Sunday, September 25, 2011
7th period: Current Event due 9/30
This week in C&E we will be discussing the foundations of American Government and the ideas, documents and people that influenced our Founding Fathers. For your current events assignment, I would like you to find an article that deals with influences or new ideas. Your article could deal with scientific, political, social/personal, economic or philosophical ideas or influences. In United States history, our best national ideas are borrowed from somewhere else...find an article that deals with new ideas or the current borrowing of old ideas. There should be a wide variety of posts this week. Articles are generally written about new stuff, so go and find something amazing. I cannot wait to read about your discoveries. :) Happy Blogging.
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Poll: More than half of teens, young adults harassed online
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/tech/web/online-bullying-poll/index.html
More than half of all teens and young adults have been bullied or harassed online. This is what a new poll on internet behavior said. Poll is an Associated Press for MTV poll. This is a survey that teens between 14 and 24 years old took. 56 percent of responders said that they had experience abuse through media. That is more than 50 percent in a similar 2009 survey. This survey is part of MTV’s “ A Thin Line” campaign, a new idea of letting more people know about digital abuse. This campaign is built on the understanding that there’s a “ thin line” between what may start as a joke and can be harmful to you or someone else.
When I read this article I found out that there is more digital abuse than any other. And that is because of the high technology that we teenagers have know. I am glad that this type of TV channels that are mostly watched by teenagers, are trying to help. This way many teens know how bad this can get.
Jack Kleissler 7th Period
ReplyDeleteTitle: Speed of Light “Broken” at CERN
Author: Nick Collins
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
9/22/11
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8783011/Speed-of-light-broken-at-CERN-scientists-claim.html
For the past several months scientists working in the largest physics lab in the world at CERN laboratories near Geneva have been conducting experiments to see if anything can travel faster than the speed of light. On the 21st of September they were able to record neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light, which is 186,282 miles a second. Albert Einstein himself said that nothing in the universe travels faster than the speed of light in a vacuum, so the scientists are cautious in saying this is true. They have called in scientists from around the world to check and recheck their calculations and if they can find no fault with it then Albert Einstein was wrong and one of the standard models of physics which explains why the universe and everything with in it works is wrong.
I can’t believe that they were able to record something traveling faster than the speed of light and secondly that physics, as we know it could be wrong. Albert Einstein himself proved this and now that may be broken is crazy to think about. It makes me wonder what other concepts that we take for granted on how the universe works is wrong and how that could effect us.
Jason Cohn Period 7
ReplyDeleteDiabetics in study were twice as likely as others to develop dementia Linda Searing
Washington Post September 26, 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/diabetics-in-study-were-twice-as-likely-as-others-to-develop-dementia/2011/09/21/gIQAOn78zK_story.html
A study involved 1017 people at least 60 years old without dementia. 458 of them had diabetes and over the course of the study, 232 of them developed a type of dementia including Alzheimer’s. This proves that diabetics are about twice as likely to develop dementia than other people. 19 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States and 7 more million don’t even know they have it. 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s and that number is supposed to reach 15 million by 2050. Although there is no biological connection between diabetes and dementia, there has proven to be some kind of relationship between the diseases.
This article surprised me at how many people are living with these diseases. However, it is great news that they have done this study and figured out some key information in further studies. This has brought them one step closer to curing Alzheimer’s and I think that it is great for the medical field.
Brian Mack/ 7th Period
ReplyDeleteNew Intel chip runs on solar power/ Christina Bonnington
CNN.com/ September 19, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/19/tech/innovation/solar-powered-intel-chip/index.html
Intel has produced an extremely energy efficient processor. The processor is just an experimental version now, but could eventually lead to something with much less energy consumption. In today’s world where all technology is used on the go; the new processor is going to thrive because it’s powered by a solar cell the size of a postage stamp. Intel test ran the new processor on a PC running Linux OS to show how little energy is needed for it to work. This means that mobile phones are going to become even slimmer. Intel has not only made the most energy efficient processor they went a step farther; when the chip isn’t working hard it goes into a stage that uses even less power. Intel claims that this way you can always keep your technology on and your battery won’t die.
