News outlets to consider:
- Any major TV news outlet (Yes, I will accept The Daily Show and The Colbert Report)
- Any major international, national, regional, or local newspaper
- Any major internet news service
- Any major radio news outlet
- Any of these podcasts (you're not limited to these, but it's definitely a start if you're not familiar with podcasts)
- Any of these YouTube channels (again, not an exhaustive list, just a place to get started)
The United States and several Arab nations carried out airstrikes against ISIS in Syria early Tuesday, intensifying the campaign against the Islamic militant group. The United States launched Tomahawk missiles fired from the sea. Read more on how fascinating and devastating they are here: http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/tomahawk-long-range-cruise-missile/. In addition to the barrage of missile fire, The United States and allied Arab nations carried out airstrikes using a force of bombers and fighters to deliver ordinance. Navy F-18s flew alongside A few B-1 Lancer bombers. The Arab states flew Typhoons and conducted their own assault. Fighting ISIS is a thing that needed to happen due to the amount of people they have killed in cold blood and for killing Americans on live footage. I just hope that the decision made was the right one. What do you think about this issue? I am interested in other peoples opinions regarding this matter.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think it’s great that there is an effort to stop ISIS, I think the US should focus more on the radicals here at home. They are a much larger threat to us at the moment, and things are getting a bit out of control. I’m not saying we ignore ISIS, but we do have some very relevant things happening at home that seem to be swept under the rug. You can look to my post below for a prime example. The government labeling things like that as ‘workplace violence’ is a worrying thing, as these radicals are getting bolder as a result of the government seeming to ignore the true nature of the crimes. And there are countless radical cells here within our borders.
DeleteI do think that ISIS should be stopped as they’ve committed many atrocious acts. There should be an effort to bring them down, however, I think that we should not have gotten involved as much as we have. Obama is now even saying that ISIS is a much larger threat than we originally anticipated. I agree with Mike that we should pay more attention to what is happening on our soil then focusing all of our attention somewhere else. We need to have a better way of dealing with immediate threats within the U.S than we do. We are not the only ones dealing with ISIS, we should be able to be a little less involved to take care of domestic threats.
DeleteAlthough we should fight ISIS, I just wonder, who else in the world are we going to fight? We need to focus on ourselves and the money that we don't have that we are putting into these wars that we pushed ourselves in for our Allies. We should help, but at the same time, we are trillions of dollars in debt. We can't continue to fight these wars.
DeleteFor my current event this week, I listened to another Podcast by Freakonomics called “Reasons not to be Ugly.” While the name strikes to be a little brainless, this podcast lists a few logical points. Stephen Dubner, the talk show host talks about how people that aren’t as good looking don’t get a lot of attention. As a baby, if you were the one who had odd, squinty eyes and a round, red face with a stretched out, flat nose, outsiders would not notice you. Instead, people would go to the baby with bright blue eyes, perfect pink lips and a soft, pale face. Due to this, ugly babies would feel as if they are invisible while pretty babies would get cuddled and kissed just about every second of the day. This feeling would continue as they grow up and not have many friends in school. During the podcast, it stated that if you were odd looking in elementary school, no one would want to hangout with you. That would leave you with a feeling of insignificance. As you grow up, you should learn to make yourself look presentable for job interviews and going out to socialize. Studies show that people that are attractive make more money. If you make yourself look spick and span, more jobs will want you to represent their company rather than someone who dresses frumpy and doesn’t take care of their skin complexion or weight. However, I do not agree with the fact that you get better jobs if you are prepossessing. For example, if you are someone who is breathtaking, then you can become a model or a talk show host. If you are unsightly, you might want to look into becoming a radio show host where no one can see your face. While some of this information comes off to be unfair, it is true.
ReplyDeleteI understand your opinion but I do agree with the fact that people who are so called "pretty" get better jobs. I don't understand how someone who has a 5.0 gpa and is actually enriching peoples lives and creating cures for diseases are receiving less of a pay than someone who walks down a runway and poses because one individual has good looking genes, plastic surgery, and pounds of make up. A Victoria secret model named Gisele Bundchen received 45 million dollars in 2012 for her salary. The top paying jobs such as actresses and models are held for people who are "pretty for the camera." They are there for entertainment and I don't understand people like this gain millions a year while a General doctor who saves lives gets about 200,000 a year.
DeleteI just think that podcast really covers what society thinks life is about and it's disappointing. All anyone can care about anymore is looking attractive.
DeleteI agree with Katherine though. Prettier people do get better jobs. If two people were to apply to the same job with the same exact resume, the employer (especially if of the opposite sex) would pick the more eye-pleasing applicant. It's just the sad truth about the way the world works.
All though I believe that all of this is true, it is an unfortunate reality. I agree with Katherine that it is a bit sad that even the smartest person in the world would be less considered for a job if his/her opponent was more attractive. The fact of the matter is, what's on the outside does count. Look at the Hollywood film and television industry...you rarely see an "ugly" movie star. Whether you'd like to admit it or not, the public responds to beauty.
DeleteI do agree with what you have presented us with, it is all very true. It is saddening and unfair that people who may meet the qualifications better but are lesser appeasing to the eye are over looked, but at the same time most companies want out going good looking people verses timid average looking people. Good looking people are what makes you look a second time. Like you said although it is not fair, it is true.
DeleteThis week, I decided to choose my current event article on the California Home Invasion. Melora Rivera’s small home in Venice, California was invaded earlier today. Rivera heard the intruder kick in her door, and soon realized she needed to get out her house and not is seen doing it. She didn’t know what the intentions of the intruder were so she wanted no confrontation. This scenario reminds me of the time I walked in on my home getting robbed in Washington, D.C. I was in 7th grade and was on my way back home to pick up my gym clothes for that day. I walked in on 3 boys who I thought were friends with my brother, but turned out being the ones braking in my house to steal his stuff. I didn’t know what happened between them but my mom always told us to be careful who we trust. Luckily, the boys who broke in my house ran when they saw me but just imagining what could’ve happened if they had completely different intentions. I chose this article because I could relate to the fear the women faced. Rivera thought she could not be seen if she got on her roof, so she did. While she was on the roof, she called the police and they arrived in less than 3 minutes. The intruder ended up following Rivera on the roof, but had no time to react because police had guns drawn ready to protect Rivera if he attacked. Los Angeles Fire Department rescued Rivera, and eventually lured the intruder down. The intruder was then placed in handcuffs and charged with burglary. It turns out the man is 29 years old, and his name is Christian Hicks.
ReplyDeleteI'm always hearing about burglaries on the news and it frustrates me with how desperate or cruel people can be. I'm sorry to hear about a house break-in that you personally experienced. I find it surprising that Rivera came upon the thought to hide on the roof. Usually it’s said that when a person(s) is breaking into your house you should lock yourself in a room or safe place. Never have I thought about hiding on the roof. Despite everything that occurred, I'm glad that she went through the event without suffering any injuries and the police caught the intruder.
DeleteWhile I agree that it is frustrating to see these crimes, it isn't necessarily an act of cruelty or desperation. There are numerous factors that can drive someone to commit a crime, from abuse at home to mental disorders. There are actual records of people breaking into homes out of compulsion rather than criminal intent. The same can be said for some pickpockets as well. Crimes are also often due to financial problems. Sometimes when people lose their jobs they resort to burglary to support themselves and their families. Before you get frustrated at how ‘cruel’ or ‘desperate’ these people are, maybe you should look into some of the driving factors for crimes. It’s not always as simple as you might think.
DeleteNot trying to be rude, just trying to shed some light on why crimes happen. I was surprised to learn this as well.
DeleteI completely agree with you Mike. There are many factors that can drive someone to do a crime such as burglary. I felt as though if the intruder wanted this break in to be violent he would've definitely made that happen. Unfortunately, I am unaware of his intentions so all the knowledge I have is from the article. In the article it actually shows the intruder ending up on the roof as well, which I thought was very odd. I thought he would me roaming the house looking for things to steal maybe, not follow her on the roof. That made it seem like it was more of a personal reasoning behind the break in.
DeleteI definitely see Mike's point in the mental illness but it's actually in a study of crimes committed by people with serious mental disorders, only 7.5 percent were directly related to symptoms of mental illness. So I wouldn't really say mental illness is a big cause of crimes. Said by lead researcher Jillian Peterson, PhD. “The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent, not criminal and not dangerous.” And for the people who are "abused" they should know how it feels to be beaten and mentally drained so why are they afflicting this pain on others? It's illogical. Also for the people who do this due to lack of money, if they worked harder in school they could have had full scholarships to great colleges and actually have something to live for rather then crimes, drugs, and partying. So I really see no excuse for criminals like these.
