Last Minute Quick and Easy Easter Treat

If you ever need a last minute recipe to take to Grandma's for Easter Sunday, here's a quick and easy treat to whip up!

Ingredients:
-2/3 cup vanilla frosting
-30 large marshmallows
-Pink gel or paste food coloring
-Red and pink heart-shaped decorating sprinkles
-60 miniature marshmallows

Directions:
Frost the tops of 12 large marshmallows; stack a large marshmallow on top of each. Quarter the remaining large marshmallows; set aside for ears. Tint 1/4 cup frosting pink. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; place pink frosting in bag.
Pipe a ribbon between the stacked marshmallows for bow tie. With white frosting, attach red hearts for eyes and a pink heart for nose. Pipe pink whiskers and smile.
For ears, pipe the center of quartered marshmallows pink; attach to head with white frosting. With the remaining white frosting, attach the miniature marshmallows for legs and tail. Let stand until dry. Yield: 1 dozen.

Things to know about sharks.

There are over 360 described or recorded sharks in the world, and they are listed in eight groups:
Hexanchiformes.
Squaliformes.
Pristiophoriformes.
Squatiniformes.
Heterodontiformes.
Orectolobiformes. This order include the whale shark.
Carcharhiniformes. This order include the blue, tiger, grey, bull and the hammerhead sharks among others.
Lamniformes. This order include the great white shark and the mako shark.


   Shark in the Mayan language means fish. Dictionaries also define "shark" as a "human who prays greedily on others". Sharks, as you know, are fish. But for a fun fact, some sharks can give birth to live young, while others lay a protective layering around an egg like matter that sticks to sea weed near the bottom of the ocean.
   Sharks are excellent hunters; their senses have evolved for over 400 million years. The Hammer head shark, whose name is given for it's oddly shaped head, uses magnetic waves or a type of sonar while waving it's head from side to side to find hidden prey beneath the sand.
   But most sharks depend on their sense of smell, sight, and hearing (yes, sharks can hear). Fun Fact: did you know that a shark does not sleep?  If it stops moving, it will die. Sharks are constantly moving, because not only can they drown, but most sharks use an amazing method called buccal pumping. A sharks mouth is surrounded by muscles that constantly pull in water in, and sending it over the gill membranes, then out the gills. Many other sharks use a method called Ram Ventilation. By swimming at an extreme pace, water is forced into the mouth for processing.
   Sharks are really fascinating creatures, and it takes time to understand these majestic beasts. What makes a shark so deadly, and an expert hunter, are it's rows of teeth. Most sharks have three rows of teeth.  Everyday they loose a few, but new teeth grow in their place.
   Many people fear these creatures because of their aggressive behavior, but they don't know why sharks attack.  There are good reasons why. The food chain is getting low, so humans can be a target for an easy meal. Most sharks are also very protective for their nesting ground, and will attack if threatened.
   But don't let these fun facts get to you when you go to beach. Sharks are like any other animal. They are more afraid of you, then you  are them.

Destruction of the softball field

Why is the softball team losing with a team full of talent ?

-Some of the destroyed field.

   The girl's softball team here at Valley isn't doing so well; their record is 1-3 with a win over Winfield High School. The team is filled with amazing, experienced talent. Almost each and every girl has won a state title, not at Spring Valley but in some other league.
   The girls have not been able to have ONE practice or game on the field when games have been scheduled on their home field. They are cancelled or moved to the opposing team's field because a few immature people decided to do donuts on four-wheelers leaving the field destroyed.
   The field was recently worked on and fixed in perfect condition. The girls have also had to practice inside because of the crazy weather, but it is very hard to prepare for a season in the gym with fake balls, little space and a batting cage.
   The people who ruined the field, when given the option to pay for the damage or be taken the court,  chose court. They did some major damage, and the team could use all the help they can get to help fix it. To offer your help, you can speak to Allison Webb, room 209 or contact a softball player. The team has ordered turf to fix it but it has yet to be delivered,  leaving the team with no practice field and no home games.

Tanning Beds Band for Anyone Under 18.

