Eric's Blog

How do you change font and size of text? Uncle Ted, I couldn't open the html guide that you made. Waht does it run on?

Posted by Rico at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yesterday, Dad, David and I went to see Ocean's 12. I really enjoyed the first. And thought it would be good. The movie is very simalar to the first in terms of intellegence and twists. The end is great and there are some really funny parts. The all-star cast is just as good as in the first. I highly reccomend it. On a scale from one to ten, I'd give it an 8.

Posted by Rico at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've updated the page=>

Here's all the code that I have written so far. I've been using everything as an example for future refrence

This is the heading

This is the first paragraph

this is the second paragraph

• This
• is
• a
• unnumbered
• list

1. this
2. is
3. a
4. ordered
5. list

-this

is a defined list

-this

is a defined list

• This is a nested list:
  • it
  • has
  • these

This is a lengthly quote that must be put in block quote form. It's not really that lengthy.

--Eric Ettensohn

This
text
is
broken

below is a thin horozantial rule

This paragraph is centered

below is a thick horizantal rule

SOME Logical TAGS:

DFN

stands for definition. It makes text in italics.

EM

stands for emphisis. It puts text in italics

CITE

It puts text in italics

CODE

puts text in fixed width font

KBD

stands for keyboard. puts text in fixed width font

SAMP

Puts text in fixed width font

STRONG

puts text in bold

VAR

stands for variable. displays in italics.

---

SOME Physical TAGS:

B

makes text bold

I

makes text in italics

TT

makes text in typewriter, or fixed width font

This is a link to a word document

This is a link to the top of the page




This is a link to email me

Below is a image hosted on the web

Now the picture includes a link to the top of the page

Posted by Rico at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I've been wanting to learn Html for a while. Does anyone know a good site with a tutorial that would help?

Posted by Rico at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Today we played Lakeland Christian Acadamy. This team was annoyingly good last year, but that was the old team. The tempature most likely peaked at 55 degrees and reached 45 with the wind chill. Several players began to collapse and one had to be removed on a strecher.

Just kidding. Anyway, it was REALLY COLD. At the end of the 4th it was tied 21-21. We ended up getting 4 consecutive baskets and winning in over time. Yesterday we played Discovery Acadamey and won by a huge margin. I had an orthodontist appointment.

Current record: 3-0

Posted by Rico at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The grades have been tallied and here they are:

Research Paper: 97% (english grade) 91% (science grade)

Log Book: 90%

Backboard/ Presentation: 91%

We weren't really supposed to know our back board grade but I hapened to be eh hem, walking by my teacher's desk and spied the grade.

Posted by Rico at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Lakeland's lows have begun to come close to freezing. Brrrr!!

Today

Dec 13 Mostly Sunny 75??/51?? 0 %

Tue
Dec 14 Mostly Sunny 60??/37?? 0 %

Wed
Dec 15 Sunny 59??/43?? 0 %

Thu
Dec 16 Partly Cloudy 66??/49?? 0 %

Fri
Dec 17 Partly Cloudy 69??/47?? 0 %
Sat

Dec 18 Partly Cloudy 68??/48?? 10 %
Sun

Dec 19 Few Showers 68??/54?? 30 %
Mon

Dec 20 Partly Cloudy 70??/51?? 20 %
Tue

Dec 21 Partly Cloudy 73??/49?? 10 %
Wed

Dec 22 Partly Cloudy 68??/53?? 0

Posted by Rico at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Read my I am the Cheese book report =>

Eric Ettensohn

Mrs. Haley

Literature 8B-2-9

December 8, 2004

I am the Cheese, Eric's Book Report
This story is taken from two perspectives: that of Adam Farmer as he rides his bike through New England, and the tapes of him being interviewed at a different time that come between Adam's narration of his bike trip.

There are several settings in the story, but all seem to be around present day. The first setting is in the town of Monument, Massachusetts, the other from Adam's perspective is the roads of New England as he travels to Rutterberg, Vermont. The third is the interview room where Adam is being questioned.

The main character is Adam Farmer. He is paranoid and fearful, with good reason. Adam grows close to his parents when he is told the truth about their family. Unlike most teens, Adam is not unsure about his identity because of his simply being a teen; he has two identities, the other being Paul Delmonte. Adam, as the last line of the book says, is alone.

