Newspaper Written Expression 1

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THE FREAK NEWS

November 2014

THE FREAK NEWS Published by Gabriela Ortiz, Editor

Volume 1

November 2014

Tattoos: Freak and famous The story and the opinion behind this controversial trend.

The most valuable treasure LIVING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE Living in the countryside is a good option nowadays where cities are crowded. So the countryside is a great place to raise a family... Read more.

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The Most Valuable Treasure

By Gabriela Ortiz Thinking about my most valuable treasure, I was trying to think in material things such as my ipod, iphone, my favorite book or my favorite Coca-Cola’s t-shirt. Then I realize that those things are not as important to my as the people around me, my family and specially my mom. I realize my mom is my must valuable treasure.

Why is she the most valuable treasure in my life? The correct question is: why not? First, she’s my best friend. Our relationship is really cool, I can talk to her and tell her my most dark thoughts, and she’s always listening me with love (I can see it in her eyes).

Of course we sometimes have differences but we solve them. She’s my guide. She has always been there for my, advising me and helping me to take wise choices for my life. She supports me, no matter what, or how crazy are my dreams. She’s the one who makes me want to do great things with my life so she can feel proud of having me as her daughter.

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Top Ten Lost Treasures of the World There are many accounts of lost treasures, some dating from ancient times and those that are more recent.

While the idea that unimaginable wealth is out there somewhere just waiting to be found is a seductive and enticing idea, the truth is that many of these fortunes are either just myths or have probably been 'recycled' long ago. For example, most of the German gold that went missing at the end of WWII was probably smuggled to South America and slowly reintroduced to the market or is still locked in the vaults of private banks impossible to claim. The missing gold reserves of the last Tsars of Russia probably found its way into the hands of new governments and the treasure of the Titanic probably never existed in the first place. If anyone knows the truth then they haven't come forward to prove it ... yet. Still, there are many treasures worth searching for and this is the list of the top ten based on value and the likelihood that they still exist somewhere. It may surprise you.

King John 'the Bad' was particularly fond of collecting (stealing) jewellery and gold plate for himself and coinage for his guards, soldiers and court followers. In 1216 King John travelled to Bishops Lynn in Norfolk where he arrived on the 9th October. The area is aptly named The Wash as it was once a huge expanses of marshes and dangerous mud flats.

At Bishop's Lynn King John fell ill with dysentery and decided to return to Newark Castle via Wisbech. He took the slower and safer route around The Wash. However, his soldiers and carts full of his personal possessions, including the crown jewels he had inherited from his grandmother the Empress of Germany, took the shorter route through the marshes.Trapped by the tide they were drowned - possibly close to Sutton Bridge. The treasure carts were lost and never recovered. King John died a few days later on the 18th October 1216. What really happened is probably much more complex.

The Secret City of PaititiMost people have heard the story of El Dorado, a city full of gold lost somewhere in the rainforests of South America. In fact, El Dorado is actually a legend about a Muisca Chieftain (the Golden One) who would cover himself with gold dust before certain religious ceremonies. The real City of Gold is Paititi. In brief, the Spanish had been at war with the Incas of Peru for nearly forty years and the Incas had retreated to Vilcabamba Valley where they held off the invaders until 1572. When the Spanish conquered the Incas they found the city largely deserted. It appeared as if the Incas had fled to a new location in the rainforests of southern Brazil taking their vast treasure of gold with them. The new city was never found nor was the gold and eventually the story was relegated to the status of a myth.However, in 2009 satellite photos of deforested areas of the Boco do Acre region of Brazil have revealed that there were once vast settlements. These can be clearly seen on Google Earth and have forced historians and archaeologists to review their thinking. It now seems possible once again that Paititi really did exist and hidden within it is a potential hoard of lost Inca gold.

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November 2014 During the Second Anglo-Boer War the South African descendants of the Dutch settlers, the Boers, realised that their capital, Pretoria, would soon be captured by British troops so they swiftly commandeered as much gold as they could from government reserves, banks and the mines.

