Keeping up with the Tudors: One of the craziest families in history

Safety gear in the metal room

In the metal room at school there are a variety of hazards. Safety gear can lessen the dangers of these hazards but it's important to know what type of safety gear to use for what situation.

               Overalls

Complete Overalls

Bib Overalls

There are two types of overalls you can wear; Bibs and complete overalls. Bibs only cover the legs and torso while a complete overall covers your whole body, arms included. Complete overalls are best to use for activities such as wielding.

Gloves

There is only one type of safety gloves in metal and that's wielding gloves. These gloves are heavy duty and protect your hands from getting burns. Of course there is a downside; the more heavy duty the glove the harder it is to hold hot items.

Wielding gloves

Ear protection

In metal it can get loud. This could cause damage to the ear and/or the noise can get very annoying. There are three ways to block this sound out. Neckband earmuffs are best for when you're wearing a hard hat or can't find comfortable banded earmuffs. Banded earmuffs are the most common type of earmuffs and work for most things. Earplugs are best for short periods of loud work and are disposable.

Left to right: Banded ear muffs, earplugs, neckband earmuffs

Eye protection

Eye protection is able to be used anytime in the workshop. Eye protection equipment is there to protect your eyes from debris landing in your eyes. Debris can come from almost anything, that's why it's important to wear eye protections especially around drills. The three ways your can protect your eyes are with safety glasses, which are best used around drills and for general use, safety goggles, best use is around grinders and drills for long periods of time, and a face shield, best use is around quickly turning machines and protect the whole face.

left to right: glasses, mask, and goggles

Head protection

We don't use head protection in the workshop often but on construction sites your meant to wear them constantly, especially if there are items above you that could possibly fall.

Hard hat

Respiration

Respiration mask

Dust mask

Respiration is used to prevent toxic fumes from entering your lungs. The two types of masks we use are dust masks and respirators. Dust masks are used for when there is minimal dust and shouldn't be used when there's the chance of toxic fumes. If you are doing something that does involve toxic fumes use a respirator instead. Respirators filter out toxic fumes and our used for things such as painting and wielding.

Boots

Pull on boots

Lace ups

When in a workshop such as the metal workshop it's a requirement that you wear the correct shoes. These are usually shoes that are leather and/or steel tipped. Pull on boots are good for short periods of work and are usually best for general work. Lace-up boots are also good for general work but are slightly more durable and are best for long periods of time.

Wielding goggles and masks 

When wielding you wear complete overalls but you also wear goggles and masks specifically made for wielding. You don't usually wear both a mask and goggles but each one does have it perks. Goggles are less clumsy then a mask and are able to be worn along with other parts of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Masks on the other hand protect the whole face including eyes. In the end they both do their job well.

Left: Mask, Right: Goggles

Nancy Wake

1. Describe her: Badass, dangerous, sneaky, clever, powerful
2. Nazi: Referring to a person who’s either works for Hitler’s Nazi party or someone who believes in extreme racism. Gestapo: Referring to members of WWII German secret police. Storm-troopers: 1) Widely known as a soldier under the command of the galactic empire. 2) Specialist soldier working under Nazi Germany. Sabotage: In which you do something that prevents someone from completing something or referring to a sneak attack. Resistance: in which an organization goes against a higher power system. Refugees: Referring to a group of people who were forced to leave their country due to war, prosecution, or a natural disaster.
3. Maquis? It says that she “Led an army of 7’000 Maquis in guerrilla warfare…”
4. There are literal pictures of her with medals

5. Nancy Wake: A biography of our greatest war hero - Peter FitzSimons

The rights of consumers and responsibility of producers

What is a fair trading act?
- The fair trading act gives us, the consumer, the right to good quality products. It also puts responsibility on producers to meet these requirements. Things such as quality products, refunds, no false advertisements, and product safety (*cough* Samsung *cough*). The fair trade act protects and enforces these rights.

