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 comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDuring the PlayStation Experience keynote yesterday, Square Enix came out to announce that Final Fantasy VII, one of the most critically acclaimed video games ever and a game that people have wanted to see remade for almost two decades, will be coming to the PlayStation 4. As a port. This has angered many fans to the point where people are sending the CEO of Square death threats and discrediting them for every single thing they do. I'm not saying I really agree with the way people are reacting to it, but at the same time, I know they're frustrated because this isn't what they wanted, and Square doesn't seem to know what their fans want at all. it seems that Square couldn't do what the fans have wanted most after all these years. Remake, with lifelike graphics, final fantasy VII. They have ported the original final fantasy VII more than three times now when they have had the technology to make a gorgeous remake for the longest time. People waited with bated breath expecting the announcement of a full HD remake of final fantasy VII with realistic proportioned characters and life like backgrounds, basically turning it into a modern game, just to be horribly disappointed. what they announced was just the original game in higher resolution, dashing the hopes of all and making square look like the biggest trolls on the internet. while most fans are livid and just want to get back at square any way possible, i just want to see them fix their mistakes with something better. Because at the end of the day, it’s just a game, not a matter of life and death.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your opinion. Although I don't play video games, I have heard of it, and this was interesting to read. Just like you said it's just a game, and not a matter of life or death. I think the death threats towards the CEO is terrible, and shows that people care for video games way too much for societies own good.
DeleteWhile disappointing your fans is rude and probably not a good idea for a company that has recently lost a chunk of it's fan-base, death threats are completely uncalled for. as a side note: it does seem like any time the company needs a small amount of money, they re-release some of their more popular games with only slight variations in the changed version, which is kind of a scummy move because it feels like they're trying to take advantage of the nostalgia of their fans in order to make a quick buck.
DeleteEven if this did disappoint their fans, they did make it for the PlayStation 4, which is better than nothing. I feel like the fans are completely over-reacting to this, and sending the CEO of Square death threats just seems very sad and stupid to me. It’s just a game, if people are angry because of this, they simply just don’t have to buy the game. If people really like final fantasy, they should just be happy with the original game that came out, and not freak over a remake of it. In my opinion, too many people get upset over video games.
DeleteI’m not a huge fan of final fantasy, but I can see why this angers huge fans of the series. They expected more from their beloved company. It reminds me of the whole “Half-Life 3” situation. Gabe Newell has received death threats over the release of that game. Even though Square only released a port of the game, it does make the game more available to some people, and still allows hardcore fans to play the game on a newer platform. Fans are over reacting to this, and should really focus their attention on the release of Kingdom Hearts 3.
DeleteA long awaited investigation was announced today from the intelligence community in Washington, DC
ReplyDeleteregarding the practices that the CIA used to fight terrorism. This report took over four years to be
released. Most of these tortures to detainees were conducted during the last presidency of George Bush
right after the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001; the CIA tortured many of the
detainees as a way of gathering information to fight terrorism. The investigation found that the
interrogation and detention of the detainees was very brutal and to make matters worse, they were not
even very effective. There are many who feel that the program worked to get information out of
detainees that they would otherwise not be able to obtain. Others believe that the CIA’s detention
program saved many lived and helped to weaken al-Qaida.
More than half the detained who were held by the CIA in Afghanistan spend most of their time in a
place called the “Salt Pit” or the “Dark Prison” where they were tortured and water-boarded. It is
reported that many of those who were involved in the questioning of detainees were not qualified or
experienced enough to deal with these prisoners. The detainees slept on the bare concrete floor and
some were shackled naked to the walls of the holding cell where they froze to death. According to the
report the level of torture by the CIA was very high and the program was quite messy. The torture was
not well thought out or carefully done; the program, according to the report was messy. The CIA was
not even aware of why they were holding some of the detainees in prison, or who they were. Some
detainees were forced to stand on their broken legs. According to the report some were forced to stay
awake for 180 consecutive hours. Some critics of the torture program believes that it results in
misleading information and amount to nothing but abuse.
This is very sad to read. These people were tortured and abused, and for what - 'misleading information'. It's horrible. Even though this was used to find ways to fight terrorism,was torturing someone worth it? The critics were right in that it amounts to nothing but abuse.
DeleteI'm torn between this article.. These people being tortured are terrible people, but at the same time, they are still human beings. Sure, it's horrifying what America is doing to them, but it's necessary. It's survival of the fittest. We are only doing these things in self-defense.
DeleteThe torture we put on those detainees as a country after 911 was important. Yes it was brutal, but think of the lives we lost because of them. What else were we to do to gain information about al Qaeda? The things we did to obtain information were critical. We could not waste our time risking the lives of more of our soldiers to travel to foreign countries to obtain news of al Qaeda. We had to take some kind of action to protect our country from another fatal terrorist attack. So, yes, the torture methods were scary and fatal, but one can't say that they were ineffective.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis is absolutely disgusting. We have established judicial procedures for a reason, and they should apply to everyone. This sadistic torture has been shown repeatedly to be ineffective in extracting information. Furthermore, this ineffectiveness is not an uncertain conclusion extrapolated from previous evidence; it is a cold, hard fact. (http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/12/cia-torture-report-prosecute-senior-us-officials) Besides the moral reprehensibility of torture, there is also the problem of the CIA misleading Congress, the White House, the Department of Justice, and the American people. Even if the torture can somehow be justified under the pretense of a "war on terror", there is no excuse for the CIA's lies. They are part of the government, and require transparency. Finally, I would argue that the CIA is responsible for many acts of terror itself: in its history, it has been involved in several coups in Latin America, including an attempted one against the democratically elected government of Venezuela in 2002 (this one failed), and infamously, it helped install Augusto Pinochet's fascist military dictatorship in Chile in 1973, overthrowing the democratically elected Salvador Allende (ironically enough, Pinochet took power on 9/11/1973). Yet, I doubt people would be supportive if a Latin American government apprehended and tortured Henry Kissinger. Further examples include the 1954 coup in Guatemala after Jacob Arbenz threatened to nationalize the United Fruit Company (Coincidentally, he CIA director at the time, Allen Dulles, owned stock in the company), and support of the dictator "Papa Doc" in Haiti, whose "Tonton Macoute" death squads would go on to kill thousands of people.
DeleteThis is horrible. Even if these people were bad, they shouldn’t have to be tortured like this. Freezing to death, being forced to stand on broken legs, water-boarding, all of this is just terrible. You think if these tactics were ineffective that they would stop. I know that the CIA did this to protect America, but I feel like all of this wasn’t necessary. I’m sure there are many other tactics the CIA could of used that didn’t involve all of this. If we torture people like this, what makes us better than them?
DeleteI think this is absolutely outrageous and I agree one hundred percent with Guillermo that this is disgusting and the United States should be better than this. It is not wise for the United States to stoop down to the sadistic level of torture and terror that those from terrorist organizations live for. How can we act like we are so much better than them, speaking about the atrocities they cause us and then go and torture people who may have been innocent. To hear that it was a messy and slow process is absolutely infuriating. No one deserves to be tortured until they die and it is against everything the United States stands for that the CIA was doing this.
Delete1 2/13/14
ReplyDeleteA date full of love with couples racing to the aisle; because today is the last sequential date in 20 years. The next sequential date is 1/2/34. On this date 21,000 couples are planning to wed, this number is 5 times as much as any other saturday in this month. the majority of these wedding surprisingly isn't in Las Vegas, it is here! Many couples are coming to the south to have their weddings. Along with the date many people are also plan their wedding according to the theme, for example some might have 13 tables and 12 people at a table and 14 types of gift favors. The date is special and unique and hard to forget which might be a big reason as to why people are wedding on this date. In my opinion i think this is very cute and unique, i myself wouldn't mind wedding on a date like this, maybe in the next 2 decades it could happen.