I believe that this is a great stepping stone to something that should be able become a much bigger deal if we put the time and effort into it. Solar power needs to become our future because we consume far too much energy in our daily lives. With this technology phones will be more complex then ever, and hopefully they will be using solar power as the source of energy.
Oskar Marszalek/7th Period
ReplyDeleteStart-Up in California Plans to Capture Lithium, and Market Share/ Matthew L. Wald
New York Times/ September 28, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/business/energy-environment/simbol-materials-plans-to-extract-lithium-from-geothermal-plants.html?ref=science
A California company will be extracting lithium, an important metal used in batteries, from an existing geothermal plant. Geothermal plants work by utilizing the energy from hot water pumped from deep underground. This salt-filled water is then pumped back underground. Simbol, the company who would be only the second lithium producer in America, would provide a key element for battery powered cars. Although Barack Obama's goal to have one million plug-in cars on the road by 2015 is regarded as ambitious by some, increasing the amount of lithium available in the market would decrease the cost to manufacture electric cars.
I believe that this is a great idea that demonstrates an environmentally friendly initiative as well as one that reinforces the idea that environmentally friendly energy sources are actually very profitable. The company would extract lithium from an already existing geothermal plant, meaning that intrusive drilling or mining would not be present. Providing a large source of lithium to automotive manufacturers would decrease the cost to produce these cars and ultimately put more of them on the road.
Kiara L. Luna / 7th period
ReplyDeleteScientists: Particles appear to travel faster than light/ by: Laura Smith-Spark
CNN/ September 24, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/23/world/europe/switzerland-science/index.html?iref=allsearch
An experiment done recently may challenge Einstein's special theory of relativity and the laws of physics that nothing can beat the speed of light. Scientists from Switzerland say that an experiment showed small particles traveling faster than light. The results of the report published on Friday by a group of researches have surprised many people. The research will continue and hopefully new ideas will arise that could confirm or disprove the effect. If it turns out to be true, physics will be revolutionized.
I find this discovery surprising. It has been believed for a long time that nothing can be faster than the speed of light, if proven to be true it will change the way we think of physics. It makes me wonder what other theories or laws can be proven wrong.
Kabir Kumar Hardy 7th Period
ReplyDeleteA Way to Make Motor Fuel Out of Wood? Add Water
Matthew L. Wald
New York Times 9/27/11
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/business/energy-environment/using-water-to-turn-wood-chips-into-motor-fuel.html?ref=technology
A company called Renmatix has found a may to efficiently produce biomass fuel. Biomass involves refining dead wood, leaves, and shrubs into fuel. The process originaly costed more money then what the fuel was worth. The method involves heating and compressing water and applying it to the biomass. If successful, America's dependence on foreign oil could be reduced.
I think this a step in the right direction for America. If it works, this technology could revolutionize the way we consume energy. So far, the process has only worked in labs. Apllying the method on a much larger scale is a daunting task, but it is not unthinkable.
Stefan Steiner/ 7th Period
ReplyDeleteKindle Touch's secret weapon: Lasers / Mark Milian
CNN.com / 9/29/2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/29/tech/gaming-gadgets/kindle-touch-screen/index.html
Amazon has introduced a new Kindle with a new technology. This is the first Kindle with a touch screen because in the past most touch screens have added glare. However, this Kindle does not use these normal, glare-inducing screens. The new Kindle touch relies on infrared lasers around the border of the screen that can detect when and where the kindle is touched. Although kindle is not the very first device to use this technology, this is the first Kindle model that uses it and it should take off in such a high-demand product.
I think that this new touch screen could be very helpful, especially if it does not cause glare. This technology is a new idea that could take off now that is being used by a company as big as Amazon. I hope that the screen actually works and does not take away from Kindle’s main advertising points: no glare and more battery life.
