Sunday, October 30, 2011
4th period: Current Event, due 11/4
This week we will be discussing federalism, amendments to the Constitution and the amendment process. The Constitution is so amazing---your current event should be, too. :) Your topic this week is: your choice. Please stay away from the Entertainment news (it is NOT that entertaining), but everything else goes. Remember to find a story that interests you...that way it will interest me, too. Happy Blogging!
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Nate M. Pd. 4
ReplyDeleteChina May Have Hacked U.S. Satellites
Author: NONE
http://defensetech.org/2011/10/28/china-may-have-hacked-u-s-satellites/#more-15173
Date: October 28th, 2011
Numerous news reports emerged this week claiming China may have messed with two U.S. government satellites by hacking their control station in Norway. Apparently, hackers gained access to the Landsat-7 and Terra AM-1 satellites. Both are used to monitor climate change and map the Earth’s terrain. It was hacked four times in 2007 and 2008, according to a draft of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s annual report. Landsat-7 experienced 12 minutes of “interference” in October 2007 and July 2008 while Terra AM-1 was “interfered with” for two minutes in June, 2008 and again for nine minutes that October.
This could be a threat to National Security, since the satellite that was hacked belongs to the government. But according to the website those satellites belong to NASA not the US Armed Forces or the Pentagon. The following years, the military has gotten serious on protecting its networks and satellites from future cyber attack. But while we got better on protecting our satellites, China has had years to perfect and master their skills into hacking. Right now we better keep our eyes on China and anticipate their next move.
Period 4
ReplyDeleteTitle: ‘Civilians Dead’ in Kenya Air Raids on Somalia Militants
Author: None
Source: BBC News
Date: 10.30.11
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15513430
An air raid sent by the Kenyan military killed 10 citizens and injured 50 in southern Somalia today just outside of Jilib. The objective targets of the jets were fighters of the al-Shabab Islamist group, but members of the al-Qaeda group were killed instead. Kenya has blamed them for attacks on their security forces as well as kidnappings. Kenya’s military was informed that some group affiliates, including their leader, were going to stopover a camp in Jilib which provoked the air raid. Human intelligence substantiated that 10 of their fighters and 47 others were wounded, most of whom were women and children. The al-Shababs insist that the kidnapping accusations are erroneous and have warned Kenya to remove their troops from Somalia or expect bloody battles.
The Kenyans did not approach this situation in a very logical way because it risked the lives of many innocent citizens. They have not actually corroborated evidence that the al-Shabab committed these assaults or kidnappings. If Kenya doesn’t withdraw they will only thrust themselves in a series of futile battles which would cost them money and soldiers.
Sean Dawson
ReplyDelete4th period
“Various '7 billionth' babies celebrated worldwide” by Jim Gomez and Tim Sullivan
10-31-11
yahoo.com
http://news.yahoo.com/various-7-billionth-babies-celebrated-worldwide-064439018.html
This morning in Manila, Philappines, a little girl was born, and is the 7 billionth person in the world. Her name is Danica May Camacho, who belongs to a poor Manila family. She weighs 5.5 pounds, and was born around a month premature. This was a very symbolic event. There is no way to tell exactly how many people are on the earth due to all of the deaths, but the U.N. chose today to symbolize the 7 billion people on our planet. Some are beginning to worry about our overpopulation.
I think this is a huge step for us, almost too much of one. It seems like our population is growing way too quickly, which could be bad. After all, there is only a limited amount or food, water, and shelter. Like Dr. Eric Tayag of the Philippines' Department of Health said, if every child doesn’t have the same amount of those things, then we need to cut down. I agree. What is the point in having 7 billion people if only 5 or 6 billion are well taken care of?
Anna Baynes Period 4
ReplyDeleteStaying Cool After a Slog With a Sleigh Isn’t Easy
Sindya N. Bhanoo
The New York Times
Tuesday, November1, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/science/staying-cool-after-a-slog-with-a-sleigh-isnt-easy.html?ref=science
At the University of Tromso in Norway, Arnoldus Blix, an Arctic biologist found different methods reindeer use to keep cool. Dr. Blix’s research was published in The Journal of Experimental Biology on October 31, 2011. Dr. Blix trained reindeers to run on treadmills so they could record and observe the animals. They made the temperature vary to see if the reindeer had different reactions to the changing temperature. Reindeer cool off by breathing through their nose, cooling their blood. Then they start to pant like a dog which cools the blood more and they lose heat through their mouths. If the reindeer’s body is at a severely high temperature it will redirect the cold blood towards its head for protection. This helps prevent the brain from overheating. This is important to understand how reindeer stay cool on Christmas Eve especially in North Carolina.