   Tanning for prom may not be possible if the new law that passed goes in effect before prom. The law that was passed bans children from using indoor tanning beds. The law was easily passed in an effort to lower the skin cancer rates among young adults. Many say the ban will put tanning salons out of business.
   The Senate voted 30-4 in favor of the measure that would require tanning salons to register with their local health departments. Costumers will be required to present proof of their age before they can tan. People younger than 18 will not be allowed to tan under any circumstances.
   The American Cancer Society supports the bill because teens and young adults are at a 75 percent higher risk of developing melanoma, a type of skin cancer, from just one indoor tanning session a month than teens who don't use tanning beds.
Sen. Bob Williams, D-Taylor, doesn't think the bill is a good decision because he thinks it will kill the tanning salon business, and a better way to go about it would be to let parents decide whether children should tan. The parental consent law did not pass the Legislature last year. And now the cancer society is pushing for a full ban because parental consent laws have not decreased the number of teen tanners in states that have set the age limit to 18.
Soon there will not be any tanning for anyone under the age of 18 in the state of WV.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A measure that would prohibit West Virginia children from using indoor tanning beds in an effort to combat skin cancer rates among young adults easily passed the Senate on Tuesday and was sent to the House of Delegates. Opponents say the ban would put tanning salons out of business. The Senate voted 30-4 in favor of the measure that would require tanning salons to register with their local health departments. Patrons would be required to present proof of their age before they could tan. People younger than 18 would be prohibited.
The American Cancer Society supports the bill because teens and young adults are at a 75 percent higher risk of developing melanoma, a type of skin cancer, from just one indoor tanning session a month than teens who don't use tanning beds.
The potentially deadly cancer is the second most common type for those ages 15 to 29, according to the cancer society.
Lawmakers also heard reports on the connection between indoor tanning and skin cancer from Yale University and the University of Minnesota.
But Sen. Bob Williams, D-Taylor, isn't convinced the bill is the right move and voted against it.
He said the committee didn't adequately examine statistics provided to demonstrate the possible health risks. And he's concerned about the impact on small businesses that will see their client base shrink.
"Passage of this bill will essentially put them out of business," Williams said. He heard from business owners who said they wouldn't survive if they lost all of their teen tanners.
Williams said a better approach would be to let parents decide whether children should tan.
A parental consent law did not pass the Legislature last year. And now the cancer society is pushing for a full ban because parental consent laws have not decreased the number of teen tanners in states that have adopted such restrictions.

Anyone ready for PlayStation 4?

On February 20th, Sony held a press conference to show off the new goodies that they have for us. The main reason for the conference? To unveil the PlayStation 4. One second, I'm going to nerd out for a second.

What else can I say? Heck yes! It's been confirmed, it's set in stone. It's.....awesome.

Rumors have been spread and spread about the new console generation. The Xbox 720, the Wii U, the PlayStation 4. Though we still have nothing on the 720, which is still just a cache of rumors, Nintendo already released the Wii U, and Sony has confirmed the PS4. It's not looking good for Microsoft. By that, I mean their fan base.


But on with the conference!

In this conference we were mainly told how Sony is pushing the barriers of gaming and how they could do that with the PS4. Now remember, most of conference was talking (not showing) and explaining the new console. But I'm going to skip over it just for you.

We were shown the new controller, the DualShock 4. Now you are going to see differences in this controller compared to the DualShock 3. For one thing, there's no Start and Select button. Instead, there's a touch pad and two new buttons, the share button and options. Let me say this now, I love having my start and select buttons. So this is kind of heart wrenching for me. To know that they aren't there... It makes me feel like my two children are gone. It brings a tear to my eye.

Alright, I was faking it; but really, I miss them. The share button brings you to a new level of showing your friends a game. How? You can livestream to video streaming sites like TwitchTV, Livestream, and UStream. You can quite literally bring the game to your friends. They can even watch you and chat through the PS4. The options button; I have no clue what it does. Sony didn't elaborate on any of it's functions. My best guess? It's the start and select button combined, it holds controller options and whatever else they moved to that small button. The rest of the controller is dynamically the same in terms of structure. It holds the same basic shape of the Dualshock. The thumb sticks have been redesigned slightly. They now have an indent, which probably helps with your fingers slipping. The wings of the controller apparently have their own rubber grips, as seen from looking at it closely. Triggers and bumpers are now more curved. Instead of an IR set of lights for the controller, it now has one light bar. Normally it is blue to signify 1st player, but their colors change depending on what port. It also flashes when low on battery. All in all, I love the new look, but I'm not too keen on the touchpad and no start and select button.

