Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Friday, October 22nd

Happy last day of 1st quarter! I cannot believe that we are already 1/4 of the way through the year. I have had a great time learning about current events from both classes. For this week, the topic is YOUR CHOICE! Have fun finding something that interests you. And for some even more exciting news...next week is a four day week, so no current event will be due.  :)

55 comments:

  1. Current Event 10/22/10
    Eric Plevy

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/nyregion/19plot.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

    Recently, four men had been convicted of attempting to shoot down American aircraft with stinger missiles and blow up synagogues. These four men are actually inhabitants of the USA. They were caught in a plot where an undercover FBI agent had given them stinger missile tubes and explosive devices and posed as a terrorist. These four men had agreed and taken the weapons. Their plot took place in the Bronx (New York) and could have been tragic. Luckily, this was being controlled by the FBI. Onta Williams, Laguerre Payen, James Cromitie, and David Williams IV all may face life in prison due to their plots against our country. Not only did they cause threats to our country, but also to the Jewish faith by showing anti-Semitic behaviors such as planning to blow up Synagogues. Luckily, they were stopped and will be prevented from causing any damage.
    This case really disgusted me for two reasons. First off, citizens of our own country were planning to commit acts of terrorism to US aircraft. Second, these men were planning to blow up Jewish synagogues. I was extremely thankful that these men were stopped before causing any damage and I believe that they should receive the death penalty instead of life in prison. It scares me that there are people of this country who are willing to commit wretched acts such as the ones attempted by these four men. There is never a reason to commit such acts of violence, and the fact that these were inhabitants of this country just makes it worse. Also, it is sick that people posses such hatred towards certain faiths and religions, such as Judaism in this case. Religion is a great thing, but it also sparks tons of problems. Religion allows people to use certain religions as scapegoats and excuses to use violence. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Jewish faith and these people should be brutally punished for their opprobrious remarks and thoughts towards the Jewish faith. This is important because people need to realize that there are people out there that would do things such as these attempted plans. If people can gain awarness of these situations, it would be more likely for people to report suspicious behaviors and hopefully prevent terrorism and acts that are intended to insult other religions. Hopefully, if we could get this to happen, we could help our country develop into a safer, more accepting environment for all people regardless of religion.

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  2. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/business/global/20ghost.html?ref=business

    With a booming economy and a huge population, China is a center of housing development. New projects in cities all over the country have called for massive construction projects intended to draw more people in from rural areas. However, many of these projects are not only ambitious but over-optimistic. For example, the northern city of Ordos recently underwent a huge new building project, with lavish villas, office complexes, and museums. But despite a projected increase in residents of 300,000 by now, only an estimated 28,000 people have moved to the ostentatious expansion. In the one billion dollar expansion of Ordos filled with deserted streets instead of the bustle imagined by optimistic architects, some analysts wonder if the Chinese real estate market is merely a rapidly growing bubble, destined to pop. Indeed, some think that the property boom is not a reflection of a growing housing demand, but is merely the result of investors after quick wealth. Zhang Ting, a recent newcomer to the new section of Ordos, bought not one, but two houses in the city. "I bought two places in Kangbashi [the new part of Ordos], one for my own use and one as an investment," he said. In the last six years, housing prices in Ordos have risen an estimated 260 percent on the crest of this housing wave.
    I think that the rapidly growing housing market in cities such as Ordos is based largely on speculation, and as such is likely to eventually fail catastrophically. In the United States such a real estate trend took place over the last several years, with property prices, taxes, and inflation jumping. Unfortunately, this resulted in many working class families buying expensive houses on mortgages with ridiculously high interest rates. A sudden and unexpected drop in the market caused an unprecedented rate of foreclosure, while many new subdivisions built on the dreams of optimistic developers stayed empty. The only winner in such situations is local government: as property values go up, so do taxes. Thus, speculation-based real estate booms, although unrepresentative of any meaningful trend in housing demand, drive property taxes up; when the housing costs fall down to more reasonable levels, taxes do not, and the government profits. Unfortunately, this general trend of speculation seems inevitable given human greed for the "easy money" such an investment bubble stimulates. I only hope that homebuyers will be sensible enough not to buy houses on credit that they can not possibly pay for if the economy takes a dip, while their mortgages remain at pre-recession levels.

    Shane Sater
    Pd. 7

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  3. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/world/americas/13psychology.html?_r=1

    The 33 Chilean men who emerged from the San Jose mine after more than two months trapped over half a mile underground are now considered icons, national heroes, and even global media stars. Experts say that for most of them, this may affect their mental adjustment after trauma. According to Dr. Charles Marmar, “All the attention is likely to camouflage reactions to the trauma itself in some members of the group.” Studies show that after being swept up in a natural disaster, about 15 to 30 percent of people suffer post-traumatic reactions for months afterward. About 5 percent also go on to suffer from mood problems, nightmares or other symptoms for a year or longer. These same issues may turn up in the miners who lived in a near death situation for 17 days before rescuers on the surface made contact with them. John A. Fairbank suggested that “The outpouring of attention may delay those reactions, but that attention is not going to last forever.” So when all the fuss has died down, quite a few of the miners will have trouble adjusting to their old lives. One of the miners, Mario Gómez, helped build a well organized hierarchy where group members diffused food and work equally. In this system, there were recognized leaders and goals among the men who came from a similar background. This enabled them to keep stress at a minimum.”This group will become the most powerful social network these men have,” Dr. Marmar said. “They’re bonded for life, like any group of cops or firefighters or war fighters who have shared a threat to life and united to survive it.”

    I am very happy for the miners and their families that they all emerged from the mine safely. I can’t even begin to imagine how horrible and boring it would be to be trapped half a mile underground for months. Since most of these men will likely experience some sort of post traumatic stress, I hope that they will all have access to the help they need to get their life back to normal in the shortest amount of time possible. Also, according to the article, some miners complained of dental pain and skin irritation that will require medical treatment. My hopes are that they will be cared for with no charge. I think that they have been through too much to have to worry about finances, and it’s the least their employers could do to help them out a little by paying their medical bills.

    Cerys Humphreys
    7th period

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/18/health.surgery.mixups.common/index.html?hpt=T2
    Kendall Simms 6th pd.

    I read a disturbing article that made me even more uncomfortable with the idea of surgery than I already was. According to a recent study, surgical mix-ups are more common than people think. This can include operations on the wrong patient or the wrong operation for the right patient. Although theses mistakes are generally pretty rare, the fact that they occur at an unsettling rate for researchers is an issue for some people. However, the statistics used by the study were only the ones reported by hospitals and clinics. Countless numbers of surgical blunders go unreported in order to maintain a hospital’s reputation or medical capability. Most of these mistakes can be traced back to some form of miscommunication. For example, people with the same firs and last name would get the surgery that was meant for the other person or two people receiving surgery on the same organ would get the wrong type of surgery that they needed. In some cases there has even been incorrect amputation. All of these problems have one underlying cause, human error. The factor of human error is something that occurs at every medical center across the country. Despite this unfortunate truth, researchers are still calling for more concrete protocols that would lessen the amount of mistakes in our hospitals.
    I’ve never been a big fan of surgery, ever. This article only increased my fear of having someone cut me open and mess with my insides because apparently they might not know what they’re doing. Personally I feel as if doctors get paid a good amount of money to perform the correct surgery and not accidentally cut off someone’s leg for no reason. Maybe the daily ongoing strain of working at a hospital causes doctors and nurses to lose focus and slip up every now and then, which would be understandable. A possible solution to that would maybe be hiring more staff to oversee all the paper work and transactions hat go on. It still remains that this issue can no longer be anywhere near as common as it is. We pride ourselves on our healthcare and medical resources but whatever happened to good ole fashioned efficiency? Someone just needs to double-check his or her patient charts and maybe Jane Doe won’t leave without her arm after going in for knee surgery.