The way this article was written was very amusing and I really enjoyed it. It is interesting that reindeer are so much bigger than dogs and sometimes they have to resort to the same way to cool off. I would have thought reindeer needed a bigger, more efficient way to cool off because they are so much bigger than dogs. I also think it is really interesting that reindeer can redirect their blood flow to their brain so they do not overheat. I wonder why this method of cooling off works for such large animals. I am concerned that made reindeer run on a treadmill at 86 degrees, which might have been too hot for them.
Laura Buczek
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Author: N/A
Source: BBC News
Title: French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo attacked in Paris
Date: 11/02/11
There is much controversy in Paris because the magazine "Charlie Hebdo" has published caricatures that are supposedly offensive to people that practice Islam. The offices of the magazine in Paris were destroyed in a petrol bomb attack, according to the article. This happened specifically because the magazine named the Prophet Muhammad as its "editor-in-chief". The publication also displayed a caricature of Muhammad making a "facetious" comment. The magazine argued that Islam could not be excluded from freedom of the press and the prime minister concluded that the petrol bombing was "an unjustifiable attack on the freedom of the press". The magazine is continuing to receive threats online on websites such as facebook and twitter. Although no injuries or deaths were reported after the petrol bombing, this remains a concern for the publishers of Charlie Hebdo since their articles remain a controversy.
I agree with the opinion of Mr.Charbonnier who in the article expressed that the attack on the magazine was not done by French Muslims but by "idiot extremists". An attack like this is very overboard and I don’t see why it’s under any circumstances necessary. From reading the article it is easy to say that the people who attacked the magazine had no reason to do so. It is understandable that the pictures depicting Prophet Muhammad were not positive towards him but if the magazine can have this approach to any country or culture, Islam should be no exception. The article didn’t express bias however I think that it is not questionable that the attack has gotten way out of hand. If people feel the need to express their dislike or disapproval they can do it in peaceful ways instead of ways that only further these opinions about their culture.
Alex Adams
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
11/3/11
“Anonymous Hackers Threaten Mexican Drug Cartel”
Source: MSNBC.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45106204/ns/technology_and_science-security/
Author: Matt Liebowitz
Summary: Today, a united hackers group known as Anonymous directly threatened the Mexican drug cartel, Zeta. The Zetas have allegedly kidnapped one of Anonymous’ hackers and Anonymous is demanding for him back. The cartel must release him by November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day, or the hackers will release the names of all the corrupt politicians, police officers, and taxi drivers in the Zeta’s payroll. This will force the government officials of Mexico to finally track down the cartel members or risk international scrutiny. As well as planning to end the cartel, Anonymous has promised to put an end to Facebook and Fox News.
Response: Hackers are awesome. I mean the idea that a group of nerds can threaten a notorious drug cartel, that’s incredible. It might just be because I’m a guy, but for some reason this story is just awesome to me. I can’t wait until November 5th; it should be an interesting day to say the least.
Casey Molina
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Devin Powell
sciencenews
Nov 1 2011
The sound of screech
Two scientists studied the frequencies of noises that make people cringe. Christoph Reuter and Michael Oehler observed and tested scratching fingernails on different chalk boards and recorded the responses of 104 people to the noises. They found that the listener's knowledge of the source of the sound increased the discomfort. The subjects that knew the noise came from the chalk board reported more discomfort. The two scientists also found that, contrary to logic, removing the extreme high and low frequencies did not make the noises more appealing(less icky). Instead removing the frequencies near the middle range (2000 to 4000 hertz) seemed to make the noises less bothersome. Their explanation for this is that the human ear canal may naturally resonate with those frequencies because it draws more of our attention to everyday noises (such as the frequency of human speech).
I think that these findings are very interesting and applicable to today's society. Knowing which frequencies are more pleasant than others may lead to better safety alert systems such as fire alarms. Alarm clocks may also become more affective if they blare at a different frequency. Also it will be interesting to see how the music compositions change in the future and maybe this research can be applied to new pieces of music (such as unpleasant sounds in a piece about a volcano erupting and appealing sounds in a song about the ocean). This seemingly random research may have more potential in the future of society than many people think.
