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)
Remember, your first post is worth 15 points while each comment to your peers' writings is worth 5 points apiece.
This week for my current event, I watched a video that talks about the killing of over 900 chickens tortured and killed with golf clubs. In the state of California on September 20th, nearly 1 thousand chickens have been killed. Reporters said they went to the farm and it was a bloody mess. Blood was everywhere. The place where this happened is called Foster Farms Plant in California. At least one intruder broke into this farm and clubbed the chickens to death. After this happened, the police showed up to the scene and saw a piece of a golf club. In my opinion, this is beyond disturbing and vomitus. I don’t understand how someone can hate chickens so much to the point where they had to break into a farm and kill them with golf clubs. It seems as if every other week we are hearing a messed up story about bad things happening in the world. This should not be normal. After hearing this tragic news, I instantly jumped to the conclusion that this specific person might have been under the influence. The person who broke into Foster Farms probably has mental problems as well as anger issues. The company estimates that it will take at least $5000 to fix the damage that has been done.
ReplyDeleteI find this slightly sickening. What kind of deluded rage could possible compel a person to massacre chickens with a club? You would need to be in a severely disturbed state of mind to even have an idea like this come across your mind, much less carry it out.
DeleteThat's terrible. I can't even understand how someone would even think to do that. There was no point in doing it. There are plenty of things to do that are better than going out with a golf club and deciding to break into a farm and kill chickens. I wouldn't be surprised if the person has some sort of issue because to even get the idea of doing that and actually following through is very odd and just wrong.
DeleteI almost thought this was a joke when I first read it. Absolutely ridiculous! No one in their right mind would feel so such strong hatred toward chickens that they would break into a farm and kill almost a thousand of them. It is truly disturbing and sickening that someone would do a thing like this to innocent creatures such as those birds. These are the kinds of happenings that make me almost embarrassed to be a human- there is almost no way that the criminal did not have something mentally wrong with him/her.
DeleteWow! This goes beyond my imagination. Who would go think of such thing? And even if they were to think of it, how in their right mind would they even do it. I've never read about such rage towards chicken. I'm sure this girl or guy has something mentally wrong with him. It is really sickening to see such cruelty in this world.
DeleteThis is really awful. Even if he did have anger issues or mental issues, I don’t see how the idea of killing a bunch of chickens with a golf club would even come into mind. The fact that he just went out and golf clubbed 900 chickens is just insane. It just surprises me knowing that there are people out there that are willing to do such a sickening act. I hope the company that lost all the chickens will be able to recover from this terrible action.
DeleteMy blog post this week is inspired partly by Hank Green’s new VlogBrother’s video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK4kBNdOAoc), and partly by watching, admittedly, too many Greens’ brothers inspired videos on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteCrashCourse: Insert Topic Here is turning three years old this month. This is astonishing to me, since I remember when Crash Course was a brand new idea in the minds of John and Hank. I remember eagerly anticipating the first episodes, and I was never disappointed. Three years later and I’m not disappointed, either—especially with the addition of several new topics such as economics, astronomy, government, and physiology.
John and Hank have (definitely not singlehandedly) changed the face of education. It’s becoming more and more mainstream for students (and teachers alike) to be able to access educational materials at their leisure—at home, at work, at school, on the toilet, etc. This is how learning and schooling will look in the future. I honestly believe that “traditional” schooling and this compartmentalized educational system that we are currently a part of is on its last leg; it won’t last too much longer. And I, for one, am kind of happy to see it go.
There is a societal perception that the teacher should be the lone expert in the room; the disseminator of information; the proprietor of knowledge. This is perpetuated by scores of years of tradition—that is how education worked in the past. And, in the past it worked well. But times have changed; the days of broadcast media are dwindling, and the “one-size-fits-all” mentality of education isn’t really accepted anymore (especially in the field of education—in society, the idea is catching on, but it’s still definitely murky).
YouTube channels such as Crash Course and Khan Academy are allowing this change to happen on a massive scale. These channels have, literally, tens of millions of views and viewers, and there are communities built upon these types of channels. And, the best part is, these channels are operated by people who love learning, and education, and teaching, and who are invested in allowing students (not just 5-18 year olds, but anyone) to learn whenever, wherever, and at the pace they learn. Education is becoming increasingly individualized.
Which makes my job interesting. Teachers today have a radically different job then they have ever had in the history of teaching. We’re being asked to teach in two different systems—on the one hand we’re bound by the traditional method (I know that the standards are moving away from the traditional style, but c’mon, you still move from class to class by a bell, you learn compartmentalized subjects, you take standardized tests, etc.), and on the other hand, we’re all studying new, student-driven methods of instruction that utilize the same concepts that John, Hank, and Sal Khan have popularized on a massive scale.
I do feel bad for students today—they are victims of the multiple personalities of schooling. Hopefully, this issue resolves itself sooner rather than later, but if you’re reading this and you’re currently in my class, don’t count on it happening in your schooling lifetime. That being said, it’s super important to never stop learning, and honestly, I think that all of you are learners, but that school isn’t necessarily doing much for your style of learning. That’s not an excuse, though—in this new era of learning, teaching, and schooling, you, the student, are counted on to have as much self-advocacy as possible. The teacher is an expert, but not the expert. Heck, all of you are experts at something. Talk to your peers, ask questions, dig deeper, and learn socially. Remember, the beauty of education and being a human is becoming less stupid together.
Mali may have been the fourth nation infected with Ebola this week. A woman attempted to rescue her two granddaughters from the lethal disease. She took them from Guinea on a 700-mile trip on buses and taxis back to her home in Kayes which is a small city in Mali. On the way to Kayes, the youngest granddaughter, 2 year old Fanta Condé, developed a 104-degree fever and had an unstoppable nosebleed. She later died of Ebola. Health officials worry she spread the virus all along the trip. In order to stop the spread, Malian Health Ministry workers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization tracked and quarantined 108 people in two cities and a few small towns that possibly now carried the virus. The last bus the family traveled on was even stopped, emptied out and disinfected to be sure. The 21-day quarantine since Fanta’s death on October 24th is almost up. 41 of 108 Malians in quarantine are supposed to be released Tuesday and the rest on Friday. So far, no one is showing symptoms. Health officials are hoping this is only a single case of Ebola in Mali. They hope Mali will be along side Senegal and Nigeria in showing that rapid reaction can prevent the spread of Ebola. Those who touched Fanta are yet to fall sick. Her grandmother, sister and uncle- each of which spent three days traveling with her- are seemingly free of the Ebola virus. Even those who took care of her during her last 48 hours do not show symptoms. The two young girl’s family did not believe the virus existed and that is why their grandmother came to save them. This story has me worried that ignorant people who believe the disease won’t affect them will be the ones most likely to contract Ebola and spread it to others simply because they were not careful.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that someone would be that idiotic. I do not believe it. Seriously? If any one person can attract the disease, what makes the woman immune? I do not understand the concept of what the woman was thinking. Thank God that most of the people in quarantine are to be released especially since it wasn't their fault. I just can’t believe that one person could be that foolish. That is the kind of behavior that will have us all affected by Ebola and that definitely has me worried.
DeleteIn Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a professor was convicted for poisoning his wife with cyanide. His job at University of Pittsburgh was to manage laboratories that carried out clinical trials using different kinds of drugs and chemicals. He had access to tons and tons of deathly chemicals, like cyanide. He was convicted on Friday, November 7, 2014 for killing his wife, 41-year-old Autumn Klein, with the use of cyanide. What I found interesting was what one of the jurors said when the trial ended. Helen Ewing said "It was very hard for me to accept and to believe that he could have done it. But I felt that the facts were clear, and I couldn't argue with them." For me, I can't imagine how hard making those types of decisions may be. When you are a juror, you basically decide and dictate the future of these people even if they are criminals and deserve to be there. To most people, it seemed as if the professor and his wife were a happy couple. They had a 6 year old daughter and they both had successful careers. So when people found out that he killed his wife, it shocked everyone. On April 17, 2013, the night of the 911 call he made, he was caught at the scene with a bag containing creatine. His reasoning for giving it to her was help get her pregnant. However, the National Institutes of Health stated that creatine should not be used by pregnant women or to help women get pregnant. The most shocking thing is that the wife did not die solely in creatine. Authorities found cyanide mixed in with the creatine. Professor Ferrante was able to get his hands on cyanide through the school, and when his office was checked, it was found that cyanide had been missing. The whole reasoning for what he did was that his wife wanted another baby, she had made that very clear. However, Ferrante did not care to have another child. He also believed his wife to be having an affair. These are all clear motives for why he did what he did to his wife. I can't imagine how a person can do this to another person, especially to the person you are supposed to love. It astounds me how some people can be so horrible and will do anything to get what they want. It is pleasing to know that Autumn Klein's death has been brought to justice and the person who did this will be going away to jail for many years.
ReplyDeleteWow, this really is awful! I can only imagine what their poor 6 year old daughter is going to have to go through because of her father's horrible selfish decision. I will never be able to understand how or why people could do something like this, especially over something so small. There are so many other different and better ways the man could have approached his problems with his wife rather than killing her. I also hope that it really was the father who killed his wife and that he is not an innocent man behind bars.
DeleteAs a person with a dream of having a future career in science, it's horrible that someone abused his power for bad. Scientists should not be abusing people with the chemicals they have in their labs, and they should have the character not to. If he wanted his relationship to end, he should have just divorced her. This was from the mind of a crazy person.
DeleteI don’t think I’ll ever understand why someone would murder their spouse when they could get a divorce. They wanted different things, and a divorce could have solved that. Instead, he goes and commits an atrocious act that he will have to live with for the rest of his life. He’s done that to himself, but now he has left his 6 year old daughter parentless. How someone could do something like that to a child is beyond me. At least the child will not have to be raised by a cold-blooded murderer. It’s horrifying to think that people with access to these dangerous chemicals are capable of such an act.
DeleteIt's very sad to think that it has come down to murder between couples. If they can't agree on something, there has to be a better way than murder. Why not just divorce? Or flip a coin and go with heads or tails? I don't understand why he would even try to lie about poisoning her saying he was "trying to help her get pregnant". You were caught, dude. Stop lying and just making yourself look ridiculous.
DeleteScience can always be used for evil, and murder is just the science of making an alive thing not alive anymore. It's sad, it's cruel, and no one likes to see it, least of all me or the 6 year old girl mentioned in the story.
DeleteJust wow. I don’t understand why people go straight to killing, why not just divorce if there marriage isn’t working out. If he did do this, which he probably did, I hope he gets thrown into jail for committing such a crime; people like this sicken me. Maybe they should try and put restrictions to this if you have this type of job, just a simple search to check and see if they stole and chemicals or drugs would be useful. I hope that the six year old daughter will be able to recover from this.
DeleteFollowing 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.
ReplyDeleteI agree that fighting ISIS could lose innocent lives. Also, ISIS is ighting for their country, just like we are fighting for ours. Who are we to bomb them, when we've been in these places to stop the creation of nuclear weapons there. America constantly contradicts it's-self, and does things that we should not do. America has done many bad things in the past. However, if the group is threatening to bring things on American ground, they should keep the fighting over there for the safety and care for the people we care for.
DeleteFor my post this week, I am going to talk about the probe that landed on a comet.
ReplyDeleteA European probe landed on a comet safely for the first time in history. The point of landing the probe on the comet is to produce a more efficient way to explore the origins of the Solar System, but there are concerns over whether is was fastened securely enough the to comet to continue it's mission- The riskiest project in space exploration.
Scientist are hoping to unlock the secrets of the comet that might be linked to ice and dust origins on the Earth. According to theories, comets hit the Earth 4.6 Billion years ago, providing it with carbon molecules and water – which are essential for life.
I find this intriguing and would personally like to find out more about this experiment. However, I feel that I would have liked to hear your opinion on the article and why it interests you, simply to spark thoughts that I myself had not entertained.