Luke Ciocca 7th period
ReplyDeleteHow exercise can strengthen the brain
Author: Gretchen Reynolds
New York Times
Sept 28, 2011
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/how-exercise-can-strengthen-the-brain/?src=me&ref=general
This article attempts to find out if more exercise can help the brain; they performed this test with rats in a lab. One sample of rats were put on treadmills and made to run for two months while the other sample was allowed to rest leisurely in their cages. After theses two months, the two samples of rats both ran on treadmills. The sample made to run the two months before ran for a much better average than the sample that lounged. What the scientists found interesting was in the running rats’ brain cells there was an increasing amount of mitochondrial development that were not present in the other rats. This proves that exercising could do many things such as protect you from illnesses and sharpen your thinking.
This could be huge in medicine and health. Exercising makes you more resistance to neurodegenerative diseases, which occur from lack of mitochondria. Exercising can create a buffer of mitochondrion which can protect from these diseases. People who exercise are also more resistance to fatigue as well as shaper thinking. Exercising can help you in very many ways and can be used in the future to help prove that fitter is the better way to go
Juno Park 7th period
ReplyDeleteFederal Officials Expand Efforts As Cantaloupe Warnings Continue CNN Wire Staff
CNN.com 9/29/2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/29/health/cantaloupe-deaths/index.html?hpt=us_c2
In the United States a deadly food-borne illness has recently broken out, and so far killed 13 people. Listeria Monocytogenes is the bacteria to blame, and it has been spread through cantaloupes that have been distributed throughout the country. This epidemic is the deadliest outbreak since the year 1998 when harmful hotdogs were sold and 21 people were killed. The threat of cantaloupes has been traced back to Jensen Farms Fields in Granada, Colorado where they have recalled all Rocky Ford Cantaloupes from stores across the country. Many states in the Midwest have reported illnesses from eating the cantaloupes. Some of the states affected were Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. For many healthy individuals Listeriosis should not be an issue, but to older people and pregnant women it can be extremely malignant. Some of the symptoms are diarrhea, muscle aches, fever, and gastrointestinal problems. Women who are expecting children should be especially cautious because the disease can cause miscarriages, stillbirth, and premature delivery.
I think that this is a terrible incident that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. 13 people have already died which proves that this is a very serious issue. I think that there should be more laws and regulations that prevent things like this from occurring, and also to help America become a healthier nation. Poisonous cantaloupes will hardly encourage people to make the healthy choice and buy fruits instead of cookies. Since so many people have died I doubt that this news will dissipate too quickly; many people will be discouraged from fruit. This will influence the way that people buy food and prepare their meals. From now on everybody will be more careful when deciding what to eat.
Aaron Smith/7th Period
ReplyDeleteExpand your horizon in school, Obama urges students
Tom Cohen/CNN
September 29, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/politics/obama-back-to-school/index.html?hpt=us_c2
Barack Obama decided to take a stop at high school and talk about the importance of education. This is his 3rd time doing this and this time he talked to students at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. Obama stressed that students should have high goals and “color outside the lines.” Obama believes that students should work hard because students are the future to our country. Obama connected with the kids by telling them his struggles with school and talked about sometimes he thought basketball was more important than his school work. As he came to close, he informed everyone that after high school, you are not done learning. He encourages students to go to college and continue learning because it is important to have an education and most jobs require more than a high school diploma.
After reading this article I was happy to see that Obama took time out of his schedule to interact with students and inform them how important school is. I think this could really make people stay in school and work harder. I hate school but I know it is very important and without it I would have no future. This really influences me to be a better student and I think it will have the same effect on many other kids.
Luthfi Bustillos 7th period
ReplyDeleteUK-built NigeriaSat-2 shows off its vision
Jonathon Amos BBC news
9/29/2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15098493
The most powerful UK satellite spacecraft has been sent into orbit. This satellite will be used by Nigeria. They will use this satellite so that if there is a flood, or big earthquake to respond immediately. They will be able to see if any of these happen due to the precise images. UK is also going to try to train Nigerian engineers to build their very own satellite. Although there are better satellites then this one, this new satellite is incredible cheaper then the other ones. UK is also building satellites for China.
