My Cool Blog
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January 22, 2008
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Tom Cruise was on the cover of five major American magazines when his latest movie was released earlier this
summer. It is called “Minority Report.” It is a science−fiction, mystery and action movie. It takes place in the
year 2054. This is a time when special beings can see crimes like murder before they happen. Cruise plays a
policeman who heads a group called Precrime. These police arrest would−be murderers before they can carry
out their crime. Cruise is accused of a future murder and must hide from the other police and solve the mystery
of the crime.
“Minority Report” has become Tom Cruise’s tenth movie out of twenty−four to make 100 million dollars or
more. Like other top actors Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks, Cruise is considered a very safe investment in
Hollywood.
But, he is an investment. Tom Cruise demands about 20 million dollars to star in a film. He also often gets a
percentage of the movie’s profits. Two years ago, Cruise made about 75 million dollars from his movie
“Mission: Impossible Two.”
Tom Cruise has received praise along with big earnings. The National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences nominated him two times for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor. He has won two Golden
Globe awards. People Magazine has included Cruise on its yearly list of the most beautiful people three times.
The magazine also named him the sexiest man alive. And, last year, Forbes magazine named Tom Cruise
number one on its list of the most powerful people in entertainment.
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January 22, 2008
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Eight of the invited countries are in Eastern Europe. Until 1991, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania were part of the
Soviet Union. Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia all had Communist governments.
The E−U also offered membership to Malta and the Greek−ruled part of Cyprus.
The planned expansion would be the largest in the E−U’s history. It would create a community of more than
450 million people in twenty−five countries. The expansion also would create an economy of more than nine
million million dollars. Such an economy would be close to that of the United States.
Intense negotiations took place at the Copenhagen meeting about the financial terms under which new
members will join. Candidates for E−U membership had demanded more aid. Most of them are poorer than
the average country in Western Europe. They also have shorter histories as democracies and had problems
with dishonest governments. Many people in the invited countries did not fully support efforts to join the E−U.
Poland is the largest of the ten candidate countries. It had threatened to sabotage the expansion plans if it did
not receive more aid. The agreement calls for the E−U to provide more than forty thousand million dollars in
aid to the new members.
The expansion is planned for May, 2004. But first, citizens in each candidate country must approve E−U
membership in a series of votes expected next year.
E−U members had hoped that a United Nations−negotiated agreement to end the division of Cyprus would be
signed during the Copenhagen meeting. Cyprus has been divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since
1974.
The E−U offered membership to the southern, Greek side of Cyprus. The Turkish north could enter later if it
agrees on terms to end the island’s division. Now, only the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot
government will receive E−U membership.
In another development, Turkey accepted an E−U decision to delay considering its membership until
December, 2004, at the earliest. E−U leaders said Turkey must make the political and human rights reforms
necessary to begin talks about membership.
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January 22, 2008
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ELECTION DAY
The decision to hold elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November was made by lawmakers
many years ago. It involved the general and permanent laws of the United States. They are listed and kept in a
group of books known as the United States Code. The Code is prepared and published by a legal office of the
House of Representatives.
In 1845, the code established that presidential electors would be appointed on the Tuesday after the first
Monday in November every fourth year. In 1875, it established the date for electing members to the House of
Representatives in every even−numbered year.
In 1914, it established the date and the time for electing members to the Senate.
The lawmakers chose early November because most Americans at that time lived on farms. They thought
November was the best time for farmers and other workers to be able to travel to voting places. Their harvest
was finished and the weather was still good enough in most of the country to permit such travel.
The lawmakers chose Tuesdays because most of the people had to travel long distances to voting places.
Monday was not considered a good day for an election. It would have forced people to begin their trips on
Sunday, the day many people attended church services.
The Federal Election Commission says lawmakers chose the Tuesday after the first Monday because they
wanted to prevent Election Day from falling on the first of November. There were two reasons for this.