Max LeMoine/period 4
ReplyDeleteAfter the Rains, baby elephant Soisilee brings a ray of hope/David Challenger
CNN.com/11/3/11
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/02/world/asia/thailand-elephants/index.html
The floods in Thailand have reached the city of Ayutthaya a city about 100 miles form Bangkok. It has reached the royal elephant kraal and has forced the workers to move the elphants to higher land. A few of the elephants had to be left behind because there were too fragil. Recently there was a newborn who has enlightened the mood. It has been taking baths in the muddy water and has become the darling of the heard. Finally the workers are calling the elephant mazing and they can't wait to find it and they others a new home.
I think that the workers should try and find a good home for the elephants because they are having, fun which shows their will to live. I think that the baby elephant having fun is cool because they have adjusted to their new home well. In the end I think that this would be something good to doate to because who wants a poor helpless elephant to suffer
Gabrielle Pura period 4
ReplyDeleteCoptic boy killed by classmates in Egypt/ Hayden Pirkle
BikyaMasr/ November 3, 2011
http://bikyamasr.com/47299/coptic-boy-killed-by-classmates-in-egypt/
Recently in Cairo, 17 year old Ayman Nabil Labib was murdered in his classroom by his classmates. The reason behind his murder was due to having worn a crucifix, especially when he refused to remove his crucifix necklace and a cover a cross tattooed on his wrist. Ayman’s parents have reported that teacher was involved in the abuse of their child by almost choking him to death. The students continued to beat him by punching and kicking. By the time he came to the hospital, he died a hour later. Two boys accounted for the murder of Ayman include two Muslim students named Mostapha Essam and Walid Mostafa Sayed.
The death of Ayman is outrageous. Even if he refused to cooperate with their requests about the crucifix, they should not have gone to such an extent as to murder him. I especially think that the teacher should have not involved offensively in this situation. He or she only encouraged the fury of the students. If this is just another event among many others in Cairo in relation to sectarianism, I hope that Cairo will eventually find a way to settle their conflicts and prevent many more murders like the Ayman’s.
Justine Lockhart
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Various '7 Billionth' Babies Born Worldwide
By: Jim Gomez
BBC NEWS
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2098214,00.html
Date: Monday Oct. 31, 2011
On Halloween of this year, the seven billionth baby was born in the Philippines. New born baby, Danica May Camacho was immediately surrounded by photographers and speeches by local officials. She was born weighing 5.5 pounds, about a month premature and two minutes before October 31st, but the doctors say it would still count as a Halloween Birthday. According to demographers, it took until year 1804 for the world's population to reach one billion and reached two billion in 1927. In 1959 the population was three billion and escalated to six billion in 1998. If our population continues to rapidly grow, we'll reach a population of 8 billion in year 2025! However, a huge population isn't always a good thing. The Philippines Department of Health noted that there isn't enough food, water, shelter and education for 7 billion people and it would be best for the population to increase more steadily.
I think it's really cool that the seven billionth baby was born. We really do have a rapidly growing population. In the article it mentioned that our population could reach 10 billion by 2083--that's insane considering it took us till 1804 to just reach one billion people. While it sounds cool to have this many people living on earth, maybe it's not that great in some ways. So many people don't have enough food and water as it is, while other people have plenty to spare. Perhaps if the world's wealth and resources were more evenly distributed, we wouldn't have a problem with our rapidly growing population.
Shelby Casabura
ReplyDelete4th period
Florida 911 Operator Hears a Double Murder
By Ellen Tumposky
http://abcnews.go.com/US/911-operator-hears-double-murder/story?id=14874385#.TrMxm3KwXAg
November 3, 2011
Leslie Perrico a public safety dispatcher for the Pinellas County Sheriff's office. She testified that she had received a call on Dec. 20, 2008where she had heard a double murder. Shortly after getting the first call the caller hung up. Perrico tried called back, and someone picked up, but no one talked. What she heard was the murders of Elizabeth Evans, 44, and Gerry Taylor, 43, her boyfriend. Evans estranged husband was the shooter they had been separated for eight months when she began to date Gerry Taylor. Now Evans estranged husband faces two counts of first-degree murder, and could face the death penalty. The day of the crime the police found that Evans was dead, and Taylor later died in the hospital.