Melanie Urias
I thought about the date 12-13-14 a while ago. I recognized the same pattern and realized how long it would be until it occurred again. However, I didn't realize how many other people noticed it. Also that they are planning to wed on that next day 20 years from now! It would be a pretty cool event getting married on this date, however I don't know that I would plan my wedding solely on that day, especially since all these people have the same idea. Plus, it is 20 years away! I would be way too old! Very cool idea, just unreasonable for people in our generation, unless of course, they plan to wed in their late 30's!
DeleteI think this is really cool. Sequential dates have a special aura to them even though they really may mean nothing at all and it would be a cute theme to base your wedding off of. It is insane that so many weddings are happening on one day though! Apparently a lot of people have the same idea that sequential dates are special. It is really sad that if people our age want to get married on a sequential date they will have to wait so long, but at least there's always the option of getting married before the date and renewing your vows on the next sequential date.
DeletePassengers recall experiences after cruise ship fire kills 3
ReplyDeleteOceania cruise caught fire and killed 3 people. The fire was located in the engine room killing 3 workers. Passengers were evacuated as smoke filled the hallways and rooms. Some passengers suffered minor injuries in the rush to get off the ship. One man waiting said he hurt his hand but didn’t say how. All the passengers were safe, their main worries were of their important belongings such as jewelry and important papers such as passports. All the passengers received a full refund and 50% credit towards a future cruise with them. I believe that the full refund and credit was enough to “fix” the mistake of the cruise. The one thing I don’t know about is how I would feel if I was in the middle of the ocean on ship that caught on fire, it must’ve been scary.
Melanie Urias
Just recently in Sydney, there was a hostage takeover in the Lindt Chocolate Cafe by a gunman who had forced many of the hostages to hold a flag with an Arabic phrase on it. Around 9:45 AM, hostages were seen pressing their hands on the windows of the cafe as they were told to. Then at 3:46PM, 6 hours later, 3 hostages were able to escape, 2 of them as local men and 1 more man as an employee at the cafe. And then, at 5:07 PM, 2 women escaped, one local and 1 employee. Later on, from the cameras, you could see the gunman begin to be agitated by their escapes so he started screaming at the remaining hostages, no exact number of how many people are in their, and they would not move, having both their hands on the glass the entire time. It's not exactly sure how the 5 were able to escape; they still must be traumatized of course, and you could see the look on one of the girls face as she ran out very clearly. This cafe is located in the heart of the city, in plain site. Police are surrounding the cafe at this very moment trying to negotiate with the gunman in order to save the rest of the hostages. We still have no clue what the gunman exactly wants; this is said to be an act of terrorism as it shown. Also, just recently there had been a hostage who is now safe and the suspects detained, in Ghent(Belgium). I believe that how police are taking care of these situations is exactly how it needs to be done. They are doing the best so they can not to harm anyone and try to negotiate as well.
ReplyDeleteThe hostage takeover in Sydney, Australia is really sad. Why would someone go into a cafe and threaten the lives of innocent people? All for what? To express his devotion to his religion? He took the lives of two innocent Australians, one of whom was a mother of three. The disturbing part about this is that he was an Australian himself. The attacks are coming from within, not from people who come from other countries.
DeleteIs it just me, or have there been a disturbing amount of terrorist incidents lately? I feel wholeheartedly for the victims of this terrifying event. Their courage is definitely something to be admired. I agree with Julia, it's particularly disturbing that these attacks are being carried out by citizens themselves. It makes you wonder who you can trust and who you can't.
DeleteThe fact that even in a place, like a Cafe, in a big city, surrounded by police you can still be put into such a terrifying situation is one of the scariest things about the world. You can never know just what people are willing to do for religion or just because they feel like it. We can't stop terrorists because it is impossible to know who would do this just based on their religion. This is so hard to believe that someone would kill innocent people for a reason like this, but I agree that the police are doing the best they can during such a difficult situation.
DeleteAllie I do agree, there have been one to many acts of terrorism lately. It just doesn't seem like any of it is getting better. For some reason, crime itself just seems to be getting worse and happening more often. My heart goes out to the victims in this horrific event. It just seems like being put in a situation like that you have to be courageous and brave.
DeleteWhen I first came across this news story I was disgusted as well. I can't even imagine how the hostages felt pressed against the glass, defenseless, wondering what their ultimate fate would be. It's amazing that some of the hostages were able to escape, but I am curious how they accomplished it. Nevertheless, like Allie I believe their courage is something we should all admire. I couldn't even picture myself in a situation such as this.
DeleteMy current event this week is about a man in Montgomery county Pennsylvania who murdered 6 people; 6 family members. He was an ex-marine. He was married with kids, and according to police, got divorced in 2009. Schools have closed and made an announcement about their decision on reopening. They plan to wait until other evidence or information comes in about the suspect before reopening. The dead included Stone's ex-wife, her mother, grandmother and sister, as well as the sister's husband and 14-year-old daughter. He took his two daughters to a neighbors and did not harm them. His ex wife's sister's 17 year old son is seriously injured and being taken care of in the hospital. This is a terrible event. It breaks my heart for the families. The two daughters will find out that their mother, their aunt and cousin, and their grandmother are all gone. The 17 year old boy will wake up to nobody but his two cousins and a murderer as an uncle. It is devastating. The entire county has shut down out of fear, for Stone has not been found. These kinds of people very sadly exist in our world, and events like this happen without our control. How are we to know these people will do things like this? All we can do is catch them before they do something as harmful to anyone else. The hardest part is going to be helping the two daughters and their 17 year old cousin cope with the event that just changed their whole worlds. My hope is that they get all the help they can by locals in their community, and I hope Stone is caught and given the punishment and time he deserves.
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to process how I would feel if this were to happen to me. One night, you fall asleep having a family, then the next moment, you wake up alone. I can't believe they haven't found him. The schools decision to reopen only after there is concrete evidence against Stone is extremely wise. My heart goes out to those two daughters who's normal childhood has now been ripped away from them.
DeleteThis absolutely disgusts me. What I want to know is how anyone in their right mind could have the heart to destroy an entire family. It seems very likely that the murderer could be mentally disturbed in some way. That feels like the only feasible possibility as to how something as truly devastating as this could have happened. My thoughts and prayers go out to the two daughters and 17 year old son who will be forever scarred by this incident. I certainly hope the criminal is caught soon so justice can be served.
DeleteThe fact that someone could actually kill a person, especially your own family is horrible. It is not even uncommon anymore and yet it still doesn't seem possible when you hear about it over and over again. To live through this, knowing what a family member did would be the absolute worst. I don't know what I would do if I was in any of these peoples shoes and I hope the man is caught very soon.
DeleteThe craziest thought to me is how you never know when something like this can happen. You also never know who is capable of doing something this horrific. The case should definitely be an eye opener to people that anyone, even the closest person you have in your life, can hurt you. Just imagining what these kids are going through brakes my heart. I do agree with what Sarah said, there childhood is completely stripped away from them.
DeleteIt's crazy how people can just snap and kill their own family and (assumed) loved ones. People nowadays are just out of control. I can’t imagine how or why he managed to go through with his actions. What I'd like to know is his previous mental health and if there had been any incidents before this killing rage. My heart goes out to the children and those effected by this heinous human act. I hope the man is caught and faces punishment for his crime.