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  5. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/17/kentucky.senate.debate/index.html

    Andrew Cohen
    7th period

    The senate debate in Kentucky got out of hand quickly this past Sunday as Democrat Jack Conway and Republican Rand Paul shared unprofessional remarks towards each other. The senate debate was held at the University of Louisville. The unprincipled remarks were the result of a negative ad campaign that Conway launched that claimed Paul was once in a Bible-hating secret society. This ad that attacked Paul’s religious views ran statewide. After expressing his negative opinion towards the ad, Paul told Conway, “You know how we tell when you're lying? When your lips are moving." At another point in the debate, Conway told Paul, "You don't have the guts to stand by your positions." As far as the two’s political positions, both assumed rather vague and general stances. Obviously, the most memorable component of the debate was the personal rivalry that the two expressed for each other. At the end of the debate Paul said to the crowd, "When this debate ends, you'll notice that I will not be shaking his hand tonight. I will not be shaking hands with someone who attacks my religion."

    This event is important because it shows that American politicians are far from perfect and that politicians will do anything to make their opponent look bad. This can relate to what we are studying in class because Paul and Conway are fighting to be a member of the senate, which is in the legislative branch of government. The winner of their election will be a part of the legislative branch’s check of power on the other two branches of government. I think that both of these candidates acted very childish. Conway shouldn’t have run the ad that attacked Paul’s religion and Paul shouldn’t have blanketed Conway as a liar. Political debates should stick to strictly politics and shouldn’t be about politician’s personal lives.

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  6. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/business/21recall.html?hp

    Four infants died from being strangled in Graco Children’s Products’ strollers. In addition, five infants were trapped and suffered minor injuries, and one infant became short of breath. Consequently, Graco Children’s Products is recalling two million strollers that were sold at major American retailers (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) before 2008. Many of these strollers were manufactured in China, where cheap labor was provided. Earlier this year, Graco Children’s Products recalled another 1.5 million strollers, after cases of strollers amputating infants’ fingertips were reported. David Doolittle, a spokesman, claimed that Graco is acknowledging the urgency of the problem, as strollers are products that are heavily regulated, hence the reoccurring recalling.

    This is an unnecessary problem that results in extremely dangerous issues. Strollers are commonly used products for infants, who are very susceptible to harm. They should be made with excessive care and tested, and should not be manufactured at low-cost centers in China. It is unacceptable for infants to die as a result of poorly made strollers, as this is an easily preventable cause. Hopefully, Graco Children’s Products will have learned from its mistakes and no more infant’s products will be recalled in the future.

    Maria Yao, 6th

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  7. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/19/pentagon.gays.recruiting/index.html?hpt=T2

    Military recruiters can now accept openly gay and lesbian applicants due to a federal court decision barring millitary recruiters from expelling recruits for telling their sexual orientation. However recruiters may still not ask applicants what their sexual orientation is. Recruiters must inform applicants that the court decision could still be reversed and "don't ask don't tell" could be reinstated.

    I think that "don't ask don't tell" as far as some things kept to soldiers' privacy is not that bad. I don't see anything wrong with open gay and lesbian soldiers serving in the military. I don't think any other soldier or recruiter cares about what sexual orientation someone is. I think if any applicant meets the qualifications of joining the military then they should be allowed to join.

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  8. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2025369,00.html

    In the past, Alzheimer's has been a disease that lurked in the shadow of public eye, victimizing a seemingly random population for which the best defense was hope, faith, and prayer. After a recent survey of Alzheimer's researchers, it seems that they understand more about the disease than a dismal little. Scientists are now focused on correcting past failures and are targeting the earlier stages of Alzheimer's in the brain to uncover the causes. The revival of awareness for this mysterious disease comes with an alarming prediction: 10% of people 65 years old have a risk of developing Alzheimer's; that is to say, a married couple with both sets of parents alive has a 29% chance of having to cope with an ailing family member. The two most influential Alzheimer's groups, the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging, recently issued new guidelines on diagnosis that use bodily fluid tests before patients even exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer's. These guidelines converge with beliefs of researchers, designed to uncover the disease before brain damage is too severe to cure.

    I think it is amazing that we're moving in the right direction for such an obscure disease. Our society places an enormous emphasis on breast cancer, primarily due to it success in awareness advertising, yet rarely do we place an emphasis on Alzheimer's. These elderly people have spent a lifetime serving and nurturing our country, and when they start to slip, generations of descendants have to accept that there is not even a possibility of a cure even in the rapidly advancing pharmaceutical industry. This article is a symbol of hope for the suffering and a symbol of faith and undying diligence for the scientists currently lost in a dark labyrinth. With increased funding and emerging awareness, I am sure we will be able to find a cure for Alzheimer's in the future.

    Jessica Gao
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  9. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/20/facebook.ex.photos.mashable/index.html?iref=mpstoryview


    Jay Htut


    6th Period



    10-19-10



    Ms. Logans Civics Class



    Facebook stops showing pictures of your ex!!!!!!


    Have you ever logged on your facebook account to find your self staring at your....EX????
    Well dont worry, you wont be seeing pictures of your past "close" friends anymore. Facebook has made it so that your exes no longer show up on your photo memories box, which is a compilation of pictures with your closest friends, including past loved ones. Apparently, Facebook implements an algorithimic system that calculates whos updates and status your most interested in, so that your left to see the happy faces of your ex with his/her new stud. Fortunately, Facebook has made it so that past relationship statuses are thrown in with Facebook algorithim to produce = No more pictures of your ex!



    I think that this new system will be very appealing to some people, esspecially to those who cherish and make the most out of every relationship. However, i dont think it will impact the self proclaimed players that have a relationship every other weeek. So overall, i think this system is tight, and will grant Facebook more popularity.



    Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Brinklee Bailey
    Current Event
    10/20/10
    P6
    This week I decided to do an article that sort of brings up an issue that is facing people everywhere. It’s not the exact issue but it’s similar. It has to do with accepting people as they are and as they want to be. On Wednesday federal appeals court had a discussion on accepting openly gay recruits into the military. As of now the military is running on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” type policy/law, which is basically a way of covering openly homosexual service members. Many planning to enroll in the military that have heard about this policy think that it’s an issue of basic fairness. Military officials are afraid that if this change occurs too quickly, it will place the military on a collision course with federal statutes.
    Honestly this issue really bothers me. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that some as minuscule as sexuality is holding people back from getting the job they want. If a person is willing to fight for their country, sexuality should be the last thing that interferes with the whole job process. I think that the military in particular needs to adjust to the world, and the way it’s changing. This really makes you think about how people aren’t willing to give a little for the sake of their country and the people in it. If the military really picked apart everyone that they enrolled into their programs I’m sure homosexuality wouldn’t be the biggest issue of them all. The focus of the military should not be about sexuality, but about fighting for, defending and protecting our country.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/us/21recruit.html?_r=1&hp

    ReplyDelete
  11. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130594039

    Recently, a bunch of spammers have been hiring people to decode and type in CAPTCHAs for them. In case you don't know, CAPTCHAs are those strings of letters and numbers you have to type in when submitting something on a website (for example, when posting a comment to this blog). They're created to prevent spammers from using computer programs from posting comments, as only humans can read them. A spammer is someone who creates fake, automated messages in order to trick someone into visiting their website, giving them money, buying out tickets on a ticket site, etc. Spammers are now hiring workers in Russia and Southeast Asia to decode these for them. It's essentially sweatshop work, as they earn about $2 or $3 a day and just sit and type these things in. Many of them do not speak English, but don't actually have to in order to do the job.

    I don't believe this is a good thing. On one hand, it's providing jobs, but the wage is so low. Nothing is technically illegal about doing this, even if it contributes to fraudulent behavior. This also means that spammers must earn enough money to pay the workers in order to really be in this business. I don't support spammers doing things like buying out all the concert tickets on Ticketmaster or sending annoying emails, and it's unfortunate that there's now an easier way for them to do this. I personally don't like spammers having an easier time spamming, and I don't support paying people so little in foreign countries.

