gasoline powered automobiles until the Ford Model T finally overtook it (Hodges, 116).
The Lewando’s Dyeing and Cleansing Company began operating along the river in Watertown Square in 1860. Eventually Lewandos became the largest cleaning and dyeing business in the United States. The Lewando’s building still exists and functions as an office building near the Galen Street Bridge (Friends, 45).
All of this industry took a toll on the river. Wastes from the factories were dumped into the river. Eventually fish and wildlife began to die. The people who had gotten so much from the river were not giving back. The river was badly polluted. Some people and organizations like the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) began to call for a cleanup. In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used CRWA studies to begin a clean up that would help restore the Charles to fishable and swim able conditions by 2005. Improvements to wastewater treatment and the elimination of many of the end of pipe discharges have resulted in a large improvement in water quality. According to the “Assessment of Fish Communities and Habitat in the Charles River – Final Report” published by the CRWA in 2003, many fish species are thriving in the river near Watertown. Carp, white suckers, goldfish, pumpkinseeds, banded killifish, tidewater silversides, bluegills, redfin pickerels, largemouth bass, American eel, and redbreast sunfish are all found between the Watertown Dam and the Charles River Dam (Charles). In “The Hidden Charles,” by Mike Tougas, Mr. Tougas states that he sees Blue Herons, mergansers, cormorants, and kingfishers while rowing along the Charles (Tougas). The abundance of fish and birds is encouraging, but we have not met the 2005 goal. Storm water pollution is still a big problem. There is a lot that we can still do to help the Charles.
Presently, the Charles is still helping the people of Watertown. Bike paths allow residents to explore the river and benches allow a scenic picnic. The restoration of the dock area and the founder’s monument will allow Watertown residents to appreciate the beauty of the river while admiring a record of its history. The new Arsenal on the Charles boasts the Arsenal Center for the Arts. The new Community Rowing program will allow residents to enjoy the great river while exercising. Clearly, the Charles provides first class recreational opportunities to everyone in Watertown.
The Charles River was, and always will be, the heart of Watertown. It has helped to feed us, give us water, provide jobs, transport goods, and be a source of recreation and beauty. The history of Watertown is tied to this great river. Glimpses of the past can be seen at the Lewandos building, the Arsenal, and the Bemis Factory. Glimpses of its future can be seen at Community Rowing, the Arsenal Center for the Arts, and the bike paths. Throughout history, the river has been a good friend to the people of Watertown. I can’t imagine Watertown without it.
By Jeffrey Conde
The Charles River has always been the heart of the area that became Watertown, Massachusetts. People living here have depended on the Charles River for thousands of years. The river has been an important source of food and water and was used to transport people and goods. Later the river provided vital power for mills and manufacturing. Life would have been much more difficult without the Charles.
Native American cutting tools found along the banks of the Charles date back to 1600 B.C. and are displayed at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. The Pequossette Tribe lived along the north bank of the river in 1630. They greeted Roger Clapp in May, 1630 when he landed near the site of the present day Perkins School for the Blind. Their exchange of a large Bass for a biscuit is portrayed on the Town of Watertown’s Official Town Seal. (Tougas)
The Charles River was the route for Sir Richard Saltonstall and Reverend George Phillips when they helped to found Watertown as the first inland settlement in Massachusetts in July, 1630. The new colonists treated the Pequossette tribe well and in return the tribe taught the colonists how to plant corn, catch fish, and make shelters. The tribe taught the colonists to dig a hole, plant five seeds of corn, and add a fish for fertilizer. They also showed the colonists how to make a weir to better catch fish. Finally they taught the new arrivals how to bend sticks so that they could be used to build shelters (Hodges).
The river was teeming with fish. The following description is from “Crossroads on the Charles – A History of Watertown, Massachusetts,” by Maud deLeigh Hodges: “Particularly at spawning time, great quantities of bass, salmon, and herring were borne upstream on the tides, many of them pushing their way over the rapids to quiet waters. As many as 100,000 fish could be netted in a day so easily that young boys would wade into the stream and fill buckets of fish.” (Hodges)
Eventually the river provided for many of the needs of the settlers. Thomas Mayhew built America’s first grist mill in 1638 upstream of modern Galen Street. A dam was built and a mill race was dug that diverted water to power the mill. The mill ground Watertown farmer’s corn, wheat, and rye to flour. The river was now helping to provide settlers with fish and flour for food as well as fresh water for irrigation and personal use. Watertown continued to grow along the river during the 1700’s. The Charles allowed easy transportation of goods and people between Watertown and Boston. During the siege of Boston, after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere lived on the south side of the Charles near the rapids and printed currency that paid the Continental soldiers (Watertown).