On to the next segment of the conference; the game trailers. Good Lord, those trailers were great. Let's start with one of the first ones they showed off, Knack.

Knack is the first confirmed PS4 game and it's one that shows off how many polygons can be shown onscreen. They did this using the actual character; Knack. Knack is a small robot that is powered by mythical gems in his body. He can assemble himself with anything around him. Thus, he can make himself larger and more powerful. If he wants to be quick on his feet, he can create long legs for speed. And at the end of the day, you can't help but wonder how a tiny, cute robot could be so destructive. That's the name of the game; destruction. You can watch the smallest of fragments among a huger set of particles.

The next trailer, or tech demo, was made by Quantic Dream. Quantic Dream has been known to make really immersing games: Indigo Prophecy(Fahrenheit in the UK), and Heavy Rain. These games make you feel emotion, and draw you in with the characters they create. Well, with what they showed us at the conference; they are really showing you what the PS4 can do with graphics. Just look at this old man. Think he is really there? A live person? Wrong. That is what the PS4 can do with their graphics. This guy looks so realistic, no miscounted polys, no character clipping. Over 30,000 polygons moving to create movement and emotion. Quantic Dream showed us how amazing they made this old man look. He breathed, blinked, and had the texture for it. You could see his wrinkles, his temples and the veins on the top of his head. All of it looked breathtaking. Quantic Dream; we love you.

The next trailer made my day. Let me introduce you to InFAMOUS: Second Son. Now this is coming from a die hard fan of the Infamous series. I LOVE these games. And the trailer just makes me want to see more. The game is suppose to take place seven years after Infamous 1 and 2's story. The new location is the military state of Seattle, Washington. The entire state is in a lock down and is constantly monitored for good reason. DUP(Department of Unified Protection) does not want anything like what happened in the first two games to reoccur.

Thankfully, our main protagonist can stop such a thing. Gifted with conduit-like powers, Delson Rowe, seeks to stop the oppression. Already, I love the trailer's graphics and Delson's attitude. He's cocky, kind of lovable, and has the looks for his character. That being that he sort of looks like a college dropout, or a survivor, both just like Cole. And I love that beanie he is wearing.

And finally, the last big thing about the conference; Watch Dogs. Oh man. I have been waiting for this game for a long time. The concept is amazing. Every major city is connected to a central CPU hub. And every electronic scrap of data is connected to the that hub. Now imagine you had the access to that data. Everyone's personal information to tied to it, and the power to control any electronic devices is open too. Sound amazing yet? It just gets better.

You are Aiden Pearce, a hacker and turned vigilante with access to this system. You have the brains for the job, but you don't just do this for fun. You have access to everyone's personal data, and, don't forget, you aren't tied down by the story-line. It's an open world game, filled with parkour, GTA car physics, and side quests. Your family is being hunted, thanks to your history. But you aren't going to back down easily. With your skills, you fight back and stop your enemies, but not just them. You can help anyone in the city that requires it, becoming the de-facto "masked crusader" of Chicago. The graphics look stunning, really making you feel like the city is alive with people and events. Everything is dynamic, from the lighting and time swapping, to the people's day to day life. They aren't just faces with voices, you know their past and their medical history, making you feel kind of bad that you ruined their day with a high speed police chase. It's amazing to watch, to walk around, and just think of the possibilities with Watch Dogs. It can't come any sooner. And as soon as I know a price for the PS4, I'm picking this game up the first day of release.

And that is the conference! It was just eye candy to see all the amazing games Sony is bringing us. The system? It's graphics are an amazing step up, surprisingly. I didn't think you could get better, but hey; I'm impressed. I still don't know what it looks like, but I'm sure it'll impress somehow. And still no price, sadly. When I know it, I'll really think about it. Sony hasn't let me down yet with any of their consoles. The controller? Can I just have my start and select buttons? But enough gushing; I really hope you enjoyed the post, this is my heart you're reading right now. Keep on gaming everyone!

Every one of these images were found at their own wiki.
watchdogs.wikia.com
Knack.wikia.com
Infamous.wikia.com
Ign.com
I do not own ANY of these products. PS4 and any other related symbol is owned by Sony.
The rest can be said with the games.
Don't sue me, guys, I love your stuff!