I think that this is good because it is advancement in technology. Although there are more advanced satellites, there are no other satellites that are this priced so low for this quality. This is also the best satellite that the UK has ever built so that means more competition, which is usually good. More competition also means lower prices and that is good for the costumers. Competition has also lead to many new inventions in the past. I think that Nigeria will also benefit from this and they will be able to respond to catastrophic events in the future.
Jeremy Howell 7th
ReplyDeletePentagon Budget
9-29-11
Washington Post
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/31/pentagon-ponders-budget-cuts-in-face-of-perfect-st/?page=all
The washing Post reports that for years now the Pentagon’s budget has been one of the most highly funded in the united states, but recently the government has cut dramatically cut it back. Reasons for this are said to be because the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The director of the pro-business think tank at the Lexington Institute believes that the budget could be cut to 477 billion dollars, compared to the 570 billion that was expected to be spent in 2013. These cuts are believed to be going to make it impossible for the pentagon to advance it’s weapon technology. This causes some to worry that the united States will not be as secure.
I think that cutting the Pentagons budget is not a bad idea, but I think that before we start tossing out blueprints for spy planes we might want send back the 16 dollar conference muffins. Theodore Roosevelt said that you must speak softly and carry a big stick. I would like to think the United States had enough money to make sure that we got a bigger stick each year.
Eric Reinstein
ReplyDeleteBright ‘hollows’ on Mercury are unique to solar system
Lisa Grossman, NewScientist.com
September 29, 2011
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20985-bright-hollows-on-mercury-are-unique-to-solar-system.html
NASA’s Messenger spacecraft recently discovered that Mercury is covered in irregular-shaped craters, unlike any found on other planets in our solar system. Scientists have many theories, also partially explaining the existing mystery about why the planet is so dense, including Mercury having a solid metal core, a planet smashing into it early in its formation, or the sun having vaporized part of the exterior. Most, like David Blewett, a physicist, agree that Mercury may have extremely-reactive elements in it’s rocks, which are easily vaporized, leaving pits on the surface. In any case, this changes our view of what might have happened during the planet’s history.
Personally, I’ve always been into space and the planets, so I found this interesting to read. And even though it doesn’t have a direct connection to civics or the average person, it shows how little we really know about the history of our solar system, and how we can always learn new things about our universe.
Peter Norwood
ReplyDeleteFox News
Happy Holidays, and Don't Forget to Vote? GOP Scrambles to Resolve Election Calendar Chaos
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/29/seeking-influence-states-push-up-their-gop-primaries/
Summary: In this article, Fox News examines how multiple states are considering changing when they have their primary elections. Florida was the first to act; they are expected to have their primary on January 31st, 2012. Then South Carolina’s GOP Chairman Chad Connelly said that he will move SC up because they have to be the first in the South. Then Iowa’s GOP Chairman said that Iowa will be the first, and possibly could be on January 9th. Georgia has decided to not have its primary until Super Thursday: March 6th.
Response: I choose this article because it fits the topic for this week: new ideas. I find all these changes to the primary schedule unnecessary and childish. The changes are unnecessary because changing when you have your primary will not impact anything. I really see no need in this, it seems that all the states will be in the same order as always (Iowa first, etc). The changes are childish because all the GOP Chairmen are making such a big deal that they “Have to be first!” when it really doesn’t matter. This act of exceptional decision making and hyper intelligence reminds me how well America’s politicians are doing right now!
Salomon Ariza/ 7th period
ReplyDelete'Flying carpet' of conductive plastic takes flight/30 September 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15106231
This is a very interesting article talking about how technology has once again created a new form of transportation. However it is nothing one would imagine in the future but something people used to read about in stories. The article refers to a “flying carpet” that was created by Noah Jafferis. His invention so far is a small sheet that is 10 centimeters and used ripple power to move. What it does it is use electrical waves to push air from the front to the bottom back of the sheet causing it to be able to move. The creator of this “magic carpet” was inspired by a physics theory written by a man studying in Harvard.