    -Kate Boyd
    7th pd

    ReplyDelete
  12. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/20/california.whooping.cough/index.html?hpt=T1

    10 infants all under the age of 3 months have died in California due to the worst outbreak in 60 years of whooping cough. Since the beginning of this year, almost 6000 cases of whooping cough has been confirmed, probable or suspected. Whooping cough is highly contagious. However, it is a very preventable disease. It can be prevented by the use of vaccines. However the vaccine for whooping cough is not available to infants under 2 months of age. Therefore the people who go near infants should be vaccinated to prevent the spread of whooping cough to the infants. However, many parents choose not to have their kids vaccinated, and many people's immunities may be lost due to worn off vaccinations. These people being near infants can very easily transmit whooping cough to the infants. Whooping cough at first may seem like an average cold, but later it will develop into violent coughs. These violent coughs will cause the people with the disease to cough until all of the air in their lungs are gone causing them to inhale with a loud whooping sound. It is rare for whooping cough to be deadly, and it is also rare for infants under 6 months and adults to make the whooping sound. It is important that you get treated fast, for antibiotics won't help later. It is also important that you get your vaccination for whooping cough about every five years.

    No infants' lives should be taken away due to a preventable disease that is also rare to be deadly. People should just get the vaccinations and be safe from it. I don't really understand why some parents would prefer that their children don't get vaccinated. They are putting their children, the people around them, and themselves in danger of getting the disease. People who do get their vaccinations should be careful about getting their boosters. We should take all precautions about this. The infants are the children of the future. They should all live and do great things in the world. They shouldn't have to die because someone who just wanted to hold them spread the disease to them. It's just so unfair to them. Number of cases of whooping cough shouldn't even be that large. The vaccines are supposed to prevent it. It has been doing just that for many years until now. Infants just shouldn't have to pay for the decisions of not getting vaccinations made by some adults.

    Jenny Jin
    10/20/10
    7th period

    ReplyDelete
  13. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/us/politics/21obama.html?ref=politics

    This week the Obama campaign is looking to sweep through the West assuring some votes for the Democratic campaign. A four day journey took him to Seattle, Washington first. Obama looked to assure that the Democratic senators would keep their place in Washington. Next he stopped in Portland, Oregon, which had one of the highest Democratic vote counts in the country in 2008. Here, he also looked to hold the two Democratic senate positions in this very liberal state. Next he went to San Francisco, California, and Los Angeles, California. Here he looked to support California on their increasing independence on gay marriage and legalization of marijuana. He also looked to make sure the Democrats got out and voted to keep their two Democratic senators in office. Lastly, he went to Las Vegas, Nevada where he looked to increase the Democratic voters morale and get them out to vote against the Republican senator John Ensign. Obama's journey is over now and he is back to the East coast but hopefully, his presence will still be felt in the West and his liberal influence will rub off on an already liberal area.

    Jackson Wright
    6th Period
    10/21/10

    ReplyDelete
  14. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/21/preston.on.politics/index.html

    Recently, there has been a growing anti-democrat feeling amongst Americans all over and with the elections coming up, this could mean bad news for the Democrats. The Democrats could cause their hold on the house to become tenuous, if not losing it altogether. Not only this, but if the Republicans could build up the momentum they could possibly even topple their hold on the senate. The Republican presence is growing, even in states that were easily won over by Obama in 2008, such as Iowa and Michigan.

    The likelihood of the Republicans taking the House is very real, and that of them taking the Senate is less so, but still possible, especially if things continue to go the way they are now then it could be a real problem for Democrats. If they can manage to take both, then the health care bill could be in danger of being repealed. I think that the Republicans are being ridiculous. Hopefully this is a mere empty threat they will utilize to win over the many Americans who don't fully understand the health care bill. I feel like if Americans were better educated on the actual nature of the bill then perhaps they would be more supportive of it. The Republicans don't really have an alternative to this bill--no one else really does--and if they did succeed in repealing it what would be the point? To undo progress unnecessarily? The Republicans are just being sore losers and trying to impede the Democrats attempts at well, anything. Their emotions run high with their talk of war and patriotism, but they need to stop fighting with everyone who disagrees with them in one way or another and cooperate with them in order to actually get things done. This sort of petty behavior makes me liken the Republicans to a toddler who isn't getting their way, and not to a mature adult who should open their eyes and realize that fighting everyone, every step of the way isn't the way to go. Both sides need to consider bipartisan cooperation more seriously.

    ReplyDelete
  15. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/world/africa/19nigeria.html?_r=1&hp

    Last year a group of Islams were said to be crushed by Nigerian troops. Now there have been multiple killings in Nigeria and they are believed to be linked to Islams, who most likely are retaliating after last years incident. Due to these mysterious killings there is now a curfew and many soldiers have been placed in Nigeria. There have been many interesting events happening from the prison break of over 700, some were believed to be involved in these killings, to the multiple amounts of police forces and other leaders being killed. This affects the United States because we get a lot of our oil from northern Nigeria. Also this is affecting Nigeria of course in many ways but also this is jeopardizing their voting that is to be held next year.

    I believe that these events happening in Nigeria show what the meaning of “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” By this I mean that by the Islamic people retaliating this is causing more problems than just these killings, and this just shows that retaliation in a violent manner is not the right thing to do. I doubt that the Islams even know how many troubles they are causing Nigeria, but I think if they knew they most likely wouldn’t even care. Also this involves more than just Nigeria, mostly because Nigeria’s oil production and there are going to be problems with their oil production if they are going to have to worry about these murderers on the loose. I think that they should have settled something like this in a nicer manner, also because it was last year and if they wanted to retaliate most people would have done it way before now so it is more of a surprise now, and this may have been what they wanted.

    Leah Whitney

    ReplyDelete
  16. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/science/space/22moon.html?hp

    On Thursday, scientists confirmed their discovery of an oasis, or deep, dark, cold crater near the southern pole of the moon. Scientists predict that the oasis is about 5.6 to 8.5 percent of a mixture consisting of ice grains and soil, which is higher than the percentage of water in the Sahara. This number shocked scientists because it was significantly higher than what they anticipated. From Cabeus, a 60 mile wide, 2 mile deep crater, they managed to extract 40 gallons of water, which later helped them calculate the water concentration levels for the first time. This discovery has triggered the excitement of many scientists, which has led to possible future lunar expeditions. Unfortunately, though, President Obama wants to cancel the project.

    In my opinion, this discovery can lead to a priceless amount of new knowledge for astronomers. Finding such an unexpected water concentration level on the moon will help scientists uncover so much more about the universe. Also, scientists have concluded that the crater acts as a "cold trap" because it has collected debris over a span of possibly billions of years. This will help scientists uncover a variety of elements, chemicals, materials, and possibly even foreign organisms from planets other than our own. I don't think that Obama's advocacy for the cancellation of this project will benefit us. Though the project may be costly, this opportunity may allow us to explore outer space and learn more about the planets and solar system. This discovery had a small probability of occurring, but it did, so letting go of this opportunity would be a waste.

    Nicole Chang
    7th period
    10/21/10

    ReplyDelete
  17. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/20/scientist-human-induced-global-warming-killing-corals/

    Within the past few weeks, coral in and around the Indian Ocean has been dieing off at an exponential rate. The cause of this problem is found in the water itself. There has been a pocket of water warmer than usual that has moved over the location of these coral reefs. The coral is not used to this change, and can not live in such a different environment. Coral reefs are often houses for many different types of sea creatures. With out the coral being present, many of these creatures lose their homes and possibly their lives. This can be very drastic because the death of certain creatures can very easily unbalance the ecosystem in which they live. Without a balanced ecosystem, it is hard for other life to remain without reliance of its former friends.

    I feel that this can be a very big problem that is very easily underestimated. This is one of the biggest die offs of coral in the last 100 years, and it is still getting worse. Even despite this information, it is still not brought up as a drastic and incredibly important event, which it should be. I feel that something should be done to aware people of these dangerous changes. Whether it be headlines on the news or if it's public service announcements, something needs to be done. Not only does this problem effect the creatures living in the coral, it is also effecting us as well. We often rely on numerous things from different reefs around the world, and without them, many things would not be the same.