My opinion that probably if the 911 call wasn’t called in, and the dispatcher didn’t handle is well. The murder of both these people could have gotten away or covered up the murders. The dispatcher did her job perfect even though there are not alive she tried her hardest to keep them safe, and followed everything. To where the murderer was caught and is facing trial for the crimes.
Caroline Stanton
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
$254 million Powerball ticket sold in Conn.
Author N/A
MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45149339/ns/us_news-wonderful_world/#.TrMxh3K1Zdg
Due to the current power outage in Connecticut everyone is still unaware of who the Powerball winner is. The ticket that had all six winning numbers was sold in Fairfield county, but the person in possession on the ticket has yet to step forward. The Powerball was worth a striking 254 million dollars that can be spread out in payments or given in a large clump. The ticket holder has until April of next year to claim there prize, that happens to be one of the largest in Powerball history. The lottery will also shortly be changing its rules in the favor of the players, it is reported that they will make changes to make it a little easier to win. Although there is a catch the price of the ticket will increase from $1 to $2
but will have a starting prize of 40 million dollars as opposed to its old starting prize of 20 million dollars.
I thought this article was interesting because it is funny the state of Connecticut hasn't had a winner in over two months and now they have one during a power outage. This is also the largest prize Connecticut has ever one from the Powerball and no one has claimed the prize. Hopefully the weather lets up and they regain power so the ticket holder can retrieve their prize.
Hannah Hodge
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
GLENN COHEN and JONATHAN F. WILL
The New York Times
October 31, 2011
Mississippi’s Ambiguous ‘Personhood’ Amendment
Voters in Mississippi will be given an amendment to vote on, that could change the ability of people to use birth control and have an abortion. The issue of abortion is one that liberals and conservatives have been fighting over for quite a while. This bill would quite inevitably displease those who were pro-choice, as a drastic measure to eliminate more abortions and birth control. It might also dissatisfy even the people who are anti-abortion because the proposed bill outlines parameters for defining when life has been created. It suggests that as soon as fertilization occurs, the embryo is considered a person. There’s debate as to whether this is at the point of contraception, when the sperm meets the egg or assembly of the embryonic genome. This would leave a lot of room for interpretation because it doesn’t clearly outline when an embryo is a person. Uncertainty and vagueness can be harmful to everyone in a proposed bill. This wouldn’t appease anyone because it’s just not outlined clearly enough. Ultimately, neither voters nor politicians will be pleased with the passing of this bill because of its inability to clearly state what it defines as life, and how abortion or birth control laws should be implemented.
The issue of abortion is a very controversial one that has many gray areas and is confusing to people because the situation is extremely difficult to handle. Ultimately, I think, people should be able to choose whether or not they want to abort their child. There are scenarios when it’s best not to bring a child into the world. This is a very personal choice that I believe is the right of the people. That’s just my personal opinion on a very personal subject. There are many who think that abortion is wrong. Although my views differ from these, I must recognize that a vague bill would not please either of us. Because the bill doesn’t really clearly define when life begins, there’s a lot of room to deny the right of a person to an abortion. This doesn’t appease the pro choice politicians. “Pro-life” politicians will not like the bill because of the message it may send concerning of how drastic it is and by the fact that they are condoning a bill that isn’t very clear.
Annie Wilcosky/ Period 4
ReplyDeleteScores arrested in Oakland, agitators blamed for unrest/ Peter Henderson
Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/04/us-usa-protests-oakland-idUSTRE7A06KH20111104
More than eighty protesters were arrested today in Oakland, California at Occupy Oakland. Conflict intensified last night, and led to eight injuries (five civilians and three police officers), graffiti, and smashed glass. These disturbances are told very differently by each side; civilians feel that police action was harsh and unprovoked, while police believe that they were dutifully pursuing a group of people responsible for vandalism, setting fires, and assaulting other officers. Last night, police shot tear gas into a crowd of hundreds to force them to disperse. Some protesters responded by hurling tear gas canisters and rocks (Boston Massacre, anyone?) at officers. Many occupiers are angry with the few people who are intentionally provoking the police with criminal activity and graffiti messages such as “kill cops”. These few so called “anarchist youths” are responsible for much of the police action, and are bringing trouble to the peaceful protesters.