I find this article to be very interesting. As time passes by new ideas are born in science everyday. People are constantly looking for ways to do things faster better and more conveniently. I like the idea of being able to transport ourselves with flying carpets someday. It would help the environment since they wouldn’t require gas to function, and all the space in the sky could be used instead of just using roads.
Danner Morrison
ReplyDeleteHonors Civics and Economics, Period 7
“Denmark Taxes Fatty Products”
In order to combat clinical obesity and excessive weight gaining, the Danish government will impose new taxes on fatty foods, effective October 1st, 2011.The concept is that driving up the price of fatty foods will reduce demand for them. By discouraging consumers, they may consume less saturated fat, which may reduce the number of obese people in Denmark and reduce premature deaths from chronic diseases such as heart failure. Major foods with the new taxes being imposed on them include butter (~47 cents per pack), chips (~12 cents per bag), and mince pie (~20 cents per pound). According to Denmark’s Institute for Food and Economics, “close to 4 [percent] of the country’s premature deaths are a result of excess consumption of saturated fats”.
I am chiefly concerned by how these taxes may serve as a financial burden on low wealth or working class people and their families. These people may rely on junk food or other unhealthy meals due to their relatively low prices, because they (the low wealth or working class people) are not affluent enough to purchase alternatives. If these new taxes do lead to food companies cutting the saturated fat content of their meals in order to avoid these new taxes, the point I had just stated prior will be rendered moot, as the low wealth or working class people receive the benefit of healthy food at the same price.
Orange, Richard. "Denmark Taxes Fatty Products." Telegraph.co.uk. 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.
Zunzun Aung / 7th period
ReplyDeleteBanks to Make Customers Pay Fee for Using Debit Cards
By Tara Siegel Bernard and Ben Protess
September 29th, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/business/banks-to-make-customers-pay-debit-card-fee.html?_r=1&hp
The biggest bank, Bank of America, announced on Thursday that they planned to charge customers $5 fee when they use their debit cards. Other banks such as Well Fargos and Chase are planning to charge $3. The round of new charges stems from a rule, which takes effect on Saturday, which limits the fees that banks can levy on merchants every time a consumer uses a debit card to make a purchase. The rule, known as the Durbin amendment, after its sponsor Senator Richard J. Durbin, is a crucial part of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law. And many customers are planning to leave their banks because of this change. However, they have not made it official of this rule.
I think this rule is totally ridiculous. I don’t understand why they would charge customers for using the debit cards. It would put more stress on the people because they have this fee to pay every time they use their debit cards and even though it’s not a lot, by a year you’ll be paying the bank $1825. I honestly do not agree with this rule and it just makes it harder on people’s budgets.
New Discoveries of Twain Writings Continue
ReplyDeleteErin Peck 7th period
By Charles Burress
September 13, 2011
http://elcerrito.patch.com/articles/new-discoveries-of-twain-writings-continue
Mark Twain has long since been dead and after his death we are still finding his literary remains. At UC Berkeley scholars are finding on average 3 letters a week, and that means information is still coming out about him. Members working on the Mark Twain Project have found one of the most important letters in their opinion. It was a letter he wrote to his brother when he was 29. He said "But I have had a 'call' to literature, of a low order—i.e. humorous," Twain wrote. "It is nothing to be proud of, but it is my strongest suit, & if I were to listen to that maxim of stern duty which says that to do right you must multiply the one or the two or the three talents which the Almighty entrusts to your keeping, I would long ago have ceased to meddle with things for which I was by nature unfitted & turned my attention to seriously scribbling to excite the laughter of God’s creatures." The ongoing Twain project at Berkeley is one of the largest research efforts ever devoted to publishing the work of a single author. So far it has issued more than three dozen books filled with his works.
I think that is so awesome, I wonder if Twain ever knew he would be as famous as he is now. His work is so extensive; the people working on the mark twin project must feel like real life treasure hunters. What they discover never ends and it’s such a huge window into his life. 100 years later his life is being told.