    Cole Shoup
    10/21/10
    Period 7

    ReplyDelete
  18. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/nyregion/22pumpkin.html?_r=1&hp
    Leon Pickles
    6th period
    10/21/10

    Some pumpkin farmers in New York state have gotten the great business plan for selling pumpkins... shot them through trebuchets or air cannons. Donald Totman of Daisy Hill Farm said, “We’re doing the entertainment to sell the pumpkins.” During his weekend he will shoot 1000 pumpkins so that they can sell the others grown. Pumpkin shooting has been around since 1986. The WOrld Championship Pumpkin Chunkin of 1986 attract a whole 80 people and the winning shot was 114 feet. Now in 2010 this competition has brought 80,000 people from all over to see 115 team compete for first place. This year the winning shot was over 4,480 feet, this is over 38 times that of 1986.

    I think that shooting pumpkins out of a cannon is a great business plan. You get money from people so that they can watch the shooting and you also get money from selling pumpkins. The crowd that is attract then will come back next year with friends. As you can see the crowd is getting larger. Just like what happened to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunkin... it started with 80 people and grew to 80,000.

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  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/21/facebook.gay.ads/index.html?hpt=T2

    Facebook is a social networking sight that is incredibly popular to the population of the world. However, there has been recent controversy that some ads on facebook that are trying to make an inference on weather certain users are gay or not by sending them ads about gay night clubs and such, if the user does respond then the facebook system could be outing some users on the site. As an experiment, researchers set up six fake facebook accounts. All characteristics were the same aside from “interested in”; in this particular area two of the males listed themselves as interested in males, two listed themselves as interested in females. After a couple of weeks or so, reports say that there was a measurable difference in the type of ads that the gay users were getting. About half of the ads directed to them advertised gay night clubs/bars. The thing that is wrong with this is that when a gay user clicks on these types of ads, the information about his sexual preference goes out tot the advertiser. This is bad as sexual preference is a very sensitive subject and some users may not want other people to not know about theirs, because what they thought was private before now becomes shared with some third party app person. The facebook team claims that they are working hard to fix this and are trying to make sure that the users have privacy.
    I think that singling out gay users in facebook is a very wrong thing to do. I personally don’t think facebook should have ads in general but on this issue, the facebook company should try to work harder to make sure private information remains private. I think that if ads have to remain on facebook, they should be randomly distributed regardless of what gender you like. This is one of those unnecessary issues, but it is an issue that needs fixing as fast as possible, because some people aren’t comfortable with letting their privacy getting out of there hands. I know I wouldn’t be!

    Basirul Haque
    7th period

    ReplyDelete
  21. An unidentified light show leaves the citizens of Manhattan and China curious about the mysterious events that were taking place in this sky. These lights were first seen in China, closing airports due to its unknown danger. Roughly a week later, these lights have made their way to Manhattan where many citizens stand and watch in awe. Though out the week they infamous light have been cited in Richmond Virginia and El Paso Texas. A pair of lucky camera men caught the UFO on film; one was filmed in New York, and the other in Texas. Both of the videos show very similar patterns. At first, a ball of light comes down from the sky and breaks into three separate balls of light. These balls of light are suspended in the air in an eerily similar triangle formation. Once these giant blinking balls in the sky hover they begin to blink rapidly without pattern. These light have avoided radar detection and have yet to be explained by anyone.

    I believe that these lights that were seen hovering in the sky were not from earth. I believe that whatever was up in the sky those nights were the exactly same thing. I feel like nothing that known human technology can do what was done. Most sightings that have been easily explained by weather balloons or Blimps in the sky but I feel like these were neither of these. Another common explanation that has been commonly used in cases such as this is military testing. After seeing the video I think that there is no way that they could be military related.


    Gavin Welch
    Per 7
    October 21

    http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/ufo-sightings-first-china-and-manhattan-now-el-paso-and-richmond/19681647

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ryan Rainey
    10-21-10
    period 6

    http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2010/10/18/what-exactly-is-a-currency-war/

    Are we in a currency war? Well according to some we are and according to others we are not. From what I understand a currency war is a competition for who has the highest valued currency. Examples are dollars, pesos, and euros. Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega does not agree with most. He claims we are in a currency war. Since this issue was brought up by the Brazilian many other countries have started to complain that we are in a currency war while others have strongly disagrred with him. Honestly, most countries dont care or dont have any idea what a currency war is. Well in my opinion I think that this currency war is ridiculous but I do think certain countries do want to have the worlds highest currencies. I think that countries like the US, and most of Europe, and apparently Brazil want to have high currencies. I mean everyone would love to have these high currencies. Selling and trading products would be easier if the worlds currency was more equal but unfotunatly the some third world countries can not have these high of currencies which make a margin in the worlds poorest and richest countries. That would be the problem with the currency war. It makes a larger lower class due too the wealthy countries making there prices are higher and thevalue for the US dollar will increase.

    ReplyDelete
  23. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/science/earth/12wind.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me


    Google, along with a New York financial firm have both agreed to invest into a $5 billion offshore wind farm plan. These wind farms would be placed 15 to 20 miles offshore where strong winds would power the turbines. The turbines would all be connected to a proposed “backbone” which would be able to supply power up and down the Eastern seaboard. The power lines would come into four ports along the coast in an effort to supply energy to areas that need it most, as well as to reduce the number of permits necessary for the power lines. Federal officials who have been briefed on the plan seem enthusiastic and construction is hoped to start in 2013. At the moment, the cost of energy from the turbines is expected to be higher than the energy supplied by natural gas and coal.


    I think that this offshore windfarm is an excellent idea. There is talk of taxes being placed on the emission of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels. This would raise the cost of using coal and natural gas to more than that of the wind energy. This will hopefully cause people to realize that it makes more sense to not only pay less for their energy, but also to invest in using a renewable energy source. The Atlantic Ocean is not very deep which means that the turbines could be placed fairly easily. As demand for the turbines grow, more could be placed and we could hopefully drastically decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

    Zach Visco
    October 22, 2010
    Period 6

    ReplyDelete
  24. http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/national/story/8488285/

    There are getting to be less and less accidents with teens at the wheel. Over five years, fatalities in car crashes involving teenagers have declined by one third. Ever since 1996 this number has been dropping. Experts say this is due to safer cars, airbags, and other newer features. Although fatalities have been going down possibly due to these factors, car crashes in general with teens have gone down too. It has dropped by thirty one percent from 2004 to 2008. Experts say that this is due to stricter laws for younger drivers such as when they can drive and how many people they can have in their car. Russ Radar reasons that teenagers are not becoming safer, but that laws are preventing dangerous things from happening.

    I think that the fact that crash rates are going down for teens is great. Even though teens may get upset with the limits put on them when they first get their license, these limits really keep teens save and prevent death. Being a teenager, I have heard many tragedies about teenage car accidents and the fact that these accidents have been declining makes me happy and gives me hope that it will get even better. I can’t imagine losing one of my friends to a car accident so I’m really appreciative that the laws have been enforced and created.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thomas Nguyen Period 7
    October 21, 2010
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/nyregion/20textbooks.html?ref=education


    Some students today heavily rely on paper textbooks. With the technology today, you can access your textbook online. The screen won’t go blank,” said Faton Begolli, a sophomore from Boston. “There can’t be a virus. It wouldn’t be the same without books." Computers can receive viruses or any other bad programs that could prevent you from reaching your textbook online. But the problem with all textbooks is that it is very expensive to purchase or rent. All of the textbooks you need for a single year of college averages out to $700 to $900. Digital textbooks are on the rise though. Currently, digital textbooks are under 3% of all of the textbooks sales. According to the National Association of College Stores, digital textbooks could exceed 10% by 2012. A study conducted by the Student Public Interest Research group reveals that 1/4 of the students surveyed want a digital textbook.