The story begins as Adam rides his bicycle away from Monument heading for Rutterburg carrying a package for his father. He is riding an old bike, but he says that he wanted to ride it rather than take the bus that he had enough money for.

In this tape, Adam has his first interview with a man named Brint. Brint is unkind and is always prying for answers from Adam. He asks Adam about his first memory. Adam describes a night in which his parents had a hushed discussion about him, and then leaving his house in a bus for a new home. Adam becomes nervous and Brint allows him to return to his room.

Adam reaches a gas station and stops for directions. An old man at the pump tells him that the trip will be about 70 miles. Adam plans to stay at a motel in Belton Falls. After saying good-bye to the old man, Adam sets out again.

He sings the Farmer in the Dell as he pedals along. His dad would sing him the song, telling him it was written just for them. As he pushes up a hill, a German Shepard stands in the road, barking at him. It bites his tire, and the bike threatens to lose balance, but the dog is distracted by an oncoming car. Adam arrives in the town of Fairfield.

In the next tape, Adam talks about his girlfriend, Amy. He recalls a day when one of Amy's Parent's friends had visited her house. He had said he was from Rawlings, Adam's old town. When Amy mentioned the Farmers, the man said he didn't remember a farmer family. Adam lied and said that the family had only lived there a few months. Adam didn't know why he had to lie, and it bothers him.

Brint pushes for Adam to tell him more, and Adam recalls another day. He had wanted to find his birth certificate, and the only place it could be was in the locked dooor of his father's desk. He had unlocked it and found his birth certificate, but he also found another certificate. It was a duplicate, except that it had the wrong birthday.

This pushes Adam to press further for answers. He overhears a phone conversation in which the woman his mother is talking to refers to Adam as her nephew. Now he know his parents are hiding something.

Adam arrives in Fairfield and stops at a diner to eat. A boy named Whipper and his lackeys attempts to provoke Adam, but Adam quickly leaves. He places a phone call to Amy, but a man answers, saying Adam has the wrong number. Adam sees Whipper and friends approaching, and pedals away.

Adam and Brint discuss someone Adam calls the gray man. He says that the man would make frequent stops to the Farmer home.

While pedaling along, a car approaches Adam from behind. It is Whipper and his friends. The car zips past Adam, making the bike wobble. The car returns, this time knocking Adam into a ditch alongside the road. When Adam comes to, he is greeted by a kind old man. The man gives Adam a lift to Belton Falls.

Adam remembers who the gray man was. This helps him to recall a conversation he had with his father revealing what they had been hiding.

His father's real name was Anthony Delmonte, he was a small town reporter in New York. While doing a story in the state capital, he had uncovered some documents that told of a conspiracy in the government. He testified in the senate, and was given protection by the government.

While Adam's father was hiding in different places he had two murder attempts. He knew that he was not safe. The man Adam's father called Grey was a leader in a witness re-identification program. Adam's father joined the program, and everything changed. The family was reported killed in a car crash. They were given new names, the Farmers, and moved to a new town in the Northeast.

Adam leaves the elderly man who dropped him off and heads for a drugstore. He buys some aspirin and returns to find that his bike is gone. He panics and runs down an allyway in hopes of finding it there. All he finds is an overweight man. The man plays with Adam until he tells him that Junior Varney, a boy that lives across the street, stole the bike. Adam confronts the boy. Varney says that he had bought the bike that day, but Adam quickly dismisses that and grabs the bike. The pull on it until Adam falls. Varney tries to run, but Adam trips him and grabs the bike. He pedals away.

Adam reaches a deserted motel. He thinks that he had stayed there previously. He calls Amy again, but is connected to the same man. The man says he had that number for three years. Adam asks a pump attendant at a gas station across the street how long the motel had been closed, and he says that it had been that way for a few years.

The climax comes when Adam discusses with Brint a road trip his family took. Mr. Grey had reports that the family's identification may have been discovered. He recommends that they take a trip. While driving, the family notices a car following them. They stop and see that it is only Grey's men following them.

As they drive along, they encounter a beautiful view, and stop to admire it. Suddenly, a car drives straight into them. Adam's mother is killed instantly, and adam is knocked to the ground. As he slips out of consciousness, Adam hears three men pursue his father into the woods, while a tall man in gray pants orders some men to take Adam, as he might be useful. Brint says something to Adam, but he is silent.