DeleteWow, i ve personally never been in a situation such as this one, but learning that she went up on the roof was a smart decision in trying to hide. I can imagine that she knew an easy way to get up there and that while the buglar tried to figure out a way to follower her, she had enough time to contact the police and thankfully everything worked out in her favor. I also agree where Mike is coming from and I'm actually glad you pointed that out, a lot of people don't see those types of crimes in that light, and in the end of it all the person committing the crime can receive help with the many different programs the government provides for people with such struggles.
DeleteIt’s one thing hearing about something like this in the news and another actually hearing a person’s first hand account. Lucky for you, everything turned out okay considering it could have been worse. I agree that it was smart to hide on the roof like Melanie mentioned, but I do wonder how she got up there so fast. I also believe that burglars rob people because they are in dire need for money or they do it out of greed. In this case, this statement has to be true if the burglar decided to commit the crime with the person already inside the house.
DeleteMy current event for this week is a recent murder in Oklahoma. A 30-year-old man entered his workplace, a food processing company, where he had previously been fired. Upon entering, he stabbed and killed a 54-year-old woman and then beheaded her. He attempted to do the same to another woman, but another employee shot him. Witnesses report that the man had been a recent convert to Islam, and had previously attempted to convert co-workers. During this act of violence, he was reported to be saying Islamic phrases. The most shocking thing is that despite it being another blatant act of radical Islam, it has been labeled as ‘workplace violence.’ I believe that the government needs to step up to stop these acts of terror within our borders. The important point here is that this man targeted co-workers who posed less of a direct threat to himself. He went after these women when they were isolated, and would have killed more had he not been stopped. This should be seen as a warning bell. When, not if, these radical groups become more active in the states, they will target women, children, and the elderly; People who can’t fight back against them as easily. I’m not saying that women can’t defend themselves, but these men will go after people in groups as they have done overseas with the recent beheadings. And yet the government seems to openly deny the existence of these radicals here within the states. The US government has done nothing significant to fight terrorists within the country, and as a result these radicals are getting bolder with their actions. Will it take another event like 9/11 before Obama will step up to really fight back? The scariest part is the next big attack could be at the hands of someone you know or live near. The government needs to do more to fight terror than sending our troops overseas, because the biggest threat to our country now is right here within its borders.
ReplyDeleteThis article has definitely caught my attention. The thought of terrorist actually acting on violence like this in the United States is shocking. I am not sure if this has any relation to the beheading in Islam but if it does I do agree that the government needs to step in. I don't think saying the US government hasn't done anything to fight terrorists within our country is fair; there hasn't been anything until now to look out for. I definitely agree with your comment, the US should be focusing on safety within our country before anything else. Just imagining something like this happening to someone I know is sickening. These actions the terrorists are doing shouldn’t be brought over to the United States. I do think something needs to change.
DeleteI don't think that incident should have been labeled as 'workplace violence'. Instead, it should have been linked to terrorism. If the man is reciting Islamic phrases AND copycatting the beheading, this should definitely be linked to terrorism. I also agree that the US should focus more on the safety in the country before anything else because we can't fight an external conflict while also being attacked internally.
DeleteIt upsets me that because of these acts many children see people of the Islamic religion in a bad light. It disgusts me that a man is able to do this, and I'm very glad that he was stopped. And in my personal opinion i think the government is doing as much as is can for now. An officer can not just arrest someone or act upon someone in any way because of their beliefs or looks, it is unethical and not the way the United States intended its free country to be. As you mentioned the man was a RECENT convert meaning there was no way of telling his intentions. There could be 2 men standing in front of us that convert to Islam one with good intentions and one with bad, and theres not a way we could know what each of their intentions are; and i feel like the US government is in that position where is can not penalize all the good people for what the bad is doing
DeleteThis event has caught my attention. It is scary. For the police to label the incident as "workplace violence" is absolutely outrageous. It was a murder. This man beheaded an innocent co-worker. It scares me to think that events like these are beginning to occur in the U.S. Islamic people trying to convert others to Islam, and then beheading his co-worker is much too similar to the incidents in the Middle East involving ISIS. The similarities are too close to be coincidental. ISIS is a clear threat to the American people as we have seen in other current events. Actions need to be taken before something even more major happens to the United States. This group of people are dangerous and we need protection. We need to do something soon instead of waiting for another attack and then being forced to respond. At that point, we will have lost more lives only to have postponed the fight.
DeleteThis event is bad news for anyone who believes in the islamic religion. This 30 year old man has helped to further the stereotype the islamic following people, as insane murderers. People don't notice that he had only recently moved to the islamic religion, which has nothing to do with this incident, they notice that he did believe in the islamic religion. What people don't see is that the any insane man could have done what he did. If he would have converted to christianity, no one would have said anything about his religion. Hitler was catholic as a child, but Catholics and Christians aren't stereotyped as murders of millions just because of this incident.
DeleteI see where you're coming from Angelo, and i agree that Islam shouldn't be cast in a bad light due to the actions of radicals. But there are important points from my post you seem to be ignoring. This man was reciting Islamic phrases and had previously been trying to convert co-workers including the woman he beheaded. People saying that acts like this aren't related to Islam is the reason these radicals are being so bold. And as I previously mentioned above, it's only a matter of time before the terrorist cells here on American soil become active. I still believe our biggest threat comes from here at home.
DeleteAs scary as it is, I very much doubt Mr. Nolen was a member of ISIS. The way you've worded this, my understanding is that his Islamic extremism is a recent development. He likely adopted it to makes the atrocity he was intending to commit more newsworthy. Given this information and his previous record of crime, I think it's more likely that we are dealing with a mentally unstable individual who is merely seeking attention. As sick, twisted, demented, and utterly repugnant as it is, I don't see this becoming a widespread issue. While terrorism certainly can't be ignored, expanding the government's power in the name of the "war on terrorism" is a touchy subject. Just look at the controversy surrounding the NSA and the Patriot Act.
DeleteAround 30 individuals were presumed decease around one of Japans volcanoes, the second largest to be exact after Mount Fuji. This sudden eruption of Mount Ontake in central Japan released a thick cloud of ash and gas submerging many hikers in the area. Not only did around 17-25 inches of this ash cover the ground but also this substances disrupted air travel in Japan. Most people made it down the mountain but for the unfortunate ones that were trapped in lodges they didn't make, or barely made, it through the thick atmosphere, some are even missing and have yet to be found. Families are worrying, waiting, and wallowing about their missing relatives. One dad was interviewed and stated how his son and his girlfriend sent him a picture minutes before the eruption showing them at the top of the volcano. They have yet to be found. Not only was there 30 people recovered dead due to cardiac arrest, more than 25 people were reported to have been injured, 10 of them seriously injured. The educated guess to how many hikers was about 300. Around 350 mixed rescuers, such as firefights, cops, and militia men, searched the premises of this summit. They walked up two different routes and even sent out helicopters to help discover any missing bodies. were Citizens in the surrounding area described the sound of this eruption as thunder. There are said to have been various small eruptions today and in about 6 days to have another large one. This is worrying due to the last big discharge that "lasted months, spewing out more than 200,000 tons of ash," is what the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that even with all the technology nowadays, that better precautions were not made prior to the eruption. If they know that there will be another eruption within the next six days, then why was there not an alert to urge evacuation of the surrounding area of Mount Ontake this time? Sometimes there are eruptions that occur sudden and without notice so I wonder what the case was in this scenario. With the damage and heavy losses with this eruption, I wonder how they will efficiently prepare for the next one since the people there are aware.
DeleteAlong with many other natural disasters, volcanoes are dangerous because of their unpredictability. It is very sad for all of the lives lost from that eruption that could not in any way have been predicted. Death by volcano sounds like a cool rock song but actually a very horrible way to die. Especially if you choked to death on ashes.
DeleteThat is very unfortunate for the people who were affected by this eruption, the one thing I don't understand is how we can track hurricanes and other natural disasters but not predict the eruption of this volcano. I turned on the news and saw the post eruption. You would think the area would have a siren or messenger or something. These people seemed completely clueless about the whole thing so when it happened they only had seconds to react meaning they had to leave behind my personal items The situation reminded me of 9/11 because of the thick gray smoke covering some of the people as they are interviewed.