DeleteSpace exploration and innovation never fails to intrigue me. It seems as if the window of space exploration and discovery is infinite. I'm surprised that this would be considered "the riskiest project" with all the technology and people that NASA has sent up into space. I'm excited to hear whether or not the European probe collects any information and if it finds any substantial new discoveries or phenomena. The idea of landing an object on a comet is a bit mind-blowing itself. I wonder how long this team has been working on this project and how many attempts it took until they were able to land the probe on the comet.
DeleteThe invention of the G2R's projectile R.I.P.™ is related to the ability to control the way the projectile reacts as it passes through different mediums by control of the mfg process, geometry and the rate of failure at different zones along its axial length. More particularly but not limited to the ability to take the projectile and predictably have it stay solid in one medium but yet have the exact same projectile predictably react as a fragmenting bullet through a different medium without alteration of the projectile. The geometry at the tip of the projectile has much to do with the way the projectile travels through tissue. It has been long known in the medical industry that a trocar point penetrates the dermis layer more efficiently. Patents for trocars appeared early in the 19th century, although their use dated back possibly thousands of years. It is the use of this geometry at the front end of the projectile that does specific work at the point of entry from one system to the next. Dependent on the medium the projectiles geometry is designed to react differently.
ReplyDeleteImagine a Hole saw. The hole saw action that occurs at points of entry into different mediums reduce initial drag which allow the hollow cavity in the center of the projectile to rapidly pack. In the case of plywood the hole saw action cleanly cuts and packs the projectile with a slug that makes it solid thus allowing it to conserve more of its energy. This performance could prove to be very effective for law enforcement that may be in a situation where the target is behind such an obstacle whereas more energy will be carried into the intended target and not lost in the obstacle.
In a fluid the projectile fragments. Due to the trocar geometry of each petal the resulting diameter of the fragmentation pattern is maximized. The trocar tips allow the fragments to swim through tissue / gel with less resistance thus conserving energy. The cross sectional thicknesses and geometries also create a full 180 degree flip halfway along each of the 8 petals path. The resulting shock wave and wound path is maximized. The result is devastating.
G2R's relentless study and applied physics have derived a radically invasive projectile that outperforms the rest. This cartridge was invented solely for self defense and is not to be taken deer hunting.
In my sixty minutes of current event research I read about a local man who killed himself and two out of three of his children. Reading about things like this doesn’t sound like something that would happen, especially so close. The man was fighting with his wife and she ran to the neighbor’s house when he got his gun, not thinking he would ever do anything to hurt his own children. He shot all three kids and then himself. The nine-year-old daughter, Lauren survived. Things happening just in Daytona, so close is scary and even scarier that all neighbors claimed they never would have expected this from this family. The couple had already filed for divorce because of reports of physical violence before, so I don’t think the children or wife should’ve still been living with him in the first place. By the reports, he had not just shot the children because they were close and he just quickly reacted. He went looking for them. Maybe he felt bad, and that is why he committed suicide but there is no way to know if he had been planning this or thought about it before. He was a retired military man and could very well been suffering from PTSD or any other related mental disease. No matter what the cause, I think the first time he showed any signs of violence towards his wife or kids they should have done something and maybe this could have been avoided.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! That is awful. Why would he do such a thing? All I can really think of is how he defended our country for our freedom, but then went against all of it. There is no other explanation on why he did it, he must have had to of been suffering from a mental disorder. The wife must be going through a terrible time right now, especially with losing two children and having the 9 year old have to deal with being shot. I couldn't imagine.
DeleteThis story is terrible!!! I still cannot understand how someone can kill their own children... He had to have been suffering from PTSD, depression, or some other kind of mental illness. Killing your own children is just not normal. He must have had some kind of episode that made him shoot the children and then it hit him that he actually shot them... and he knew he couldn't live with it, so he shot himself. I do agree that something should have been done the first time he showed signs of violence towards his family. Maybe if something was done before hand, the children would be alive and so would the father. I just can't imagine what the nine year-old daughter has to be going through. She just saw her own father shoot her own brothers or sisters... and she has to live with that memory for the rest of her life.
DeleteThis is a terrifying story indeed, it is scary to know that something like that happened so close. And I agree with everyone else as well, he had to have suffered from PTSD, or some kind of mental distress. He was crazy enough to kill his own children. Sadly enough, one children survived knowing she was abandoned from her family. I feel incredibly sorry for her, she has to live through all this pain. I wish there was more information to this article.
DeleteIt is really difficult to grasp this situation, knowing it occurred somewhere so close to us. I feel so bad for the mother who has to live with herself after this horrific incident. I do agree that he could've been suffering from PTSD, or any mental illness. I still can't begin to understand why someone would kill his or her own children. I wish his illness could've been caught before hand so something could've been done to prevent this incident. My heart truly goes out to this family at this time. Sadly, the one child who survived has to go through life without her siblings and father.
DeleteFor me, this story is not so hard to believe. My mother and a friend of mine both had similar things occur in the past. I feel it's not so uncommon among households to have abusive personalities in the home. I don't know how to fix these problems, but something should be done about them. And to the victims of abuse, they really should call the cops or just leave the home, find some help. No one deserves to put up with that. No one deserves it, especially children.
DeleteMy post this week is about how Garth Brooks restored my faith in humanity. I found the article on the Fox News website and it was posted November 10th, 2014. The article is named, “Garth Brooks stops show, serenades fan with cancer”. Teresa Shaw was just like any other person. She had kids. She loved her music. There was just one odd thing. She was undergoing a treatment of chemotherapy for her cancer. She had stage 3 breast cancer. After 5 months of battling it, she decided she wanted to go to a Garth Brooks concert. Her favorite song, “The Dance” was being played that night. She traveled from Iowa to Minnesota for Friday night’s concert. Just like any other person who goes to a concert, she made a sign. The sign read “Chemo this morning… Garth tonight… Enjoying the dance.” An usher saw the sign and moved her closer to the stage so Garth could see it. Garth saw the sign, stopped the show and began singing to her. He then handed her, his guitar. He took the sign that Teresa had made and received it as a sign from God. His mother and sister died from cancer. He started saying to the crowd that if God just took his hand and wrote, “I exist”, there would never be any doubt. Garth continued and told the whole crowd that God just stuck his hand out with the sign saying that you have all of my strength and you have everybody’s strength and Garth told Teresa, as she is hysterically crying from happiness to go kick cancers ass. Teresa Shaw knew she was getting chemotherapy treatment, but she would have never thought that she would get the kind of treatment she got from Garth Brooks that night. He definitely gives me hope.
ReplyDeleteThis must have been a beautiful thing for the rest of the audience to witness and an unforgettable experience for both Garth Brooks and Teresa. It is truly heartwarming to be reminded that there are still celebrities out there that care about things besides money, fame, and their public image. You're right: learning of this event really does help restore my faith in humanity. It actually reminds me of a similar occurrence involving Jennifer Lawrence. While on the red carpet, she noticed a fan crying, and rushed over to console her. After stopping her tears and talking to her for a bit, Jen learned that she actually had a terminal disease. It just goes to show what reaching out to someone can do.
DeleteFor my current event this week, I found an article on Yahoo about a rather unusual Australian Protest. In Sydney, Australia, there were more than 400 protesters that stuck their heads in the sand on Bondi Beach Thursday. They did so to mock the Australian government on their reluctance to put climate change at the top of the agenda on a G20 summit this weekend. Apparently, the Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott, called climate change "crap" and that coal was "good for humanity." The United States and China have an agreement to limit their carbon emissions. Tony Abbott is apparently not on board with the idea of limiting carbon emissions in Australia. I think that the 400 protesters cleverly "voiced" their opinions by acting like ostriches to "avoid danger."
ReplyDeleteThese protesters did in fact make their voices heard while this situation spread across the news. I believe that they did what they needed to do in a definitely unusual way, but I'm glad they had done it peacefully. At least there were no rallies and disturbances that have been reported, but just the freedom of opinion that we as people are allowed to have. Furthermore, I believe that the Prime Minister was a bit out of line for discussing those highly important subjects on a very negative note. Clearly, he doesn't quite have his heart into the idea of "making the world a better place".
DeleteThis is such an interesting way to protest i don't know how it couldn't get attention from the media (even though i would have known about it if it wasn't for your post). The first question that pops into my head when i hear about this is... how did those people breathe, i imagine they had some kind of head gear or bowl to not get any sand in their ears or nose. But besides the superficial aspect of the protest, i completely disagree with the statement that climate change is crap, because it is not, and there is plenty of proof to admit that it isn't. Another thing about this though is that i always hear about the carbon emissions of China and the United States but never of Australia, maybe Australia hasn't gotten to the point to releasing so much as us and China, but i know it defiantly wouldn't be a negative thing to stop Australia's emissions now before they get to the point of the US or China.
DeleteMelanie Urias
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ReplyDeleteI agree that some people brush off mental disorders such as anxiety or depression in teens. People, such as parents, sometimes look at it as more of a phase or an overreaction. It could be that they just haven't really experienced the same feelings to the degree that someone else has and maybe it is hard for them to understand or relate. Some people might not want to believe that their child or friend has a problem and instead of addressing it or trying to help they discredit it. Not everyone is like this though. There are plenty of people who address the problem and try to help in any way they can. I agree that people should be more informed about mental disorders. Just because it can't be seen doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
DeleteI also agree that most people don't pay enough attention to panic attacks/ mental disorders. Especially if we are talking about teenagers. Almost all of the time, parents think that their child is, like Shana said, "going through a phase." Sometimes, parents just don't want to admit that their child has a disorder... If the parents take the time to talk to their child and try to understand what triggers the panic attacks, then maybe they can begin to understand and realize that their child needs some type of help.
DeleteIn general, not just regarding mental disorders, adults will often time not take teenagers seriously. Many adults still view teenagers as children as Shana said, "going through a phase" of some sort, instead of treating us as young adults. No, we may not be as experienced as them, but we are still dealing with plenty of stress and responsibilities. I hope that in the future mental disorders in teenagers will be taken much more seriously.
DeleteOn Saturday there was a chemical leak at a DuPont plant in La porte, Texas. The chemical, methyl mercaptan, was leaked at 4 a.m. This chemical is used to create farm insecticides (bug killers). Four workers were killed and one was hospitalized. The manager, Randall Clements, says that the one employee who was hospitalized from being exposed is expected to make a full recovery. There was also concern that the community around the Dupont plant could be at risk to being exposed which is understandable but the manager claimed that the community was never at risk. There were reports of neighbors distinctly smelling the chemicals odor but the company said it diffused in the air. At the plant there was also an air monitoring representative and local emergency response agency who confirmed that it was not a hazardous threat to the community. The plant is still being investigated to find out how the methyl mercaptan had leaked out. The manager said "There are no words to fully express the loss we feel or the concern and sympathy we extend to the families of the employees and their co-workers. We are in close touch with them and providing them every measure of support and assistance at this time."
ReplyDeleteThis week, I read an article about a study that concluded that 2 in 5 young Americans, ages 16 to 24, don’t want a job. This amounts to a whopping 40%, which is a rather significant portion of the 92 million Americans currently outside the labor force. This statistic, however, does not include the 10% aged 20 to 24 and 19% aged 16 to 19 who are currently unemployed but are also actively seeking employment. These numbers were definitely shocking to me. I find it almost unbelievable that such a high percentage of young people are not even interested in finding work, and are completely oblivious to their lack of contribution to society. I strongly believe in the importance of hard work, therefore I find it unsettling that so much of the younger generation does not share the same values. I’m genuinely interested in what these people plan to do with their lives if they’re not setting themselves up to enter the working world. How will they survive and support themselves? Or are they content to live in their parents’ basements forever? Without the contributions of the younger generation, I’m worried that our society may become dominated by older people, which may cause an unhealthy imbalance. On the bright side, unemployment is now at 5.8%, which is the lowest it’s been since 2008.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very shocking to me as well. Those who are not interested in searching a job, in my opinion are selfish and a bit ungrateful. America, the land of opportunities, is why many want to come here.. to find that American dream that so many haven't had the chance to have, not because they don't want to, but because the doors haven't opened up to them ( those who are working hard to find employment. ) If you don't try, how will you ever know if you could've made it and been successful in your life? It's impossible for me to feel bad for them if they're scared to have a job or if they simply are too lazy too, because based on the age range, they should be mature enough to know what they want to do and try to help out their family maybe if they're in times of need. I also understand, on the other hand, the circumstances that some might face for why they don't want a job. For example, there are many kids who need to stay at home and take care of others like their siblings, so that becomes their responsibility, and there are also others who have dropped out of school at a young age so they either stay at home or end up in the streets, with no job, depending on someone else. But the ones who do have a chance at being someone in life and don't take that for account, are definitely selfish and ungrateful, in my opinion.