The resolution comes Adam finally reaches his destination. He suddenly becomes forgetful and child-like. He meets a doctor and walks with him to the hospital. He says he didn't take his pills, but the doctor isn't worried. Adam looks at the gates to the hospital, hoping he may leave one day. As they walk, Adam sees many people reminiscent of those he met on his pretend bike ride to Rutterburg. Adam asks the doctor if his father is dead, and the doctor gives him a sad face. He says something to Adam as he unwraps the package he had, containing Adam's stuffed toy, Pokey the Pig. The doctor calls Adam Paul, and he wonders who that is. Adam wonders who he is, and then remembers his song. He recalls the last line??

The Cheese stands alone,

The Cheese stands alone,

High-ho a Merry-o,

The Cheese stands alone.

Adam knows who he is. He thinks, 'I am the Cheese' (210).

I believe the author's purpose of writing this book was to show the corruptness of the government. The book shows that when Adam's father divulges information, he is immediately attempted to be killed. When he confides in the government to take care of his family, they ultimately kill him, his wife, and capture his son in an attempt to find more information or silence him.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed some of the content, but the government conspiracy thing was kind of over the top. Another thing I disliked was that the book ended with all the main characters being killed or mentally insane. I usually like books to end on a high note.

Posted by Rico at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

At at the RC of S we have a long and grueling process that must people would call "Science Fair." Read about my expereince =>

I have just completed my 3rd and final year, David his 1st. Although to the vast majority of schools in our district and elsewhere, the "Science Fair" is voluntary, our school insists on making it madatory for all middle school students. You must understand, the ISEF "Science Fair" is not just a volcano that someone shows to a judge, it is a completly guidelined and paperworked event that involves months of hard work and dedication. This all adds up to about 75% of our first semester "science class" grade. You must follow strict guidelines created by some people we will never know. This is an unbelivebely huge amount of work. First you must fill out about 20 pages of paperwork and get it approved by some "Doctor" and our principal. My project was to identify if bottled water has better quality then other water. After making up an idea, I have to type up about 7 different pages and have my principal and the "Doctor" apprive those too. After a couple of weeks (made even worse by the Hurricanes) we are able to start experimenting. I took water samples from diffrent sources and brought them to the local pool supply store. Them pool guy tested all the water and printed the results on some nice little test sheets. This was very simple, yet yielded good results.

Graph 1

Graph 2

Graph 3

Graph 4

Graph 5

Graph 6

Key:
1. Unfiltered City
2. Filtered City
3. Filtered County*
4. Filtered City*
5. Private Well
6. Bottled

*Water Fountain

As you can see, the bottled water does NOT preform exexptionaly better as I expected. The iron levels on graph 5 may be incorrect, though. I used Publix bottled spring water. Anyway, that was the end of experimentation. Next I had to write a 1000 word Research paper on water contamanants. I also had to keep a detailed log book on the project. Next, I had to create a backboard. You must follow EXTREMLY strict guidelines on this. We went and bought an X-acto display board from staples for the backboard. Mosy people use these, but some highly dedicated "nerds" created 6 foot tall wooden moster backboards (The fuuny thing is when the don't win). We had to have our Problem, Hypothisis, Abstract, Procedures, Materials, and conclusion (in that order) on both sides. In the middle we have a title and any pictures and graphs we might have.

the graphs are already posted, but here are those things in order:

Title
How Pure is our Water Supply?

Problem
What is the Effect of Impurities on the Water Supply compared to bottled water?

Hypothisis
If bottled water is tested for impurities against other water it will have a lower amount of impurities.

Abstract
The purpose of this project was to determine if the quality of bottled water is better than that of other water samples. It was hypothesized that the quality of bottled water would be better than that of other waters tested. First, water samples were taken from selected sources. The sources were: city tap water from home, water fountain from school, county water from a water fountain in wal-mart, well water, and Publix bottled spring water. All of these samples were brought to a pool supply store and tested through a variety of tests. The samples were tested for total chlorine, pH level, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and total dissolved solids. Samples 5 and 6 (well and bottled water) were both tested for iron levels. All tests were recorded in parts per million. The results were all recorded and compared. Samples 1, 2, 3, and 4 were all within set parameters for water quality, showing similar results. The only notable difference in these tests was the high dissolved solids content (400 ppm) in the unfiltered tap water. Samples 5 and 6 however, both had high iron levels, 2 ppm above standard for drinking water. This was not enough to cause a health risk.