    I think that digital textbooks on a electronic source is a good idea because you can access your textbook on demand. However, the interface for accessing textbooks may be so complicated that students could no access their textbook at all. College textbooks are constantly updated every year or so. It would be hard to sell your textbook if your edition is old by about 2-4 years. With digital textbooks, you can download the new updates and you don't have to sell the textbook itself. I wonder how digital textbooks affect school performance. If it lowers school performance, then I think it shouldn't be incorporated with college classes. There should be a study where one group of students use regular hardcover textbooks and the other group uses digital textbooks in class.

    ReplyDelete
  26. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/education/22debt.html?_r=1&ref=us

    According to an annual report from the Project on Student Debt, college seniors who graduated in 2009 had an average of $24,000 in student loan debt. This is an increase of 6% from 2008. The report said that this increase is similar to the last four years. Paying back student loans is likely to be especially difficult for recent graduates, the report said, because the unemployment rate for college graduates ages 20 to 24 was 8.7 percent in 2009. This is the highest annual rate on record and a substantial rise from 5.8 percent in 2008.

    I believe many schools need to either reduce their tuition or give more financial aid. Especially in these hard economic times, it is harder for students to pay off their debt to their school. Also, as the report said, more college graduates are unemployed than any other year on record. It is a hard situation to be thinking about paying off a college debt and trying to find a job. The annual student debt is also steadily increasing. In 20 years this debt increase will be up to 120% from today if this pattern keeps going! In my eyes, colleges need to think about their students’ situation over making a little extra money.

    Chris Barth
    P.7

    ReplyDelete
  27. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130737378&ft=1&f=1001

    One year ago, NASA blasted a hole in our moon. This of course stirred up a lot of things, but now it's stirred up even more. Recent photos have shown that the moon has approximately 41 gallons of water on it's dark side. That may not seem like much, since the average washing machine uses that each load, but it is much more than they expected to find. This finding offers hop of a future outpost that astronauts could use, but since our government has cut a lot of NASA's funding.

    I think it's just so incredibly stupid that NASA's not receiving as much money as it once did. I think that we need to put more money into space exploration since we are using up our planet. I think that this new discovery is just more proof of the fact that NASA is not given enough money. We have had a major break through, but we cannot do much about it because of the lack of funding. I just think that NASA is being unfairly treated.

    Ariel Gunn
    Period 7

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jenny Vaughn
    Due 10/22/10
    Period 6

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130737378&ft=1&f=1001


    It was never expected that when NASA sent a probe crashing into a crater on Oct. 9, 2009, it would reveal forty-one gallons of ice and vapor. This was twice the amount of water researchers expected to come out. From this knowledge, scientists have determined that there could be one billion gallons of water on the moon. When the probe first impacted the crater Cabeus the explosion disappointed many viewers. It left a dent about the size of a quarter of a football field but if you were looking from Earth, the only thing you would have seen was “a fuzzy white flash through your telescope”. This knowledge is a great step for our future on other planets because along with water, scientists found carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, sodium, mercury, hydrogen and silver. These materials can be used to create rocket fuel and even help us set up a permanent base off of the moon. The only problem with the plan of moving farther into space is that president Obama has canceled our next trip to the moon, bluntly saying “we have already been there before.”

    I find this news rather exciting because it increases the possibilities of life elsewhere in the universe and our ability to reach them. The fact that we found some of the key ingredients of life on the moon is a stepping stone to farther places. There is less gravity on the moon so it would make a better rocket base and we could learn to live there if we destroy here. I am disappointed by Obama’s lack of enthusiasm about this project by I understand that we are in a financial crisis and we must worry about our own problems before we move to outer space.

    ReplyDelete
  29. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/science/space/22moon.html?_r=1&hp

    On Thursday October 21st, 2010, scientist discovered something remarkable in one of the craters on the Moon. It is an oasis located deep in one of the craters near its southern pole. This is so surprising because for the longest time we thought the moon was just about as dry as the Sahara Desert. Scientists say that if this water were to be purified, it could be used as drinking water. It could also be used as rocket fuel if it were to be separated in to its hydrogen and oxygen atoms, which could bring astronauts back home, or possibly in the future, take them to Mars. Anthony Colaprete, who is the main examiner for the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite at NASA, or Lcross for short, said that ““This is wetter than some places on Earth.” He also explained that the water that was found in this crater is so deep down that it is basically in the form of ice mixed with the soil. The water is approximately 5.6-8.5 percent of the combination of the soil and ice particles, and would be easy to separate the water from this mixture. Dr. Colaprete said that these percentages were a lot higher than what everyone was expecting. Last year the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was sent to the Moon to map out the lunar surface for future trips to the Moon. It crash landed in to the crater where the water was found and was said to have “kicked up at least 26 gallons of water, which confirmed scientist suspicions about the ice in the Moon. This impact didn’t just spurt up water, but it also dug out some of the soil from inside this crater, and other minerals were discovered to have been mixed in to the soil. This crater is negative 370 degrees Fahrenheit, and is one of the coldest placed in the solar system. It is believed to have functioned as a “cold trap”, “collecting a history of impacts and debris over perhaps a couple of billion years.” This is an incredible finding that could impact our thoughts about the solar system for years to come.

    I think this is a remarkable breakthrough that could lead to many discoveries to come. Another thing I found cool about this article was that the water was found by accident which makes it all the more exciting. This could mean that there is life on the Moon, or that there is a possibility for living on the Moon someday,(which I am opposed to but it could be possible). I really liked this article and hope to be able to read about more interesting discoveries sometime soon.

    Laura Musalem
    6th period

    ReplyDelete
  30. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/28/nation/la-na-religion-survey-20100928
    Over the past few weeks there has been an online survey going around. Its a survey about religion and the first thing it asks you is what religion you consider yourself. After you answer this you are launched into a quiz about all religions and their histories. The purpose of this quiz was to figure out which religious group knew the most about global religions. Most people before this survey would have thought that each group would know the most about their religion and then sort of fail afterwards. This projection however, wasn't true. Many christians failed at simple things like the basic history of the Christian faith and this was true to many religions. The religious group that knew the most about all of the religions, shockingly, was Atheists/Agnostics. They scored much higher than any other religious group on this quiz.
    I believe this is rather fascinating because this result was very unexpected to many people. I am an atheist and I took the quiz and it wasn't very hard, i only missed one question on the entire thing. I think that this study goes to show that many people don't really think about their religion at all, they just do what they're told. They also seem to remain ignorant to any other conflicting religion which is quite distressing because people should be educated about everything. I think that with people blindly following what their parents do, or what they were told is the right religion is almost regressive. This goes back a long time in history, to the dark ages where many people just did what they were told and remained oblivious to all the other religions around them. In America and all over the world people need to just take a brief look at other religions. Some of the questions missed were like: "Who began the protestant reformation?" which any practicing protestant should know. Knowing the history of your religion and faith is very important because the history is what shaped the modern day religion. Knowledge and staying informed are the keys to living a rich life.

    ReplyDelete
  31. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama;_ylt=Ar8z5KeWdcHJhJmY8.3NNG.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTM4dmQ3aXRpBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMDIyL3VzX29iYW1hBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDZmVhcmluZ3JvdXRv

    In a last ditch effort to win some of the elections coming up, Obama and some of the other democrats are reaching out to female voters to try to win more votes. They mainly are attacking the Republicans abortion policy, but also saying that women get as good of an education as men. Obama was quoted saying that if everyone voted in 2010 like they did in 2008, the Democrats would win most of the elections. Currently, according to statistics, 49% of women will go Democrat, 45% Republican.
    I don’t think it’s a good idea for the Democrats to control the Executive and Legislative branches. That would create an unbalance of power that could change the tide in politics. Congress could propose almost anything and get it passed. It also shows how dirty the Democrats can get, attacking mainly on the issue of abortion, also insulting their candidates with things in their past involving women. And anyone can be influenced, as only 54% of women say they’re really interested in the election, compared to 67% of men. Come November 2, will find out the results of the Democrat’s anti-Republican campaign.