DeleteI find it shocking that there are so many young people that do not wish to have a job. In order to buy anything or support ourselves, we need money. I can proudly say that I am interested in getting another job and that I have already been employed as a lifeguard. In my opinion, I believe that all teens should be interested in getting a job and growing up.
DeleteI feel like it is not being suggested strongly enough that people need to have a job to survive in this system. My brother is a good example of someone who dropped out of high school during the last month of their senior year and did not get his diploma because he simply didn't want to. He didnt think he needed it because he had no intention of going to college or getting a prestigious job in the world. He has already expressed that he is content to live with my nana for the next five years or so while he works at a construction job. Was past the normal age that people need to move out because he has no desire to work for himself.
DeleteI found that this past week a man was killed after he was pushed in front of a moving subway in New York City. The police still do not have much evidence but Lt. John Grimpel says that the act is “believed to be random” and that the suspect was wearing a dark jacket. The man who was killed, Kuen Kwok was on the subway station platform with his wife at the time when the stranger apparently pushed him. He died at the age of 61. His wife was taken to the hospital for trauma but in no way was she physically injured. Kwok was pronounced dead at the scene when the first responders arrived. After the suspect pushed Kwok in front of the oncoming train, he/she fled the scene and has still not been identified. Police are still unsure of any motive behind the suspect’s actions but are investigating the incident as a homicide. At the moment police have not determined if any altercations between the suspect and Kwok occurred before the incident. Recently, police have also released a surveillance video that contains “a person wanted for questioning in connection with the homicide but did not call the person a suspect.” I am very curious what motive the suspect had in regards to the incident. I would assume it would have to be something quite substantial. I hope the police are able to find the suspect as quickly as possible and that no more of the incidents will occur.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a tragedy to hear about. How could someone just push someone in front of a moving subway, and while he was with his wife?? This is just so disgusting and I really do hope the suspect is somehow caught and put on death row because I can't believe the actions of some people. I hope this never happens again and that certain people develop more of a moral compass in the future.
DeleteThe fact that people could do things like that and pretend like they didn't do it astounds me. I can never imagine actually pushing a person in front of a train and killing them. It's crazy how people have different opinions regarding right and wrong, especially in this case. I hope that the police are able to find the suspect too because they need to be stopped so they don't continue on doing things like this and getting away with it!
DeleteIt's sad that there's people in the world who would do something like this. But it's also sad that the person who did it is most likely going to get away with it. There should be a safety net or railing in front of the train tracks to prevent accidents such as this one. I hope they find a away to prevent this from happening again.
DeleteIt is a shame that this tragedy happened when the man was in his wife. One would think that the man who did this did so intentionally, because you cannot just push someone in front of a moving subway and not notice that the train is coming. I hope that the person who did this is caught, but in reality the chances of him getting away scot free is pretty high if no one can actually describe what the person looked like. I agree with Ursula that more people should develop a moral compass instead of acting reckless without a care in the world.
DeleteI think the attacker had a motive. No random crazy person would come up with a plan as good as this and leave the scene with no traces. The attacker must have still been partly insane to commit an act like this on another human being, especially with the mans wife right next to him. This attack must have been planned in advance and well thought out. Anyway, this is a horrible tragedy for his wife, and I hope the police find the attacker and bring him or her to justice.
DeleteThis is horrific. But I have to agree, this has to be intentional. And even if it had been accidental, you would think the guilty party would have had a higher moral compass to at least take responsibility for his actions, a trial at the very least. However, to have no witnesses and the attacker still having been unidentified, I'm not too sure this was by chance. I hope whoever is the perpetrator is found and tried. My sincere condolences to Kuen's wife and family.
DeleteIt appears that the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine will never end, and now it has become bigger with accusations faced with each other. We all remember when the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 with over 200 people on board that have gone missing, unable to be tracked on the radar, but now the unfortunate results show that all 298 people on board have died. This happened on the eastern border of Ukraine and it appeared to have been shot down by a some sort of missile. No one knows for sure who brought forth the missile in the air, but the images were first shown on Russian television and they have blamed a Ukraine military jet for firing the shot which brought down the plane along with everyone on board, while the Ukraine on the other hand believe it was the pro-Russian separatist rebels who fired. However, many researchers do not believe what they see in the picture whatsoever so they think it's fake and no one really knows what actually occurred during that flight. I truly feel that it is not right to take sides and blame who did what, because right now those families need comforting, not discussions on who fired the missile or if the pictures were even real or not. Both Ukraine and Russia are responsible, because if the pictures were true, then it was both of their fault for being selfish and sending things flying in the air without knowing what could happen, or if a plane will pass by. No one is safe where the bombings are occurring, but it's not right that others have to face their disputes between their countries. Those innocent people were just going on a plane ride and you think it is going to be safe, having no worries on what is happening thousands of feet below you. They need to open their eyes and realize that they are not just hurting their "enemy country" but they are hurting anyone that comes near them as well.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S Navy seal who shot and killed Osama Bin Laden (Robert O’Neil) shared his story on the compound raid back in May of 2011 fears that he may be prosecuted by the pentagon for releasing more of his story to the families who lost loved ones to the war started by Bin Laden. He is afraid of prosecution because he spoke of many details of the mission. He begins with saying he believed there was a 90 percent chance that the team of seals would not return back to the states for the threat of suicide bombers, car bombs, and having the helicopter he was traveling in get shot down, and the compound exploding. He goes on to describe the crash landing of the first helicopter and how he and his team advanced through each floor until the reached the last one. As they advanced through the floors O’Neil slowly progressed to the front of his squad. They opened the door and he identified the mastermind then proceeded to shoot him twice in the head. O’Neil went on to explain that it hasn’t hit him that he just killed Al Qaeda’s leader and all he was concerned about was clearing out the rooms and rescuing any civilians in the area. After leaving Pakistan air space and taking a deep breath the seals called the commander and chief president Barack Obama. O’Neil was eating a breakfast sandwich feet away from Osama in front of a flat screen T.V while President Obama announced Bin Laden’s death. When the seals were first going on the mission O’Neil said that it was a great honor to be participating in it. He also stated that he didn’t go on the mission as just the navy seals, him and his squad were also playing the roles of the Port Authority, police departments, NYPD, FDNY, the American people, and the 9/11 families.
ReplyDeleteThe current event that I read/watched was about a girl that lives in Islam. Her name is Malala and she is only 17 years old. In the Muslim community and religion, women are often overlooked for what they do and what they can do in the world. Women are treated as animals almost, not allowed to do anything men do, because they are looked at as "lower" then men. Malala's father was the owner of many public schools in Islam, even though girls were not allowed to go to school, he taught his daughter english and slowly started teaching her other things that he taught other kids. He wanted a different life for his daughter, not just to get married off at the age of 12 or 13 and have to live a life being a slave for men and doing whatever they tell her too. So eventually, Malala got the courage to start teaching what she knew to other girls who also did not have the opportunity to learn and go to school. She traveled around several different areas trying to raise awareness about girls who need education and a better life, and better opportunities. When word got out that Malala was going around and trying to change things, leaders were outraged. Malala was on the way home with a few of her friends and she was stopped and shot in the head by commanders. But she lived. She spent a year and a half in England at a hospital having several brain surgeries and had to have a portion of her skull removed to allow it room to swell. Malala now lives around the world giving different speeches around the world to try to raise awareness about proper education for women, she was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She is truly an inspiration and an amazing individual.
ReplyDeleteWomen our age like this truly makes me feel like a low life bum, compared to her i haven't made any significant change on this Earth. This is so inspirational and I'm glad she got the support from her parents to start off and learn instead of marrying her off just like everyone else. She is so young compared to the women in our society making changes. It is a miracle that she survived the shot to the head and still has enough brain function to present speeches to people all around the world. She is really cool for all this and rightfully deserved the Nobel Peace Prize
DeleteMelanie Urias
Malala's story is truly an inspirational one! I learned of her myself not too long ago, over the summer. One of my favorite quotes was said by her, "The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women." When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, she helped spread the message of not only perseverance and remarkable recovery, but feminism as well. She has often gone on record, saying not to listen to her because she is Malala, but because of her message: the advocation for women's rights, and girls' education.
DeleteI have heard this story before. I learned about it two years ago in my english class. We read her story, and it is an inspirational one without a doubt. I remember reading about the gunshot wound and the comments from the doctor who operated on her. He said that when she came in to the ER he was doubtful of her survival. He commented that the operation was the work of God and that it was a miracle that this girl survived. This goes to show that she survived for a purpose. She has become an inspiration for people all around the world and winning the Nobel Peace Prize was just another one of her great accomplishments.
DeleteI am a huge advocator of equal rights for women, and it still surprises me that there are people in other parts of the world who do not have the luxury to go to school and get an education. I think it is good for her that she is giving other girls in her situation a person to look up to who can provide them with some kind of education, because this day in age, it is extremely important to have an education. What happened to her was definitely a tragedy and I am happy that she survived and is an inspiration for women all over the world.
DeleteMy current event for this week covers the convening of Arab Americans in Washington to create a political strategy for 2016. This was covered on the Huffington Post here: [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/arab-americans-getting-re_b_6163576.htm]. Another article I reference, about the Manassas Mosque in Virginia, can be found here: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/manassas-mosque-vandalized-in-possible-hate-crime/2014/08/12/e0aca8f2-2247-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html].
ReplyDeleteArab Americans are planning on mapping out their strategies for the next two years this week, pushing past the difficulties that seemed daunting just a few years ago. Many Arab Americans will tell you of the backlash that came after 9/11, the prejudice that Americans of Arab heritage faced—and still face—not only in politics but in every day life. Many Americans who were unlucky enough to have a heritage so looked at with disdain, and even fear, will tell you of the disgraceful way the American police have treated them, the distrust among neighbors, and even the abuse they've been subjected to for their religion, skin color, and customs. Not a few months ago, I heard about a mosque in Virginia being vandalized. The members could not even enter, because of the graffiti that defaced the double-door entrance. What's worse, this mosque (the Manassas Mosque) has even been vandalized before, right after the 9/11 attacks. The imam of the mosque, Abu Nahidian, has gone on record saying, "We do not hurt anybody. If those with our names are doing something, why should I become the victim? You haven't seen me doing anything. We are a part of the whole earth, and we love the whole earth."
These people are facing these challenges head on. With the gathering in Washington, Arab Americans are gazing at the future with a new hope. For the past three decades, these people have undergone daunting challenges—and are overcoming them. Their ideas have helped shape the safe immigration of Syrians into America, and have also helped Iraqis obtain a refugee status as they flee from their own country. It has taken three decades, but these people now have the wind at their backs.
But that time lapse begs the question: When will we all see each other as Americans, instead of our race or religion?
Four in Ten couples are saying I Do again
ReplyDeleteIn 2013 4 out of 10 new marriages included one partner that had already been married. 2 out of 10 marriages were between partners that had already been married. Almost 42 million adults in the US have been married more then once. One trend that has increased this increasing number of divorces between couples. Many previously married adults have already married again. But among those who haven’t yet remarried, about half report they would like to try again. There are definite gender differences between wanting to remarry currently divorced or widowed men are more open to the idea of remarriage unlike women. Among previously married men, 65% either want to remarry or are not sure; among women who are currently divorced or widowed, only 43% say they may want to remarry. This then shows the difference in the genders remarrying, 64% of men have remarried compared to the 52% of women that have. Another shocking little facts are the 8% of the couples that contain 2 previously married couples have been married 3 times before their new marriage; along with that 8% of people that only have a high school diploma have been married 3 times or more. All these facts scare me because thinking in a realistic manner the majority of us will have 2 marriages in our lives. I live in a home that contains 2 parents that have only been married to each other so thinking that my life most likely wont be like that is a litte frightening.