DeleteNo one ever expects a natural disaster, and even when they do they can’t comprehend the consequences of being in it. Naturally, volcanoes can be beautiful. Thunderous explosions of ash into the sky are a marvelously terrifying sight. But when you or a loved one experiences the disaster firsthand, as these Japanese people have, the perspective is completely different. It’s saddening to know some of the stories of this particular tragedy, especially the one about the dad receiving a picture from his son and girlfriend minutes before. Hopefully the missing persons are found and in decent health.
DeleteThis week, I learned of an extremely recent shooting in Miami. Early this morning, a shooting occurred in a nightclub in Miami called The Spot around one o’clock in the morning. Fifteen people were wounded. At least one person was in critical condition. The youngest victim was eleven years old. Police report the incident as being complete and total chaos. People were screaming and running frantically. Some were too hurt to escape. One man was found unconscious and not breathing, five girls between eleven and seventeen also had gunshot wounds. The investigation is still being continued. Police are still speaking with witnesses. Police spokeswoman, Frederica Burden, said it “was not immediately clear who or how many fired weapons and what prompted the gunfire.” So far, there are no suspects or reports of weapons found. I think the most appalling thing about this story is that there were kids out at one o’clock in the morning in a nightclub. There is an investigation about what type of club The Spot is and why there were so many underage children there. I question parent’s judgment because of this story. Who would neglect their child and be so ignorant to allow them out in one of the most dangerous cities at one of the most dangerous times of night? Normally, nightclub shootings in Miami are supposedly “uncommon”, but in June, a chef was shot dead at a club in South Beach and another man died in December due to some incident at an Allapattah nightclub. The victims ages all together range from eleven years old to twenty-five for The Spot shooting. Witnesses have reported hearing about one hundred gunshots and there is no idea of a motive for shooting the nightclub up. Police don’t even know if there is only one shooter or multiple.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that so many were shot and that most of the victims were very young. You are right in finding it difficult to believe that so many parents allowed there children to go to a club so late, but it’s not unrealistic either. Since they live in a city, these kids could have found various ways to sneak out and get a ride to the club if there parents ordered them not to. If only the victims were aware of these shootings that you have just informed me about, and decided to be more cautious, instead of disregarding any consequences that could follow.
DeleteIt is really sad that there are people who can kill other human beings for absolutely no reason. I thought nightclubs have guards or some sort of security. I'm also surprised that the people who run the nightclub would let in an 11 year old. It could be the parents fault for not being responsible for the children and letting them do whatever they want but I also see Miranda's point that the kids could have just snuck out. I mean if they are going to a club in the first place at that young age and at that late time then I'm sure their judgement isn't the best. Unfortunately young innocent people died and the police have almost no lead to go off of. Since they don't know how many shooters could have been involved and there are no weapons to be found I think it will be tough to find the culprit(s).
DeleteAs bad as it is to say, most children who are out that late that young come from low income families where the parents either do not have time to pay attention to their kids or they simply just do not care. The children's parents must have learned a very hard lesson due to their irresponsibility. As for the shooting, this stuff happens all of the time. Some people are relentless and angry, theres no reason behind it. But the police should be on top of that by now considering how much it has happened in the past years.
DeleteAfter scanning the Yahoo news articles, I came up on an article about the World Wide Web. The inventor of the World Wide Web is warning everyone of a threat to the Internet. Apparently, the freedom of the internet is under threat by governments and corporations that are interested in controlling the web. We all know that the NSA is watching our every move, every second, of every day. This is taking invasion of privacy to a whole to level. The government would have complete access of your internet usage and they could even control what websites you can or cannot go onto. That, to me, just sounds completely bogus. The article gives an example of the government being able to block you from going onto ( for example) the oppositions political pages. People would then be focused on that one political party or opinion. They would not be able to go on the internet and go view the oppositions pages and get another take on the opinion. The internet is really being abused. Users want a web where they are not being spied on and where there is no censorship. Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, invented the wed twenty-five years ago for people to express themselves, to communicate with one another, and to have the freedom to "speak" online. One thing is for sure, it was not made so that the government can have access to our every day lives and our everyday patterns. If you ask me, this whole internet privacy invasion stuff is just completely pathetic. If you think about it, if Edward Snowden had never said a word about the government, we wouldn't even know the NSA is watching our every move, every single day.
ReplyDeleteNoelle’s right, while this is alarming news, it’s not very surprising. Up until this point, the U.S has been relatively unaffected by these restrictions on the web. The data on the Internet has been a very large issue lately. The NSA found itself in hot water after Snowden revealed their methods of data surveillance, then the issue over net neutrality, and now this. I’m sure anyone who was familiar with the previous issues over data could have seen this coming a mile away. I don’t agree with censorship in any way, especially over the Internet. It’s supposed to have unfiltered content, it’s the collective thoughts of the world.
DeleteI think that it is ridiculous that the government is allowed to watch our every move online without our permission or without getting a warrant first. This country was formed so that we could be free. Over a million soldiers have died to protect our freedom, and the government is trying to take it away. The 4th amendment Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause as determined by a neutral judge or magistrate, so the NSA's searches are unconstitutional as they are searching through non government owned private information without warrants and or probable cause.
DeleteLike Noelle said, many countries such as North Korea have already implemented these stricter methods of control on cyberspace. Because of this, many North Koreans are so sheltered from the outside world that they have never even heard of the moon landing. Censorship, in my opinion, is unconstitutional and ridiculous. What happened to freedom of speech? America could perhaps lose its diversity if our leaders continue to force us all to conform.
DeleteThe article that I read this week was about Bernice Dahn, a deputy health minister who has no symptoms of having been infected with the ebola virus, but decided to quarantine herself as a precaution, for the next 21 days. She said she had not come into contact with any other infected person, apart from her office assistant who died this week from the virus, and did not want to risk spreading the virus to anyone else, incase she was a carrier. Bernice Dahn and other health care officers were advised to isolate themselves at home for 21 days by The World Health Organization (WHO), which is the maximum incubation period for the virus. I believe this is both a necessary but also risky precaution since there are only 51 doctors in the region to care for the country’s 4.2 million population. The World Health Organization says more than 3,000 people have died from Ebola in West Africa. Liberia has been the worst hit by the disease, accounting for over 1,800 deaths. 375 workers are known to have the virus, and 211 died so far from the virus in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The deaths and sickness have made it even more difficult for the already weak healthcare systems in the affected countries to cope with the outbreak. The latest WHO figures indicate that more than 6,500 people have been infected in the region. On Friday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pledged to send $130m in emergency aid to the countries worst hit by the virus: Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It is clear that a huge effort is being made to contain the virus and to care for the people who are in the infected region. This article made it clear that there is a huge ebola outbreak that has caused many deaths, but healthcare officials or doing there best to deal with the situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Miranda, it is a very necessary precaution to isolate those who may have come into contact with the Ebola virus, even if it may be risky due to the low number of doctors to treat the virus. Containing the virus is key to helping those already infected and those who want to prevent catching the virus. It is great to see the large scale help being sent to those countries who are majorly suffering from the virus. Despite the risk of contracting the virus themselves, doctors and healthcare officials are providing aid to those at risk and it is truly heartwarming.
DeleteThe Ebola virus has been a big topic in most new sites I've looked at this week. I think that people who may have the virus should go into quarantine to avoid spreading the virus in other regions of the world. The outbreak has spread and affected so many people because of the lack of available health care in Africa. If the outbreak were to have started in a country such as the U.S. or England then it would have been controlled better due to their more advanced health care systems.
DeleteLike Noelle, I have seen many different ebola-related news headlines during my current event reading this week. I also believe that it is imperative for us to isolate those who may have come into contact with those infected by this virus in order to help prevent it's further transmission. At this time, Ebola is only transmitted through the contact of bodily fluids with those who are infected. The poor health care systems in Africa are not able to control the spread of this disease as well as more developed countries. While watching a Vlogbrother's video a couple of weeks ago, I learned that this is mainly due to their lack of running water and latex gloves because without them it is almost impossible to keep things sterilized. Poor health infrastructure is the main cause of this outbreak.