Reports such as this concerning Oakland continue to be shocking; it's not often that conflict such as this erupts in the United States. I feel that both the protesters and police have cause for some of their actions. The main problem in Oakland is citizens who are committing vandalism and assaulting officers. They are not helping the Occupy Oakland movement, and are simply causing violence and bringing negative media to the protest. I hope that confrontations between occupiers and police die down; the violence is not helping the cause. My cousin and his father live near Oakland, and have participated in the movement; they help remind me that we are all connected to the Occupy movement in some way. The violence and discord among United States citizens is unfortunate, and I hope that the movement can continue peacefully with both sides making an effort to cooperate as much as possible.
Diego Lewis
ReplyDelete4th period
Census: More Grown Men Are Living With Their Parents
Eyder Peralta
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/03/142002761/census-more-grown-men-are-living-with-their-parents?ft=1&f=1001
Nov. 3rd
This article is a report which comes from census statistics. A recent analysis of the census shows that the number of grown men age 25-34 who live in their parents' house is on the rise. However, the number of women in that age group who reside with their parents is unchanged or slightly on the decline. There are many, many possible factors to consider for this. The Los Angeles Times says the explanation is certainly the economy, although the rising trend began before the economic downturn.
I think you have to look at a wide range of possibilities for why this is happening. One possible reason is that since our generations are getting older and older, they are staying more with their parents to care for them and be with them. Another possible cause is simply that these people are becoming lazy and attached to the internet all day, and mom can feed them and provide house. Of course, the most likely and the most obvious reason is the current difficulty there is to get a job, so they actually need to move in with their parents or be homeless. I think it is actually a combination of the last two. I think that it has become really easy to be lazy and play video games all day, and also it is can be a difficult task finding a job these days.
Maddie Mesaros Period 4
ReplyDeleteTitle: Apple concedes problem with iPhone 4S battery
Author: Edward C. Baig
Source: USA Today
Date: November 2, 2011
URL: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-11-02/apple-acknowledges-iphone-battery-
problems/51049458/1
Apple has just admitted to a faulty battery on the new iPhone 4S. The battery life has been
reported by buyers to be shorter than expected. Customers have lost as much as 15% battery pour in
just an hour. Battery power loss has been happening even when the new high-tech phone is not in use.
Apple Spokeswomen Natalie Harrison said they are still working on a few “bugs” regarding newer apple
products. They did not release what exactly the “bugs” were but they did say that they’re will be a new
software update for the phones to work out the small problems. More and more customers are
complaining and future purchases are in possible jeopardy.
I think that the fact that the new phone as a few problems is perfectly fine. Obviously it’s not
one hundred percent perfect yet and the customers should have the patience to work with the new
product. Yes, the Apple Company said that the iPhone 4S has great battery power but they’re already
working hard to fix the problem. They said by next week there will be an update that is supposed to
help if not fix the problem completely. I think the buyers should wait for their problem to be fixed and
it’ll be fine.
Desaree 4th
ReplyDelete11/2/11
Chapel Hill's Halloween crowd shrinks
Published November 2, 2011 By Staff Reporters
NewsObserver.Com Orange County
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/11/02/1612669/chapel-hills-halloween-crowd-shrinks.html
The number of attendees on Franklin Street was estimated to a cut of 27,000 people . This is more than half of what it was from years past . In 2007 there were about 80,000 people then in 2010 there were about 35,000 . There was about 316 police officers on duty on Monday Night . There were 3 arrests made and the streets were cleared by 12:10 am . Streets were opened to traffic by 12:45 .
Unfortunately on Monday it was a cold rainy day which could have been another cause for the amount of people being so little. I was up there and realized that Franklin Street wasn't as packed as normal . It was kind of shocking . I also did notice a whole bunch of police officers. Two of which I know personally . Overall I enjoyed my night on Halloween . Got scared a couple times though .
Current Event – November 4, 2011
ReplyDeleteArjun Raghavan
Arjun R. Current Event
Space docking marks new milestone in China’s stellar ambitions
Jaime FlorCruz & Haolan Hong
CNN
November 3, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/03/world/asia/china-orbit-docking/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
China’s space program has achieved a milestone by docking two different space satellites, in space. This is the second step of a three-step program for China’s space ambitions. The first step was completed in 2003, when they sent a man to space. Today, the Chinese satellites docked with each other. The satellite was launched on November 1, while the satellite which it docked with was launched around a month ago.