DeleteThis week, a poll revealed that more than half of Americans (57 percent) hold the belief that torture techniques are sometimes justified and can help prevent terrorism, and roughly a quarter believe that the CIA’s violent interrogation tactics produce “reliable counterterrorism information”. 1,003 adults participated in the survey conducted by CBS News. Only 36 percent believe that torture is never justified, even in the case of the potential extraction of information related to terrorism. According to TIME, the percentage of those who consider torture to be justified in certain situations has risen slightly in the last three years. Personally, I do not support torture tactics under most all circumstances. I believe that these techniques make the United States look just as bad as the countries we often express so much hatred toward, such as Afghanistan or Pakistan. Just weeks ago, our country erupted in outrage when we got word that torturers were torturing American journalists in the Middle East. Stooping to that level certainly does not promote the idea of peace that we like to think we generally promote. Techniques that were revealed to be utilized by the CIA in a recent Senate Intelligence Report include waterboarding (simulated drowning), forcing prisoners to stay awake for up to 180 hours, threatening to sexually abuse prisoners’ mothers, and forcing detainees to take ice water baths. Previously, I had no idea that this kind of thing was going on within our own government. It makes me a little uneasy to say the least.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely a double standard when it comes to torture techniques. I'm completely unsurprised that they are in support of torturing non-americans, but will be against the torture of their own citizens. The fact that over half of them believe that it is okay to threaten sexual abuse and waterboarding is extremely uncomforting. This hypocrisy should be addressed further in the media, and the tactics used by the US government should be exposed more than it already has been. I was completely unaware of the severity of this torture, and it should be something that the general population is aware of.
DeleteThis came to a shock to me as well, but when you sit back and think about it, what methods do you use to get information out of the people that are planning to do bad in your country? Some methods are unreasonable though, such as the threatening to the family, just because one family member is doing bad doesn't mean the family needs to be involved or even mentioned in the situation. I believe that we should strive to find proper decent humane methods to get information we need out of people.
DeleteMelanie Urias
The article for which I got my information for this particular blogpost is here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30517904
ReplyDeleteAs many of you know, the attack on the Peshawar school in Pakistan has killed 141 people, mostly schoolchildren. The heinous attack orchestrated by the Pakistani Taliban has received worldwide attention. In India, parliament observed a minute of silence for the victims. Prayer vigils are being held in Pakistan. Pakistani embassies across the world have lowered their flags to half-mast, in respect. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan has vowed to end terrorism in his country; his words were, paraphrased, that Pakistan stood united to ensure that the lives of the children killed in Peshawar were not wasted. Prime Minister Sharif met with party leaders on Wednesday in Peshawar. Funerals for the children and adults who were killed in the attack started on Tuesday and went on into Wednesday. Those who survived, a total of 125 wounded, are either hospitalized or under evaluation. One of these wounded was a 10th grader named Mohammad Hilal, who was shot three times in his arm and legs. He said, "I think I passed out for a while. I thought I was dreaming. I wanted to move but felt paralyzed. Then I came to and realized that actually two other boys had fallen on me. Both of them were dead."
Even the Afghani Taliban have called this act of terrorism un-Islamic, and claim that they do not have any affiliation with the attack.
This attack was particularly horrific. Honestly, I cannot find the words to express how much this disgusts me. Children's lives have been abruptly ended for no better reason than to instill terror, a means to strike back against the Pakistani army at its core. What I implore is to keep in mind the respect for the lives lost in Pakistan. Do not use this as another means to spread hatred and prejudice. Be respectful, and keep in mind the families and futures lost on the 16th of December, 2014.
For the past two months or so, there has been a big controversy about a new movie that is set to premier Christmas Day. "The Interview", starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about two CIA agents that were sent to North Korea to assassinate North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. Apparently, North Korea does not find this movie funny or hilarious. Sony Pictures Entertainment has been hacked multiple times, and each time, there has been valuable information leaked, such as the budgets to Sony films, salary information of top executives, employee medical records, and even social security numbers. Along with hacking SONY, North Korea has been sending over threat messages. They have threatened anyone who will go and see the movie, as well as the theaters that plan on showing the movie. One of the most recent threat messages are, "...Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001.We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time..." Yes, SONY made a movie depicting the assassination of North Korea's leader and , yes, that might seem offensive and/or racist, but they shouldn't be threatening to cause another 9/11 event... That's just uncalled for
ReplyDeletePersonally, I interpret the movie as political satire. If anything, it could be construed as offensive for making a joke of North Korea, which is by all measures a disgusting example of human rights abuse, totalitarianism, and general oppressiveness. I do not think the threats are anything to worry about; claims that the hacks came from North Korea are not well supported, and North Korea's history of saber rattling and lack of power instantly discredit any threats they make. The movie will premier Christmas, it will likely be a smashing success, and all of this will be promptly forgotten.
DeleteUltimately, what's more important, the safety of the country or the opportunity to get a few giggles out in a theater? North Korea is a horrible country, one which denies countless human rights to their citizens. However, the claims made by individuals that say this is exposing North Korea are ignorant. There are multiple documentaries, speeches, and statements made by people who survived and escaped North Korea. For those seeking information on the horrendous country, look to those, not a comedy.
DeleteI personally, feel that producing a movie based on killing the Supreme Leader of North Korea, whom has been causing mayhem in many countries was risky and bold decision. How would the United States feel if another country promoted the assassination of our president, whomever that may be. Regardless of the ideology that all people should have freedom to express themselves, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed. Just as the journalism company in Paris that crudely mocks worldwide leaders recently crossed a line that led to a massacre. Hopefully, North Korea will not follow through with their threats to attack the United States, but I do feel that we should take necessary precautions.
DeleteHere is a link to the Guardian article I am using as my source for this week's current event: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/12/cia-torture-report-prosecute-senior-us-officials
ReplyDeleteRecently, a five hundred page report detailing the Central Intelligence Agency's use of torture was released. Torture techniques have included waterboarding and "rectal feeding". The CIA has lied to the White House, the Department of Justice, the Congress, and the public regarding the details of the torture program. Obviously, this has resulted in widespread outrage and demands for increased accountability. UN conventions require the prosecution of perpetrators of torture when reasonable evidence is present for conviction; thus, many United States officials may be confined to the country for life, as other countries would have an obligation to arrest and prosecute them should they travel there. The CIA director, Josh Brennan, is quoted for saying that there were “no easy answers” and that the CIA “did a lot of things right” , and went on to say that we should “put aside this debate and move forward to focus on issues that are relevant to our current national security challenge." As expected, Brennan has refused to directly address the CIA's human rights abuses, deciding instead to scramble for excuses and try to shove the problem under the rug, insisting that we should focus on "issues that are relevant". This argument is used constantly by people who are conscious of their guilt or the repulsiveness of whatever they are defending, but who wish to avoid accountability and punishment; it has been used to excuse everything from police brutality, to mismanagement of public funds, to corporate collusion, to systematic racism, to gay inequality,etc. It's almost as if these people think others are incapable of handling more than one issue at once, or that the fact that there are larger issues somehow justifies their actions.
The article I read this week was from NewsELA concerning musicians gigging across the nation on a super fast Internet. You can find the story here: https://newsela.com/articles/music-lightspeed/id/6293/
ReplyDeleteThis is intriguing to me on two fronts: One, who wouldn’t love faster Internet? The U.S. has some of the slowest Internet speeds in the developed world; two, as a musician myself, whose friends have moved to far away places, I would love to be able to jam again—in real time—with those people.
According to a study by Ookla, the United States is 31st in the world in terms of Internet speed. Quite frankly, this is unacceptable—we pay almost twice as much for Internet access as the countries that rank ahead of us for speed, but we get less for our money.
I hate to sound like someone who is complaining, but there is serious steam in our nation’s legislator to re-categorize the Internet as a utility rather than a service. Internet access is a wonderful tool for learning, connecting, creating, and helping throughout the world, and fast, affordable Internet should be a priority of any governing body. The issue of “Net Neutrality” is extremely salient here, but it doesn’t deal with the issues raised by the article, so I’ll skive off of discussing that.
Speaking of creativity, the second idea of being able to gig in real time across the country is amazing. I’m reminded of the 2000s band The Postal Service, who sent each other cassettes of their parts through the USPS (hence the name of the band) to put together an entire album. But this process, of course, took a very long time to complete, considering they had to wait on the “snail mail” process. Imagine the creative possibilities for musicians to play together no matter where they are in the world…Imagine the educative possibilities; the scientific possibilities. We do have technologies available right now, but they are sometimes buggy, laggy, and a slave to poor Internet connections. I’m excited about the future of our technology.