DeleteRecently NASA has picked private companies to build space crafts to carry astronauts to and from the international space station. Some companies have won multi billion dollar contracts to make this happen, some of these companies include Boeing and Space X. These companies have been announced to be the first ever, private businesses to take astronauts into space. Being from Florida the state in which the Kennedy Space center is located I know that a lot of space lovers were disappointed to find out that voyages to space containing astronauts would no longer continue. When you think about it, a lot of, time, money, thought and energy go into space travel, and it can be hard to accomplish without the proper funds and materials. According to NASA in 2011 a space shuttle launching cost around 450million dollars, a hefty price tag if I do say so myself. Personally private companies building space crafts both scares and excites me. In one hand, because the company is providing funds, they might want to change some rules around or “fix” things that might not to be fixed, this can be dangerous in the way that people can get hurt or injured. And in the other, the fact that private companies now have contracts with NASA is just leading us one step closer to opening space travel to the public; something many have only dreamed about. Of course I imagine the “little vacation” into space would come with a pretty big price tag, but in all, it could be worth it for those with the cash and the dream to maybe one day go into space.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting! I know I have always dreamed of going into space and traveling through it. It is interesting that private companies are able to make such space crafts on their own. I agree with your excitement and your worry. If they are allowed to make these space crafts on their own, there needs to be some sort of method and process. NASA should create a set of guidelines in order for the crafts to be substantial for space travel. They need to have all these same safety features and technology as the past space crafts created by NASA for astronaut space travel. If so, these crafts may be successful. However, I do wonder if they will end up paying for themselves. There are not many people who would be able to afford such a trip, and even fewer would trust the company that made the craft enough to travel in it. I know I would be hesitant to do it.
DeleteFor this week’s current event I found an article on Goucher College allowing students to send in a 2-minute video instead of sending in their transcript. Along with the video, two pieces of work, one being a graded high school writing assignment, must also be submitted. The applicants that send in their videos and get accepted will be apart of a school experiment where they track the students’ performance to determine if the video applicants do worse than the regular application students. If they do worse, then the video application will no longer be used. In the video students must explain why the college appeals to them and what they have to offer to the school; they will be judged on how effectively and clearly they explain themselves. However, one worry about the video application is that the applicant could be susceptible to bias based on their appearance and physical features. Other skeptics question whether 2-minutes is enough time to make an impression. Bard College made transcripts optional last year and instead made an entrance exam consisting of 4 2,500-word essays. By doing this, both colleges are hoping to attract students who feel they won’t make it to college due to their grades by giving them an option to not show their grades. There are several other colleges that in the past few years have been finding new ways for students to apply, such as sending in a collection of work over the traditional application and making a transcript optional. Most of these colleges are smaller, less competitive schools that have a high acceptance rate. I think sending in video applications over transcripts are good for the students who struggle in one subject but do well in others. However, it is an unfair advantage over the students who have tried hard in school to get good grades.
ReplyDeleteLink to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/education/college-admissions-goucher-video.html?_r=0
This is a very interesting and perhaps revolutionary way for the college to go about accepting students into their school. It provides students a clean slate almost, and two whole minutes to prove their worth to the school. Although, like you mentioned, two minutes may not be enough time for student to completely and thoroughly explain what they have to offer to the school, it is a new approach to the acceptance regime that may alter the way schools look at incoming students. This new process examines students from a new perspective other than just a bunch of written words and I am interested to know the outcome of it.
DeleteThis is really cool, it gives students the chance to let their creativity shine and not be held back by the outdated, normal application. Two minutes is a short time, I agree with you and Payton but I think it's enough time to be brief about what you have done and what you plan to do at the school. I'm looking forward to reading about how this works out!
DeleteThe struggle for democracy in Hong Kong is continuing to press on as pretests are still being held in the streets. Drastic actions are being taken by the Chinese police forces to remove the protestors as tear gas is being released in the streets and threats of firing guns with rubber bullets are apparent. However, these harsh actions being in enacted on the protestors have not damaged their will power as they continue to line the streets in face masks. It is astounding to me that the protestors have not budged as they face such extreme actions to remove their completely peaceful protest. I can not seem to understand why the police officials are so harsh towards the protestors, or even that the Chinese government is not even listening to what the people have to say. Looking at how dedicated the protestors are to the cause that they would suffer and endure showers of tear gas shows how desperate they are for change. How can the Chinese government not see this and strive to help these people and make a change? It is sad that the Chinese government would rather hurt and silence their people than to listen and make a change. Turning a blind eye to all of the unhappy citizens who want to change their home for the better, almost as if they don't even care. It is strange to think that this is occurring right now in Hong Kong over their government as they strive to form a democracy, meanwhile in the United States of America, our home, we have had a democracy for ages, almost taking it for granted sometimes. People are suffering while we mindlessly carry on with our daily activities, not even realizing how fortunate we are to have what those in Hong Kong are striving and struggling to achieve.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that people in america take their freedom and democratic government for granted. Us Americans are not exposed to the harsh reality that other countries are faced with to truly appreciate the opportunities that we are given. I think that people need to be more aware of the world around them and take actions to make it a better place.
DeleteLeo Bonten has successfully turned his prosthetic leg into a lamp and the idea is just as strange as the story behind it. The active and athletic Leo Bonten had lost his leg in an unfortunate accident and had eventually received a prosthetic leg to replace it. On a trip, he suffered breakage and over time, the leg became infected. Because he decided to ignore the infection, in July doctors had to have it surgically removed. Losing his leg proved to be quite an emotional time for him so he went out of his way to be able to keep it. Because of safety and sanitation reasons, hospitals are required to incinerate body parts from amputations. However, Bonten wanted to keep his leg and turn it into a lamp. Under certain agreements he was able to keep the leg and with the help of Frank van de Goot, he would be able to preserve the leg with specific chemicals. When designer, William Schaper Knotter heard about Bonten’s story, he offered his help to turn the leg into a lamp as well. The project turned out to be a success. The leg is suspended in a glass cylinder filled with a solution. The structure is also symbolic with “metal bars, symbolizing two years of physical "imprisonment" suffered by Bonten while the leg deteriorated. Above that is an empty space. This represents the rehab period. And on the top sits a large remote-controlled LED light, flanked by two metal wings, honoring Bonten's upcoming freedom from the help of a new limb.” When he realized how expensive it would be for his new prosthetic leg, he attempted to sell the lamp on EBay for €100,000. However, his listing was taken down because selling human parts is against EBay policy. Bonten’s leg lamp will arrive on Sunday, and that will be where it stays until he sells it. Leo Bonten says, "My leg is amputated but it gives me a good feeling that I still have it."
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad he lost his leg but what he did is very interesting. I'm surprised that they negotiated and eventually actually let him keep his leg. I would have never thought someone would turn their leg into a lamp. It's just a very spontaneous odd thing to do. I'm just unsure if anyone is actually going to buy a lamp made from a leg. I mean I'm sure there is someone out there who would appreciate it but I just think it might be hard to sell.
DeleteHong Kong is part of China but China promised that it could keep its civil liberties and it wouldn't impose control on its free market economy. A protest organized by students recently happened because they felt china was breaking that promise. Hong Kong is going to elect a new chief executive but China is only allowing candidates that their government has approved to run in the election. Protestors believe that is an intrusion into Hong Kong's self governance. College and high school students have been holding boycotts and protests and some of these have been violent. Police used tear gas and pepper spray. Riot police have been threatening protestors with their batons. In order to stay safe and continue protesting, people have been wearing goggles, masks, and raincoats in order to protect themselves from the pepper spay and tear gas. 78 people were arrested between the ages of 16-58 and 38 people were injured. Hong Kong's chief executive right now believes the protestors concerns are unnecessary and that the students should all go home but many are staying put.
ReplyDeleteMy current event this week is on the event in Oklahoma. A man, Alton Alexander Nolen, who currently converted to Islam, was fired from a Vaughan Foods processing plant, and later returned, attacking, killing, and beheading 54 year old Colleen Hufford. He was interviewed by investigators on Friday. Police have not revealed what he said. Nolen's Facebook page was very focused on Islam. The name was Jah'Keem Yisrael, and the picture appears to be of fighters holding weapons. The postings include numerous all-caps messages about Islam and quotations from the Quran. Officials say that Nolen tried convincing co-workers to convert to Islam. There is supposedly no link between Nolen and ISIS and/or terrorism. However, such beheadings have been occurring frequently in Middle East, and that brings about trouble. Personally, it makes me anxious, and worried about ISIS and their whereabouts in the U.S. The possibility of war and the terrifying figure of ISIS and its brutal followers potentially being present in U.S. territory is frightening. This incident needs to be very thoroughly investigated, and actions need to be taken to protect Americans from any more tragedies like this one.