They also minted many thousands of new gold coins. Much of this gold is believed to have travelled with the Boer President, Paul Kruger, as he journeyed eastwards through Middleburg, Machadadorp and Waterfal Boven towards Mozambique to escape the advancing British. He departed, by ship, for France on the 19th of October 1900. The gold remained behind, hidden somewhere in the bushveld of the North Eastern Transvaal. It has never been officially found although it is a popular 'scam' for con men to try and sell the whereabouts of the gold to gullible tourists. Claims that the treasure (or part of it) was discovered in 2001 close to Ermelo are generally considered somewhat dubious.

The Treasure of the Copper Scroll

The Lost Faberge Eggs

The Treasure of The Flor de la Mar

The Amber Room

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November 2014

Tattoos, Freak and Famous

By Gabriela Ortiz

Tattoos are a type of body modification, by changing the color of the skin with indelible ink. The most common way of tattooing is using electric tattoo machine, which inks the indelible ink using a needle. Tattoos are an artistic way to express thoughts and feelings, as they’ve became more famous everyday. Teenagers and young adults are the most interested group in getting tattooed. Since a tattoo is a lifetime mark on the skin it has to be meaningful. The most special and interesting tattoos are the ones which have a deep story behind, the ones which represent an important event in someone’s life.

If a tattoo doesn’t have a deep and important meaning, this tattoo can become in something you hate.

Placement is very important. If you work in a place where having tattoos is a problem, you’re not going to have your arms tattooed. The size of the tattoo and the style are other factors we have to think of when getting tattooed, and of course depending on the place the pain is going to be less or more. Even though society doesn’t approve tattooed people I think tattoos are awesome, I have two tattoos and I want more, because I love them.

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November 2014

Tattoos—From Taboo to Mainstream Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News October 11, 2002 Tattooing has been around for thousands of years. It is one of the oldest forms of art, laden with as many different meanings as there are global cultures.

In some societies, tattoos are indelible marks of tribe or of status.

They can signify a difficult passage to adulthood, or identify the owner's skills. One of the most popular reasons must surely be one of the oldest—body art adds to the beauty of the wearer.

In the West, tattoos are generally regarded as forms of individual expression and creativity. While they celebrate individuality, they still identify their wearers as members of a tribe—the community of those who celebrate body art.

That community continues to grow in size and social acceptance.

Skin art is the subject of Taboo: Tattoo airing on the National Geographic Channel in the United States on Monday, October 14.

It's difficult to quantify the rapid evolution of the tattoo industry, but everyone seems to agree that the last decade has seen explosive growth. The evidence is in plain view on any city street or televised sporting event. Myrna Armstrong, a professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, offers a few figures. Armstrong has been studying tattoos for over a decade. "In Texas," she said, "we began tattoo studio registrations in 1994. Over the first ten months we registered 137 studios. Eight years later, the number of studios registered is well over 600."

In the United States, tattoos once identified their owners as perhaps a bit unsavory. The art was often associated with rowdy sailors or prisoners, but has now become a part of mainstream American culture.

"I did an adolescent study in a high school," said Armstrong, "60 percent of the tattooed were 'A' and 'B' students. I said, 'hey, this isn't something being done by a deviant group. It's broad, it's mainstream.'"

"From my perspective it's gone through such a renaissance of popularity," Armstrong continued, "from sort of a taboo thing to what I would call mainstream society as far as prevalence. Part of it is the social support. It's not only tattooed people supporting tattooed friends; in a college study we found a lot of support for body art and piercing, even among those who did not have it. So people say to us, 'why not?'"

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Diane Bell, an anthropologist at George Washington University, has also seen attitudes towards skin art change on that campus. Featured on the National Geographic Television documentary Taboo: Tattoos, she said, "When I see students with these designs on their bodies I think what it would have been like 20 years ago. For a woman to have done that, it would have marked her out as a 'bad girl.' Somehow or other we've shifted right out of that.