In the most recent current event that I read was about the Eric Garner Case. Garner was accused of selling single cigarettes on the side of the street. Police questioned Garner and he told the police that he was not selling “loosies” but the officers did not believe him and still went in for the arrest. While he was getting arrested it is said that Garner tried resisting arrest by breaking the grip the officer had on him. The officer then put Garner in a chokehold or a headlock and pulled his arm back to handcuff him. Officer Pantaleo had his arm around his neck and pulled Garner down towards the ground to proceed with the arrest. Witnesses say that while he was becoming hand cuffed he yelled out “I can’t breathe” 11 times and the officers would not let go of him. After Garner was passed out none of the police officers tried doing CPR since they did not think he had stopped breathing. Medical examiners stated that Garner’s cause of death was neck compression and compression of the chest. When the case was taken to trial the grand jury decided not to indict Officer Pantaleo. Since then, there have been outbreaks of the public and it is still continuing on. Protests are still happening in the streets and people are marching through the streets protesting. The protests are currently occurring in the streets of New York while the words “I can’t breathe” is being shouted throughout the city. I think that as long as the protesting stays peaceful there should be no problem with what the citizens are trying to get accomplished.
ReplyDeleteThis is very sad. Yes, it is very odd that Eric would've been selling cigarettes one by one, so the possibility of him lying about what he's doing is very great. And i feel as it is a natural thing to do when someone is grabbing you with great force to squirm out of their grip to try to loosen it up. But the second the officers felt like they got a control on him they shouldn't have continued with the excessive force. I believe police officers should be punished for wrong doings just like the rest of us, and maybe even more. Police officers are SUPPOSED to be role models in the community enforcing safety. Nobody was in danger because of what Eric was doing, he ended up being the one in danger when the police officers approached him.
DeleteMelanie Urias
My news article isn't about politics, but on domesticated cats. There are many different genes compared to domesticated cats and wild cats. When cats became domesticated that started to rely on table scarps and humans to do things for them. When this happened, Cats grew smaller, their faces changed and so did their pigment cells. Wildcats are larger, their faces are more fierce and their hunting instincts are very strong.
ReplyDeleteI think this is very interesting because this is a human impact on the world. These cats that live in our houses are going to struggle in the wild until their wild cat instincts come back. There are many human impacts on the world, but not a lot of people realize the impact on the animals that they have laying on the couch or sitting on the edge of your bed. Humans allowed them to become dependent on us, and even though they are one of the smartest animals, their survival rate compared to wildcats are very slim.
This was so interesting to read about! Cats are my favorite and I didn't realize there was such a difference between domesticated and wild cats. I've always thought that they were all the same so this was very nice to read about. I'm definitely going to look into more information about cats soon!
DeleteI agree that there are major differences between domesticated and wild cats, but I don’t think domesticated cats are entirely dependent on humans. They do have natural survival instincts after all, and if put outside, they can hunt for their own food. However, I do find it really interesting how much of an impact we have on the animals around us.
DeleteToo bad cats haven't evolved to have non-allergenic hair, otherwise I might get one. This reminds me of an old show on Animal Planet called 'The Most Extreme.' It was a cool show that counted down the top 10 animals of a particular category, and when it did cats, after leopards, lions, and tigers, house cats were number 1! Apparently house cats have some of the greatest agility and hunting skill of the cat family. Which is weird since they have been dependent on humans for centuries.
DeleteFor my current event readings I read about how the 2016 Olympics are going to be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Although I never thought about the effects on people who live in this city, it is already scaring Brazilian residents who have already been through this during the World Cup. During the World Cups there were many people in the area who were evicted to make room for the athletes and the thousands of tourists coming in. Homes are being taken away and although hosting the Olympics is a big deal for a city, they shouldn’t be able to take homes away just to have room for athletes and fans. Parts of the city are pretty run down, and they are using this as an excuse to start tearing down buildings and rebuilding to make room for tourists coming during this time. Once they take the homes from people they won’t need that space for the Olympics for too long anyway so eventually these people will be without a home, and the new buildings without residents.
ReplyDeleteIt's a terrifying thought that one's home can just be taken away because somebody else needs a place to stay for a short period of time.
DeleteI'm imagining what would happen if something like this were to happen in the U.S. or Canada or something and I can't, because it would never be allowed! It really shows how even in countries like Brazil, which I think of as fairly developed compared to some other nations, there are severe issues like this one resulting from a poor government, and very few people in the world have the privilege of living in a place where their rights are defended in a reasonably fair political system.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn the most recent events, North Korea has threatened the United States due to the making of a film named "The interview" by Sony pictures. The plot sums up two Americans who are hired by the CIA to kill the North Korean dictator Kim-Jong_IL. North Korean hackers took the credit for taking the film out of Sony's cloud servers and releasing 10 terabytes of Sony pictures data regarding future plans and employee information. In regards to North Korea, threats have been aimed toward the United States, the threats were all given to be compared to 9/11 sized attacks on the United States. How do you think the United States should respond?
ReplyDeleteI heard about this!! I was so upset because I was looking forward to this movie. However, I do see the offensive side to this movie. I think it's crazy how they hacked Sony. I think the United States should respond somehow by explaining that this was supposed be strictly comedy and explaining their point. North Korea is very scary and I don't think we want to get into anything violent with them.
DeleteThe Interview was released on movie websites and I previously watched it with my friend. After watching it, I immediately realized why North Korea did not want it being released. While it made me laugh and was one of the funniest movies I have recently watched, North Korea got called out. James Franco and Seth Rogan were stars of the movies and exposed Kim Jong Un for starving his country.
DeleteThis week, I'm writing about something differs from the rest of the articles I've written about. I saw a headline about the US economy rising and I was completely shocked. The US economy grew an incredible 5% this year. This is crazy because even Wall Street had only expected growth would be raised to about a 4.3 percent rate. It is the strongest growth percentage in our country since 2003. Investors, economists, everyone is celebrating the news and this shows that our country is going in a strong, positive direction. The article quotes "Employers added 321,000 jobs in November, making 2014 the strongest year for job growth since 1999." With this job increase, our economy is on the rise. I am so excited that we are getting back on our feet and I hope the economy keeps increasing. When jobs grow, people become more confident and they are willing to spend more. "Our economy is firing on most cylinders, whereas the global economy is essentially in dire need of a spark," was quoted by Ryan Sweet. This is so awesome to read about and economists like Ryan are very excited about the future and they predict steady increases. Statistics say that; "Consumer spending grew at a 3.2 percent pace in the third quarter, a sharp upward revision from the previously reported 2.2 percent rate, partly due to stronger healthcare spending and growth in business investment was raised by 1.8 percentage points to an 8.9 percent rate." That's astounding to read about and hopefully this keeps going so we can return to a nice, stable economy again.
ReplyDeleteReading this made me more hopeful for our country! I did not realize that our economy was doing so well! I wonder if there is any other contributions being made that is allowing it to increase as so. Let's hope this is an ongoing process that allows us to get back up in the ranks like we used to be!
DeleteThe article I read this week was about the gaming company Bandai Namco "accidentally" banning a PC mod for the game Dark Souls. The mod was made back in 2012 in order to fix the multiple strange bugs in the less than reliable PC port of the game and was banned supposedly by a member of the FDS (File Defense Service) who was hired by Bandai Namco’s US branch in an attempt to remove online access to certain “patches” that would allow a player access to the game’s debug mode: which essentially allows the player to both cheat and play as in-game bosses. This very popular mod, however, is only meant to be a fix for multiple problems with the game’s visual choices and resolution. The author of the mod even says that it adds no secondary content to the game and only works with in-game files to bring more options to the player on how they would like to view the game "The most they could claim is the texture it includes to add the 'Dsfix enabled' line to the start-up screen. Which I now removed from DSfix 2.3.1.” Bandai Namco lifted the ban as of a few days ago and apologized to the mod author for the colossal mistake on their part.