Melanie Urias
This week’s current events article was on two young ladies who were separated at birth, and reunited on Facebook. Anais Bordier and Samantha Futerman lived in completely different continents. Bordier grew up in Paris and Futerman was living in Los Angeles, California. Its crazy to think something like this can actually happen. December 2012, Bordier was showed a YouTube video of a young girl, and she thought it was she. She looked for credits on the video to find out who it was but she couldn’t find anything. The girl in the video seemed to pop up again, and that is when Bordier knew she had to investigate. She ended up finding out that they shared the same birthday, and were both adopted in South Korea. Bordier then found her on facebook, and sent her a friend request and a message. Their story reminds me of the movie Parent Trap with Lindsey Lohan. If I had a sister who I didn’t know existed I would definitely want to know every detail to why we weren’t raised together or even knew we were related. The first time they talked on Skype, they were suppose to chat for 90 minutes but ended up talking for three hours. Despite of the fact they didn’t know each other; they held an unexplainable, strong bond. These two young women recently released a book “Separated @ Birth: A True Love Story of Twin Sisters Reunited”, which gives every detail of their reunion. I see this story as very life changing and beautiful. Futerman said, “If we’ve learned anything in this story, its that things will happen as they should.” There were probably so many emotions built up when they finally met face to face.
ReplyDeleteThis story makes me so happy. I have a sister and I have no clue what I would do without her. I couldn't imagine knowing I have a sister and not seeing or knowing anything about her. I'm so happy they finally found each other and created a strong bond with each other.
DeleteThis is a very cool story. I thought the same thing, that it reminds you of The Parent Trap. What Furterman said, "If we’ve learned anything in this story, its that things will happen as they should." is very evident. I agree with this statement. These girls, as it seems, were meant to find each other again. That video would be too convenient to be coincidental. The amount of similarities and the things she found out about the two of them was incredible. I can't picture myself and how I would feel looking up a person who looked identical to me, and then find out we have the same birthday and were both adopted from the same place! I can only imagine the conversation they had on Skype. It had to have been very shocking at first, but then very touching and uplifting. I would be excited to speak to not only my sister, but my twin, for the first time in my whole life!
DeleteAwww, this was awesome. I thought the same thing as you and Savannah when you said that it reminded you of "The Parent Trap." I also have a sister and I know that the bond between sisters is extremely strong. I am so happy for them and can't believe how they found each other. News like this is so much nicer to hear about and I hope more stories like these emerge.
DeleteThis story sounds like it came right out of a movie! There are so many shows and movies with the same plot, but its so hard to believe that it could actually happen. Its kind of amazing that out of the billions of people that they could be reunited again. To think that this all happened because one sister clicked a YouTube video is so coincidental that its pretty hard to believe. This is so hard to imagine, but such a happy story.
DeleteBeginning next year, payphones in New York City will begin to make a dramatic change. As of now those phone booths provide a place to call ones you cannot call often, or provide you with a phone when your cellular is dead. Believe it or not, these phone booths will be transforming into free Wi-Fi spots for bystanders. This could be extremely convenient for most citizens however phone booths provide not only long distance calling stations, but also provide a shelter for the homeless that make up the culture of New York City. This system will become the fastest and largest municipal Wi-Fi network in the world. This will also close the digital gap in New York’s community. The network will extend up to 150 feet in any direction; will up to 250 usable devices at the same time. A two-hour movie could be downloaded in approximately 30 seconds. It is said to be that some personal information could potentially be spilled to others unwillingly. Pay phones have waned popularity, and served as a critical function during hurricane Sandy, when power failures severed other communication sources. Implanting these new Wi-Fi signals will cost the city tremendously. Can they really afford to implant all these systems? Will they benefit our economy? I think that the money could be better spent elsewhere in the city to benefit more than just our technological mindset. Larger issues such as poverty and homelessness still exist in large amounts, why are we worried about created more technology instead of creating a better living environment for our citizens. Opening these new Wi-Fi systems create a new industry, possibly creating new jobs for the unemployed as well as advancing society to keep up, all while giving free Wi-Fi to those who possibly cannot afford it or cannot access it.
ReplyDeleteIf the wifi hotspots will be there as well as the payphones also being there than it doesn't sound like such a bad idea but if the payphones are being replaced by hot spots than it is a terrible idea. What good does wifi do if your cell phone is dead or you do not have a phone to begin with because because you cannot afford one. I also believe that it would not be worth the money to invest in such a large and unnecessary transformation. I think that the money would be better spent helping out some of the many homeless people living on the streets in the cold without food or shelter. Or possible better training for the cops so they stop killing people without good reason.
DeleteThats actually not a bad idea. I do think it is very convenient but I do agree with Jailyn about it being a huge money investment when it isn't so necessary. Money could be spent somewhere else like helping those homeless people but it kind of figures that they wouldn't. Opening these new Wi-Fi will definitely create new jobs and will help out people who don't always have wi-fi. Besides it being somewhat unnecessary I think a lot of people will be satisfied with this change.
DeleteDue to the fact the technology of this time is changing frequently pay phones are out ow date and rarely used by the people of New York. I think that adjusting the city to keep up with the changing times by using the pay phone stations as wifi hotspots is a fabulous idea. If you’ve ever been to New York you know that people crowd into any building that has wifi at any point in time, if you enter Starbucks in any area of New york they are usually aced beyond belief. I feel as if despite the cost this would is a great advancement.
DeleteYeah, I don't know if the homeless are using pay phones as shelter. We've come a long way since the red phone booths of the 1950s and we just use metal pay phones that don't rust. There's no box or anything and therefore no shelter. So really, there's no downside to creating wifi hotspots. It would just make New York that much better to lie
DeleteMy current event this week is about a woman in Deltona, Angela Stoldt, who killed, dismembered, and cooked the remains of her neighbor. The 42-year-old Deltona woman is accused of killing Sheaffer, 36, a limousine driver, in April 2013. Last year, Stoldt took a hacksaw to her neighbor's body and tried to cook away evidence of James Sheaffer. The case started April 3 of last year when the neighbors met at Stoldt's house to discuss money problems. She drugged him with prescription drugs she got from her father, which were muscle relaxers and made him drowsy and confused. She cooked his remains, some in the oven, and others in pots. Her house smelled of burning flesh, but she said that she assured her daughter that it was just a rat cooking in the oven. "Thursday is when I was cooking him," Stoldt told investigators. "Friday is when I was dumping him." Sheaffer evidently asked for a $4,000 loan from Stoldt's father, and he threatened to kill her if she denied him the loan. So she claimed self defense — an argument a judge denied. When he "came at her," she took an ice pick from her backseat and plunged it into one of Sheaffer's eyes. That didn't keep him away though, she said, so she took a cord and strangled him. Stoldt placed the body in a baby pool in her garage. She began to cut into it the next day, placing the torso in one pool and other body parts in a second pool. Her plan to cook and get rid of the remains didn't work, so she got her son to take the bag of remains, which she told him was a dead deer, to the dumpsters behind a New Smyrna Beach fish house. Court documents filed last week detail for the first time her alleged confession and attempts to make his body vanish. With these documents, the grand jury upgraded the charges against Stoldt to first-degree murder. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, so life is most likely be the sentence if she is convicted. She is also charged with tampering with physical evidence and with abuse of a dead body.
ReplyDeleteThe first 21st century Salt-Water Powered Car approved in Europe. The European automobile industry, NanoFlowcell, decided that the mass production of these cars will be greatly beneficial for the future. The potential of this project determines domestic energy supplies as well as in maritime, rail and aviation technology. How does this work? It works like a hydrogen fuel cell however the liquid is used for storing energy, saltwater. The liquid, or “saltwater” is passed through a membrane in between the two tanks, creating an electric charge. Science! This is electricity is then stored and distributed by super capacitors. Within the car it carries water in two 200-litre tanks. In on sitting the driver will be allowed to travel up to 373 miles. How were they able to develop this liquid hydrocarbon fuel? Scientist at the U.S Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have developed a technology to recover carbon dioxide and hydrogen from seawater and convert it into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. They used a Carbon Capture Skid that enabled the capture of large quantity of carbon dioxide. Then they were able to produce hydrogen gas from the seawater off the Gulf of Mexico. They took the key information from these two condition to fully optimize them as a prototype for their project. I think all cars should be required to be made like this, if not then most cars. That’s because our dependency on fossil-fuel will be eradicated from the world. Which is indeed a tremendous breakthrough in my own beliefs. Implementing these ideas about generating these resources around us (clean green environmental resources) that has been around us for decades can benefit so much for us. I don’t see what is stopping us from using this method other than Barack Obama. This is a remarkable achievement that we can constantly use.
ReplyDeleteWow, I’m surprised that I haven’t heard more about this yet. This is an amazing breakthrough. Our dependency on fossil fuels has been very problematic. It’s caused problems for the environment, and caused much conflict over the years. If we could eradicate the use of fossil fuels completely, the green initiative would become so much simpler. I wonder how much these types of cars will cost to make compared to current cars, and how much the cars would cost to buy. How would the salt water be distributed to the consumer? Will it be cheaper than current gas prices? Those are the only questions that stick out in my mind.
DeleteChris, I'm glad to see alternative energy sources advancing; our reliance on fossil fuel is unsustainable and ruinous to the environment, and we should strive to find cleaner, renewable energy resources. I think there might be a few other factors preventing all of us from driving salt water powered cars than Barack Obama, though. First of all, what about cost? How much time, material, and money, exactly, does it take to produce one of these automobiles? Can they be produced on the mass scale required by America? Are they affordable enough for the average person, or are they cost prohibitive to the point where only upper-middle and upper class people could afford them? Furthermore, can these be manufactured in an "eco-friendly" way? A clean-energy car is a bandaid on a gaping wound if producing it produces tons of pollution. Hopefully, as the technology develops, these concerns will be addressed, and we will be able to reduce our carbon footprint significantly.
DeleteThis article blew my mind. I'm super excited about the prospect of the commercialization of this technology. It has benefits beyond automotive that extend into all facets of technology and development. I hope that big oil companies don't buy the technology and run it into the ground. Regardless, we're at the beginning of another technological revolution, and I'm eager to see how the world will be changing in the next couple of decades.
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ReplyDeleteThis week for my current event, I read an article about Charles Mason. For those who don’t know, Charles Manson is an American criminal who led the “Manson Family”, a quasi-commune in California during the late 1960’s. He convinced his followers to commit the murders of seven people, Leno and Rosemary LaBiance, and Sharon Tate and four others at her house. Manson was charged with conspiracy and is currently serving a life sentence, and if not for being in California he would have received a death sentence. Now, at eighty years old, Manson is deciding to get married. Afton Elaine Burton, 26, and Manson have been given a marriage license. Manson has been denied parole many times, and is up for his next hearing in 2027. Afton is a long time fan of Manson’s. She first fell in love with Manson at the age of 16, and first met him at the age of 17. She has been communicating with him in prison since the first meeting, and even runs a fansite dedicated to him. Afton claims that the only reason she is getting married to him is to work his case and get him freed from jail. She firmly believes that Manson is innocent, and wrote the following message on her fansite, “Charles Manson is not a murderer and has NEVER killed anyone, nor did he ever ‘order’ any crimes to be committed on his behalf; it’s a lie. He has been a victim of lies and sensationalism, from the government and the media for over 40 years… Charles Manson has been a naturalist and eco-warrior for many years. He was arrested in 1969 for setting two earthmover machines, which were being used to tear up the deserts of Death Valley, on fire; NOT murder.” This is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. The man is insane and has committed terrible acts against other people. How could anyone believe that he needs to be freed from prison? This marriage is in no way right and should have never happened.
ReplyDeleteThis is all pretty crazy. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how a woman has decided that Charles Manson is innocent. This post motivated me to look up more on Charles Manson. I found that he had a depressing childhood where he was abandoned by both of his parents. He has been in and out of detentions halls and jail for over half his life. Many of the groups he formed were filled with people affiliated with drugs such as LSD and shrooms. Charles Manson is an extremely dangerous, sick man. The last thing I would expect would be for someone to think he is innocent let alone desire marriage with such a person.