I believe this is a good thing that China is doing. With America lacking money for space exploration, China is stepping in. For the world, this is a major step toward more countries encouraging exploration and learning, especially in space.
Arjun Raghavan
Charles Wang / Period 4
ReplyDeleteBank of America axes $5 debit card fee / Jason Kessler and Blake Ellis
Cnn.com / November 1, 2011
http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/01/pf/bank_of_america_debit_fee/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1
Bank of America decided to remove a recently added charge of a $5 monthly fee to
customers who use their debit cards for purchases. Many customers were outraged at the
fact that they would impose a fee on using their debit cards while several of their rivals
do not charge their customers a monthly fee. Bank of America realized that their decision
was unwise and plan to stop charging the customers on January. Due to the outrage from
many customers, other banks which have been charging customers a monthly fee are
using Bank of America as a role model. Banks such as Chase and SunTrust have decided
to cancel their monthly fees in order to attract more customers. Many banks believe that
ditching the fee for debit cards is a right step to attracting more customers to use their
bank instead of competitors.
I personally feel that this is a very good idea to keep money in the banks. Many people
have stopped using Bank of America after they imposed the $5 monthly fee since it is a
popular bank. There were many other banks who did not have a fee for debit cards and
some of the customers moved over there. Bank of America showed other companies that
listening to the people is a good idea to do since they are what keep the company running.
The fact that other large banks such as SunTrust who ditched their $5 monthly fee which
they had imposed a long time ago shows that they are willing to take on new role models.
They want to keep their customers happy and a strong competition between banks will
always give the consumer many choices.
Marc Ordronneau
ReplyDelete4th
Wilfork: We all take part' in Pats' troubled defense, not just DBs
Nov. 3, 2011
Marc Sessler
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d823bdfbc/article/wilfork-we-all-take-part-in-pats-
troubled-defense-not-just-dbs
Last week vs. the Steelers, the Pat’s pass defense was totally demolished by Big Ben and the
Steelers. They were even playing without one of their best wide outs, Hines Ward, who said
he wasn’t even needed. The Pats secondary took a lot of heat for the loss but the Pat’s big
defensive tackle, Vince Wilfork, came to their aid. He basically said that it’s not completely
the secondary’s fault because the D line wasn’t getting to the quarterback enough to disrupt
the passes so it goes hand in hand. Vince has helped the secondary a lot by getting to the
quarterback in other games, and also has even come up with 2 picks on the year.
I chose this article because I’m a huge Pats fan and I watched the game on Sunday and couldn’t
have been more frustrated. I agree mostly with what Wilfork is saying because if the D line put
more pressure on Big Ben, it would disrupt his throws. But you have to put some blame on the
secondary because they played straight up awfully. The Pats have the WORST pass defense in
the league and they showed that on Sunday. But also the offense didn’t play very well so you
can’t really blame the defense as a whole. I’m very frustrated with the Patriots.
Connor Smith
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Title: ‘Civilians Dead’ in Kenya Air Raids on Somalia Militants
No Author
Source: BBC News
Date: 11-4-12
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15513430
A Kenyan air raid on a small Somalian town killed 10 and injured at least 45 civilians. The government claims that the original target had been militant leaders in the group al-Shabab, known affiliates of the terrorist group al-Queda. The consensus is that the Kenyan government was informed that there were several leaders of al-Shabab in the town at the time, prompting their attack. The leaders of al-Shabab denied having done anything to provoke the attacks, and warn the Kenyans to back off. Since the attack was such an obvious failure, I would not be surprised if there was a public display of protest to prevent more unnecessary violence.
The air raid was a huge failure, and many lives were wasted. The worst part is the Kenyan government has not procured any evidence to suggest that the group al-Shabab has even committed crimes against them. I think the Kenyan government should accept full responsibility and promise that no more attacks like this will come.
Nakeisha R/4th period
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving Air Travel May Drop 2% as Slow Economy Saps Demand/By Heather Perlberg
Bloomberg/November 03, 2011
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-03/u-s-airlines-to-keep-flights-full-amid-decrease-in-thanksgiving-travel.html
As Thanksgiving is approaching the airlines might be in trouble because of the economy. All of the airlines may decrease the numbers of the passengers as US airline may carry 37,00 fewer passengers because of more expensive ticket and discourage trips. More then 85 percent of airlines seat will be occupied on the Sunday and Monday because of the holiday and it will affect Delta Airlines Inc and MRC Corp's. John Heimlich, vice president of the Washington based ATA said" 2011 is shaping up to be the worst financially then the comers experienced in 2011". Hopefully Thanksgivings and Christmas will help the airlines with the vacation traffic and it will give the industry a change to full planes and add demands.