ReplyDeleteMy article this week was about a 45-year-old woman that overdose on heroin while she was with her 6-year-old son. Police in New Hampshire say they provided medical treatment while the woman was parked at a Walgreens store on Sunday afternoon. The woman’s name was Laura Pelleteri. She was eventually taken to the hospital for additional treatment and police ended up finding two small bags of what appeared to be heroin in her purse. The substance was tested positive for the drug and Pelleteri was arrested on charges of drug possession and endangering the welfare of a child. I don’t understand how a mother can feel comfortable enough to act like this in front of there child. The carelessness of the child’s safety is mind blowing. I do believe not everyone is fit to be a parent and I think parenthood should be taken as a privilege. If it was so easy for Laura to give into drugs while her son present, her priorities are completely messed up. The one thing that concerns me is how the actions of this woman are affecting her son. There are many cases of children growing up to being very disturbed because of things they’ve experienced as a child. Especially the child knowing that his mother overdose can be depressing. He obviously is old enough to realize his mother trying to harm herself and as a child, I think I would’ve definitely questioned a lot. I would question why I was put on the earth if the person who gave birth to me doesn’t even want to take of me. I really hope Laura learns from this mistake and tries to change to better herself and the life of her child.
ReplyDeleteThat's awful. It's incredibly irresponsible for a parent to leave a child with no one else. To be okay with disappearing on their flesh and blood. But as an individual you have no idea how she felt. For all we know, it could have been depression taking over and making her do irresponsible things. You make it seem like she was a careless mother who was just a druggie when for all we don't know her. She could have been a happy person when she had her son but time changes people and maybe she had a really rough time. How can we judge someone from one side of the story? I understand how disheartening it is for us and the child though.
DeleteOne of the things thatIi personally suck at is managing my time. So this week I did research on ways to better manage the time I have. Not everybody is the same personality wise; every person has a different way of dealing with the little quirks of life. Some people categorize everything into perfect little boxes and schedule there day down to the second. I am not one of those people so my reading focused a bit more on the kind of people who unintentionally procrastinate and forget things, for example I am about twelve days late in beginning to write this not because I wasn’t prepared for it more because I just forgot about it. One of the things that stuck out the most to me while i was reading up on all the different ways to manage your time was this question; “What are the things that I could do today that would free up more time tomorrow?” This question opens up your time. It makes you think about the things that matter more for your long-term goals and allows for you to cut your to-do list in half. Never forget that it’s impossible to accomplish everything and there are something’s are more important then others. Ranking the things you have to do in order of importance really helps in better managing the time you have. Your health is more important then an assignment but an assignment is more important then social media. Even if you have a perfect plan in place for every minute of your day the world is rarely ever perfect. Schedule time for your day to be interrupted. Have a floating hour or two so that you can take those random breaks and do something unexpected and new. Surprisingly the main idea behind a large majority of sources I read through was not to put so much emphasize on finishing minor tasks. Take a day and just slack off its good for you.
ReplyDeleteI think most people have trouble when it comes to time management. Even if you were to make a schedule for yourself, there is no guarantee that everything will go according to plan. I definitely agree that it is an excellent idea to have a floating hour somewhere in your schedule to relax or to account for last minute events. Also, getting your priorities in order will definitely help a person get most of their things done.
DeleteMy weekly schedule is exactly the same each week so time management is something I have almost mastered, however planning your day too much can make your life boring. Time management is important for people who never seem to have enough time in their day, but when everything is precisely planned it takes the fun and excitement out of life. Every now and then I have to add something new to my daily routine just to keep from getting bored with life, which goes along with your idea of a 'floating hour'. That's something I need to start incorporating into my weepy time management.
DeleteIn Oklahoma, there is a controversy over a proposition from a lawmaker for the “Hoodie Law.” This proposition states that wearing clothing or masks in public to conceal one’s identity is a crime. Many say this proposal goes too far. The lawmaker seeks to expand an existing law that already prohibits concealing one’s identity when committing a crime. Some schools nationwide have already moved to ban hoodies for students because of concerns for hiding food and other issues. However, many in the state believe this law would violate many personal freedoms. For violations, the fines could be up to $500. The proposal does make exceptions for religious garments and Halloween celebrations. In all honesty, I don’t care for what exceptions to the proposal there is, this takes public safety too far. I believe this proposal was the result of the recent police shootings on young teens in hoodies. These events are causing a stereotype on people in jackets. Not everyone in a jacket is out seeking trouble. Sure, I see the reasoning behind no masks in public unless on Halloween or for cultural events, but the ban on an everyday clothing item is ridiculous. I see this as a step back for society. It seems like something from the olden days in the West. Overly strict restrictions do not only constrain the wrong-doers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your view on the "Hoodie Law", it has gone too far. I can understand people not wanting hoodies and masks being worn in private places, such as a restaurant or a mall, but it should be allowed in public on the streets. Anyone wearing a mask just for fun out in pubic would look suspicious and should be approached by the police but someone who is just wearing a hoodie should be left alone. I wore a hoodie with the hood up today because it was raining. I couldn't imagine someone arresting and charging me for wearing a hood because I was wearing it to keep dry, not to go around causing trouble.
DeleteThis hoodie law is ridiculous. Like Noelle said, i couldn't imagine getting arrested or a ticket for wanting to stay dry in wet weather. Personally I think lawmakers and the general public are becoming too paranoid, and they start coming up with these ludicrous laws that are absolutely pointless.
DeleteIn Kings Mills, Ohio on December 28 of last year, a transgender girl by the name of Leelah Alcorn committed suicide. Born on November 15, 1997 as a biological male, she was given the name Joshua. At the age of 4, Leelah began to experience gender dysphoria, a condition in which an individual becomes uncomfortable with the gender they were assigned at birth. At the age of 14, after learning the term, Leelah began to identify with the term, finding comfort in finally finding the word for her feelings. With a newfound enlightenment, Leelah immediately told her mother, who reacted negatively. Claiming it was just a phase and God intended her to be male, her extremely religious mother rejected her daughter. Leelah developed depression after her gender identity was denied by her mother, she developed depression. Leelah wrote in her suicide note "I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn't make mistakes, that I am wrong. If you are reading this, parents, please don't tell this to your kids. Even if you are Christian or are against transgender people don't ever say that to someone, especially your kid. That won't do anything but make them hate them self. That's exactly what it did to me." Leelah's parents sent her to conversion therapy, where she was told that she should look to God to save her from these feelings. This therapy provided no real help for her depression, deepening the pain she felt. In spite, Leelah announced that she was attracted to males at school. As homophobic parents, Leelah's parents believed their image was tarnished by their "male" son finding attraction in men. They removed Leelah from school, deleted her social media, and isolated her from all friendships for the next 5 months. After returning to school, Leelah found that many of her friendships had fizzled out while she was gone, and that no one was there for her anymore. She sought out help and companionship on Reddit and Tumblr. Being denied transition, she realized that she would be unable to take hormones and buy feminine clothing until she was 18. She believed that she would always look like a man in drag, and would never be able to fully be able to transition how she wanted. On December 28th, she posted her suicide note on her Tumblr blog. This note was since ripped from social media at request of the parents, as they believed it tarnished their image even further. In the note, Leelah asked that all of her belongings be sold and the funds be donated to Trans Civil Rights Movements. Despite being her final wish, her parents would not go through with it. Leelah's final words in her suicide note are "The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren't treated the way I was, they're treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights. Gender needs to be taught about in schools, the earlier the better. My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year. I want someone to look at that number and say 'that's f***ed up' and fix it. Fix society. Please."
ReplyDeleteOh Ryan, this one really got to me. After reading this article, I was internally destroyed. I cannot fathom how sad this really is. No one should have to go through such a tragic life. Everyone should feel comfortable, loved and appreciated for who they are! I was so sad after reading her suicide note, it brought tears to my eyes. I think its disgusting that her parents did not go through with her final wish and how they deleted heer suicide note.