What is the commerce commission's goal?
- The commerce commission is here to make sure that the fair trading act is followed by producers. They enforce the rules and allow consumers to make complaints if they feel their rights are being violated. Things such as incorrect warning labels, non-accurate information, and non even playing fields in marketing among other things.

Who besides the commission is responsible for the act and can take their own legal action?
- Us, the consumers, are also responsible for making sure that we know are rights and know where we can go to enforce them. If we see a business that is not meeting these standards than we our allowed to take our own legal action and/or report them to the commission.

Who are the two groups that this act applies to?
- This act affects two types of people; consumers (us) and producers (companies). It applies to us as we are consumers and we deserve the right to good products. Producers must follow these rules and they must come through.

Ok well then what do the acts apply to?
- these acts apply to everyone, both online and physical stores. Some online stores may be exceptions from this act such as second hand sites (trade me, free cycle, etc), but even then they have a responsibility to make sure people are being honest with what they're selling.

Does this apply if you intend to deceive?
- This means that if you brought a shirt and took it home, ripped it, and then brought it back asking for a refund would this act apply to it? Well, every company has a different return policy. Some say you can not return open packaging while others say you can return products as long as you have a receipt. This means it depends on the company and, if you were to enforce this act, proof that it was faulty before you brought it.

Whose 'shoes' must the producers put their feet in?
- The produces must put their feet in those if the consumers. It's as if they have to produce a product that even they would want to buy. They must imagine how someone would react if they were to get a faulty product.

What is the commission empowered to do?
- Commission is able to investigate the company and the complaints from consumers about that company. Unfortunately they are unable to investigate all the complaints and only investigate those that could harm New Zealanders. After investigating the company and reporting or charging the company for not following the fair trade act.

What do I do if I need to report a business?
- Reporting a business is simple. just go to the comcom.govt.nz/consumers and go down to make a complainant. There are also many other ways to report a business which is talked about more on the website.

Know your rights

In New Zealand it's important to know your rights as a consumer. Without knowing your rights you are vulnerable to companies who could give you faulty products and cheat you. By knowing these rights you'll be able to identify faulty products, know how to enforce the fair trade act, and be able to report businesses. It can also help you make wise decisions when choosing where and how to buy goods and services. 

Apple cinnamon muffins

Last week in home economics we made apple cinnamon muffins and they actually cooked (kinda).

Spiced apple muffins

2 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped peeled apple
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
1 Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
2 Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3 Mix in apple, cover completely.
4 Add egg, milk, and butter.
5 Pour 3/4 full into greased muffin tins.
6 Mix topping together and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
7 Bake for 15-20 minutes or until brown.
8 Eat them.

Reflection

I Thinks that this recipe went really well, I did however accidentally cut the apples a little to large which meant we had to cook them for longer. In the end they were delicious and I think we worked well as a team this lesson.

Our theory work

This week we learnt how to convert measurements which was very useful. 

Here is the conversion chart I used

We also had to find a recipe online and edit it to suit 2 people and then 10 people. I did this recipe which I've done before and can confirm this is a really good recipe to have. (Italian herbs are mentioned twice cause one's for the rice and ones for the chicken.)

Word Christchurch student event

On Thursday I had the privilege to be able to attend a Word Christchurch high school students event at the University of Canterbury. Me and a group of 14 other students went and listen to 2 authors and 2 poets talk about what inspires them to write.

1st Session

The 1st session was spent listening to Laurie Winkless who is a certified physicist turned science writer. She started out interviewing other scientists and writing for magazines such as Forbes, BA Business Life, Wired, and The Londonist just to name a few. She was then approached by Bloomsbury publishers and asked if she could write a book about science. Her debut book is Science in the City and it looks into the unknown world of science in the UK. Her 2nd book, Sticky, is due to be released somewhere around 2020. Sticky focuses on what keeps cars on
roads, trains on tracks, and also looks into the longtime debate about why curling stones move on ice like they do.