ReplyDeleteIn 2010, a state trooper stopped Nolen for an expired tag and discovered he had outstanding warrants. The trooper, Betsy Randolph, told CNN on Saturday that Nolen started struggling after she put a handcuff on one wrist. Nolen ran and was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt. "He kept looking over his shoulder because he knew I wanted to shoot him, but obviously I couldn't shoot him in the back," Randolph told CNN. "If there had been any way to know the things he is alleged to have done a few days ago I would have killed him when I had a chance." This past occurrence shows that Nolen has been trouble for a while. His past run in with the law shows that he is not just some random criminal and murderer. He has a criminal record, and has now committed an even more serious crime.
With the evidence police have of his past crimes, and also his beliefs from his Facebook page, they should be able to find out what this man was really doing. Citizens of the United States need to take this incident seriously, because terrorism is a real thing. ISIS is active and growing. The United States needs to take some kind of action and protect its citizens from people like Nolen who have committed crimes, beheaded innocent Americans, and tried converting people to Islam. There is a tremendous threat put forth by this group of people, and this beheading in Oklahoma has made it all the more real, but this time, in U.S. territory.
Every day we come closer to being completely wireless. One of the most universal products today is the cellphone. Almost everyone has one, and it’s become essential to everyday life. The only setback to cellphones is their battery life, and their need to charge. Thanks to scientists at MIT, the cellphone is one step closer to becoming completely wireless. The scientists have developed a new device that senses where your phone is and can wirelessly charge it, eliminating the need to ever plug the phone into an outlet. This is different from wireless charging pads because the phone can be charged without having to be placed on a pad, and it can charge even in your pocket. The device, called MagMIMO, uses wire coils to generate a magnetic field that detects the phone when it disrupts the field. Once the MagMIMO detects the phone, it focuses on it’s location and creates a slightly different field with each coil. The magnetic field charges the phone by creating an electrical current in the coil, which will charge any phones in the vicinity. Currently, the device works up to a distance of 30 centimeters, which is being increased. For right now, it’s only cellphones, but the possibilities are not limited. I’m very excited for the future where our devices do not have to be plugged in. Wireless power will become available in homes everywhere, much like WiFi. This is a step in the right direction in my opinion. Not only is it incredibly convenient, but it’s also more practical than having a mess of cords plugged into the same power strip. The device uses the same amount of energy as well, so there is no environmental concern that we know of. I am excited for what developments this will lead to in the future, and as a person who constantly forgets to charge their phone I’m excited to use this product.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is unbelievable; the way that it is advancing over the course of just a few years is astounding. I’m looking forward to the days where I won’t have to share the good charger or worry about losing battery when an outlet isn’t conveniently available. The strides we’ve made over the course of my short life is crazy, I can’t possibly imagine what we become widely obtainable in the next ten years. Just five years ago a slider cellphone was considered impressive now the majority of people posses app-running, touch-screens. We are given individual laptops for crying out loud.
DeleteHonestly I'm not surprised that wireless charging is going to be a thing in the near future because technology has been moving extremely fast. Although the fact that they made this device that has no harm to the environment is amazing. Usually when new technology arises there always seems to be a catch but i don't see one with this device. But who knows when the device hits the shelves there may be some horrible problem with it that will cause it to be pulled off the shelves. Lets just hope the creators test this product enough before they release it to the public.
DeleteIt's given to you within hours of your birth. Your name. The Freakonomics podcast discussed whether this aspect of yourself, that you don't get to choose, has an effect on your life. Before you go overanalyzing what you currently go by or researching the most successful names to give your children, you should know that research shows that it doesn’t have any substantial weight on how your life will turn out. At most your name informs others about your parents, after all they are the ones who made the decision. Researchers have observed trends among liberal mothers versus conservative mothers as well as the choices among mothers of various education levels about what to name their kids. However, these decisions, more often than not, are to showcase the parents’ social standing, cultural experience, or unique creativity rather than reflect the future accomplishments of their offspring. We all want to embrace a pretty narrative of cause and effect, but in reality we are the ones that choose the ending. Sure there are people who may discriminate against certain names, but that is their loss not yours. In fact, such thinking saves you interaction with narrow-minded people, who are willing to ignore clear qualification for something as shallow as a name. If you are willing to put in the hard work, then an arbitrary title should not limit you from reaching your full potential. This may sound like a line from a motivational speaker’s seminar, but in the end it’s true. Society has a long way to go to achieve full equality whether it is among gender, races, or even people possessing different names. It’ll take time to move past superficial compartmentalizing of human beings into convenient boxes, but I believe we can move past assigning importance to meaningless factors if we make a conscious effort to do so. All in all, you can let out your sigh of relief as it turns out the significance of a name is just a myth. Though if you’re truly discontent with your name you can always change it, it’ll just take some paperwork.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that people were that concerned with the effect there name would have on the rest of there lives. Your name doesn't define who you are as a person, as Briana said, if anything it shows more about your parents then it does about yourself. I find it a bit strange to consider that if i had a different name my life could be different. "A rose by any other name" and all that.
DeleteScientists at the University of Rochester have invented new technology that rivals the invisibility cloak from J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series. Cloaking is the process where an object is hidden completely from view while the background remains undisturbed. Many scientists have attempted to produce a successful cloaking device but no one has achieved technology as successful and inexpensive ad the scientists from this New York facility. While the cloaking device does not actually look like a cloak at all, rather a series of lenses that look like something out of an optometrists office, the device seems to make objects disappear magically. so far the objects tested by this device have been small items such as hands, faces, and rulers but the potential to this device is endless. Apart from many cool spy gadgets that could be created with this technology, I think with some creative thinking it could also be used to help with safety. If placed on a semi truck, it could possible make the box on the trailer invisible to the diver so he could see the cars behind him. It could also be used in fields such as surgery, military, and interior design. It could also be used to create special effects in movies or live shows that can not be digitally edited to make the magic happen. Surprisingly the model created cost only one thousand dollars to make by the creators Howell and Choi. At the bottom of the article there is a link to another article as well as a tutorial on how to make your own cloaking device for under one hundred dollars. By exposing the technology to be used by outsiders, the uses of the device will be broadened drastically by the ideas of different people all using the device for different purposes. I think that more of the science world should be open to the population for interpretation in order to find the best way to use ideas.
ReplyDeleteWow. Cloaking always seemed like one of those things that you only read about in fiction, like virtual reality, but here we are with things such as the Oculus Rift and these cloaking lenses. I agree that this technology will have great applications for the future. You made a great point about truck drivers, as they do have a large blind spot that can endanger many cars, especially when highways become crowded. Hopefully they will find a way to make it a little cheaper and widely accessible because this sounds like a really cool product.
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DeleteThe potential uses of an advancing cloaking device are exciting and also difficult to imagine. As you said, safety applications are countless and creative. I can see the technology getting more use in military applications however. World powers no doubt are interested in a more advanced cloaking device, possibly more mobile, that would render camouflaged clothing a laughable technique. I also agree that it is great that this technology is cheap and somewhat available to the public to experiment with. Millions of minds are of course better than dozens, even if they are intelligent, educated scientists.
DeleteInstead of writing about 1 article, I decided to write about 3.
ReplyDeleteA strength and conditioning coach at Ohio university, Anthony Schlegel, tackled a fan during a Cincinnati football game. Instead of waiting for security to do their job and take the fan off of the field Anthony took it into his own hands to do it himself. I think that this is awesome, and shows that he still has his skills as a linebacker. His swift punishment will hopefully deter any other field rushing fans from making the same mistake. Anthony was originally a linebacker for Ohio and now is their strength and conditioning coach He grabbed the attention of many people around the world, including the rock himself.
The new 2015 Corvette can secretly record conversations and get you arrested. I find this title very misleading but, in some cases this is true. The new 2015 Corvette has cameras built inside the cabin and outside to record what is happening to the car at all times. Now the cameras were originally developed to help race car drivers see what they can do better to advance their driving, but GM gave these cameras a new agenda. To record your Valet driver. With the touch of a button, the Corvette will go into Valet mode and watch everything the valet does, including a digital tachometer. This is a very useful feature, to help you watch your car without you having to physically watch it. The only problem is that in some states it is a felony to record someones conversation without their permission. This is not a serious problem, considering that you manually have to put the car into valet mode, but why would GM put an illegal feature into their car in the first place?