DeleteThis really sickens me. I find it really disturbing to now that a parent would do this to their kid. I believe in religion myself but at the end of the day if my son wanted to do this or daughter i would let them and still love them because they are the one's who have to live with the decision between god and them. to me i would still love them for who they are because that is my son or daughter but to down them and put more pain on them and cause them to kill themselves thats one thing i could never do. i rather love my kids and care for them then care about what others would say about my son/daughters decision.
DeleteMoscow, Russia, has recently implemented new road safety regulation that outlaws “transsexuals, transvestites, and others with sexual “disorders” from driving” due to “medical reasons”. Rights activists call these new regulations unconstitutional and explain how this change will worsen the current hostile environment for the “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Russia”. Human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe said, “The new Russian rules banning people from driving because of their gender identity are ridiculous and unlawful" and "to immediately amend the rules to remove this ban." Human Rights First activist Shawn Gaylord said that the rule change "leaves the door open for increased harassment, persecution and discrimination of transgender people by Russian authorities." He also said it could discourage “transgender people from seeking mental health services for fear of receiving a diagnosis that would strip them of their right to drive”. All people are unique in their own way and stating that a person, other than being straight, has a disorder is ignorant all by itself aside from the outrageous ban of operating an automobile. You would think that as the human population continues to progress, that we would be able to place our differences aside and live and prosper together in peace. There are too many naive people in this world making rash assumptions and judgments. I feel so sorry for those that must conform under these unreasonable circumstances and I hope that the actions of these activists establish the change they believe in.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that improvements are always being made due to the advancements in technology. The article I read was about how scientists are currently attempting to use your heartbeat as a safer security password than a pin or even your own fingerprint. All of these can be copied or stolen, but apparently it has been proven that everyone has a unique heartbeat. As PIN numbers and passwords prove redundant in protecting data, tech companies are looking to convert bodily features into secure identity authenticators. Bionym, the Toronto-based biometrics technology company, have introduced The Nymi -- a wristband that measures heartbeats to authenticate identity. Its embedded sensor reads the electrical pulses produced by your heartbeat. The ideal scenario is that a person can be able to walk into a store, go to the terminal, tap their wrist and that’s it. They would not have to take the time to pull out their credit card to pay. If they had to go to an ATM, their name would pop up since it would already know who the person is. This is supposed to help prevent hackers from accessing your accounts and other personal information. I was curious to find out how each person can have a different heart beat that can be identified, but instead came across more articles on how you pulse rates can be used as a password for computers. None of these stories seem to provide a lot of detail on the science behind it all, so I can only assume that it’s either confidential or just an outlandish idea.
ReplyDeleteThis seems so fascinating to me. The fact that technology is being transformed to work with things inside of our body is just amazing. But what makes me wonder is how are you supposed to open your phone with your heartbeat? I cannot imagine it. However, this seems like a big step within the scientific field. The technology seems to be getting better and better by the hour. I will definitely be keeping up with this new idea!
DeleteInstead of always seeing serious subjects going on throughout the world, I decided to go with a humorous topic this week. I read about people not wearing pants on the subway. Every January in New York City, it is now a tradition to not wear pants on the subway. This all started as a small gig and then turned into an actual thing. In my opinion, I think this tradition is a way to show your humor and not care about what anyone thinks. The people that participate in the no pants subway ride must act like they do not know each other, wearing scarves, coats, hats, etc,. The only thing unusual thing about this subway ride is that people are not wearing pants. This tradition has been going on for 14 years now. 60 cities participated in this tradition last year. The word is spread through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Several stories, videos and pictures have been posted about the no pants subway ride. I think that more people should partake in this adventure because it is a way to show people how funny you are. Men and women both participate in this no pants on the subway tradition. If I lived in a city where they did this, I would take part!
ReplyDeleteFor this weeks blog post I read an article on yet another Asian airplane that has disappeared. Yet unlike the others, the AirAsia jet's black box has been found in the ocean. This black box holds the answer to what happened the moment before the jet crashed into the Java Sea, killing 162 people. The box records the conversations between the pilots and air traffic controllers. The jet lost contact with air traffic control on December 28th, 2014 during flight through bad weather. However, it could take at least a month to retrieve the data off of the water damaged device. Sadly there were no survivors and only 48 bodies were found near the crash sight. You would think after so many Asian aircrafts disappearing that the government would do something towards future protection of Asia's airplanes, but nothing has been reported yet. This makes me wonder how different airports and airlines in other countries are from the United States.
ReplyDeleteArticle: http://news.yahoo.com/divers-retrieve-cockpit-voice-recorder-crashed-airasia-jet-012421439--finance.html
While researching for my blog post this week I came across a very interesting article titled: Brain Scans Could Help Doctors Better Understand Your Behavior. Thinking about the few brain scans I have been through, I was curious to see what was going on. There has been a new discovery in the neuroscience world which has scientists in that field of study raving. It has been revealed that brain scans can now influence the way in which doctors treat illnesses, or law officials can determine whether or not a criminal will reoffend once released from jail. The technology being used has become so advanced and precise that multiple things could be found within the one scan. Gabrieli, the main author of the research paper, states that these scans can now be used for personalized treatments which will allow for a higher success rate from prescribe medications or actions. In addition to the treatments, a brain scan can reveal what someone is vulnerable to becoming addicted to. The example shared in the article was that a brain scan could show a teen at risk of becoming addicted to drugs, therefore the doctor could try and steer that individual away. Another scientist, Gazziniga, who is the head scientist in this project, stated that this new way of treating “will be very useful in the thorny areas of psychiatric disease.” Overall, these scans are going to be used more frequently within the medical field and will be much help.
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/health/brain-scan-images/index.html
This is interesting. It's crazy that a mass of muscle surrounded by a cage of bones in the middle of our head controls our actions both conscious and subconscious. Its also pretty cool that neurologists are able to see various flashing colors on a screen, which is pretty meaningless to the majority of the population and make inferences about someone’s future behavior. It’s good that psychiatrists now have another tool to use in improving the quality and accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. I hope that many people are able to benefit from this new neurological discovery.
DeleteThe city of Boston just announced a partnership with the transportation company, Uber, a private company that works as an app to connect passengers with drivers as a substitute for public transportation, such as taxis (if you haven’t heard of it). The city plans on using data from Uber about pick-up and drop-off locations, distance, and travel time to better plan new infrastructure in order to serve the public best. They are also partnered with the app, Waze, which provides traffic and road conditions to help users navigate. I think that these kinds of partnerships between city governments, which have the power to provide widespread services, and private companies, which are more efficient and innovative in the services they offer, can really help make public services, such as transportation, progress faster and be more cost-efficient. Data-dependent apps like Uber provide a more streamlined method of mass data collection and are more accepted by people, who see it as necessary for a better consumer experience (how would you use Uber if you didn’t click ‘Yes’ to allowing the app to use your location?) This is, however, the reason that government-corporation partnerships can be a little unsettling. It reminds me of the movie ‘Eagle Eye,’ where Shia LaBeouf is a normal guy on the run from the government or someone and they can use cell phones, electronic signs, machines, and basically anything else with an on-switch to manipulate and communicate with him. Anyways, the point of that story was to say that, while companies that collect your information are usually profit-driven, the government has many motives and with the resources available to them from businesses, without even needing the authority to actually collect the data, they would probably use them despite the concern of many Americans regarding privacy. But I still think Boston improving its public transportation services with the help of an app is cool.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good idea for an app actually. I always thought taxi's were very unorganized because as a driver you dont know where you will be an hour from now. It will also make it easier to hail a cab during a busy time because the cab will already be in route to you. It might also be more expensive to the taxi drivers if they are not near you when they get alerted that you are their next client because then they have to spend the gas to drive to your occasion before they even pick you up. unlike normal cabs that just pick up whoever is near them.