The river helped Watertown become a leader during the Industrial Age. The river helped power a variety of mills and factories. The Bemis factory was built near Bridge Street and provided the sailcloth that was used on the U.S.S. Constitution during the War of 1812. The famous Crawford Stoves were built by the Walker-Pratt foundry which was located next to the grist mill in Watertown Square. Factories for chocolate, cotton, starch paper, dyes, lace, and shirts all operated on the Charles River in Watertown. There were also factories that manufactured medicine, soap, candles, bobbins, and needles for sewing machines. These mills and factories employed many working class families. The river was now supporting much of Watertown. The farmers relied on the grist mill, the manufacturers relied on the water power, and the workers relied on the factories for employment (Watertown).
The Charles River helped with the defense of America during the Civil War, World War I, and World War 2. President Madison selected the Arsenal site because of its location along the Charles. It was built in 1816 for the storage of munitions. Eventually the Arsenal was expanded and manufactured artillery and other weapons during the World Wars. The Arsenal also performed Materials research until it was finally closed in 1995 (Watertown).
The river attracted “high technology” in late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Sterling Elliot was a brilliant inventor and businessman who lived near the corner of Hunt and Maple Streets in Watertown. He built a tunnel from his house to his bicycle factory on the Charles River below. Mr. Elliot invented the first inflatable bicycle tire. He also invented a four-wheeled pedal vehicle called the Quadricycle. Probably his most famous invention was the steering knuckle which allowed the front wheels of the quadricycle, and later the front wheels of automobiles to turn easily. This invention is still used in cars today! Eventually Elliott sold his factory to the talented twins Francis and Freelan Stanley. The Stanley’s founded the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. They manufactured steam powered automobiles, nicknamed Stanley Steamers, along the Charles from 1897-1917. In 1906 a Stanley Rocket set the world land speed record of 127.7 miles per hour. The Stanley Steamer outsold all gasoline powered automobiles until the Ford Model T finally overtook it (Hodges, 116).
The Lewando’s Dyeing and Cleansing Company began operating along the river in Watertown Square in 1860. Eventually Lewandos became the largest cleaning and dyeing business in the United States. The Lewando’s building still exists and functions as an office building near the Galen Street Bridge (Friends, 45).
All of this industry took a toll on the river. Wastes from the factories were dumped into the river. Eventually fish and wildlife began to die. The people who had gotten so much from the river were not giving back. The river was badly polluted. Some people and organizations like the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) began to call for a cleanup. In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used CRWA studies to begin a clean up that would help restore the Charles to fishable and swim able conditions by 2005. Improvements to wastewater treatment and the elimination of many of the end of pipe discharges have resulted in a large improvement in water quality. According to the “Assessment of Fish Communities and Habitat in the Charles River – Final Report” published by the CRWA in 2003, many fish species are thriving in the river near Watertown. Carp, white suckers, goldfish, pumpkinseeds, banded killifish, tidewater silversides, bluegills, redfin pickerels, largemouth bass, American eel, and redbreast sunfish are all found between the Watertown Dam and the Charles River Dam (Charles). In “The Hidden Charles,” by Mike Tougas, Mr. Tougas states that he sees Blue Herons, mergansers, cormorants, and kingfishers while rowing along the Charles (Tougas). The abundance of fish and birds is encouraging, but we have not met the 2005 goal. Storm water pollution is still a big problem. There is a lot that we can still do to help the Charles.
Presently, the Charles is still helping the people of Watertown. Bike paths allow residents to explore the river and benches allow a scenic picnic. The restoration of the dock area and the founder’s monument will allow Watertown residents to appreciate the beauty of the river while admiring a record of its history. The new Arsenal on the Charles boasts the Arsenal Center for the Arts. The new Community Rowing program will allow residents to enjoy the great river while exercising. Clearly, the Charles provides first class recreational opportunities to everyone in Watertown.
