English 4 Summer Assignments

Advanced Comp. Summer Assignments

AP Language Summer Assignments

English 3 Honors Summer Assignments

English 2 Honors Summer Assignments

The College Board (the people who make the SAT) also have some book recommendations for you.

No, I’m not a “The Who” fan, but I am a CSI fan. CSI, for those of you who don’t watch one of the most popular shows on television, stands for Crime Scene Investigation. The show and it’s two by-products, CSI: NY and CSI: Miami, follow the work of a team of investigators as they probe through messy crime scenes, often murders, to find the culprit.

If you were to just watch the T.V. show you would probably think that the crime scene business was a highly glamorous gig, but you would be wrong. Unlike the T.V. shows where the technology is mind-blowing and the lives of the detectives are more dramatic than the actual crime scene, the real CSI’s live a seemingly normal life.

To compare the real CSI to the T.V. version of CSI, I went to the Crime Lab in Aiken. Not sure what to expect, I was quite surprised at what I found. The Crime Lab was about as big as a walk-in closet. In fact my mentor for the day, Detective Royster, told me that the room was used as a dark-room before the police department went digital. On the counters was a bunch of black fingerprinting dust, but that was about it for that room. The room next to it held chemicals and a place to lift finger prints. There was no huge lab, no hi-tech testing, and no guys or girls in designer clothing.

My day at the Crime Lab also included a tour of the truck that Detective Royster takes out to a crime scene. The truck included the same things that were in the lab. Detective Royster said that “pretty much anything I can do in the lab I can do here.”

As the day went along, I watched as Detective Royster got tips on burglaries, which he said makes up the most of his cases, and talking to a victim of assault. He said that in our area he gets “about two homicides a year.” I actually was able to see crime scene photos of one of the latest solved homicide. I also got to hear some of the crazy things that he sees, including a dog getting baked in an oven by a burglar.

When I asked him about his work in relation the show’s work he said that he “hates the crime scene shows, they make it hard on us because we have to explain to jurors that what they see on T.V. isn’t real.” He said that unlike the shows the people in the crime lab are not the same people that go out to arrest the criminal.

One of the bigger differences that I found was that DNA and finger prints are not what the shows make them out to be. If you watch CSI you will see that the detectives get DNA and fingerprint results back in a matter of minutes. Detective Royster said that if he gets a DNA sample that has to be rushed he might get it back in “ two or three weeks, and that’s if it is rushed. If it’s not rushed it could take two or three years.”

When it comes to fingerprints it’s not much better. “It’s hard to get a good finger print, most of the time we just get smudges” he says. However, if they are lucky enough to get a good print they run it through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS. The CSIs use this system in their shows, but unlike the shows, when you run a print through AFIS you get 15 possible matches then you have to pull their ten-print fingerprint card to hand compare them.

While most things are completely different from the shows, there are some things that are similar. For instance the T.V. show CSIs use Luminal to pick up blood just like the real CSIs do. Also both use alternate light sources to pick up body fluids.

One of the most interesting things that occurred in my day was getting to test marijuana. When a police officer picks up weed they must have it tested so that they can present the scientific results in court. Detective Royster weighed the “green plant substance,” looked at it under a microscope for signs of THC, and put chemicals on it that turned it purple.

So to conclude, the T.V version of CSI is not really anything like the real CSI. The technology and the speed of things is greatly increased by the media. While there were many huge differences, the main and most important one was that the real CSIs solve actual crimes that are affecting actual people. I owe a great day to Detective Royster, Captain Scott, and the rest of the Aiken Crime Scene Lab.

Lebron James Departure?
Truth is, nobody knows where Lebron James is going to end up. Not even Lebron James. One of his former coaches says he has an idea of what is to come.

Red Dead Redemption
Think about Grand Theft Auto, you had some fun memories there right? Well, think about a Grand Theft Auto-style game set in the Wild West. That is Red Dead Redemption, and you should be excited about it.

Chef as Murderer-For-Hire
Just look at the first few sentences of this article: “A former Food Network chef accused of a murder-for-hire plot was “very meticulous,” but also “very cheap,” according to one of the three homeless men involved.” According to ONE of the THREE HOMELESS MEN involved. I’m not sure what to believe, but this article is pretty crazy.

Elena Kegan
No one can seem to figure out her views on abortion.

Karma Laundrette
This is yet another quirky blog that features a blend of serious rhetoric and fun fandom.

First Muslim Woman Minister in UK
CNN reports a milestone in the United Kingdom: the first female government official who openly identifies as a follower of Islam.

Plastic Surgery
Plastic Surery gone to the crime scene

And then There Were Three
The last three American Idol Finalists

2010’s Best Illusions
The title should explain itself.

Tyra pretends to have rabies on her show. And she is extremely upset when noone comes to help her.

When were you born?

People are demanding to see Obama’s birth certificate. Some people are having a heated debate about seeing it.

Gamecock’s In Good Position
Although the gamecocks lost their first SEC series against Kentucky, Coach Ray Tanner says they are in a good position.

Perfect Game
Nobody’s perfect? What about A’s pitcher Dallas Braden?

Underwater Kites?
Minesto is developing a type of “underwater kite” that will capture the energy of changing tides to power turbines.

Sparknotes’ Guide to Graduation
Sparknotes writer, Dan Bergstein, has compiled this list to Do’s and Don’ts that will help turn any graduation into an amazing adventure…sort of.