DeleteWhen I lived in Singapore, their taxi system was one of the most organized systems I've ever encountered. They had an app so you could book a taxi, track it on a gps, and it would tell you how long it would be until it arrived to pick you up. This uber idea seems like a great innovation that could bring a lot of profit to the taxi industry. Taxi companies could just take some notes from singapore..
DeleteThis app sounds like it could be really successful if it works properly, especially in big cities like New York where the traffic is incredibly hectic. It would be much more efficient than having to hail down a cab yourself. I too would be wary of what the location services on my cellphone were telling the government because you never know what they could be using that information for. I believe this app needs a better way to ensure your privacy.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteResearchers have grown human skeletal muscle in the laboratory that, for the first time, contracts and responds just like native tissue to external stimuli such as electrical pulses, biochemical signals and pharmaceuticals. The development should soon allow researchers to test new drugs and study diseases in functioning human muscle outside of the human body.The study was led by Nenad Bursac, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University, and Lauran Madden, a postdoctoral researcher in Bursac's laboratory. To see if the muscle could be used as a proxy for medical tests, Bursac and Madden studied its response to a variety of drugs, including statins used to lower cholesterol and clenbuterol, a drug known to be used off-label as a performance enhancer for athletes.The effects of the drugs matched those seen in human patients.Science is advancing rapidly and its incredible how much we, as individuals, give to the world. I can't wait to see the world when I get out of college.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading this I couldn’t help but picture a Frankenstein-like laboratory scene. Regardless, this is a great stride in medical research. Now they can carry out experiments without the controversy of animal trials or the risks to humans. It also provides for better education for those who aspire medical careers. Personally I’d like to see this skeletal muscle, because unless I become a surgeon or undergo severe injuries, neither of which I not plan on, the chances of me actually seeing what the inner-workings of my body actually look like are slim to none. Maybe one day they’ll have a sample in an interactive science museum.
DeleteFor my current event I have decided to write about a cop fatally shooting an unarmed man. Officer Grant Morrison, the officer who shot the man thought that he was going to pull a gun on him. Morrison pulled over a car carrying Ramirez, who Morrison thought was a suspect in an armed robbery and shooting. Morrison shot Ramirez after he did not comply with orders to keep his hands in sight, where he kept reaching for his waistband. Morrison had just learned Ramirez, whom he shot three times, was unarmed. Morrison was sobbing after figuring this out and tells one of his colleagues that his life was in danger. In Ramirez’s case, Morrison said he was facing a suspected armed robber and shooter who he thought might pull a gun on him. "I wish I just knew he didn't have a gun but I couldn't take the risk," Morrison told a court earlier this month. "I couldn't take the risk of him having a gun. I wanted to go home to my family and I wanted to see my son grow up." Even though Morrison had an emotional breakdown after the event, there are plenty people who feel Morrison used excessive force. Tony Galasso wrote that, “He started out dropping f-bombs at the guy and drew his pistol. He barely gave the guy a chance to surrender before plugging him three times at point blank. This policeman is a murder plain and simple”. In my opinion, Ramirez did have time to react and to put his hands up, and since he didn’t, the officer shot him in self-defense, even though he was unarmed. Morrison was also cleared in February 2013 shooting of a man in front of a suspected drug house. A mean reached for a gun in his pocket. It turned out to be a BB gun though. Morrison told the man to get on the ground, be he didn’t and commanded him to get on the ground. After that, Morrison shot him not knowing that the man had a BB gun. He later died of due to his wounds.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Michael. The officer told the suspect to put his hands up, and he reached for his waistband. How did he think that would look to a police officer? Morrison perceived a threat, tried to diffuse the situation, and then Ramirez reached for his waistband; looking like he was reaching for a gun. The kid had ample time to put up his hands Had he actually had a gun, Morrison would have been shot. He felt terrible about shooting the kid, and had he not been provoked he would not have shot him. He never wanted to.
DeleteWithdrawal from an addictive drug has many undesirable consequences. Likewise, so does withdrawal from an iPhone. Separation from iPhones can cause users serious psychological and physiological effects, including poor performance on cognitive tasks, according to new research. The findings suggest that iPhone separation negatively impacts performance on mental tasks, and that the iPhone is capable of becoming an extension of the self and that the separation causes an experience of lessening of the self and a negative physiological state. During the experiments, researchers found that when users were unable to answer their ringing iPhones while they were solving simple tasks, their feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness increased, as did their heart rates and blood pressure. Their performance on the tasks themselves also decreased when users were suffering from iPhone withdrawal, compared to users who were in possession of their iPhones. The experiment was conducted by having subjects perform word searches while their blood pressures and feelings of uneasiness were recorded. Next, the subjects were informed their iPhones we’re causing interference with the blood pressure cuff, and the devices were placed across the room. While doing the word search, researches called the subject’s phones and their performance dropped, and their anxiety raised. In my honest opinion, I find the results of this study to be absolutely ridiculous. I can’t believe how dependent some people have become to their phones. They were meant to help make our lives easier, but they are used for almost everything now, to the point of decreasing our cognitive skills without them. It seems to be suggested now that if someone has something important to do at work, or anything similar, they should always have their phones on them. I believe this measure should be completely unnecessary and the fact that it is in today’s society is slightly concerning.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to understand why people are so attached to their phones because they don't view them that much as technology but rather a means to communicate with people socially. A ringing phone causes anxiety because you don't know who is calling and it is natural to want to speak to them as a human. Humans are social beings and rely heavily on other people to feel positive emotions. It makes more sense if you think of it less like a phone and more of someone speaking to you can you can't respond. It is more concerning because you don't want them to think that you don't want to speak to them and there is also the curiosity of you not knowing who it is or what they will say.
DeleteIt worries me that people are becoming so attached to their phones that they can’t properly work without them. This is a serious problem. People do not need these pieces of technology this badly! I think people need to be pulled away from these ‘toys’ for a bit, and get back to working normally. Too many people rely on their phones for work, and it is obviously impacting them negatively. What’s more, technology is a distraction, and having it around during work is counter-productive as people are more likely to goof off. I hope people can come to their senses, as this is ridiculous.
DeleteThree were found dead after a shooting that occured in the parking lot of the Palatka, FL, restaurant Corky Bells. The putnum county sheriff's office have confirmed that two dead were victims of the shooting, while the third dead was the shooter. The shooter took his own life after shooting and killing two victims around 7pm. The victims are allegedly his ex girlfriend and her new boyfriend that were exiting this river side restaurant after an evening out together. The shooter was hidden in the parking lot after walking over from the barbeque restaurant next door from Corky Bells. It is inferred that he spotted the couple leaving the restaurant and a witness recalls that he fired off three bullets killing the victims and then a few seconds later shot another two rounds, killing himself. The road way directly in front of Corky Bells if US 17, which has been shut down in both directions for hours. This would cause a large traffic jam because the only way into Palatka from East Palatka is the St Johns bridge which is directly at the end of US 17. Customers inside the restaurant were placed on lock-down immediately following the shooting. The lock-down was lifted around 8:30 p.m. and customers were walked to their cars by deputies. This specific article sparked my attention because most of my family resides in Palatka, as do I on many occasions and I have eaten here multiple times. The thought never occured to me that this family friendly restaurant could be home so such a violent crime scene. It is also sad to admit that there wasn't really any way of preventing this crime, as it was outside in a dark parking lot and most likely not a planned shooting but a crime of passion. The police have closed the investigation as a double-murder suicide.
ReplyDeleteEric Garner was an individual who fell victim to another case of excessive force used by police. He was standing on the side of the road, selling individual cigarettes. Yes, this is illegal. However, they way the police department handled the situation was totally ruthless and uncalled for. Officer Daniel Pantaleo, after asking Garner numerous times to put his hands behind his back, put Garner in a choke hold and would not let go. Yes, one could argue that Garner was resisting arrest and he was in the wrong, but was he violent about it? No. Garner was extremely peaceful in this whole situation. While on the ground, Officer Pantaleo continued the chokehold and would not let up. This is extremely unnecessary because the man wasn’t even violent! There was no need for a chokehold, even if he was arresting. There are many alternatives that would have taken Garner down and force him to comply that would have resulted in him still walking this earth today. .They could have threatened him with a taser, rather than choking him and not letting him go, even when he says “I cant breath” with his final breaths. It seems as if police are getting more and more brutal, doing whatever is necessary to take someone down, even if it is way too extreme. I think police just need to take a chill pill and calm down. They’re getting a little too excited to make their arrests, which as we see here, can be fatal.