Peter Norwood
ReplyDeleteFox News
Happy Holidays, and Don't Forget to Vote? GOP Scrambles to Resolve Election Calendar Chaos
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/29/seeking-influence-states-push-up-their-gop-primaries/
Summary: In this article, Fox News examines how multiple states are considering changing when they have their primary elections. Florida was the first to act; they are expected to have their primary on January 31st, 2012. Then South Carolina’s GOP Chairman Chad Connelly said that he will move SC up because they have to be the first in the South. Then Iowa’s GOP Chairman said that Iowa will be the first, and possibly could be on January 9th. Georgia has decided to not have its primary until Super Thursday: March 6th.
Response: I choose this article because it fits the topic for this week: new ideas. I find all these changes to the primary schedule unnecessary and childish. The changes are unnecessary because changing when you have your primary will not impact anything. I really see no need in this, it seems that all the states will be in the same order as always (Iowa first, etc). The changes are childish because all the GOP Chairmen are making such a big deal that they “Have to be first!” when it really doesn’t matter. This act of exceptional decision making and hyper intelligence reminds me how well America’s politicians are doing right now!
Patient, doctors encouraged by ALS trial
ReplyDeleteBy Miriam Falco, CNN
updated 11:10 AM EST, Wed September 28, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/health/early-als-trial-results-encouraging/index.html?npt=NP1
There is a clinical trial at Emory University in Atlanta, that is showing promise in curing one of the deadliest diseases known to man, ALS. Most patients that are diagnosed with ALS die within three to five years of first showing signs of the disease. Most patients lose muscle function in their lungs until they can no longer breathe. The clinical trial involves injecting neural stem cells into the bottom of the spinal cord of the patients. Before entering the trial, one member used a cane to walk around and had trouble opening a Ziploc bag, after nine months of the treatment he hasn’t needed to use his cane!
I was very surprised when I read how deadly ALS can be and I was amazed when I read that the trial could be working on the patients. I feel that this idea will become a huge medical breakthrough if it works! I’m lucky enough that I don’t know anyone who has been killed by ALS but thousands of people every year are diagnosed and die from it and I think that this is a huge step in finding the cure.
Olivia Clayton Period 7th
ReplyDeleteBy: CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
New polls on 2012 battles in Ohio and Pennsylvania
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/28/new-polls-on-2012-battles-in-ohio-pennsylvania/?hpt=po_bn2
The polls in Ohio and Pennsylvania say that President Obama has things set up for him so that he can keep the 2 major battlegrounds in the Democratic field for next year's election. Fifthy-three percent of Ohio disapprove with what Obama, while 42% are saying that they approve of what he is doing in the office. To show how important the state is to the White House, President Obama and Vice Presdient Joe Biden went to the state 4 times in total THIS MONTH to lobby for the president package!
I think President Obama should find out why the 53% of people in Ohio don't agree with what he is doing in the office. Maybe then he can fix it and make it better. He should also find out why the 42% of people agree with what he is doing so he can continue to do it. Overall, I think President Obama is a good president. Do you?
Briana Noel ; Period 7
ReplyDeleteKid's Sugar Cravings Might Be Biological
Gretchen Cuda Kroen
September 26, 2011 ; NPR News
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/09/26/140753048/kids-sugar-cravings-might-be-biological
A lot of adults and adolescence' think that kids like sugar because it's sweet. I have recently found that the biological background of a child could be a major factor of them liking sugar. It has also been said that newborn babies know sugar when they taste it. Hospitals put sugar in the newborn baby's mouth (the boys) after circumcision to relieve the pain. Sugar is also said to be a natural pain reliever. Children often aggrandize more sugar than adult or adolescence who have hit puberty. This is because not only does the sugar taste good to children, it also makes them feel good.