Twilight Saga: Eclipse Movie Preview
Alright Twilight fans, yet another awesome, thrilling movie is soon to make its premier in theaters June 30th. Check out the trailer!

Chinese Teaching America
The people in China have recently become passionate about teaching the world their language along with their culture. Chinese volunteers are coming over for about three years each to teach in various public schools.

Iron Man Blasts the Box Office
Iron Man 2 destroys the box office, and people say that it’s pretty great.

3D Coming to Video Games
Due to the success of the 3D movies that have been coming out, many video game companies are experimenting with the tech, including 3D DS’s.

Mac Forum
The ultimate source for your Mac.

Father sought for burning daughter
Local daughter claims her father set her on fire.

Obama Picks Supreme Court Nominee
Obama picks the first Supreme Court Nominee not to have experience in the court room in 38 years. In fact Elena Kagan, the nominee, has never judged a case in her entire life.

Killings Across Iraq Clain 84 Lifes
Brash killing across Iraq bring the death toll up.

Fishing Knots
An index of fishing knots

3 men charged with burning a man
Title explains itself

Awesome outdoor site
again self explanatory

Lauren’s Links
Cow Stuck on Roof after Tennessee Flood
The title says it all.
How To make Healthy Tuna Tacos!
Here’s a recipe on how to make healthy tuna tacos!
Mike’s Links
Florida State Senator filmed watching porn during a debateA Florida Senator was watching porn during a session of state legislature.
The Libertarian Party.
Smaller Government, Less Taxes, More Freedom. Best Political Party EVAR.

Dorianisms!
This is a blog by a pleasant Canadian youngster who blogs about activism and college life.

Lost Finale Gets Extra Half-Hour
Although it was originally slated to be a two-hour event, Lost’s series finale on May 23rd is now getting an extra thirty minutes to wrap up the sci-fi show.

UVA Lacrosse Player Murdered… by another UVA Lacrosse Player
UVA Senior Lacrosse player Yeardley Love was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and also UVA lacrosse player, George Huguely.

Really? You don’t understand the word German?
Teen pop star Justin Bieber admits he doesn’t understand German… not the language, but the word itself.

xkcd
The only webcomic where an advanced math degree will help you understand the jokes. However for the rest of us there’s still humor to be found in the “sarcasm, romance, and language”.

Brantley Gilbert (:
An amazing, new country artist. This is his new video “Kick It In The Sticks”

Afghanistan Goes Gaga… haha
A group of men from the US got bored so they did their own version on “Telephone” by Lady Gaga

A Box to Contain the Oil

BP is creating a a giant box to contain the oil spill that they have caused. Hope they didn’t steal the boxes from the Out of the Box kids. (lol )

Most Notorious Women

A list of women that committed the most insane murders.

K’naan Is Cooler Than You
A tiny desk concert, by K’naan and company, from the producers of All Songs Considered! I wish I could be that desk.

In the Words of Mr. Bill…”OOOOOHHHH NOOOOOOOO!!!”
That stupid volcano in Iceland has erupted again. I hope you weren’t planning to fly to Europe anytime soon.

Climate Connections: A Global Journey
This interactive globe displays the effects global warming has on various locations around the world.

5,113 Nuclear Warheads on the Wall?
Apparently so. And that’s a 75% decrease since 1989.

Smartphones become the main source of TV
We all know that technology makes new advancements everyday, but was the television expected to be taken over by cell phones?

Blackberry Addicts

Crackberry offers forums with solutions to your many questions about your blackberry and free ringtone downloads.

Augusta Census Count Falls

Augusta could loose thousands for being undercounted.

Deadly Storm Ruins Trip
NAHS FBLA is preparing to travel to Nashville for their NLC, but a series of severe storms are killing many people. Will there be any people there by the time they arrive?

The Color of Defacation
We all know its brown, but why?

If the Time Square Bomb Had Detonated Then…

A blog that answers the question “What would have happened had the Times Square Bomb Detonated?”

Top 5 Ways to Improve Your AP Scores

AP Exams are hard. Make them less hard with this guide. They actually tell you to eat chocolate.

Smart Dust! It’s Not a Drug!
Apparently, this smart dust will be able to monitor EVERYTHING. They would act like electronic nerve endings for the planet.

Freddy Krueger Kills, At the Box Office!
Creeping back from the 80’s Krueger is back with a brand new bag of nightmares. Just this release weekend it made over $32 Million, making it an instant box office hit!

National Day of Prayer

This is the website for the Nationl Day of Prayer, which was ruled unconstitutional earlier last week. Which is pretty stupid, because this will be the fifty-sixth year its observed.

Pretty Cool Pocket Protector Kiddo…

ModCloth is a website for all types of clothes that are reminiscient of past fads, and all trends that were “rad”. And now you can look the part with out looking dated.

Greener Living is Better
Thinking opposed to some hardcore conservatives, global warming can become a real danger to people who are born after us. As seen in many movies, our Earth eventually turns into a metal wasteland, do you want your grandchildren to live in the Thunderdome?

Phone Babysitters, but not Advanced A.I.
Thankfully, it’s not the Advanced A.I. people think of when they hear Phone Babysitters. If it was, we might be dead. Instead, all this means is that parents are tossing their smart phones at their bored kids in hopes that the kids stop yelling about being bored. Not the smartest idea if your kid is very smart though, as he/she could use your iTunes account to buy random stuff.