    Mark Stouffer
    Period 7

    ReplyDelete
  32. After a very rough time in Tijuana, Mexico things are calming down. In fact, this week local law enforcement celebrated the burning of 134 TONS of marijuana. That is the largest amount of marijuana ever seized, and now it's burned! This is described as a kind of peace, at least from 2008 when the murders exceeded 800 killings. Still, the body count is 639 and expected to grow this year alone. And still there are complaints about the measures the police force are going to to catch these criminals. There have been over 100 reported cases of torture but the police. Overall, things are slowly, very slowly, getting better and citizens and leaders alike hope that Tijuana will return to normal soon.

    I remember when the drug wars in Mexico were all over the news. It was horrible to hear so many people were dying and such violence was taking place in the streets. Now, the number of bodies has decreased by almost 200, but that is still a huge number of people for one city. I think that burning the marijuana could have a negative or a positive side. On one hand, this could excite the wars to begin again. On the other, it could boost spirits and morale. I think that it is unfortunate for the police to have to resort to acts of violence to get answers, but I also truly believe that they are doing the best they can and what they think is right and appropriate in this situation. I do hope that one day this situation will be under control and Tijuana will once again be a major hub for tourists.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/world/americas/22marijuana.html?_r=1&ref=world

    Jessica Batson
    7th period

    ReplyDelete
  33. This article is about Facebook ads targeting certain users. “Researchers say Facebook ads target users believed to be gay”. They did a studied and they made 5 Facebook accounts; one for a straight female, a straight male, a gay male, and a lesbian female. The studied showed an ad for a gay nightclub and a school for nursing ad on the gay male’s profile page. They didn’t really see much of a difference for the rest of them. After this study was done,”Critics say system could "out" gay users who click ads, even those not gay-related”. Facebook creators are not too pleased with this and they said “such use of the site is a violation of its rules and will be dealt with”. It is also illegal under Facebook rules to create false/ fake accounts.
    I honestly think this study is ridiculous and unnecessary. It should not matter what sexually orientation you are. It is a violation of privacy and it should stop being talked about it’s so pointless. Why should it concern other people about ads that only gay users receive. If they are going to target gays then they should target straight males and females. I think people should just stop trying to point out gays/ lesbians. They are just like any other people. They just are attracted to the same sex. It is not far that they are pointed out in studies like this because of that reason.

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/21/facebook.gay.ads/index.html?hpt=T2

    ReplyDelete
  34. In France, there has been much conflict concerning retirement pension. For years, French citizens have been able to retire at age 60 and live comfortably with a substantial monthly check from their government. But recently with all the economic trouble many countries are facing, french government has been forced to make changes to their previous plan. Now french citizens has to wait two more years to retire, making the age 62. In defiance to this adjustment, many middle class workers have begun a strike. Truck drivers are forming lines of truck across the highway called “escargots”, or snails, which completely stop traffic. In addition, gas stations are out of gas because people who distribute and transport the gas are on strike. These are just two examples of the very serious situation that has developed in France.

    I can sympathize with both parties involved. Citizens have an understandable cause for their frustration and distress. They were used to this safety net and now they fear that it’s dwindling away. This more socialist policy is much different from the one here in America. But I have to agree more with the government on this issue. I understand that the government needed to cut down on costs because of the depression and adding two years to the retirement age was a good was to gain money. Also, two years really isn’t that much of a difference and once french citizen reaches 62 they are set for life.


    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/world/europe/20france.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=amid%20strikes&st=cse

    ReplyDelete
  35. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/20/mexico.female.police.chief/index.html?hpt=C1

    Marisol Garcia, a 20 year old criminology student, became the police chief this week in Paraxedis G. Guerro. It is one of the most violent municipalities on the border of Chihuahua. In the past year police officers have been abducted and killed, and this past weekend a 59-year-old mayor was killed along with ihs 39-year-old son. Another mayor was also killed in June. The city Marisol is working in is 35 miles away from the city of Juarez, which is the blodiest city in mexico. On average 2,500 people are killed each year in drug violence. Marisol aims to set up non-violent practices in her 13 member force, which will be mostly unarmed. Marisol aims to establish security in neighborhoods, and to increase cooperation between neighbors, and to form watch committees. The community has responded well to her ideas, and will be behind her 100%. Marisol believes that the job she is in needs a womans touch, and that they are hoping to exchange fear for tranquility and security.

    Being a police officer is not an easy job. Usually women arent in the position of leadership in law enforcememt, especially in particularly violent cities. I was very surprised when i found out that this police chief is only 20 years old, and still going to school. Balancing school and work is hard, but i can only imagine how difficult it would be to run a department and be a student also. Marisol must be very brave to take on this job, especialy knowing the risks. I am always amazed at how police are able to go to work every day knowing that they could be killed.

    Riley Hutchison
    7th period
    10/21/10

    ReplyDelete
  36. Astronomers think they may have found the oldest galaxy yet. Using a Hubble Space telescope photograph, astronomers say they may have located a galaxy that is 13.1 billion years old. If true, that would mean that this galaxy was created when the universe was just 600 million years old. Light travels at a rate of 300,000,000 meters per second. However, this galaxy is such a long distance away that the light we can see being emitted from it happened 13 billion years ago.
    I think this is a very important discovery. Maybe it could tell us more about what happened during the big bang. Also, if we only know what happened in that galaxy 13 billion years ago, there could be alien life forms in it by now. Who knows? They could be advanced enough to travel such a great distance and contact us.

    -Zach Jansen
    6th period

    ReplyDelete
  37. Ryan Hegedus
    Four Liverpool fans attacked in Naples ahead of Europa League game
    On Thursday night four supporters of the football team Liverpool were attacked just before attending an away game in Naples. Two of these Liverpool fans were stabbed, and the other two were clubbed using sticks. The pair that was stabbed are both in the hospital, but not in critical condition, however their injuries are still very serious. Only one of the victims of the clubbing was hospitalized and is also in serious condition. The police blamed the attacks on the fanaticism surrounding the game of football. Three arrests were made and the police continuing to search for more attackers. Police have also tightened security for the match that would be played later on Thursday night. Also, the Liverpool Football Club itself warned its travelling fans telling them to stick together and be aware. Safety information was printed on the backs of the game tickets as well.
    It appears that football is taken very seriously by the fans. In this case things were taken too far and it is good that legal action was taken. I understand wanting to support your team and being into the sport, however the game will never be decided by fans fighting. This brings into play the topic of sportsmanship and how players are not the only ones responsible for demonstrating it. The part that is the saddest is that the game had not even started when these stabbings and beatings had taken place. In my opinion, printing safety advice on the tickets is an excellent idea to keep the fans safe from attacks such as these.
    http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/10/21/italy.uk.soccer.attacks/index.html

    ReplyDelete
  38. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/business/22chicken.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

    Two American chicken producers are switching to a more humane way of slaughtering their chickens. According to them, chickens undergo a lot of stress in the last few minutes of their lives. To fix this problem, they are using carbon dioxide gas to knock the chickens unconscious before they are shackled upside-down to have their throats slit. Previously, workers had hung the chickens up while they were still awake, and then were given an electric shock right before they were killed. The companies say that they believe that this will appeal to a substantial part of the chicken-buying public. The trouble, they say, is how to advertise the new system. People do not want to hear about the deaths of the creature’s they are eating. “Humane slaughtering” might not be the best slogan to put on packaging.

    I think that it is important to treat animals humanely. This gassing system is a good way to help the chickens live as happy a short life as they can. Many chicken products say “free-range” or “hormone-free,” but their last few minutes is as much a part of their lives as the rest is. The chickens freak out when they think they are in trouble, like in this case. This would detract from their overall well-being. Another point to consider is some people’s views that the electric shock currently utilized to knock out the chickens does not always render them completely unconscious. It is a good thing that these companies are installing this new feature. Perhaps this technique will become more in demand and other chicken businesses will start using it. That would be an excellent step towards humane animal treatment.