ReplyDeleteThis is very disturbing to hear… The police are supposed to be protecting us, so when they become violent it is frightening. We really need to ensure officers are watched a little closer now, with the way things have been happening. Anyone can lose control, but the police should have more of a grip on themselves. Incidents like this need to be handled in a more professional manner, and it’s obvious that the officer should face the consequences of what he’s done… I hope things get better soon, or we may have more trouble in the future. Here’s to hoping.
DeleteI find it repulsive how bad police brutality has gotten over the years. They use the fact that they have a high authority over basic citizens of their towns. Considering the fact, I don’t believe police have no right to touch anyone without a probable cause. Instead of the end result of the arrest being death of an innocent civilian, they could have asked him questions instead of using force. When someone is screaming, calling out for help that they cant breathe, its common sense to loosen up your hold on the person also.
DeleteThis is sad to hear i remember watching the news post the video and all over the internet people where posting about this showing that it affected many people around the world. I find its sad that police would do something like this but it also is a known case and i feel that police should have some rules and restriction to what they do because they are taking their power to extreme. I would hate for any of my kids to go out in the world and hear that this ever happen to them so for me to see this happen to someone else i can imagine the pain it caused on others.
DeleteA five-day weekend is around the corner and in celebration the comet Lovejoy is making an appearance. Obviously scientific phenomena doesn’t intentionally correlate with our school schedule, but with the end of the semester and such a break in our near future you might find some time to go outside and see it for yourself. The recent full moon may have overshadowed the comet the past couple of days, but astronomers say that it will still be visible for ten more, which gives you plenty of opportunities to observe this celestial event. Honestly it is a once in a lifetime occurrence, in the literal sense; Lovejoy only comes around every 11,000 years. No, this isn’t a commentary on the rarity of the concepts of “love” and “joy,” like many scientific findings the comet was named after the discoverer. Lovejoy was discovered by an amateur astronomer named Terry Lovejoy, who I’m sure was no stranger to comments on his last name. Now if the unique name and infrequency of the comet isn’t enough to drag you out of your home, the comet also glows green, rather than the typical red or white. This is due to the diatomic carbon gas- for those who are interested in the chemistry behind it Take advantage of one of the perks of living in a small town like Palm coast (not many city lights to contribute to light pollution) and go try to check out the Lovejoy comet that will only be around for a short while longer. It’s not that cold at night, I mean it is Florida after all.
ReplyDeleteSo I recently saw a documentary that was discussing the Octopus. It went through the usual information: camouflage, behavior, diet, etc. But what really caught my attention was their discussion of whether an octopus is intelligent. The octopus may seem like a rather simple creature, but they are actually quite smart. First off, they placed an octopus in a glass box underwater. The box had a hole that was one inch in diameter. The octopus easily found this hole, and used it to escape the box by squeezing out slowly. When placed in a similar box with a hole that the octopus could not have fit through, the animal didn’t even attempt to escape after seeming to measure the hole with one tentacle. This experiment suggests that the octopus is aware of itself and its size. Furthermore, they put a smaller octopus in a similar box with a glass that formed a bent path. The octopus slowly made its way through the tube to escape. Placed in a second time, the octopus quickly repeated the path, having remembered the route. This is something I found quite amazing. It proves that there are other animals out there with a certain level of intelligence. As a side note, Octopi are notorious for escaping their aquariums, eating other fish, then slipping back into their tanks, and they can even learn to open jars just by watching a human do it. These creatures are surprisingly smart. There is even a breed, called a mimic, that has a habit of pretending to be other sea creatures to avoid predators. It is amazing, and begs the question ‘What other animals are this intelligent, and are humans really so special?’ I tend to think that there are likely many intelligent species that we have yet to discover. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI am simply amazed at this. In my personal opinion I think all animals are intelligent in their own special way. Whether we see it or not. Octopuses after this scientific study will definitely be looked at differently after this experiment. The fact that it had to intelligent to measure the hole is amazing on so many different levels. When he went through the tubes, as he remembered the path is also a very nice touch to his intelligence. When you stated that they can open jars by mimicking a human is spectacular because they have the ability to do what others to do. Masterminds as I would call it.
Delete31 people died after the plane crash in Taiwan, last Wednesday night. 15 passengers were found injured and they have yet to find 12 other passengers who have been considered missing. Out of the fifty-eight passengers found one of them that were dead were the pilot and two of them were the co pilots. Before the plane crashed it went over a bridge and critically injured two taxi drivers and passengers and they were rushed to the hospital after the fact. When on the route to the rescue, they sent the military with over a hundred and sixty five solders to find the scarcely dead bodies and to try to find the missing passengers. The airline “TransAsia” is known for having default planes, which ends up in deadly crashes. Most of the time they kill all of their passengers and sometimes there is little to no survivors whatsoever. But if you recall from last march, there was a flight that had went missing and hasn’t been found since then. They believe it is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean and the authorities have been searching for it and the deceased’s bodies ever since. The plane that had just recently crashed has passed its safety check this January, so they have no clue what had gone wrong, within the plane. They checked every inch to find the problem, and it is yet still unknown.
ReplyDeleteMy current event is on Leora Dana who died on december the 13 in 1983 from cancer. Leora Dana was a famous actress in New York City and won the tony awards in 1973. She graduated from Barnard College as well as the Academy of dramatic art in London. Leora was 60 when she died but had touched many hearts. She continued to proceed on when times where rough and sparked many in her path by her story.
ReplyDeleteThis week I have been collectively watching a bunch of news clips of emergency phone calls to 911. It is mind-boggling to see all these strange and dangerous things happening to people throughout the country. From toddlers choking on things, to abuse, to burglary. There are many people encountering tragic experiences, relying solely on the 911 dispatcher to save their lives. This is a very serious thing; there was even a super bowl commercial dedicated to the topic. In a 911 emergency, it is the dispatchers one duty to help and save the caller. This is shown through their dedication and an article I read while watching the news clips. A dispatcher broke the rules of his job in order to save a choking toddlers life. Despite the fact that it is against their protocol because his dispatch unit isn't certified, he is not authorized to give the directions to perform CPR over the phone, he proceeded to break the rules. If he had not put his job on the line with no regard of himself, the toddler may have died. 911 dispatchers are amazing as they remain calm under pressure and save many peoples lives. Not only the 911 dispatchers are everyday heroes though, but also the callers reporting the crime. There was a report of a telemarketer reaching a women as part of their every day routine, only this time it was different. The women could be heard being abused by a male on the other line. The telemarketer remained on the phone and located the police station closest to the woman in distress as they were over 900 miles away from the scene of the crime and ultimately saved the woman's life. It is amazing that people put others lives ahead of their jobs, even complete strangers. It is nice to know that people still care about one another and I also believe that 911 dispatchers should receive more respect and recognition for their dedication and heroism.
ReplyDeleteIn my current event I read on CNN that every morning, six days a week the president receives a secured tablet with all of the key insights going on in the world that could potentially threat the United States. The president and the people who work closely with him are the only ones who have ever actually read this tablet. Everything secured on it is top secret. President Harry Truman was the first president to receive any daily intelligence when it comes to the safety to the United States, known as the Daily Summary. President John F. Kennedy had requested a “more concise summary of all-source intelligence on key issues”. I think it is very interesting that President Obama has been the first president to receive these news reports on a tablet. The other presidents have always received them on paper. Technology is really taking over everything.
ReplyDelete