Now it's 'my body, my choice.'"

Who is Getting Tattooed?

Erin Fauble, of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, is quick to point out that not only young people are feeding the tattoo boom.

"It's not just a kid thing anymore," she said. "We see middle-class suburban women, doctors, lawyers. It's not specific to one group of people; it's everybody now. You see a lot of celebrities, rock stars, athletes with tattoos—and that kind of media really can drive our society."

Fauble notes that, in her experience, women are enjoying at least their fair share of tattoos. "If I had to guess," she said, "I would say maybe 60 percent of the tattoos being done are being done on women."

Myrna Armstrong's first tattoo study was on women, a group that included teachers, nurses, social workers, engineers, and business people. Armstrong called them "a wonderful group of people," who shared a fondness for their tattoos. "Most of them placed them in an area that they could control," Armstrong said, "so that if they didn't want to tell anybody they didn't have to. They knew that they had it and they could show to whomever they choose. They usually chose a design because it meant something to them, and most of them, a very high percentage, really liked them and have thought about doing another one."

Tattoos and Health—Buyer Beware?

The word tattoo evolved from the traditional process of applying ink to the body. A sharp object carries the ink on its pointed surface, and the artist uses an implement to hammer it repeatedly into the skin, driving in the ink. The noise made by this repeated tapping was heard as "tatu." This traditional process can be quite painful, and can involve health risks like hepatitis.

The image of the seedy tattoo parlor probably added to the stigma body art has traditionally faced. But as the tattoo clientele grows and evolves the facilities are changing, and some are more like art studios than the stereotypical seedy parlors. With so many shops opening, there are concerns that many are not meeting health standards.

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The Alliance of Professional Tattooists is primarily an educational organization for artists, concerned with promoting safe health practices within the profession for both artists and consumers. "We're trying to work with authorities and put together a standardized test," Fauble said. "Anybody who wants to tattoo would have to pass the test, which would set nationwide standards for health and safety. We're trying to keep the industry clean and safe."

Myrna Armstrong agreed that such standards are needed, and long overdue. She points out the long hours of training required in Texas to become a nail technician or a hair stylist, both professions that require completion of a standards test. "Those procedures aren't invasive," Armstrong said, "why don't we require body artists, tattooists or piercers to have a body of knowledge? You can buy a kit for under 300 in Texas and you are in business. Anybody can pick it up, and we are not the exception."

Her advice: If you decide a tattoo is for you, by all means go for it—but be sure to do your homework as a consumer and patronize a reputable artist.

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November 2014

MUSIC, MY HOBBIE, MY LIFE One of my hobbies is listening to international music. I like almost all kind of music, such as electronic, alternative rock, R & B, jazz, rock and roll and many more. I have a large collection of world music on my MP3 player that includes music from, USA, Latino America, Spain, England and other countries. I also enjoy going to concerts by musicians from different countries. Last year I went to a concert by a famous opera group from Italy, but one of my biggest dreams is, someday be at Tomorrowland Festival in Belgium. The Tomorrowland is an electronic music festival, where participate around 300 Dj from all over the world. promoting different kinds of music.

In addition there are other famous fastivals around the world,

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November 2014

LIVING IN THE COUNTRYSILIVING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE Living in the countryside is a good option nowadays where cities are crowded. So the countryside is a great place to raise a family. Many people choose to live in the suburbs because are less polluted and the traffic isn’t heavy. It is a fact that the air in the countryside is less polluted than the city and of course traffic is less because people living in the countryside is less.

Indeed, life is cheaper in the countryside, vegetables are found easily because people grows them in their own house and also there are a lot of farms around. As an illustration I’ve lived in the countryside for about 15 years and what I like the most is that people who lives there is very kind and is happier, this is a result of the peaceful life you live; free

of

pollution,

noise

and

expensive cost of life. In brief, living in a countryside is and excellent option to rise a family and have a peaceful life.

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CITY

November 2014

VS.

COUNTRYSIDE

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Madison, the Dino

November 2014