This relates to what we are studying as far as new ideas go. Scientist are now digging deeper in to the biology background of why children want sugar, as far as us just thinking it's all for the taste. Sue Coldwell has made many statements, one of which I think they'll look deeper into. She stated that she was unsure if it was the bones trying to communicate with the brain or the tongue “saying” it needs or wants energy. I'm not a scientist, but I think that it's a matter of wanting, especially for guys, not so much girls. I say this because boys are given sugar after circumcision which gives them a great taste and they keep wanting it until they hit puberty. This relates to what we are studying as far as new ideas go. Scientist are now digging deeper in to the biology background of why children want sugar, as far as us just thinking it's all for the taste. Hopefully sooner than later we'll know :)
Katie Alexander
ReplyDeletepd.7
With Fire, Amazon aims at Apple
Bank of America to add $5 monthly debit card fee as era of low-cost banking ebbs
By Ylan Q. Mui
Published: September 29
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bank-of-america-to-
add-5-monthly-debit-card-fee-as-era-of-low-cost-banking-ebbs/2011/09/29/
gIQAzyhL8K_story.html
The Bank of America recently announced that they will be a charging a $5 monthly debit
card fee. The $5 dollar fee will start next year for the bank’s basic checking accounts.
It will only apply to debt card purchases and not to ATM withdraws. This move is just
one of the ways banks are changing in a financial crisis. Rather than charging the riskiest
customers the greatest fees, banks are now spreading their costs more evenly among their
customers.
I feel that Bank of America’s idea for charging people for using their debt card is not
smart move, for two reasons. First, their will be many unhappy customers. I own a debt
card, because it is safer than carrying cash around. I would not be happy if I was being
charged a monthly fee even if I did not use my debt card that month. Second, Bank of
America could lose a significant amount of customers. There will be a large amount of
small banks and credit unions that will be eager to attract new customer unhappy with
the new fees that some ‘big banks’ are starting to charge. This article reflects the topic
of new ideas, because Bank of America and other ‘big banks’ are going to start charging
customers for services that were normally free.
Jonah Horwitz
ReplyDeleteSaudi Reform: Will Women’s Driving Protests Spread?
Jonathan Welsh: The Wall Street Journal
September 27, 2011
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/09/27/saudi-reform-will-womens-driving-protests-spread/?mod=google_news_blog
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced that women could expect to vote in local elections starting in 2015, but they would not be allowed to drive. There is much chance for support around the world to protect Saudi women’s rights. Members of the group Femen, a women’s-rights group protested in Ukraine outside the Saudi Arabian embassy last summer. Some of the protesters were topless and/or wearing revealing cloths with signs that read for example, “Cars for women, camels for men!” Last week, it was concluded that women will be able to vote in 2015 in Saudi Arabia, BUT they would still not be allowed to drive. If going against this rule, they will be sentenced to a LASHING!?
This law is preposterous. Women deserve the same rights as men in all different categories. By restricting women’s right to drive is like calling them out on not being smart enough to drive. This is seriously messed up. The Saudi Arabian government should look at the US and see how women get in probably around the same amount of car crashes then men do. They need to RETHINK.
sorry for the lateness i thought it submitted last week but i guess not.
Perla Sanchez7th period
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Steve Almasy
October 6, 2011
Can hot air be the fuel of the future
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/02/tech/innovation/solar-tower-arizona/index.html
Today, entrepreneur Roger Davey wants to work something out.
He plans on capture and control hot air to help power cities in a huge solar updraft tower 2600 feet tall in the Arizona desert. As the hot air come into the tower, it would be capable to turn 32 turbines. This will be spinning fast enough to create mechanical energy. And this with generators convert to electricity. He works for a company named EnviroMission that says that the tower can create up to 200 megawatts of power, this is enough to power 100,000 homes. Davey pointed out that this source wouldn’t need any water to generate electricity. This plant should take about two years to build and provide up to 1,500 construction jobs.
After reading this article I think it would be really nice to have energy for many of us that is natural. I believe this tower that Davey wants to build would really work for many of us. We can all have a clean environment . If scientist are discovering things that can actually help our world we should really take advantage of them.