November first is All Saints Day, a holy day for Roman Catholics. Also, most business owners worked on their
financial records on the first day of each month.
The Federal Election Commission says Congress was worried that the economic success or failure of the earlier
month could influence those votes.
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January 22, 2008
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Harry Potter is no ordinary boy. He's a wizard−in−training at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. Imagine taking classes in spells and potions, and learning to use a cauldron and wand instead of
spending time in math and reading class.
We first meet 11−year−old Harry in HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, J.K. Rowling's
debut novel. So many people fell in love with this magical adventure that it won just about every children's
book prize in England (where it was first published) in 1997 and 1998 and won a ton of fans here in the United
States as well.
The second book about Harry, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, followed in the first
book's footsteps. It has been a smash success since it came out in June 1999.
As you probably guessed, Harry's third year at Hogwarts proved to be a charm, as well. Book 3, HARRY
POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, hit bookstores on September 8, 1999 and immediately
became a giant hit.
The fourth book about Harry, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, was released simultaneously
in Britain and the U.S. at exactly midnight on July 8th, 2000. The event made news around the globe, and here
in the U.S., the book's publisher, Scholastic, released 3.8 million copies of the book on that day, and quickly
decided to print 3 million.
As part of the July 8th hoopla, bookstores threw Harry Potter parties and kids and their parents stayed up late
to wait in line to purchase copies. Amazing stuff! And those of you who have read know that at 734 pages, Book
4 is the longest (and scariest) Harry book yet.
According to Scholastic, there are more than 48.6 million copies of the Harry Potter books in print here in the
U.S. (this includes all four hardcovers and the paperback editions of HARRY POTTER AND THE
SORCERER'S STONE and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS). Even grown−ups love
Harry! With so many readers, the books have been on bestseller lists across the country for many months.Now,
THAT's really wild about Harry.
J.K. Rowling plans to write seven books in the series. She has begun work on Book 5, but there is no telling
when she will finish it. She has said in interviews that the new book, most likely called HARRY POTTER AND
THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, will be "done when it's done." While you're waiting, you can explore two
short companion books Rowling has written and illustrated: FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND
THEM and QUIDDITCH THROUGH THE AGES. You'll recognize these as books that Harry and his friends
talk about at Hogwarts. These special volumes were published on March 12, 2001 with the proceeds going to
the Harry's Books fund, a charity that helps children in need around the world.
A Harry Potter feature film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, was also released on November 16, 2001.
The movie, produced by Warner Bros., was directed by Chris Columbus, who directed MRS. DOUBTFIRE.
With super book sales and a bigtime movie in the works, could licensed merchandise be far behind? Not a
chance. Starting in August 2000, Mattel began releasing a line of toys based on the Harry Potter books. Hasbro
produced Harry Potter trading cards, electronic toys and candy products.
All in all, Harry is continuing to work magic in ways no one could have ever imagined.
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January 22, 2008
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Uncle Sam is a fun name for the United States government. The drawing of a man called Uncle Sam is used to
represent the federal government on large signs called posters. His name, Uncle Sam, uses the same first letters as
the words United States: a "U" and an "S".
History experts are not really sure how Uncle Sam was created or how he was named. However, some say the name
was first used on supply containers during the War of 1812.
People in the northeastern city of Troy, New York think they know the true story. They say that Uncle Sam was a
person named Samuel Wilson. Many people in Troy believe that Mister Wilson is linked to the first use of the term
"Uncle Sam" to represent the United States.
This is their story:
Samuel Wilson worked as a meat packer in Troy during the War of 1812. He often was called Uncle Sam because
he was so friendly and fair. Mister Wilson supplied large amounts of meat to the Army. The meat was sent to the
troops in rounded wooden containers. The barrels were marked with the letters "U S" to show they were meant for
the government. Someone suggested that the letters represented "Uncle Sam" Wilson. The idea that the meat came
from "Uncle Sam" led to the idea that Uncle Sam represented the federal government.
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