DeleteI completely agree Bobby. Even if he is innocent like she claims, he still belongs in a institution because the man is clearly insane. After reading your post I youtubed some of the crazy things Manson said during court and I was simply astonished. Some of the answers to questions he gave didn't make sense and others were down right weird. For example he was asked "Some people still want to know who you are so, who are you?" Manson's response included him making a bunch of crazy faces then saying "Nobody". In conclusion Manson deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison and should not bee exposed to the public in any way.
DeleteThis week I'm writing about the Ebola vaccine proved 'promising' by scientists after a human trial. I am writing about this because of all the sad and awful current events being written about the Ebola virus. A 39 year old woman was the first to receive this trial of the vaccine. The vaccine uses a chimpanzee cold virus which has been genetically engineered to carry a non-infectious Ebola protein on the surface. This is an amazing sign of progress and hopefully this is the actual vaccine scientists have been searching for. There are currently four trials with this vaccine and they are all statistically proving to work. If the Ebola virus is still active when the vaccine is found then no epidemic will ever have the chance to rise again. The company working on this virus even stated that "it can produce one million doses a month by the end of 2015." This was really nice to read about and I really enjoy all the recent positive science headlines. It shows how our civilization is evolving as a society and how much technological advancements we are making. This would never be possible if it wasn't for technology, and this disease could have been the new plague if scientists were not working so tediously to find a vaccine or if sanitization was awful. I am proud to say that we live in such a time where vaccines are possible to most diseases and there is healthcare and medicine available to almost everyone. Science is an amazing thing and I'm looking forward to hearing about the progress of this Ebola vaccine. Hopefully, the next headline that will come out about the Ebola virus will state that the vaccine is complete and patients are slowly but surely being cured. I can't wait to hear more about the vaccine process.
ReplyDeleteWow! The fact that we have the ability to create such incredible vaccines is really soothing. Hopefully it all works out and by late 2015 there will be no more spreading of the virus. I bet scientists in the earlier ages would have never thought that us, humans, would be able to make a cure for a disease that has wiped out so many people. The advancement of our technologies and education system has really aided in this process. I cannot wait to see what happen next!
DeleteI think it is fantastic news that there is a vaccine for ebola that is showing great progress. Even though it may not be one hundred percent flawless, it is good to know that there are scientists who are working on developing a vaccine. I agree with Kayla that it is thank to our advancement in technology and expanded education that this vaccine could be created. The ebola virus has wiped out a good amount of the human population, but thanks to the development on this vaccine which happens to be on its way, hopefully no one will have to worry about this happening again in the future.
DeleteWhen you go online and Google a topic many different things appear. All sorts of different websites and links that are ranked using algorithms and ‘web crawlers’, that look for new web pages. Senator Ted Cruz is what led to my research on the topic as the senator of Texas tweeted “ ’Net Neutrality’ is Obamacare for the Internet; the Internet should not operate at the speed of the government.” Now Obamacare is a whole other cup of tea as people’s opinion on the subject lay on ever section of the scale. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally, not discrimination or charging differentially by user, content, site, application, and so on. There are many different factors that net neutrality covers: bandwidth-throttling, data discriminate, the End-to-end principle, IP, net bias, search neutrality, and tiered Internet. In the United States at this moment there are no laws against impeding net neutrality. That means that businesses can slow your internet if you’re not using the sites they want you to use, or that search engines can rank there results by who can pay them the most money. Net neutrality is demonstrably a good thing, and it needs to be enshrined in law, not just done in good faith as it is now. Many people will look at the concept of net neutrality and see paranoia, sort of a “This kind of situation would never happen,” type thing. But it has already happened. Last year Comcast slowed their internet speeds to get Netflix to pay them millions of dollars to improve the quality of Netflix’s stream. That there are no laws in place to stop big corporations from doing something like bandwidth throttling makes me nervous. Network neutrality is akin to free speech and as such should be protected by law. The Internet is a tool for communication and information circulation and should not be under the control of governments and corporations.
ReplyDeleteMy current event this week is on the shooting in Cleveland. A 12 year old boy had a fake air soft gun that looked similar to a pistol. He went to the rec center in Cleveland and was acting as if the gun was real by scaring people with the gun. The kid name is tamir rice and he would pull the gun out his waist and point it at people stated in the CBS News reports. This shook up a couple a people which lead to a call to the police officer. Many reports states that the person who called the police stated that the gun could have been fake but the statement is not verified as true or false yet. More investigation is going on to see why this boy died. But the police officer did ask the kid to raise his hands and he failed to listen and then preceded to pull the gun out his waist, which then led to the cop shooting the kid and killing him. In my opinion from what I see and reading a lot of crimes are committed by race but this one to me has nothing to do with race. Many people tend to take certain things out of hand and make it to be something it isn't Just because the cop is white and the kid is black doesn't mean it was necessarily and racist act on the cop. He was just doing his job because he to felt threatened as the people in that park that day.
ReplyDeleteJenise, it's tragic that this young boy lost his life, but I agree that this was not a racially motivated shooting. Further reports have since been released, confirming that while the person who called 911 mentioned that the gun was likely a fake, the 911 dispatcher who called the police neglected to mention this fact. Furthermore, Tamir's gun was not easily identifiable as a toy-it was a full size replica missing the legally required orange tip that would identify it as an airsoft gun-and he reached for the gun instead of putting his hands up when told to do so. There are countless cases of police brutality and injustice in America, but I think this is more of a tragic accident.
DeleteI agree with you both you and Guillermo. This case seems to be more of an overall misunderstanding than an act of police brutality or a racial issue. The young boy made the mistake of taking a very realistic looking air-soft gun out to a public place and reaching for it when the officer asked him to put his hands in the air. I am sure that the officer did not have the intentions to go to the scene and kill the young boy, he was simply protecting himself. Although he could have probably shot the boy in the leg rather than the chest, it was probably a very scary situation and the cop was just trying to protect himself as he did not know that the gun the boy had in his possession was not real at all.
DeleteIt's sad that the 12 year old boy died, but from a distance it is hard to tell if a gun is real or a toy unless a orange cap is on the gun. If the police viewed the boy as a threat to others and the boy didn't raise his hands but instead went for the boy then they have no choice but to shoot, its what they were trained to do in those situations. It was all just a misunderstanding, but the boy shouldn't have had the gun with him, real or fake.
DeleteI agree with all of you to further it was a misunderstanding and hopefully this case is a lesson to those kids who play with toy guns that there is a right place for such toys and a right way to use them and they way tamir used the gun was in a way where life would have been threatening and cops should have been called.
DeleteUnfortunately, some of your facts are incorrect. With new footage released, the police officer's statement was deemed inaccurate. Within 2 seconds of pulling up, Tamir Rice has a bullet in him. The Office had no time to ask him to put his hands up, let alone 3 times. While it can be debated back and forth whether it is a race issue or not, it is clear that the police officer acted extremely impulsively and should be punished for his overuse of power. Allowing the officer to get away with this is an injustice of the system.
Deleteyes with the new evidence i realized that the cops changed there story more then once and that turned from an misunderstanding to abusive authority and with the new evidence and the video showing everything to agree with the fact that tamir was just shot i can say that and act of justice needs to happen. and now that the case is ruled a homicide. hopefully we can finally get to the bottom of this and hope it wasn't really a racial case and it was something else because with ferguson going on this case will just add fuel to the fire and make things even more worst. so hopefully the cops didn't kill tamir due to his color but due to something else.
DeleteRecently, Professor Stephen Hawking has revealed an upgrade to the AI technology, which assists him in communicating with others. As much as he is enthusiastic about the improvement on the device he depends on, but he also made note of the dangers of AI (artificial intelligence). Hawking said, “The development of artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race”. The technology Stephen Hawking utilizes is “very basic” and models the Swiftkey feature found on mobile touchscreen, keyboard devices. Swiftkey has predictive learning which is how Hawking’s machine works so well. Despite the opportunity to manufacture a voice more similar to his original one, Hawking prefers his computer generated voice, because “It has become my trademark, and I wouldn’t change it for a more natural voice with a British accent”. “I’m told that children who need a computer voice want one like mine.” Hawking fears that the advancements in the AI could potentially become just as intelligent as humans or even superior in many different aspects. “It would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate,” he said. “Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.” He also believes that the Internet will be responsible for how artificial intelligence evolves and that Internet companies must monitor this evolution without interfering with freedom and privacy. Engineers all over the world are working on building robotic software and robots in Japan are being designed to resemble humans. Cars that navigate themselves at extra high and normal speeds are now being tested as well. How long will it be until robots begin taking away jobs? I’m not sure if Stephen Hawking is overreacting or if our future is in danger of truly being run by machines as demonstrated in numerous movies.
ReplyDeleteCGP Grey made a video about this same topic not to long ago and trust me when I watched it I was a little unsettled about the idea myself. Technology is not what it was 50 years ago, let alone 20 years. Artificial Intelligence is no longer something that we only see in movies or read about in science fiction novels. It exists and at the rate things are going, significant advancement in the near future is a reality. What we need to question is not whether or not robots will replace us, because considering the jobs that sustain our economy, it wouldn’t be difficult to easily cutback the workforce with efficient AI. We need to begin to plan what we will do when the day comes that robots don’t do a job perfect, just better than humans.
DeleteThis week, I have been reading about the landing of the Philae lander launched from the Rosetta space craft to the comet Churyumov Gerasimenko by the European Space Agency. Philae was designed to collect and transmit data about the makeup of the comet, specifically "elemental, isotopic, molecular and mineralogical composition of the cometary material, the characterization of physical properties of the surface and subsurface material, the large-scale structure and the magnetic and plasma environment of the nucleus." While the probe succeeded in collecting some data, battery power only lasted until the fifteenth of November, and no further contact has been made. However, before losing power, the solar panels had been tilted towards the sun; with any luck, the solar panels will be able to collect enough energy for reactivation when Philae's orbit comes near the sun roughly one year from now. Additionally, I have been following the controversy surrounding British scientist Matt Taylor's choice of attire for the international webcast and conference for the program. Taylor wore a button up shirt with several science-fiction style depictions of scantily clad women in provocative poses holding guns on it. This resulted in public outrage, spawning groups such as #shirtgate and #shirtstorm, and ultimately resulting in a teary public apology from Taylor. The shirt was widely derided as a misogynistic article of clothing that objectified women and reinforced stereotypes about the lack of diversity and acceptance in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. Others reacted in an opposite manner, insisting that it was merely a tacky shirt worn for ironic purposes, citing the fact that it was made for Taylor by a female colleague. Personally, I think both camps have valid points; I very much doubt that Taylor was purposefully being misogynistic when he chose the shirt. However, wearing that shirt in an international conference that would be broadcasted to millions of people throughout the globe was a terrible idea. Regardless of his intentions, it is easy to interpret the shirt as sexist, and many people obviously did.
ReplyDeleteCurrently in Mexico there is an on going investigation about the 43 students who went missing on september 26th. so far only one students remains have been found from a dan test of a bone fragment that was found in a plastic bag. This was 19 year old Alexander Mora Venancio who attended Mexico's Guerrero state. The rest of the students were believed to be burned in a landfill, their remains were then placed in plastic bags and thrown into a river. As if this was not terrifying enough, they mayor is supposedly responsible for this horrifying act by delivering these students to a local drug gang to be murdered. Authorities are trying to stop the search for these students. This announcement has fueled demonstrations all across the country, especially because the authorities might be responsible for their disappearance. So far 44 police men have been arrested and 16 are still being searched for. At least 80 people have been arrested in the disappearances and the deaths, With many of them being authority figures. Who do you call when the people who are supposed to help are the ones that are committing the crimes? I feel like this situation can also be related to what is happening in America recently with all the reports about police brutality except this case in Mexico is about 40x greater than what we are experiencing. The demonstrations happening in Mexico consist of people being hung from bridges and heads being cut off and placed on the hoods of cars. Although the protests happening in America are not that extreme and mostly consist of signs and crowds of people standing for what they believe is right, i don't think that violence is that out of reach for us. And if the problems in Mexico escalate any more i think that they may need some intervention from other countries to help fix the problems of their corrupt officials.