Jeremy Howell 7th
ReplyDeleteCNN-Occupying Wall Street, demanding accountability
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/03/politics/occupy-wall-street/index.html
10-5-11
CNN reports that for the past three weeks, a leaderless protest has taken place on Wall Street. As of now, no one problem is being addressed by the protesters. The topics being protested have ranged as far as the war in Afghanistan to America’s troubled economy. The group has yet to name a leader, but a few protesters are beginning to emerge as possible candidates for that position. One such upcoming leader said that the gap between the middle class and the Wall Street elite has become too big. Protest like this one are starting spring up around the country. This leader had said that he sees the demonstrations going global in a very small amount of time.
Let’s take a minuet to think about all this craziness. What these people are doing is comical. For one they can’t agree on an issue to protest. Second, if you have a problem with the war in Afghanistan you don’t stop the guys who split Netflix stock for a living. As for their leaders comment, I don’t think standing around a dirty park is doing anything to shrink the economic gap from his side. I’m not saying the economic elite didn’t contribute greatly with wrecking the economy, we all know how the banks destroyed the housing market. Why then are the leader and his angry bunch loons griping at the guys on Wall Street. If you have a problem with the way they were punished, Go To The Government. You don’t go up to a bank robber and complain to him that his sentence was too short. You go to the person who gave the sentence. Also, not having a set agenda is nutty.
“What do we want?”
“We don’t know!”
“When do we want it?”
“Now!”
Danner Morrison
ReplyDeleteHonors Civics and Economics, Period 7
"Vladimir is Not Jonny Quest"
In August of 2011, Vladimir appeared in several P.R. photo-shoots across Russia. One of the hallmarks of the photo-shoot was when Vladimir Putin went scuba diving in Taman Peninsula and "discovered" a several thousand year old Greek artifact embedded in the sea floor. It has recently come to light from an interview that the event was staged. Archeologists discovered the artifact several days or weeks before the event, and placed the artifact under six feet of water. When Vladimir Putin came on his trip, he was able to "stumble upon" the planted artifact and claim that he discovered it.
There were several other locations in which Vladimir Putin had appeared in as part of the P.R. photo shoots. In some of these other instances, he was conducting activities such as going out hunting in the wild with a rifle, tranquilizing a tiger, and racing a Formula One race car. The fact that the artifact found while scuba diving was a staged event places all the other photoshoots into doubt.
"Vladimir Putin is Not Jonny Quest." Atlantic Wire.com. 5 Oct. 2011. 9 Oct. 2011.
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ReplyDelete**MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENT(OUT SICK THIS WEEK)**
ReplyDeleteCameron Baker
Period 7 Civics
New York looks to 'modernize' cyberbullying laws
Published by CNN September 27th
The New York state senator Jeffrey Klein aims to update the state's harassment laws, and has proposed a new legislation that would modernize laws protecting citizens from cyberbullying. Klein met and discussed the proposal with other Independent Democratic senators. The new laws would classify cyberbullying as third degree stalking, a class A misdemeanor. "Bullycide" or when bullying leads to suicide would be categorized as second degree manslaughter, a class C felony. Klein claims that "our laws are no longer keeping pace with technology", and that as bullying starts to occur more and more online, victims must be protected equally if not more strongly in that sense. Several teen suicides prompted by cyberbullying have been in the spotlight over the last few years, as more cases are starting to arise. Klein claims that when the law does not cover certain aspects of bullying it goes undetected, and continues to disrupt the lives of many technologically incorporated teens. Many other states have taken a similar step forward in the hopes of preventing cyberbullying.
The fact that cyberbullying is being properly recognized by the state is relieving, because eventually every case of it ends in their hands. Although prevention is key, proper punishments in effect will often make a huge difference with these types of occurrences. Although cyberbullying has not affected me personally I have read and heard of many cases of teens committing suicide who had previously lived out lives not much different than mine, before they were cyberbullied. Knowing that moves me greatly. I completely support this new legislation, and hope to hear that it carried through.