Many cars have features that are nice, but not important such as air conditioned seats. But does every car have must have safety features? The answer is yes and no. Every car Made from 2012 and up have been required to have stability control, a life saving feature in every car. Stability control stops cars from spinning out and has reduced the amount of rollovers in suv's substantially. But still cars are not required to have side airbags, which protect your head from rollovers and t bones. Without side airbags the only thing between your head and the ground or other car is tempered glass.
DeleteI don't think that police should have access to the microphones, and cameras in your car. But I also think its a good idea to have them inside your vehicle for safety purposes, and also for surveillance purposes also. Considering the fact, incase someone breaks into your car, and or someone steals your car, you have surveillance videos of them doing so, and you can report it to the police with evidence, without them having to do it themselves. Also, referring to your first summary, I don't think it was a good idea to take matters into his own hands, and tackle a crazed fan that ran onto the field. It was also unsafe, because he didn't know that person, what if they sued, or even came after Anthony, and tried to attack him? People are insane now-a-days, and you could never know, and you should never underestimate someone.
I think that side airbags should be required in cars. Though that basic guide line still leaves room for error. What kind of side impact airbags would companies put in there car? There are different variations of airbags that all do different things in an accident. I find it strange though that there are cars that can stop for you but they may not come with a basic safety feature.
DeleteThe current event news piece I am going to talk about is California governor Jerry Brown vetoing a bill that would set limits on police use of drones for surveillance. The drones are small, radio-controlled, have a camera attached, and would be utilized by police. The bill limiting the drones would have required law enforcement agencies to obtain warrants for using drones for surveillance. The governor said the bill would impose restrictions on law enforcement that go beyond constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizures and the right to privacy. The bill’s author argued that expanded use of drones by the police pushed the public’s expectation of privacy, and so they need to be regulated. In this case, I agree with the bill’s author. Drones can be very useful for police; they can get to a crime scene before policemen can and record important data, or follow fleeing criminals much like a police helicopter, except with much more maneuverability, and cheaper! However, I think drone use for surveillance is less acceptable. Imagine the feeling you get when you pass a police car on the road or walk by an officer. Even if you’re not speeding or doing anything wrong, you might get tense and double-check everything you do. This isn’t a bad thing, when it happens once in a while. But with surveillance drones it would be constant. This means that either we would feel tense 24/7, or we would get used to it and not be as careful in the first place. Americans should not have the feeling of being watched all the time, or as if they could be ticketed at any second. If constant surveillance is needed in a dangerous area, security cameras can be placed. Or drones could be used as a camera with much more range, but they should still require a warrant, as the bill says. It is my firm belief that the police should be available to help when called and routinely patrol roads in cities and neighborhoods for criminal activity (or dangerous driving). It is not their job to constantly watch the lives of Americans, waiting for them to mess up so they can be fined or arrested at a moment’s notice.
ReplyDeleteWhy would he veto a bill limiting police surveillance? Drones can be extremely scary and I can't imagine just having them roaming around to make work for the police easier. This seems extremely ridiculous and useful only if the situation gets out of hand, which then should require police to obtain a warrant. I agree with your point, constant surveillance can be monitored with security cameras and drones should require a warrant.
DeleteIt's quite scary how easily our privacy can be compromised due to today's technology. Drones are an amazing advancement, especially for catching criminals, but they should not be allowed to monitor every second of our lives. This type of constant surveillance should only be used if the police have obtained a warrant for it. I also agree that the police should run routinely patrols for criminal activity.
DeleteWhile I was doing my current event browsing, I stumbled upon a very interesting story about a complex organic molecule that was found in interstellar space. Interstellar space is the physical space within a galaxy not occupied by stars or their planetary systems. The molecule is iso-propyl cyanide and was detected in a star forming cloud. It was found 27,000,000 light years away from Earth. It has a carbon structure very similar to complex organic molecules of life. This is amazing, because it suggests that “building blocks of life may be widespread in the galaxy.” There could be life somewhere in the galaxy. Dr Arnaud Belloche is the lead author for this research, and his article is amazing to read. The molecule was discovered by the Alma Observatory at a high altitude in the Atacama desert. The Atacama desert is in Chile. I thought this article was a breath of fresh air from all the terrible news headings. It gives me hope that maybe soon, we could discover other signs of life in the universe. Maybe not neccesarily aliens, but something. Imagine if we found life in space. Would it be similar to our planet? I am looking forward to reading about more discoveries like these, because they give me so much hope for the future. If we do find life out there someday, than I hope we are able to access it and hopefully make contact. Even finding something like plants somewhere in our galaxy would be cool. Would they live under the same conditions as us? Would their chemical makeup be the same, similar, or not even close to ours? There are still so many questions, and they can only be answered through extensive research like this. I hope this discovery brings us one step closer to finding life in the galaxy.
ReplyDeleteThis Ebola virus has been causing a major uproar in in Africa and the united states has went there to help control it but then came back to the u s with the virus and opened clinics to study it and find new ways to fight it. This virus is indeed very serious considering its death toll is as high as 3,000 deaths and is still rising at alarming speeds. Recently we have been seeing or hearing reports of our own American doctors being exposed to the virus in an attempt to keep it suppressed. This American doctor was a volunteer doctor exposed to the virus in Sierra Leone traveled to the national institute of health in Washington D.C this past Sunday. Precautions are very high while handling the virus with four other American citizens who have also been infected with the virus in the West Africa out break are hospitalized. The risk of getting the virus is very high for employees working at the hospitals. Employees get of the plane fully dressed in their HAZMAT suits long before stepping foot into the hospitals. The reason being is that previous Ebola patients have been transported in that aircraft before, they know this because the tail number matched the tail number previously used to transport other patients. One of the patients remain hospitalized while the others have recovered showing that theses doctors trying to contain Ebola are getting closer to finding some kind of cure. I’m really glad the U.S stepped in to help Africa with the virus because I do not think they would be able to contain it like the U.S doctors have. Clinics are filling up by the minute as U.S doctors fight vigorously to contain the virus and keeping it from reaching 1.4 million infected people infected.
ReplyDelete
DeleteI personally think it was very generous of the US to go over and try to help Africas sick, but it put the people that live in the US in danger when they sent back people with the virus, without testing themselves to see if they had it before coming back. Death is not something to play with. It doesn't seem like were even trying to isolate the virus, to keep it from spreading putting us all at risk. If they were trying to do so, it wouldn't be getting out like it is. I send my regards out to the people with the Ebola virus out in Africa, and I also wish them the best, also hoping we find a cure, but we shouldn't have to be at risk of it spreading all across the United States.
Recently a 65-year-old woman in Santa Barbara County was on her daily walk with her dogs through an avocado grove, when a 300-pound bear attacked her. She realized something was wrong when her two dogs, which had been walking ahead, came darting back towards her through the trees. Before she knew it, the enormous black bear came charging after her, tackled her to the ground, and sunk his teeth into her left thigh. During an interview aired by KTLA, she stated, “Looking at him, I knew he could kill me in an instant.” Thankfully, she was eventually able to fend off the bear after putting up a tough fight involving lots of kicking and screaming. After escaping the claws of her 6-foot-tall attacker, she suffered not only from the bite to her thigh but also from a cracked rib and several deep claw marks along her back. It is said that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials are not actively pursuing the bear, but traps have been set to catch it. From the woman’s wounds, doctors were able to gather bear saliva and other physical evidence so they can later compare it bears that may be caught by the traps. According to the woman, if they find that one of these bears matches the sample they have taken it will be “humanely euthanized.” The woman herself believes that unless the bear is a serious threat to safety, if caught they should allow the bear to live. Others have opposing opinions, like one man named Mackey who says, “We just can’t have a bear attacking people.” I believe that if the bear is caught it should be euthanized because it is humane and you never know if the bear could attack more people in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I really love about his story is the heroism of the dogs. Although they were unable to really fend of the bear they had the idea to come back and warn their owner. To be attacked by a 300-pound bear and to have it sink it teeth into your legs edges my teeth not to mention a 65-year-old woman did it! She is very luck to be alive after an event like that. After the attack it says that people planted bear traps and were contemplating killing it because it posed a treat to safety in that area. Maybe someone should put a warning sign or not approach that space anymore. Killing the bear seams really far fetched and over the top
DeleteIt's amazing that a sixty-five year old woman could live through such an ordeal. I'm also surprised that a black bear was the culprit behind this attack; while certainly not tame, they aren't nearly as aggressive as brown bears or grizzly bears and attacks by them are comparatively few and far between (only 61 deaths since 1900). I hope they don't kill the bear; it would be a waste of resources and an animal's life. Your chances of being murdered or even struck by lightning (one in two hundred forty thousand probability vs. one in thirty six million). If people just respected the bear's habitat, it wouldn't be an issue.