ReplyDeleteThis news is absolutely mind boggling and terrifying. I can't believe that things like this occur in the world. I don't understand how so many kids went missing in such a small span of time or how no other remains have been found aside from the one plastic bag containing the remains of one of the forty three students. This crime seems very complex and dark. Why were they kid napping and killing all these students to begin with? What was there master plan? I am eager to find out if there will ever be a definite answer or any closure to this case at all.
DeleteI agree this story is baffling. I would most likely see this story line more in movies but to know that this is actually happening is so crazy and the fact that so many people where involved in the killing of all these kids is even more gruesome to know. The world is getting worst and worst in these crimes and i feel the act of and intervention from another country may help but for how long will it help is the question? can we really do something to change the mindset of these people and get them to stop the violience?
DeleteThe complete lack of media coverage on this vicious case of police overuse of power and authority is baffling. This makes it apparent of the ability of cops to be used by our government and to act on their own means in order to achieve goals in brutal, horrendous ways. However, despite how apparent, the media still refuses to acknowledge even a small percentage of these cases. Before the Michael Brown story, how many cases of police brutality have you heard? Because I promise you, they are occurring.
DeleteThis is terrifying! Why would the mayor want to get rid of 43 students, and why would the mayor think of associating a gang? Isn’t the mayor supposed to help and represent his community? This really makes people second guess where they live and who they trust. It is unfathomable that someone, especially the mayor would want to harm and kill 43 of his own residents and for what reason? It causes me to wonder if that certain set of students had some sort of black mail on the mayor that would cause his outrage against them. Who do you trust to take care of the situation if the police are ganging up as well? This situation is going to take special care to be dealt with properly.
DeleteRecently I stumbled upon a very interesting and slightly terrifying article that takes place in India. There have been many strange cases of people having their kidneys stolen. Yes, their kidneys. Many middle class workers have been manipulated and trapped in group houses only to be sedated and wake up missing an organ. These insidious actions of organ theft are all enacted for profits through the black market. It is absolutely infuriating that this is occurring to helpless Indian workers who believed that they were going somewhere to work and make money to support their families, only to be betrayed. It is completely wrong and inhumane to violate another human being like this. It is so violating to think that these people were held against their will, forced to have their blood drawn and kidney removed, and then have their lives threated if they ever told anyone about these occurrences. The workers had absolutely no idea what they were in for, most of the victims probably being uneducated or desperate. It is truly saddening that the black market exists and is encouraging such infringing activities. It would be absolutely terrifying to wake up after being sedated against your will missing an organ, and I can only image how much scarier the situation became after they were threatened their lives not to share their stories with anyone, especially the authorities. I am glad that at least one of the victims spoke up and I surely hope that this sadistic occurrence does not continue to affect many more helpless and desperate Indians. It is insane that these black market doctors were able to carry such activities out on so many people against their will without so much as arising any amount of suspicion among the authorities. Nonetheless, these events are sickening and invasive and need to be put to a stop immediately.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think its crazy what people will do for money. People will go beyond crazy for money, because we live in a world where money is the main objective. It overrules us. These poor, innocent people are being used against their will. They are also put in a dangerous situation regarding their health also. What if the procedure went wrong? What happens when they die because they messed up, or go infected because of it? People now-a-days are so inconsiderate, they only care about themselves and how they’re going to get on with life, regardless of the risks and other people.
DeleteWow, it is really difficult to understand what goes through the mind of some people in this world, who are willing to commit such horrendous acts of manipulation, disrespect, and intrusion. Desperation must run deep through the black market sellers. A part of me wants to write this story off as fictional, the radical nature of such an idea surely would fit the bill of a made up tale. But that would be much easier than trying coming to terms with the fact that victims of organ theft are actually walking around India after experiencing such a violation of privacy. Not having my insides stolen was something I never though I would have to feel grateful for, considering the concept of “human decency.” I’m baffled.
DeleteIt is mind bottling to me what people will do these days to better their own lives, with no regards to what it might do to others. Workers are being taken advantage of and it seems that nothing is being done about it. I wonder if this somehow happened to someone extremely wealthy if maybe the government would care more. I assume that when the victim awakens that they are in serious pain, with no medication, and are probably very vulnerable to infection. Most procedures done for the black market are not sterile procedures and could cause many problems for the victim. It makes me wonder where are these kidneys going?
DeleteFor this current event I found an article on a real life Star Trek communicator. The communicator was made by a company called OnBeep. The communicator badge clips on to your clothes and connects to your phone through Bluetooth. The device, called Onyx, allows you to connect to other onyx users through Bluetooth and add them to a contact list to communicate them by pressing a button. Although "press to talk" technology has been out since 1996, when Nextel turned cell phones into long range walkie-talkies, the Onyx producers believe it will be a hit among Star Trek fans. The badge costs $99 for one or $195 for two, making it slightly expensive but a good deal to those who really want it. Onyx creators say even if the badge doesn't "take off", it will be one step further to developing other technologies from Star Trek, such as the "food replicator" and the "ask-to-answer computer system". I think it is a cool product for those who really like Star Trek, but I'll stick to just using my cell phone to make calls.
ReplyDeleteArticle: http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/05/technology/mobile/star-trek-communicator/index.html?hpt=us_bn4
I love this. It made my day. Star trek is the best thing. I love the idea of creating movie props. It's incredible that someone can take an idea from a movie and produce it. I need one so you should buy it for me. I want one even though cell phones are great. These devices were unfathomable at the time of the making. It's really cheap too, you would think it would be at least 150.
DeleteI’ve never seen Star Trek, but if someone were to make some kind of relic imitating an iconic object from one of my favorite movies or television shows, I’d probably buy it depending on how big of a fan I was and how cool the product seemed. Even so, $100 seems awfully expensive for something whose function could probably easily be replicated on an app for a mere 99 cents price tag, if you really wanted Star Trek special effects or sounds or whatever the appeal of this thing is to fans when you get a call. Katherine you're crazy.
DeleteI think that this is amazing! I have always loved star trek, ever since I was a kid. This 100$ price tag is very high still, and unless this goes down I do not see me buying this product. If the price was half of this I might consider buying this product. A bluetooth earpiece costs a fourth of the price and does the job exactly the same. For most Star Trek enthusiasts this will be a hot item still, and the company will definitely make a profit.
DeleteIt really is something when you look how far technology has come within the last hundred years or so. I can't help but imagine what kind of things will come out next with all of the research scientists and engineers do. It really is a statement on just how powerful human imagination and ingenuity really are. And i know that most Star Trek fans will go nuts over this new 'toy'. Just think what we might accomplish in the next century! I just regret that i won't be around to witness a good bit of it.
DeleteAlzheimer's disease affects as many as 5 million Americans. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and there is no cure. However a small study out of UCLA is offering a glimmer of hope for those with what is often a hopeless diagnosis. The majority of the patients involved in the study, that were in various stages of dementia, say their symptoms were reversed after they participated in a rigorous program. This program included things like optimizing Vitamin D levels in the blood, using DHA supplements to bridge broken connections in the brain, optimizing gut health, and strategic fasting to normalize insulin levels. A few months after starting the extreme program, patients in the study, aged 55 to 75, noticed their cognition had either improved or returned to normal. The results, supported the idea that addressing the many contributing factors of Alzheimer's disease as a group, rather than one at a time, could potentially reverse the disease's early progression, said study author Dr. Dale Bredesen, director of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA. The patients in this pilot study underwent a battery of tests, including having their blood drawn and brains scanned, and had neuropsychological evaluations. But anecdotal studies like this one are far from generalizable, and larger studies must be done to prove whether the program will work for more than the scant number of people in this study. Hendrix with the Alzheimer's Association said one sound element of Bredesen's study, given the complexity of Alzheimer's disease, is its focus on addressing multiple risk factors. Among study participants engaging in nutritional changes, physical activity, brain training, social activities and management of risk factors for heart problems, cognitive performance improved. After reading this article, I could not believe that someone out there is already making progress in reversing Alzheimer’s. This is just another result of how our advancements in technology and science are major contributions to improving our health and everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteOverall after reading this blogger post, I have come to the conclusion that they should do everything and anything in their power to find a cure for this disease. It’s a serious and critical disease that should be cured. If we have to use actual victims of the disease to find a cure, then we should be able to, if they volunteer of course. Considering the facts of all the downsides of Alzheimer’s, we should try to fix them, and do everything in our power to try to cure it. I feel the same way about a cure for cancer; no one should have to suffer the ways these people do with these diseases.
DeleteMost of my family has Alzheimers decease. I am probably going to get it and reading this made it more realistic. I really hope they find a cure because we need to find remedy for this serious cause. The victims aren't the only ones suffering, the family and friends are also going through this tragedy. With all the technology advancing I feel that in the next few decades a cure will be found.
DeleteLike the two comments above, I too agree that Alzheimer’s is a big problem. Many of the people in my family suffer from Alzheimer’s. The problem with this is so many people acquire this tragic disease, which makes all of the mental abilities difficult. Many families suffer along with the patient. During the time of suffrage thoughts will be lost and there is still no cure to keep the memories alive in the patients. Families struggling with the heartache of talking to someone they were once so dear to, and them not knowing the other person. How unfortunate. A cure needs to be found soon so no one else has to feel the pain of someone slowly slipping away.
DeleteThis week I was introduced by my parents onto an article of epic proportions. It was entitled "A One-Way Trip to Mars? Many Would Sign Up." The title itself grabbed me and led me into a world where not only a manned trip to Mars is possible, but so is colonization. It describes how more than 200,000 people applied for a mission called "Mars One," one in which there would be no return trip. Those colonists would live and die on the planet, one way or another. But still, hundreds of thousands would die to just see the red planet. Though NASA plans on manned trips by the 2030's and others feel they could make it more democratic or fairer, it is Mars One that ultimately has the technology already in motion.
ReplyDeleteThis is huge for the human race. We have the distinct possibility to not only see a world outside our own, but to live there, however briefly. Though it would be brief indeed, the small planet of Mars represents a stepping stone into all of those sci-fi movies we've all seen as kids. Space mining companies, huge capitol ships, colonized, budding green planets, the works. Maybe even aliens (if they do indeed exist, though that isn't a complete topic I will go into at the moment.) It is indeed life that these colonists hope to prove. Rovers and cameras sent millions of miles through space can only achieve so much. Human presence is needed to confirm it. And if it is confirmed, a new dawn in human history may be here. And we would be the first to see it.
I, as huge science fiction nerd, am extremely excited to hear this news about NASA's recent workings. so many times have i imagined myself being on another planet as either a colonist or an invade/peacemaker. if the "Mars One" works then the human race will be just that much closer to achieving some of the feats seen in star wars and star trek such as, force fields, combat lasers, and hyper speed travel. The work of NASA helps me to believe that before i die i will be able to visit another planet, or maybe even live there! Thank you for providing me with this fabulous information, it made my day.
DeleteWhile looking through CNN searching for breaking news to write about for my weekly/monthly blogger post, one in particular caught my eye. In Berkeley, California, a riot broke out against policemen. Explosives, rocks, sticks, and anything in reach were thrown at them. But it didn’t start out like that. On Sunday morning it started out to be a peaceful protest. Until it broke out, it then shut down a highway after the outbreak of said protest that started with 50 people but in the end had over 500 people. All of these of events occurred over the shooting of Michael Brown. Protesters blocked the traffic of State Highway 24 and started to throw rocks, explosives, and bottles at policemen. Some even tried to light police cars on fire out of anger. Overall only 5 arrests were made in the end of the protest, and only about 2 police officers had minor injuries and were out of the hospital the next day. Considering the dangerous events that occurred, there were many things that were left damaged and destroyed at the scene. Many stores were broken into and robbed, and windows were also smashed into just for the heck of it. Many of the stores were robbed till there was nothing left, everything gone. Reasons not even being their fault, all because of this “peaceful protest” I don’t think they should have done all this unessesary stuff as a part of a protest against the death of Michael brown. None of this would have happened if the protesters would have just stuck to their peaceful protesting, instead of turning to violence.