    Chiara Salemi

    ReplyDelete
  39. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/10/19/england.saudi.prince.verdict/index.html

    On Tuesday a Saudi prince Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Saud, who had been visiting London, had murdered his aide Bandar Abdulaziz. The prince’s aide was severely beaten to the point that he had a swelling and bruising on his brain along with fractured ribs and neck. He also had bite marks on his face, ears, and arm. In court the prince had not denied killing his aide because of this the juries only job was to determine if the prince is guilty of murder or manslaughter, his sentence will be decided on the state he was in when committing the crime. The prince during questioning didn’t even show the slightest bit of remorse for his action! The princes’ lawyer had said “he must live with the consequences” of having killed Abdulaziz, but he never intended to harm him as his closing argument.

    To me it’s almost laughable that the lawyer had stated this, if it wasn’t for the fact that another prince had abused their power and killed someone in the process, I’d be laughing. How can someone who hadn’t showed the slightest bit of remorse feel sadden by what he has done? The authorities who questioned him had said he was not capable of telling the truth, he kept refusing to face the questions. He waited hours before calling the ambulance to help his aide, who does that? Waiting hours, maybe he could've been saved if it wasn’t for the prince’s reluntancy to call for help. The prince said that the they were great friends, what kind of friend abuses their friends? This sounds more like ownership rather than friendship.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Recently, on October 21, 2010, there has been an article released about the number of military members who have committed suicide. This issue has created more focus by the Defense Department towards the causing of prevention of this situation. People who are in this situation either have the support from their family and are able to talk through the problems, or the people shelter their emotions in which causes a lot of anger. That is very unhealthy for someone’s mental state. There is a program called The Tragedy Assistance Program (TAPS.) This group is trying to help families who have people in the military and bringing them closer together. Recently TAPS set up an event holding about 250 people traveling from all over the world to share their stories about surviving people from suicide at the Arlington Hotel in Washington, D.C. Many families are dealing with a lot of pain through love ones that have taken their lives, and there are lucky families who have gotten help to resolve problems. TAPS is not the only program, but the only possible way to prevent this is to be close to your family and have supporters.
    Trauma is a big influence towards a military soldier. I think you should have a close bond with your family. The family would support the person throughout all their troubles. They could get through many things together and grow stronger as a family. TAPS seems like a good association to bring together the families. Instead of holding in all your emotions, in this program it seems to help to families. When the people talk about their stories, they share emotions with other people and get a better understanding that other people are experiencing your problems. There needs to be more programs around the world that help you open up instead of keeping all your anger in.

    ReplyDelete
  41. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/science/space/22moon.html?ref=us

    Recently, scientists found traces of water on the moon! THE MOON! Deep down in a crater near the southern side of the moon there has been particles of ice attached to the dust particles on the moon. If the particles are heated the water will melt out of it. This means the water molecules can be broken down and used for rocket fuel.

    I think this is such an amazing discovery. THERE'S WATER ON THE MOON! It's crazy to imagine what else could happen if scientists find more water or other elements on the moon. This could open up a whole new world of space travel and discovery. It's hard to believe we didn't know this stuff was out there so long ago..

    ReplyDelete
  42. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/science/space/22moon.html?_r=1&ref=science

    Previously, the moon was thought to be completely dry. As dry as the Sahara Desert scientists used to say, but recently it was discovered that this “desert” as an oasis. In a deep crater located near the moon’s southern pole, scientists found a surprisingly wet area. Scientists say if the water was purified, it could be good for drinking, or it could be broken apart into hydrogen and oxygen and used for rocket fuel. Scientists have been suspicious of water being located within these deep craters for a while, and this finding confirms the suspicions.
    I feel that this is a huge discovery that opens all kinds of doors for new possibilities. It has been said that the water could even possibly be broken down into fuel for a trip to Mars from the moon. I think this is an exciting new discovery that could get people more interested in the possibility of space travel. This could be a small step to start off a long journey of new discoveries in space. Now there is the possibility of traveling to Mars which could lead to even more new important discoveries. I just hope that this finding doesn’t spark the idea of moon colonization. I think that would just inhibit the possibility of discoveries on other planets. We should look forward for more, and not just settle for what we have found.

    Brady Strine
    Period 6

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hannah Blackburn
    7th period for 10/22/10

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/world/21nations.html?ref=health

    Every five years, the United Nations publishes the World’s Women. This year’s edition is a compilation of statistics about women world wide, from obesity to post-abuse counseling opportunities. The report compares statistics for the women of different country. It can also be used to determine which areas women have improved in and in which areas women’s conditions have become worse. Women have progressed in health and education. They make up 51% of college students now. However, gender violence continues, even in the United States. Women are raped and sexually humiliated as a way to intimidate opposing forces in wars, and women who were abused 15 years ago in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina have still not received treatment.

    I recently read Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn. It is a book about how women are used and abused worldwide. The book tells how women can be used to solve many of the problems that plague the world. Education and health of children, for example, are often provided by the mother. An educated woman would be more able to properly care for her children’s health and provide them with an education. I think it is good that the UN is publishing these statistics, but I think they should work harder to advertise these statistics, supporting them with personal examples. A great trait of humans is their ability to feel sympathy and empathy. Playing on these traits to pull at our heartstrings would be a good way to touch the public with these statistics.

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  44. Geoff Thomason
    Period 7

    http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/10/20/review-chevy-volt/

    In 2006, General Motors promised to make a car that would top the markets. They said that they would make an electric powered car that would easily be the most energy efficient and eco-friendly car ever made. But the energy efficiency was mainly GM's ticket to proving to the world that they could compete with the best automakers in the world, and that their pridict was worth buying. They set out to attract buyers to American Brand cars and away from ones made over seas. The Chevy Volt is this idea in reality. The Volt is a compact hatchback that is complete with all of the newest technology a car could have. It seats 4, and runs solely on electric power. It can travel 40 miles on battery power alone, and as far as you want after that by using a quickly refillable 4-cylinder internal combustion engine to generate electricity. Also, this car is said to be a one-of-a-kind driving experience. Most electric cars are like boosted up golf carts, but this car feels like a regular engine when you drive. This car seems to be a great buy, but then you see the price. $41,000.

    I honestly dont know if this new car will raise peoples opinions about General Motors. I think that this car would be so popular with so many purchases, but I think the price will make people think twice about buying. I expect that after the automotive journalists give their final feedback, and the car is deemed available at dealerships, the car will have a relatively slow start in sales. I think that the only people who will buy will be either rich, one of those people who has to have the latest thing, or both. After this stage, I predict that General Motors will lower the cost and the number of sales will increase significantly. I am personally quite excite about this cars release on the market, because i want to see one and learn more about it.

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  45. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/science/26obseaweed.html?hpw

    This article discusses the newly gained confidence of little fish. Smaller, weaker fish have always been scared of bigger, stronger fish, but increased fishing is starting to change that. In areas where the number of predator fish are dwindling, the smaller fish are getting bolder. These fishies are taking bigger, more dangerous trips out to get food or find mates. These advancements have not been seen in no fishing zones, where smaller fish are still hiding and staying close to one spot. With more research, it will be revealed whether these changes will begin to affect coral growth in heavy fishing areas.

    I think this is absolutely awesome. It's obviously not good that so many fish are being caught and killed, but it's nice to see some evolution in the seemingly mundane lives of little fish. It is important that we keep no-fishing zones common, so that predators won't eventually die out as a whole, but having some areas heavily fished from is a step in the right direction as well. If we keep watching and researching these small fish, maybe, just maybe, something extraordinary, like some crazy scientific breakthrough, could ensue. The hardest part of this will be keeping a safe balance between fishing areas and non-fishing areas, but with the proper knowledge and intentions, I think it can be done.