DeleteForced out of their car, and separated by gender, was Aria’s family by the ISIS troops. Having further knowledge of such an act was foretold, making so one of the reasons they tried to leave, but were caught. Scared for their lives, the woman were forced into a car and kidnapped. Locked in rooms with many other petrified teenage girls, they had no idea what was impending to them. Aria says she has nightmares about the petrifying actions that were placed upon her. She remembers the ISIS troops, throwing themselves upon the other girls, raping them, hearing the screams, and the cries for it to stop. For over three weeks, this was her view. Though in her culture “Rape” or “Sexual Abuse” was unheard of. The girls admitted that they were trying to force them to change their religion to “Quran” They could recollect what their rapist looked like, down to the pin. “Long beards, really tall, and big, even men were afraid of them” They were forced to marry the men, and if they refused they were threated to be harmed. Her “Husband” made her watch him kill her brother, and she was forced to sleep next to his body throughout the night. Once Aria and all the people at her refugees camp had fled, the troops soon found out they raped the remaining girls, and tightened up security due to it not being secure considering they escaped. Hating her self because she is the reason they were harmed, is a painful weight Aria has to carry upon her self. Something a teen her age shouldn’t have to worry about, but has to because this all happened to her, and she’s the reason for it.
ReplyDeleteFollowing my last post about ISIS, more chilling news regarding the beheading of American citizens in Syria surfaces. America has planned to bomb Syria after a threat to America. There is also a possibility that troops will be sent to Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS. Most Americans are opposed and also appalled at this reaction to terrorism. Although they initiated hate crimes, in what place are we to do the same? Bombing and fighting nations can just lead to total destruction of our nation. We are antagonizing their people and just feeding into the problem rather than solving it. We do need to protect ourselves, but I do believe we are capable of finding a more humane manor in which we take action. When approaching these situations we’ve got it all wrong. Chances of America winning are strong, but what will us winning cost for the other nations. Civilians are typically killed, injured, or deprived of privacy when we decide to launch our missions against opposing nations. There are positives and negatives to every situation. This one included. If we attack the chances of our safety could be compromised. If we don’t attack we could be left vulnerable to a nation that may believe we were weak. Not attacking leaves civilians safe and keeps us from being “bully”. What do you do in situations like these? Do you fight back or do you remain quiet? It seems like this could be a lose-lose situation. Like I have said, fighting back could in danger innocent lives. A war could also arise. We would give them more reason to attack us and endanger OUR lives. On the other hand, if we decide to stay safe and not fight there could be detrimental affects as well. Staying quiet will keep their civilians safe, but how would that affect us? Could they believe they have a chance to really hurt us? Consider these questions as you read about the ISIS controversy on the news.
ReplyDeleteave an extremely close friend who is in the army and he told me that they are always prepared to be sent over to Syria to help keep thing sunder control. However in my opinion, that is exactly what we, as a nation, need to avoid. Sending more troops will definitely add to their stress and set up their guards, as well as cause more tension and oppression to all of the countries and nations involved. I strongly believe that all of our troops need to be removed from the situation as a whole; all of the conflicts are only hurting our nation financially and economically. ISIS is an extremely threatening group of individuals that have been noted for being the most defensive terrorist act in history, we should not involve ourselves, our troops, or our nation with this group in any way.
DeleteHere is a link to the current event I am commenting on this week: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/9/28/honk-kong-policeteargasprodemocracyprotesters.html
ReplyDeleteThe headline is "Hong Kong pro-democracy protests expand in defiance of government action", and that mostly sums up what is happening. Beijing has decided to forgo an open, democratic election for Hong Kong in 2017. A large group of protesters, comprised mostly of college students, exercised their right to demonstrate. An initial attempt to quell the protests with tear gas backfired, drawing several thousand more people on to the streets to join the protests. I'm very glad to see the students fighting (not literally) for the right to vote. Personally, I think it's appalling that a major global financial and cultural center such as Hong Kong has no democratic elections. The "crackdown" on threats to the Chinese Communist Party's monopolization of power is autocratic and morally reprehensible. I'm interested to see if these protests spread. I believe this has the potential to become a very widespread movement like Occupy as more Chinese people decide to stand up for their democratic rights. I'm also relieved to see a successful protest for a good cause that hasn't devolved into looting and riots; the situation has remained relatively peaceful up until now, with the worst consequences being the temporary closure of a few main roads, some schools, and certain banks and ATM's. I'm surprised something like this hasn't happened sooner; China has controlled Hong Kong since 1997 under a "one country, two systems" policy that is supposed to give Hong Kong a leader chosen through universal suffrage. Hopefully, the protesters succeed in getting the attention of their government and enacting meaningful change, paving the way for a democratic Hong Kong-and maybe even, eventually, if this movement proliferates, a similar change mainland China.
This week, debate arose as to whether Spirit Halloween stores are acting too controversially by putting a “Slender Man” costume on its shelves. Because Slender Man was the video game character that inspired a brutal crime in which two twelve-year-old girls stabbed a fellow middle school classmate nineteen times, many are worried that the costume’s presence and widespread availability will provoke outrage. CNN interviewed multiple customers outside one Spirit Halloween store and asked them how they felt about the costume being sold. Every single one of them felt that the costume was of poor taste, and believed that selling it encouraged similar violent behavior. One man described Spirit Halloween as having “bad judgment”, and another called it, “inappropriate”, both with which I agree completely. The Slender Man costume, which may not necessarily cause another stabbing, will definitely arise uncomfortable feelings among those familiar with the recent incident. This costume is unnecessarily insensitive.
ReplyDeleteWhen the corporate company of Spirit Halloween, Spencer Gifts LLC, was asked to comment about the Slender Man costume, they responded by saying, “We carried the costume before the incident, and we don’t think the sale of the costume in any way condones the actions of violence.” This clarification only slightly changed my perspective. While I still believe that the costume should be removed from stores and deemed as offensive, it makes me feel better that the company was not particularly “inspired” by the stabbing to start selling it. It’s simply an unfortunate coincidence that the incident occurred prior to the upcoming holiday.
I do see your view in wanting the costume to be removed from stores and I respect your view as well. However, since the costume was sold before the incident and was not inspired by the tragedy, I do not see an issue with the costume continuing to sell in stores. Many children dress up as ‘scream’ or other tragedy driven characters, and none of these other costumes have been questioned. I believe that parents concern comes to their child’s safety and mindset while being dressed as the slender man. Children these days are becoming to sheltered, and many excuses are given for their actions. I do not believe that a certain costume will change the child’s mindset, turning them into a “bad kid that makes bad decisions.”
Deletein 2012, a teenage boy named Jake Evans murdered his mother and sister after watching the Halloween horror series multiple times a week. In 2001, Thierry Jaradin murdered a 15-year old school girl donning a "Ghostface" mask from the movie series Scream. In 2012, James Eagan Holmes burst into a Wisconsin movie theater dressed on the Joker and claiming such, before lighting up the theater in an eruption of gunfire, resulting in the injury of 70 and deaths of 12. After all of these events, the costumes referencing these movies stayed on shelves. While these events are atrocious, they need to be separated from the movies that were refereed to during these from the mentally disturbed minds that committed them. The Joker did not kill those individuals, Holmes did.
DeleteI agree with both Kari and Ryan. The costume should be able to continue to stay on shelves because, like Ryan said, incidents like this have happened numerous times and the costumes have continue to sell year after year. People should be able to show their love for the video game by being able to wear this costume for the spooky holiday. Perhaps the costume shouldn't be sold around the area the incident occurred to show sensitivity towards the victim's family. In short I feel like costume should be sold except in the area the stabbing happened because removing one costume when many others had similar incidents is simply not fair.