ReplyDeleteThis is very unfortunate news, but it may not be so for the reasons you think. I find myself incredibly critical about every little thing I hear from the media lately, especially on topics such as Michael Brown. Personally, before making any comments on this riot, I would love to see the other side of this story. you say that the peaceful protest suddenly broke into violence for no reason? I don't believe that for a second. this criticism is not aimed toward you Ciana, but towards America's current media and the way they blow things out of proportion, or twist stories. I believe that there must have been some sort of catalyst that started this riot, there is no condoning the actions of these people but there had to have been a reason for them to go berserk like this. I think that you should look into it a bit deeper and try to find out the truth. If i'm wrong and this is the truth? Oh well, at least I questioned it. If i'm right and something was hidden from us, then it just proves how corrupt America's media is today.
DeleteA firefighter hailed for her work ethic and the pride she took in being assigned to the city's busiest engine companies died Tuesday after she became trapped in the basement of a burning row home where an elderly woman was later rescued, officials said. Joyce Craig Lewis is the first female member of the Philadelphia Fire Department to die in the line of dutyCraig Lewis, an 11-year veteran and mother of two, could not escape and issued a mayday call, officials said. Firefighters raced back inside and found the 36-year-old unconscious with no vital signs, Sawyer said. Paramedics performed CPR and rushed her to a hospital. She was pronounced dead a short time later. Mayor Michael Nutter called the death "a tremendous loss" and a "very sad day" for all Philadelphians. View galleryFire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer speaks during a news … Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, in Philadelp … A procession of fire vehicles led an ambulance with Craig Lewis's body to the city medical examiner's office. Black bunting was hung from firehouses. Craig Lewis is survived by a 16-year-old son and a 16-month-old daughter, Nutter said.The Philadelphia native was one of 58 women among the city's 1,800 firefighters, according to firefighters union President Joe Schulle. She worked in firehouses in Germantown and North Philadelphia before requesting a transfer to Engine 64 in Lawncrest, one of the city's most active fire houses. He said he believed she was working an overtime shift Tuesday morning. "Everybody on that fire (scene) inevitably today is sitting at home reflecting, thinking what they could have done differently, how this could have been prevented," Schulle said. "They're heartbroken."However, he said the intense heat and deteriorating conditions may have made it nearly impossible to escape.
ReplyDeleteSome very sad news: Ralph Baer, widely regarded as the father of the video game industry, has passed away at the age of 92. A renowned inventor, and holder of over 150 patents, Baer's most famous work was designing the machine that would become the Magnavox Odyssey, the world's very first home video games console. Every console and handheld that's come since, well, you can trace it all back to the Odyssey. Born in Germany in 1922, Baer's family fled the Nazis only two months before the infamous Kristallnacht attacks on Jewish stores and homes. From Holland they moved to America, where Baer's work in electronics would culminate in 2006 with him being awarded the National Medal of Technology by President George W Bush for his work in pioneering the video game industry. Baer said that he recognized that the price reduction of owning a television set at the time had opened a large potential market for other applications, considering that various military groups had identified ways of using television for their purposes. Upon coming up with the idea of creating a game using the television screen, he wrote a four page proposal with which he was able to convince one of his supervisors to allow him to proceed. He was given $2,500 and the time of two other engineers, Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch. They developed the "Brown Box" console video game system, so named because of the brown tape in which they wrapped the units to simulate wood veneer. Baer recounted that in an early meeting with a patent examiner and his attorney to patent one of the prototypes, he had set up the prototype on a television in the examiner's office and "within 15 minutes, every examiner on the floor of that building was in that office wanting to play the game.” it feels great to share some history in memory of the person who gave me my favorite hobby by being such a brilliant inventor.
ReplyDeleteI thought I knew a pretty good amount about video games but when I saw the headliner that Ralph Baer has died I had no clue who he was or what he did. I did not realize the magnitude of his actions for the gaming industry as a whole until I read into it a little bit. The video game industry will probably not be nearly as big as it is right now if it wasn't for him. Most households own some sort of video game consoles whether it's made from Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony it can all be originated back to Ralph Baer.
DeleteIf you still log onto the once thriving product of Mark Zuckerburg’s imagination, Facebook, then you may have noticed that they are making improvements. It appears as though Facebook is pulling out all of the stops to keep this franchise afloat. This is not to say that they are full on sinking, but when grandparents begin to use an online outlet more frequently than the younger generations, it can be a red flag for marketers to switch things up. One might assume that this remodeling is to keep their previous users from fleeing to the popularizing competition in the social media business: Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. A headlining new feature of Facebook’s makeover is a search bar. On the surface this seems like a very helpful tool: if you remember an old post, but don’t feel like wasting precious time tediously scrolling through someone’s page then you can simply type in a key word and filter threw a shortened, relative list of posts and photos. The downside to this is possible resurfacing of embarrassing old photos or poorly thought out posts from middle school. Luckily, if you are familiar with basic outfits on Facebook or do a quick “how-to” search on Google, you can change your privacy settings. This will limit the amount of people who have access to certain information you may be reluctant to share. Just be sure to cover all of your bases. However, if it seems like too much work, you could always abandon Facebook switch over to SnapChat where your messages disappear after ten seconds. (Not advocating just noting possible alternatives). This wasn’t a scandalous or controversial story on racial profiling and homicide, nor was it about a fascinating technological advancement or scientific story, just a simple update on the recent activities of the often forgotten Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think anything Facebook does at this point could make me want to become a regular user again. In fact, I think the reason I used Facebook so often when it first became popular was simply due to the novelty of a new, cutting-edge Internet trend. And just like people don’t use the first T.V. or computer ever made still, we have moved to sleeker websites with more intriguing designs and features. Soon the only thing left of Facebook will be brand-name recognition. Although I bet even people in high school are now more likely to think of Twitter than Facebook when someone mentions the term ‘social media.’
DeleteIt's really interesting to hear what teenagers have to say about Facebook. Personally, I love the platform, and I don't really abide by what Michael has to say about it. I do understand Michael's sympathies, though. To me, those "sleeker" sites don't do anything for me. I like Facebook, not because it's sleek and simple, but because it's the easiest way for me to keep up with my friends that I don't see every day. But, that's also a key difference in people in high school and people outside of high school--you see many of your friends day in and day out. I see my high school and college friends maybe once a year. I haven't really thought about that until I typed this, but it's definitely intriguing.
DeleteThe article I read this week was about a Supreme Court case involving Amazon.com and its warehouse workers. The workers have to stand in security lines at the end of their shifts to make sure they haven’t stolen any of the company’s products. They claim that they spend up to 25 minutes waiting in line, and are not paid during this time. The court ruled that Amazon did not have to compensate them for this time, as the federal law requires only that workers be paid for activities before and after their shifts when the activities are “integral and indispensable” to the job they are hired to perform. This means that the workers, whose job is to package items they retrieve from warehouse shelves, does not include waiting in a security line, and thus they do not have to be paid for doing so. The workers argue that they must wait in the lines in order to keep their jobs, so they should be paid. I agree with the workers and think that their loss in court is the result of a law with a loophole in its writing. If the company is forcing them to stay at work, for any amount of time, I think it is fair to compensate the workers for this time. With this policy in mind, it is the company’s job to be as efficient as possible in allowing their workers to leave at the end of their shift. And if the policy were to change, I’m sure, as the workers suggested, the process would certainly become more efficient with an additional security employee or more organized scheduling to shorten lines as an effort by the Amazon and other companies with similar procedures to save money. I also think it is in Amazon’s best interest to compensate their workers for this time anyway, to avoid a feeling of resentment amongst their core workers, or a possible strike, or a reputation as a business with no concern about employee happiness.
ReplyDeleteThis week i decided to write about Christopher Lee's christmas music. Lee's career has been prolific to say the least his starring roles, nearly 300 of them, range from the bloodsucking title character in the Dracula franchise to Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and, yes, Saruman the White in Peter Jackson's stunning adaptations of the Tolkien classics. But here's a fun fact for you: Christopher Lee also loves music. And, more specifically, heavy metal music. Just in time for the holidays, he has released "Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing" a portentous take on the nostalgic Christmas tune, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." This isn't the self-proclaimed metalhead's first foray into the head-banging musical arena, either. Last year, his single, "Jingle Hell," made it all the way to Number 18 on the Billboard charts, earning him two distinctive honors: becoming the oldest heavy metal musician and becoming the oldest musician ever to chart on Billboard. "It's light-hearted, joyful and fun, He said of his new track. "It's a band singing on how metal should be played, the effect it has on the band and its listeners. And while playful may not be the first word that comes to mind when the ominous-sounding single cues up, the music is oddly joyful. Perhaps it's the celebratory sentiment behind the track — Lee explains of his motivation for rocking out at the ripe-old age of 92, "At my age, the most important thing for me is to keep active by doing things that I truly enjoy. I do not know how long I am going to be around, so every day is a celebration and I want to share it with my fans."
ReplyDeleteDuring this week's finding, I read an article named "Attempted Murder Charges Dropped Against Mom Who Drove Kids into the Ocean." The name of this article really caught my attention. It was about three pages long, and really caused me to question the way people's minds work. Ebony Wilkerson, a pregnant women and already mother of three, drove her mini van into the Atlantic Ocean in Daytona Beach last March. After reading the first half of the article I remember watching the news one morning and seeing this as "Breaking News." The charges are now being dropped because Wilkerson will be pleading NOT guilty on an account of being insane. There have been several tests done by state-certified psychologists in the area, and each are agreeing that she was involved in a traumatic event shortly before making her insane during the incident. The mother is currently out of jail on a $90,000 dollar bond, and the hearing will be set for this Friday, December 12, 2014. The kids that were involved are 11, 10, and 3 years old. Each one of them has been placed in custody of DCF, and the new infant is under custody of his father in South Carolina. Wilkerson has been unable to see the children since March 4th, and was only able to send them preprinted cards on Halloween which we reviewed by many child psychiatrists before being sent to the kids. Hopefully with all that is going on in the justice system, the kids will be kept in mind and justice will be served appropriately.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to see people so affected by something that they attempt to kill their children. What on earth could be so bad that you would do something like that? I do hope that the children are well cared for and that the mother gets the mental help she seems to need. On the bright side, at least no one was seriously injured in the attempt, and that is something to at least feel somewhat good about. I'm sure the courts and legal system will do what is necessary to sort this whole incident out.
DeleteA view of a mother is someone who is supposed to protect you throughout your life. To see such a women who is given that titles do something so preposterous is sickening. The fact that she was also tried and found innocent of the crime she committed, being attempted murder is shows how unintelligent people can be. It’s crazy to think that something so tragic can happen to close to home. I myself have not heard of this story until I read this, but I am disturbed to hear this news. Hopefully the mother gets help, because any human being can agree this is unacceptable behavior.
DeleteThe article I chose this week is from the New York Times, entitled “As Hong Kong Occupy Protests Wind Down, Many Make One Last Visit”. The article explains in depth on how the Hong Kong “Occupy Central” protests have wound down a fair bit, and the police plan to demolish a pro-democracy camp that will effectively end 10 weeks of street occupations over the decision of the city’s political future. Many protesters have already been exhausted by the cold winter and disappointment of inaction, and have already paid tearful visits to collect any mementos and take pictures with progressive posters and art murals that have covered the camp. Signed banners and sticky notes demanding democracy have been posted on the Lennon Wall - a side of a government building facing the protest camp. In the wake of packing up their belongings, the majority of protesters have differing opinions on what to do. Some will peacefully resist, whilst others will protest aggressively and oppose any move to demolish the camp. There are a few supply stations where volunteers have packed away safety masks, goggles, and helmets for any possible confrontations with the police. This approach seems to be in the minority, with the main plan being to "neither resist nor retaliate”, with attempts to show the government that protesters are “not the rioters they say” and will take responsibility for their actions. Others have said that “the movement will continue through other forms of disobedience”.