    Kim Rubish
    6th Period

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  46. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/us/22bush.html?hp

    This upcoming weekend, an exhibit entitled “Breaking New Ground: Presenting the George W. Bush Presidential Center,” is scheduled to open at Southern Methodist University (S.M.U.) in Dallas, Texas. The exhibit will feature various items, including the bullhorn Bush used on 9/11 and the gun that was taken from Saddam Hussein. It is opening just in time to match up with the release of Bush's new book "Decision Points" and with the groundbreaking of the center. Nearly 5,000 supporters on campus are expected to attend the event, but that by no means implies that everyone is in favor of this ceremony. Antiwar groups have already scheduled protests of the opening.

    I personally believe that Bush's time as our president is not worth commemorating, particularly not in the form of a museum exhibit centered around artifacts and objects. While Texas is majorly conservative and very much pro-Bush in a lot of places, there is no need for S.M.U. to broadcast this and continue to emphasize the fact that he is a Texan. Such a glaring show of conservative opinion is tacky and uncalled for. Bush was, and always will be, one of the worst presidents this country has ever had. We can't all of a sudden pretend that wasn't the case now that he's popping back up.

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  47. Leila Doerfer
    6th period

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130737378&ft=1&f=1001

    Last year NASA blasted a hole in the moon near tit's South Pole, and expected to see a splash but they didn't know how big. Results from a moonshot reveal that there are 41 gallons of ice and vapor in a crater, on the dark side of the moon. This doesn't sound like a lot of water, but it's twice the amount the amount scientists expected to discover. Mission chief scientist Anthony Colaprete of the NASA Ames Research Center calculates that there could be 1 billion gallons of water in the crater that was hit, which is enough to fill 1,500 Olympic-sized pools. This discovery offers hope for a possible astronaut outpost where the water could be used for drinking or making rocket fuel. The crater also contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, sodium, mercury and silver. President Obama has canceled our next trip to the moon, saying that we have already been there before, and this disappointed many scientists.
    I think it's really cool that we discovered water on another planet, especially because it was more than scientists expected to discover. This could mean that there is life on the Moon, or that there is a possibility of living there someday. I don't agree with people's idea of living on the Moon though because i feel like we've ruined Earth and after it's so bad we can't live on it anymore we shouldn't make our way around doing the same thing to every planet. I think it's good that Obama decided not to go to the moon right now, and i'm excited about the project, but there are a lot of problems on Earth right now that need to be dealt with.

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  48. Logan
    Current event 6
    Connor Randolph

    Recently there was a Cholera outbreak in Hati. The total number of deaths reported has clocked in at 138 and the total number of cases is expected to be around 1,526. Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by drinking contaminated water and food. The treatment includes very inexpensive oral rehydration salts, but you have to get it to all that need that has not had an outbreak of cholera for decades and the earthquake might be to blame this time. The earthquake made the drinking water of poorer quality get infected with the Cholera outbreak and then soon entered the bodies of many innocent victims.
    I think that this is awful that this happened to a place that had just got it by a bad earth quake. They where already in pain and this just made it worse. After the earth quake not much help was given to the victims and I think that now of all times would be the best time to ship in the oral rehydration salts to help the people of hate. There should be a national effort to help the people of Hati.

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/10/22/130749034/cholera-blamed-for-at-least-138-deaths-in-haiti-so-far

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  49. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/world/europe/22iht-mladic.html?_r=1&ref=world
    Several countries in the European Union are now considering dropping the arrest of Ratko Mladic as a requirement for Serbia to join the European Union. Ratko Mladic is Europe's most wanted war criminal and has been of the run for over 15 years. He is most likely being hidden by only a handful of people and Serbian authorities are close to knowing where he is. The real question is if the EU drops the requirement, will the Serbs still pursue him.The diminished circumstances of the former Bosnian Serb general, who once was protected by scores of allies and Serbian government officials, make him ripe for capture, according to these people. But a softening by several European countries on whether his arrest should be a prerequisite for Serbia’s admission to the European Union is raising questions about whether he will ever face justice. These developments make this a seminal moment not only in the search for Mladic but also in Europe’s often agonized deliberations over how much to encourage the manhunt in the face of deeply conflicting priorities.
    I think that the European Union should allow Serbia in because the country needs support after the wars. I definitely believe that Ratko Mladic should be arrested. He is the man responsible for oneof the biggest mass murders in the Balkan Wars. The European Union needs to really just make a decision because Serbia needs support. One piece of information that is certainly influencing so much of the hesistation is that Mladic is growing sicker and older. Some think that to put him in jail would be unnessasary cruelty. The EU needs to make a decision and and stick with it in my opinion
    Sam Freedberg 10/22/10

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  50. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/us/22shakeout.html?hpw

    At exactly 10:21 AM sirens sounded for one minute all around the San Fransico area. This was an earthquake drill. A drill complete with "Big Shaker" trailers to simulate what such earthquake would feel like. 7.8 million people participated in the drill. It was to teach people what to do when a real earthquake happens and it will happen. Over the next 30 years, there is a 99 percent chance that a magnitude 6.7 earthquake will hit somewhere in California. This is big. The people are attempting to inform what to do when this occurs. When it does, the death rate will hopefully increase due to people being organized and having the knowledge of what to do.

    I think this is a great thing to do. Educating people not just school kids is great. Many school children are told what to do if an emergency happens, but not many adults are told. By having most of the state do this is a great way of opening their eyes and show them that it is necessary to be aware it could happen. It is meant to scare Californians. This could actually happen. There is no way around it. So by educating everyone on what to do, it is saving hundereds of lives.

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  51. http://mb.com.ph/articles/281387/chiles-trapped-miners-finally-out

    After a long 66 days the miners that were trapped after a cave in, in Chile finally have a means a getting out. They had to drill down so the men could be raised out one at a time. 33 miners were trapped in the gold and copper mines. It will be a very emotional day when they were reunited with their families. There was a lot of controversy on how to get the miners out because there is always a risk that it cause another cave in and kill the miners. The news has brought lost hope back to many of the families.
    I am extremely happy that there is a means of getting the miners out. I had been following the subject some what and I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I think this is a good lesson that shows how dangerous mining really is. Also we may need to make more procedures to make sure that no cave in happens from here on out.

    Jack Haskins
    Period 7

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  52. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/09/us/09refugees.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=arizona&st=cse

    Arizona is known well for it's feelings towards illegal immigration because of the high activity of this. However legal aliens that come as refugees to escape the diffcult economic and political problems of their home country are welcomed and treated like royalty, so to speak. In the last year, Arizona has accepted more refugees than either California or New York, each known for Ellis and Angel Island. They are not simply accepted either. These immigrants are offered financial aid to give them a good head start with living a successful and profitable life in the United States.
    I think this is really cool and it makes me happy to know that Arizona is not just a cold-hearted state. I respect the fact that, as long as laws are followed, anyone is welcome to settle in this state. I also feel proud to have come from Arizaon knowing the acceptance of these troubled refugees.

    Jacob Harris
    7th

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  53. JOse Bonilla

    Thee article talks about how people are very desperate about the cholera outbreak. This is terrible because conditions in Hai

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  54. There is a major health crisis in Haiti. Cholera, a disease the effects the intestinal track, has broken out. The outbreak of the disease is not directly realted with the earthquake that occured in January, but the imense chaos and terrible living conditions that resulted from the earthquake make the disease more likely to spread quickly. So far there have been 138 deaths from this terrible disease, and there are 1,526 reported cases. Symptoms include severe diarrhea and vomiting.

    I think it's really sad that Haiti has experienced so many disasters in such little time. The country has always experienced extreme poverty, in January they were crippled by an earthquake, and as soon as they begin to get back on their feet, a disease outbreaks! The outbreak is caused by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food. It's terrible that in America and other wealthy countries, we take such things as clean living conditions, big meals everyday and clean water for granted. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I think people should pay special attention to countries like Haiti, who really could use our help during their crisis.

    Julie Wulforst
    Period 6

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/10/22/130749034/cholera-blamed-for-at-least-138-deaths-in-haiti-so-far?ft=1&f=1001

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