Interval aka we went to the university library cause we nerds

We then had a break which we spent looking around the University library. The library is 11 floors high and each floor is categorized, for example the 10th floor is mostly history and classics and the 4th floor is pretty much all languages. My

friend Chloe ended up getting so excited the the librarian had to tell her to be quiet. They also had a display about Japanese photographs, because photographs were black and white the Japanese would hand paint the colors. I have to say that exploring the library was one of my favorite parts of this trip. We also found a statue that was scarily realistic. 

2nd Session

After our excursion to the library we made our way to the 2nd session which consisted of 1 author and 2 poets reading from their books. The first speaker was a poet named Holly McNish. The 1st 2 poems were from her book Nobody told me. This book of poems tells the tales of her first couple of years with her newly born daughter, one about her seeing her body in a mirror, and 1 about the color of her daughters skin while they were in Sydney, Australia (her daughter is mixed race so she got dark brown skin, just to add context). She also read a poem about how much she loved her shoulders and about all the dumb stuff she did when she was a teen. The 2nd Speaker was Juno Dawson who read the first 2 chapters of her new book Clean. Clean tells the story of teenager Lexi, a heroin addict, and her experience in rehab. Juno Dawson also had the privilege of being able to write one of the first Doctor Who books for the 13th Doctor, the first female Doctor who will be played by Jodie Whittaker. She decided to read the first chapter of the book which excited me greatly because I thoroughly enjoy Doctor Who. The 3rd and final speaker was Omar Musa. Omar is a author, poet, and rapper from NSW, Australia. The first poem he read was actually a rap about curry noddle soup and how it should become the national food of Australia. He then read a poem about the story who was a victim who became a kidnapped slave forced to work for a fisherman in Thailand (this is a real story by the way). Lastly he read a short poem about depression which wrapped up the event. 

Holly McNish (left), Juno Dawson (centre), Omar Musa (right)

Thoughts on the event

I wouldn't say I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it was unenjoyable either. I felt this way most likely because I thought it would be more about giving young writers advice on how to improve writing, world building, character development. This event was more about inspiring young writers. It kinda worked cause I got to go to the library which inspired me. Word Christchurch is also happening on this Saturday (1st of September) and the speakers at this event will be there among others. 

Enjoy this photo of my decapitated body on the ground.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ROBOTS SHOOT LASERS AND KILL PESTS

So I lied we're not going to do that BUT we are going to make robots that will aid us in destroying pests. This was the start of our business and enterprise unit. We did this so we could learn how to solve problems and learn to pitch our ideas as if we were in the Dragon's Den.

A good example of the Dragon's den (probs cause that's the name of the show).

Our learning objective was to take a real-life problem and come up with a solution. My group decided to take on the challenge of protecting New Zealand from foreign countries. We decided to create a robot that is able to scan for a variety of pests. this is our pitch. We were originally gonna do the challenge where we figured out a way to keep cows cool, I insisted we should do something more challenging. I'm not sure what I would do next time if we're to do this again, this went fairly smoothly and we worked pretty well as a team. Something I learnt was the process of creating a product and how not every idea is going to work.

Sources

Department of Conservation, 2018, https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests/

BioSecurity New Zealand, 2018, https://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/finding-and-reporting-pests-and-diseases/keeping-watch/  

Ministry of Primary Industries, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylXS81xpz2g
SuburbanStuff Fairfax, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkKo6vnCHVg
Department of Conservation, 2018, https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/methods-of-control/
Engadget, 2018, https://www.engadget.com/2018/07/23/new-york-jfk-airport-screen-luggage-ct-scanner/
Sci-News, 2016, http://www.sci-news.com/technologies/real-time-hand-held-scanner-airport-security-04040.html
Landcare, 2009, http://www.landcare.org.nz/files/file/80/pest-control-guidelines.pdf
EPA, 2006, https://www.epa.govt.nz/assets/FileAPI/hsno-ar/HRE05002/HRE05002-010.pdf