DeleteMost people in the world spend money on issues that the believe strongly about one way of another. People spend money on issues that receive attention, where as commonly it is the issues that do not receive attention that need donations and help. Who collects your money? What is your money really spent on, and how do you honestly know that your money is being spent on what you want it to be spent on? The answer cannot be found, there is no way that you will know if what your paying for is actually occurring. The main issue is getting the most out of your money, isn’t it better to save 10 people from Malaria, instead of saving 1 from HIV? Your response should be yes, however many issues are left in shadows due because the solution is expensive and some see this to make it impossible. Why do the people who have money donate to things that don’t need it? I hate how money runs this entire world; it’s just a piece of paper. Am I crazy to think that there should be things we don’t have to pay for, such as cures and remedies that could potentially save multiple lives? The population tends to attack issues that appeal to them politically, but their attention is needed elsewhere, and the public does not see that because major issues are covered by issues that are not necessarily more important. Donating to organizations could become extremely beneficial if they are donating to the right cause. I believe that people need to open their eyes and see multiple organizations instead of benefitting the first one they see, or the one that seems to have the most rewards or even popularity. The world is not coming to an end due to lack of money. That statement to me is ridiculous to even be brought about. Citizens just need to help out when they can to keep our nation in tact as well as supportive.
ReplyDeleteThe Ebola virus has been spreading throughout Africa and now it has been confirmed that people have been diagnosed with it in the U.S. One person has it in Texas and another in South Florida. The last time a species of Ebola was in the U.S. was in 1990 but that time nobody even got sick. Their bodies were simply exposed to it and then their bodies made antibodies for it. I didn't think that Ebola would come even close to being in Florida but only a few days after the Texas incident it reached the sunshine sate. Although there probably won't be a huge outbreak here similarly to the one in Africa due to our superior medical technology. The Ebola virus can only be transmitted through bodily fluids so the virus won't be able to spread rapidly and easily. Although the virus causes you to expose these bodily fluids through vomiting and bleeding. Hopefully we won't have to worry about Ebola for too much longer before we produce a vaccine for it. As long as we quarantine correctly we most likely will be fine. We also need to make sure nobody brings the virus from Africa through planes and other transportation.The reason why the virus is thriving in Africa is due to their low amount of medicine and their low standards of living. In African villages the people tend to be close together thus the virus can spread very easily. It's extremely hard to quarantine in Africa rather than the U.S. So in short the Ebola virus has hit the U.S. in both Texas and in Florida, although we should not have much to worry about due to our medical technology.
ReplyDeleteMany people seem to be scared of this new outbreak of Ebola. I am not afraid yet I am aware that it is dangerous. I believe some people blow viruses out of proportion on social media and news networks. Everybody is always looking for the "next big scare" but in my opinion I believe that many people will not be as severely affected as we may think. Ebola has only killed 1 person. Even though it has harmed many only one person has died. We also don't know the physical health of the individual and how long the virus was in their body before they discovered it. Keeping these factors in mind, Ebola does not concern me as much as cancer does. Ebola has proved to be curable due to surviving victims.
DeleteIf you weren't aware, Finland has one of the highest scoring schools, falling just behind Japan and Korea. Consistently scoring high on science, math, and reading, the student school system has continued to shine above the rest and gain plenty of positive recognition. But how is Finland so successful in education? You might be surprised to hear that Finnish children don't start school until they are 7 years old, have surprisingly less homework, and there is only one standardized test at the end of the year. If a child is struggling at home, it will have less of an effect on their schooling life than it would in other parts of the world. The school system has only improved exponentially over time, strengthening as the years go by. With proper funding for children with special education needs and the demand that students are taught for the act of learning and not for a test, Finland children are able to thrive in a helpful environment. However, this article I am reading presents ideas on how to improve the American school system, not to mimic the Finnish school system, but to come close. The first thing that is suggested is the removal of policies forcing teachers to teach close to the test, rather than teach what they believe is useful to their students. The suggestion of doing away with homework is brought up, but not well expanded upon. If anything, I agree with the first suggestion, but there are many concepts in school I would not have understood without doing homework. While the amount of homework should definitely go down, I would rather have more than none at all.
ReplyDeleteLebron James spoke out on where he would be going next instead of staying on the Miami heat team he said he would be finishing his year off where he first started and that is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Reporters ask James if the fans should be nervous due to his contract stating that he could leave in the summer of 2015 and Lebron stated fans shouldn't be nervous as I finish out the year and you know what were going to do. Lebron goes on tell us his strategies he uses to stay in shape and challenge himself to become better as a player and although its sad for him to be leaving Miami heat he is excited to be playing on his old team and setting new records on this team and hopefully leaving with a ring. So in my opinion I am happy for Lebron and as a former heat fan i'm curious to see how the team does without Lebron as well as i am curious to see how Lebron connects with the cavaliers.
ReplyDeletePham Nina, a nurse who has contracted the virus that everyone has been talking about is fighting for her life in the Dallas, Texas hospital that she works at. Nina took the basic precautions to protect herself from the contagious virus, but what everyone is trying to figure out is, what went wrong? Health officials are now re-evaluating the protocols and making them more effective. Frieden, says that she could have possibly contracted the virus when removing her protective gear or maybe she came in contact with infected bodily fluid when Duncan had a kidney dialysis. Her apartment has been decontaminated and her neighbors have been notified. Precautions are being taken and more people are becoming worried about what could possibly turn into an outbreak that could potentially threaten all of our lives. By taking extra precautions that exceed the CDC protocols, nurses can actually become more prone to becoming infected. Nurses or caregivers who put on more equipment or wear more than two pairs of gloves are taking extra time to get their gear off and are exposing themselves more than recommended to the hazardous virus. So now caregivers are actually being monitored. Some who have been in contact with Duncan, are being checked twice daily for a fever and other symptoms of ebola.
ReplyDeleteIt's horrible that, that nurse caught the sickness. It's a hard thing to deal with, especially with all the criticisms going around about the people who have it. But the nurse is in a country with better care than Africa, so she will survive.
DeleteAn Italian nurse accused of killing up to 38 patients. Because she founded the patients very annoying, Daniela Poggialli, 42, killed her patients with potassium. Policemen were able to catch suspicious feelings when Daniela was joking talking about giving a patient a high dosage on potassium. Widening their results from previous cases with similar cases. The Italian police forces noticed that whenever Daniela nurses a patient, there’s always a death sequence. Which narrowed it down for the police to investigate whether or not the hospital are killing these people, because it is very strange for a large amount of people to die. After a report from the Central European Agency they discovered that she was convicted of giving patients an overdose on potassium because the patients annoyed her. On another, she was caught in the action from another nurse. And threaten her if she were to reveal all sorts of evidence. She also was willingly to kill other nurse’s patients that seemed to aggravate her. Daniela was able to get away with this slaughter because potassium is able to fade away from the bloodstream within a few days. This article made me question many times as to why she was a nurse. Usually people would take the job for the tuition, or because they love to take care of people. I’m sure a majority of nurses in the world take the job because they want to be able to make a difference in the world, and help save lives. This lady here deserves much more than just jail time. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, she’s a murderer in disguise. Those poor people who died without the ability to move or say anything, and knowing very well who is in just for this cause. I wish that this is the end of this to stories similar to this, but sadly I’m sure there are more stories like this in this corrupt world.
ReplyDeleteStudies suggest that volcanic eruptions may have kept mars warm enough for liquid to intermittently flow across its surface. Authors of science journals have said that the intense volcanic activity would have pumped an agreeable about of greenhouse inducing sulfur dioxide gas into the atmosphere, warming the region sufficiently for liquid water to flow. One author stated, “In a similar manner, we find that volcanism can bring the temperature on early Mars above the melting point for decades to centuries at a time causing episodic periods of stream and lake formation.”
ReplyDeleteI think this is interesting news. I really don’t believe that humans can inhabit and survive on Mars. Space is too gentle to be inhabited and with all the debris in space, Mars has no atmosphere to burn it off. Humans will always be in constant danger in Mars, and for the benefit of out universe, we should not inhabit space. Volcanoes exploding on Mars will also be a problem. It will be way to hot for humans to live, and with out Earth constantly regulating heat with its atmosphere, we won’t fend well. We will also have to constantly face dust storms, since Mars’ surface is covered in a layer of sulfur dust, which makes it its red color.