The Charles River was, and always will be, the heart of Watertown. It has helped to feed us, give us water, provide jobs, transport goods, and be a source of recreation and beauty. The history of Watertown is tied to this great river. Glimpses of the past can be seen at the Lewandos building, the Arsenal, and the Bemis Factory. Glimpses of its future can be seen at Community Rowing, the Arsenal Center for the Arts, and the bike paths. Throughout history, the river has been a good friend to the people of Watertown. I can’t imagine Watertown without it.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Conflicts of Holden Caulfield
In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield's struggle with society is important because it basically defines him as the person he is. His life is made up of one conflict after another, and his story gives readers a portrait of American culture at that point in time. Through his eyes readers see prep school life, Manhattan, and his social isolation. Conflict forms the main subject of Holden's words, especially when he contradicts himself because his greatest conflict in inside him.
The first and most important problem is school. He is kicked out of every school his parents have enroll him in and although he seems very intelligent, he never succeeds at anything, which must be very frustrating to his teachers. At Pencey Prep, the school he is expelled from in the beginning of the novel, the only class he didn't fail was English. In another class, Oral Expression, each boy had to get up and make a speech, and if a boy got off topic, the other boys were supposed to yell "Digression!" at him. Holden fails this class and says to Mr. Antolini, one of his former teachers with whom he is close, "That digression business got on my nerves. I don't know. The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It's more interesting and all." p.183. This is a metaphor for Holden's Life, which is one big digression.
Holden is unable to connect with anybody. Apart from his old teacher, Mr. Antolini, who is available to Holden whenever he needs something and is a close family friend, and his little sister, Phoebe, he has no friends. He's easily grossed out by the bodily functions of his roommates and is rather hardhearted when it comes to sympathy. Even though he is sixteen and seems very mature, he finds himself more compatible with children than adults, who he sees as either corny, phony, or both. Holden is a compulsive liar and can't stop himself even when he wants to. "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say the opera. It's terrible." p.16. This keeps him from having to get close to people or open up to them.
Holden is also always arguing with himself, contradicting his own opinions and constantly changing his mind. He'll suddenly be inspired to call someone or do something. But then the more he thinks about doing it, the more nervous he get until the urge leaves him and he'll say "But you have to be in the right mood to do something like that." He experiences this indecision frequently when thinking contacting Jane Gallagher, a crush of his. Holden also talks about being very mature for his age but then never really shows much responsibility and is wistful about childhood and the simplicity and innocence it represents in the novel.
Holden seems to have a lot of difficulty with the unspoken rules of society. Most of he time he criticizes them or disregards them entirely, getting drunk, smoking, and swearing, all of which were things sixteen year-old boys were not supposed to do back then. He also exaggerates quite often, using hyperbole in many of his descriptions.
Holden's life is like an obstacle course, and some of those obstacles he makes for himself. There is a certain amount of tragedy in his life, like the death of his little brother, Allie, the loneliness he feels at many times in the novel, once he even feels like committing suicide. He knows that his parents are disappointed in him but doesn't feel the need to try and gain their approval. He seems to suffer from severe depression, the way he can never seem to enjoy anything or how most things happen to rub him the wrong way. In his story the reader can recognise themselves and their own dissatisfaction with the world around them, and this gives the novel its power.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Youtube Videos
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J-zkO31HFw
This is one of the funniest videos We've ever seen. Be prepared to watch it more than once.
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
"Best 5 seconds on the web," says it all.
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY
Her Morning Elegance ~ Oren Lavie
This is one of the most creative music videos I've ever seen in my life. The feeling it gives me as I watch it is a mixture of satisfaction, contentment, and pride for the artist.
This is one of the funniest videos We've ever seen. Be prepared to watch it more than once.
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
"Best 5 seconds on the web," says it all.
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY
Her Morning Elegance ~ Oren Lavie
This is one of the most creative music videos I've ever seen in my life. The feeling it gives me as I watch it is a mixture of satisfaction, contentment, and pride for the artist.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hi!!!!!
Hey, this is the blog we're starting. You can play with the fish by scrolling your mouse over the tank and the fish will chase it. And you can feed them by clicking - then they all rush at it.
Feel free to send me anything you want to post; links to YouTube videos or interesting things, opinions, news from school, articles, book reviews, gossip, short stories, anything. Just e-mail it to me and I'll put it up here.
Feel free to send me anything you want to post; links to YouTube videos or interesting things, opinions, news from school, articles, book reviews, gossip, short stories, anything. Just e-mail it to me and I'll put it up here.
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