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me to see that the government has chosen the waiting tactic, letting the movement supposedly die down and treating it as a small issue that will just go away with time. They don’t seem to realize the determination of these protesters, as they will try anything they possibly can to achieve change, some even going so far as losing their jobs to join in the movement. These protesters have hope that their actions will bring about some sort of change in their community, or to at least expose the thought that their government is corrupt to some extent. This has allusions to the Michael Brown and Eric Garner protests, which are trying to bring light to a corrupt system of justice that has plagued the American society for far too long. The infamous “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture taken from Michael Brown’s controversial last moments have been used by the Chinese protesters, signifying that their movement is just as strong as ours.
I recently read an article written by The Washington Post about two men going into a synagogue and killing 5 people. The two attackers were Palestinian and they were armed with knives, axes, and a gun. They killed four rabbis and one police officer that rushed inside to help. Other policemen at the scene killed the two attackers. The government released pictures of the attack, which showed prayer books opened and lying on the floor, and an arm of one of the rabbis was wrapped in scripture surrounded by blood. Later on that evening the Israeli Prime Minister made accusations towards the Palestinian leaders saying that they were inciting the violence that took place. More Israelis have been attacked and harmed in recent weeks from Palestinians and the Prime Minister made a comment that “This is a battle over Jerusalem” on national television. The Israeli Prime Minister is reenacting a policy, which has not been used in over a decade in which the homes of the Palestinians families responsible of the attacks will be demolished. Stating “This deterrent worked in the past”. It’s really saddening to learn that in todays modern society people visit such horrors upon each other over nothing more than practicing their own religion and beliefs differently.
ReplyDeleteOne of the hottest news stories on the internet includes a extremely popular yet extremely illegal website being taken down by the police. I'm talking about the Pirate Bay of course where you can download a myriad of things for "free". They were able to do this because they make $84,000 a month on advertisements alone. The Pirate Bay was pretty much everyone's go to site to get something they wanted enough to download but not enough to pay for. The site has been up for many years so I'm surprised this may be the end of it. Reports have stated that the Swedish Police have infiltrated the locations that hold the servers to the website and have been successful in raiding them. Pirating is something many people take lightly but it's actually a very bad problem for entertainment companies and especially music producers. The authorities take piracy very seriously but it's hard to control it since it's so easy to share information through the internet. In my eyes even though they took down the biggest piracy website there are many more still well alive and if they shut those down even more will appear. Therefore the authorities have won the battle but they will never win the war. Then again they might of not even won the battle because there is a good chance the Pirate Bay will come back. This is definitely not the first time they hit a bump in the road since in 2009 the founders of the website were found guilty. They've even had raids like this happen in the past such as the one in 2006. In my opinion the Pirate Bay has been testing the moral values of many since there is a very low chance of them getting caught for downloading pirated goods so I think it's a good thing the site got taken down. If someone desires the want for a product they should work hard in order to get money and buy the product instead of cheating the company out of a sale.
ReplyDeleteSince I recently got sick with the flu, so I decided to write about a CNN article about predicting the flu so you can avoid it. Infectious disease experts at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health have figured out a way to forecast the flu. Their model is a huge advance, as most current models mapping the flu look backwards instead of forward. These experts even won a contest sponsored by the Centers for disease Control and Prevention called “Predict the Influenza Season Challenge.” To win this challenge, they had to crate a mathematical formula used for weather forecasting and apply it to flu data. Using real time data they created a website that shows interactive map of the United States that displays the severity of fly cases in cities across the country. For one example, New York City’s height of the flu will be in the week of January 10th. This will help people to know if the city they are in is a hotspot or isn’t a hotspot for the flu. If they know if that city is going to be hit hard one week, they might want to avoid that area or they could get vaccinated for the flu if they haven’t already and risk contracting it. The CDC predicts that this season could be worse than others, with the virus having mutated and the fly vaccine no longer being the best match for the common strain. While the vaccine still provides some protection, there are other steps organizations could take to reduce the number of contacts during the predicted height of infection. People could work at home to decrease their risk of getting it and schools could make decisions about staying open. Hospitals could also use this information to predict how much staff they will need to handle a potential influx of cases or how many drugs they need to keep on hand. I hope that the team that won the “Predict the Influenza Season Challenge” will keep updating there website to help us see where the major hotspots are going to be for the year.
ReplyDelete9-year-old Sophie fellows, a gifted violin student from Boston, Has enjoyed playing before crowds for five years. However, on Friday December 5, her talent fell silent just as she took the stage for the Christmas concert. Sophie had fallen ill during the show, and was rushed to Boston Children’s Hospital on Sunday after doctors determined that she had a brain tumor. Over the week, her fellow violin students have gone to visit and share their talent to help liven Sophie’s spirits. As the girl was awaiting surgery her class held a private concert for her friends and family in which Sophie got to play pieces she had prepared for the show. This really helped to cheer her up, and the story is truly moving. Not only did her class come to visit, but the school was closed for the people of Vermont in light of what had happened. “I think it was fun because it was for me,” Sophie stated, “There were all these people who came and played for me, and helped me finish my concert. It was so much fun.” When people come together to support someone in need, it is truly a beautiful event that renews faith in humanity as a whole. No matter how dark things get, we always seem to find a glimmer of hope to hold onto in times of need. I hope the best for Sophie, and I hope she gets to experience all that life offers. I know that the doctors will do all they can to ensure she gets to live her life, and I hope that she gets to return to the stage with no complications. I think I speak for all of us when I say that this story is a truly inspiring piece, and that Sophie certainly deserves to enjoy her life.
ReplyDeleteSophie's story is really inspiring! I makes me hopeful that there are still good people out there. Coming together to make a little girl's day is truly a wonderful thing. As for the brain tumor I can only hope that she and her family will be able to overcome it. Her life has barley began and it is actually disheartening to know that such a young girl could be diagnosed with something so life threatening.
DeleteThis week for my current event I decided to bring up a topic that has been much forgotten ever since no recent breakouts have occurred. Ebola, the subject that made people in America tremble for their lives has died down. However, the people who endured the sickening disease speak out about how terrible it was to feel so helpless and the recovery process. One survivor from Texas, who treated the man that passes away, contracted the virus and was present on an airplane during the early stages of Ebola. Little did she know she had the virus, and although at the time the disease wasn’t transmittable many people spoke out with hateful words. The words that hurt the worst were the ones calling her a monster, claiming to believe that she was responsible for a few other people that were infected. Dealing with the situation, she was interviewed and was very emotional throughout the whole conversation. Words cannot express the way she felt, with regret she admits that she was just like anyone else on the plane though because she was not at all contagious yet. Another thought she had was that as a nurse she spends all of her time helping other people, and her intentions were not to endanger anyone on the plane she flew. It was hurtful to know that people thought I was purposely or intentionally trying to harm fellow Americans. Also, another young female, also a nurse, endured the same kind of questioning except many people thought she was endangering her dog. A dog, fellow companions whom which she loved like a member of the family, people were so cruel to judge. Both who are now in better conditions and recovering nicely, besides the shortness of breath when walking short distances are not letting the media consume themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's really disheartening to hear that people would say such things about a person who had no clue she even had the virus. Like you said, she only wanted to help and in return she almost paid the ultimate price along with unkind words from other Americans.
DeleteAlmost three years ago, Trayvon Martin, a seventeen-year-old boy was shot and killed by a neighborhood watchman. The shooting raised much awareness for the so-called racial issues African-Americans are facing still today. Two years later the tragic death of Michael Brown has prompted Trayvon’s mother, Sybrina Fulton to speak yet again. She claims that whites do not understand the protests about deaths among young black men. White people do not understand because it does not happen to them. A poll cited by Anderson Cooper backs up what Mrs. Fulton has to say. White people do not view the issue the same way as black people. The protests are only shedding a light on the issue many people have not seen first-hand. Human rights are being violated and taken advantage of. Attorney Benjamin Crump says that the rules are different when it is a black kid being murdered versus a white kid. Fulton agrees and states that the child’s skin color is what prompts the murder. That whoever holds the gun is looking for a young African-American to shoot and kill. "The main reason why he was shot and killed was because this neighborhood crime watch was looking for an African-American who had been breaking in houses around there and he picked the wrong teenager," Fulton said. She then suggests an intervention to shed light on the situation in a more mannered way. People will not change over night, she says. For the white race to understand on the level that black people expect I think that a different approach from riots and protests could really help shed a light on the situation. Then we will be more able to work together and solve the controversy.
ReplyDeleteThe recent hacking of Sony’s computer network has brought back some interesting news in the form of multiple crossover developments. The first is the plans and the early stages of a movie from Sony’s animation team that would be about the Nintendo owned Super Mario franchise, although it has no voice acting and is still being talked over, this movie would show that these two usually opposing companies are coming together – or at least thinking about doing so – in order to allow one company to benefit off the other, perhaps resulting in more partnerships in the future if this one is successful (which is highly unlikely). If they do start working together more often it could possibly lead to game crossover projects and even live-action movie projects. Speaking of which, the other crossover is more of a rumor, but is still highly probable. Sony was thinking of allowing Marvel to gain back the movie rights for Spiderman for the film Captain America: Civil War, further information talks about Marvel making an entire proper trilogy for the character while Sony makes an animated series and keeps the television rights for the character. I am probably the most excited that I have ever been over news about this character, and I personally think this would be the best course for the company to take instead of making the “Venom” and “Sinister Six” movies because of fans’ reactions towards the progression of the Amazing Spiderman series of movies (and because the third in the line of Spiderman anything seems to be very poorly received). While it is very exciting, it’s still just talk, however, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The talk started because of fan’s recent push towards Sony resigning all of Spiderman’s movie rights to Marvel because of the Civil War Announcement.
ReplyDeleteMy blog post this week is about the youtube channel "Veritasium". In this channel, the person who runs it poses many thought provoking questions on commonly non-thought provoking subjects, or simply things so simple that you thought you knew the answer to them (which you may, but not know why) and then explains his reasoning as to why. Apart from that, there are many videos that are just interesting and nothing more, which is somewhat refreshing. But I truly appreciate that he appreciates the beauty in simplicity. For example, you know that you can't toss your phone on a 2 dimensional axis... but why? Why is it impossible to draw a perfect circle? He even makes a quality attempt to explain randomness. Things like this Make you actually stop and think "what do I really know" because half of what you think you know is just assumptions based off of experience. While he is not particularly exceptional in one area of all of this knowledge, he researches and builds upon his broad base of information due to a thirst for knowledge and a desire to share it. I wish more people could be this way and contribute to the furthering of human horizons through the discoveries that have yet to be made. However, I can't help but notice most of the information that I gained was regurgitated and was not original, it was all researched and discovered by someone else, but was often briefly accredited to the rightful discoverer. Nonetheless, I enjoy this channel and plan to continue watching it in my leisure time.
ReplyDeleteMy current event is based on an event written on townhall.com. 29 immigrants have died from hypothermia crossing from North Africa to Italy on board of a smugglers raft. There were about 106 other passengers aboard this ship other than those who died during the travelling. The raft was trying to cross the Mediterranean through the rough seas and freezing waters. A couple of other passengers on board of the ship had managed to summon help from the Italian Coast Guard. The coast guard who had come to their rescue goes by the name of Filippo Marini and he found the boat on a Monday. When the boat was found it was in waters with waves about 9 meters, or 30 feet, high. That is as high as a three-story building. The coast guards found the victims of hypothermia dead and the other passengers were in poor condition. The children were the first to be saved since they were told that they were to be first priority before they tried to save the other passengers in the boat.
ReplyDeleteThe stress of incoming exams for law students is extensive. That is why many law colleges partner with animal shelters and let the college kids hang out with the animals. Studies have shown that legal professions lead to the most amount of depression and substance abuse problems. Just petting a dog can ease that stress away. “Part of being a professional is knowing when you need to ask for help,” Cobb (a school dean) said she tells her students. Many law schools offer counselors and many other activities to help relieve some stress. One law school had some dogs over that were about to be euthanized. “There’s nothing like a puppy to make someone smile,” said Debbie Marson, a volunteer with the foundation. “It’s great for the students, and it’s great socialization for the dogs.”
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