Materials
6 237mL (8 Oz) containers
1 sample of city water from home tap
1 sample of city water through home filter
1 sample of city water through water fountain filter
1 sample of county water through water fountain filter
1 sample of well water
1 sample of Publix bottled spring water
1 Taylor water test kit

Procedures
1. Collect water sample from home sink
2. Collect water sample from home filtered tap
3. Collect water sample from school water fountain
4. Collect water sample from Super Wal-mart
5. Collect water sample from a private well
6. Collect water sample from Publix bottle spring water
7. Bring samples to pinch-a-penny and test them using Taylor water test kit.
8. Test for Chlorine level
9. Test for pH level
10. Test for Alkalinity level
11. Test for Calcium Hardness
12. Test for Iron in samples five and six
13. Test for Dissolved Solids levels
14. Compare the results and determine how pure the water is.
15. Compare this to the pureness of bottled water.
16. Come to a conclusion.

Conclusion
It was concluded that the data collected did not support the hypothesis. The data collected showed that there was not a significant difference in the quality of bottled water and other drinking water. All of the samples collected were within set parameters for water quality in all of the categories tested. The only samples that had any levels higher than normal were the iron levels in samples five and six. Both of these samples had .5 ppm iron, .2 ppm higher than parameters for drinking water. There was no significant health risk caused by the iron.
Samples three and four were both from water fountains. Water fountains have filters, so the samples were not accurate representations of city and county water. The samples do, however, show how water fountains can purify water. Another project could show how well the water is purified by water fountains by comparing purity between actual city and county water and the water fountain water.
This information could be used by anyone wanting to know if bottled water is better than tap or filtered water. It could help to make a decision whether or not to buy bottled water.

I pasted all the things on some colorful construction paper and pasted that to the board. I happen to be very proud of myself because I did most of this by myself.

Now, on to the fair. About 200 other kids and I filed into our parish hall at 5:00 last tuesday. We had already set our boards up and just had to sit down and bring out our research paper and logbook. I was in the Chemistry catagory along with about 20 others. Judges roamed the ailsleways questioning the nervous kids about their projects. After about an hour, my judge came. Lucky me, she was a nun. She questioned me on diffrent aspects of my project and looked at my data, hard calculations, and conclusions. She thanked me and wrote some numbers on a paper. This was the end of my "Science fair" participation that night. After 2 more hours everyone was dismissed except for the Regional Fair contenders. I obviously didn't make the cut, and wasn't one of the lucky 13 going to regional. I guess the judge liked my project, because today at the "Science Fair" awards assembly I was announced to be the 3rd place winner in Chemistry. Thats the best I've ever gotten. I came out pretty satified. I recieved a 95% on my Research Paper and a 90% on my log book. I definitly had one of the only projects that made any sense. I was using the project to find out if bottled water was any better. Its better then "What is the effect of vitamen A on the regenaration rate of planaria?" or "What is the effect of salininty on water's freezing point?" (someone always does that one). Well, that just about sums up my science fair. by the off chance that you want to read my reaserch paper, then here it is:

Eric Ettensohn
Mr. Jones
Science
11/3/04

Many people believe that bottled water is safer then tap water, but is this necessarily true? According to the EPA, bottled water can be more, less, or the same in terms of safety. Most tap water is completely safe to drink, and is similar to bottled water, but has the presence of minute chemicals and contaminants. Most of these have no effect on health because they come in small amounts.
Chemicals such as chlorine and chloramines are used in drinking water to kill germs such as Guardia and E coli. Chlorine is essentially bleach. It can create many dangerous by-products such as bromate and trihalomethanes, which can increase the risk of cancer and cause liver and kidney problems. Chlorine helps destroy microbes and bacteria that can cause health risk.
Another problem contaminant is sulfur. Sulfates and hydrogen sulfide are both common nuisance contaminants. Although neither is usually a significant health hazard, sulfates can have a temporary laxative effect on humans and young livestock. Sulfates also may clog plumbing and stain clothing. Treatment options depend on the form and quantities in which sulfates and/or hydrogen sulfide occur in untreated water. Small quantities of sulfate may be removed from water using distillation or reverse osmosis, while large quantities may be removed using ion exchange treatment.
Bacterial contamination can become present in water from feces of humans and animals. Floodwater can be a good breeding place for bacteria. Coliform bacteria may not cause disease, but can be indicators of pathogenic organisms that cause diseases. These pathogenic agents can cause intestinal infections, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid fever, cholera and other illnesses. Some of these diseases are very rarely encountered in the U.S.
Small quantities of lead can be a serious health concern, especially for children. It rarely forms naturally in drinking water; most lead contamination takes place at some point in the water delivery system. This occurs as a result of corrosion, the reaction between the water and lead in parts of the water delivery system. Materials in the water delivery system which may contain lead include service connections, pipes, solder and brass fixtures. It is mostly a problem in older houses. Lead accumulates in the body until it reaches toxic levels. Excess lead in the human body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system and red blood cells. The risk of lead poisoning from drinking water is low.
Nitrate Nitrogen contaminates drinking water when fertilizer runoff enters the water supply. The primary health hazard from drinking water with nitrate-nitrogen occurs when bacteria in the digestive system transforms nitrate to nitrite. The nitrite oxidizes iron in the hemoglobin of red blood cells to form methemoglobin, which lacks the oxygen-carrying ability of hemoglobin. This creates the condition known as methemoglobinemia, in which blood lacks the ability to carry sufficient oxygen to the individual body cells. A potential cancer risk from nitrate (and nitrite) in water and food has been reported. A possibility exists that nitrate can react with amines or amides in the body to form nitrosamine which is known to cause cancer. Nitrate must be converted to nitrite before nitrosamine can be formed. The magnitude of the cancer risk from nitrate in drinking water is not known.
Copper can enter the water supply in the same way as lead. Corroded copper pipes can allow copper to form in drinking water. Although copper is an essential micronutrient and is required by the body in very small amounts, excess copper in the human body can cause stomach and intestinal distress such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Options include removing the copper source, managing the water used for drinking and cooking by flushing water with high copper concentrations from the system, using water treatment equipment or using an alternative water source. s water moves through soil and rock, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solution. Calcium and magnesium dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water "hard." The degree of hardness becomes greater as the calcium and magnesium content increases. Hard Water is not a health hazard, it can be helpful to providing nutrients to the body. Water can be made 'soft' with common water softener kits.
All these contaminants can be found in tap water, but none of them make tap water unsafe to drink. Bottled water lacks the presence of chlorine, iron, manganese, and other dissolved substances. Bottled water can come from a variety of sources including groundwater from a well, water from a protected spring, or water from a public water supply. Groundwater comes from an aquifer, an underground zone of saturated sand, gravel, or rock that yields significant quantities of water. In most cases a well is drilled in the ground and cased, and the water is pumped out. Spring water flows naturally to the surface from an underground formation. The source of water for a public water supply can be groundwater, surface water, or a combination. Bottled water from all of the sources mentioned above is used to replace tap water.
The decision to use bottled water or tap water is often one of preference. Allowable maximum levels for potentially harmful contaminants are enforced for public water supplies, imported bottled water, and domestic bottled water sold through interstate commerce.

Posted by Rico at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yesterday I came home to rumors of us getting a new dog. Mom had been looking at a Welsh Corgi Today we we were picked up, Mom asked us how interested we were, and we all agreed that we would like a new dog. When we got home, whadaya know, theres a welsh corgi sitting in a cage near the door. We've decided to name him Radar because of his big ears. so far Jake and him have gotten along well, exept when Radar gets near mom. He's only 4 months old and has spent his entire life in a cage. Everything is very confusing for him. He threw up because Mom may have given him too much food.
look at the pictures!! =>

and here are the pictures you've all been waiting for...

Posted by Rico at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Resurrection Catholic basketball team played it's first game today. We did O.K. and won 34-25. The team we played was probably the worst team in the league, so it wasnt a big surprise. We played in a pre-season tournament last weekend, and Dad got a few pictures. view pics =>

I did some of this:

But a lot of this:

oh, and we lost both games on saturday.

Posted by Rico at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)