This affects me because I have family that lives in Maryland that uses the airplane to travel down here and help with Thanksgivings cooking. If they can't come it will affect me because they only spend a probable amount and they might not come with the ticket prices increasing. The airlines should lower their prices so my family tradition won't be broken and their percent might increase.
Garrett Young-Wright
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Author: David Whitley
Does some of the Tebow mocking cross the line?
Sporting News
11/2/2011
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-11-02/does-some-of-the-tebow-mocking-cross-the-line
In the Detroit Lions vs Denver Broncos game this past Sunday, Linebacker Stephen Tulloch of the Lions sacked quarterback Tim Tebow for a loss. Following his sack, Tulloch, instead of dancing or flamboyantly celebrating, got on one knee and prayed. It would be fine to say a short prayer after making a great play, and people would move on. But the week before, while his teammates celebrated following the Broncos come from behind victory over the Dolphins, Tim Tebow kneeled on the sideline, head bowed, and prayed. Tebow, a devout Christian, received criticism for doing so and was mocked by the media. But the following week, when Tulloch and later teammate Tony Scheffler seemed to mock Tebow's religious ways on the field, the author argues, a line may have been crossed.
Personally, I think the Tebowing craze is kind of funny for people to do outside of football. Tebow said on his twitter that it was fine with him and he liked it. But i think when you're playing against Tebow, doing this is taunting. I think that Tebowing should be excessive celebration for everyone but Tim Tebow himself.
Samantha Joy Straughan 4th period
ReplyDeleteHuge Asteroid will pass through moon’s orbit
Mike Wehner
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/huge-asteroid-pass-earth-within-moon-orbit-november-012535223.html
2011 Has been an exciting year for space junkies what with the potential of water still being on mars and the school bus sized asteroid that hit earth last June. In addition to more space activity then most years combined, the newest identified flying object is said to pass by Nobember 8th. This asteroid, unlike the one in June, is not going to land on earth surfaces, but it is the largest asteroid (about the size of an air craft carrier) to be this close to earth since 1976.
Being extremely interested in space, this article was fascinating to me. The unpredictability and unknown aspect of asteroids, space, and everything like it compels me to learn more about it. For some things, we can still only observe them from a far, but I’m fully confident one day we will be able to figure out more about ourselves and the universe once we can get closer to the things we observe.
Sam Williams period 4
ReplyDeleteIs Obama Toast? Handicapping the 2012 election.
Nate Silver
Ny Times 11/3/2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/nate-silver-handicaps-2012-election.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Most presidents win their second term election. Of the last eight presidents, only George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter have not been elected a second time. Obama was expected to win the election but recent events may make that harder. With an approval rating in the 40’s he may be a slight underdog when elections come along. There are a number of serious issues right now and all of them need to be fixed. Providing serious progress on even one issue could boost Obama’s approval rating. The rating isn’t everything, but is still a good way to tell how the public is feeling.
I chose this article because staying aware of politics is important. People must know what is going on in the government. The election for president is in a year and campaigning has already begun. The republican debates have been going on for a while. I want to know what is going with the candidates and stay informed and this article ha a lot of information.
Jamella Smith
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
November 4th, 2011
Bieber: I've 'never met' woman claiming paternity
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/04/bieber-ive-never-met-woman-claiming-paternity/
Mariah Yeater, is the 20-year-old California woman who claims Justin Beiber the father of her three-month-old son. Beiber denies that he even knows this woman. The woman claimed that she and Bieber had sex backstage at one of his L.A. concerts in October of 2010. Yeater is requesting that Beiber take a DNA test to confirm that he's the father. She's also asking the court to help her secure child support. "None of those allegations are true," Bieber said on "Today." "I know I'm going to be a target, but I'm not going to be a victim." Beiber is persistantly denying that he’s the father of this woman’s three month old baby.
In my opinion Justin Beiber probably is the father. He made a mistake and got caught up! Use protection and things like this won’t happen, or don’t have sex with people you don’t personally know. Then again this woman could just be after his money. But I refuse to believe she’d stoop that low. If Beiber is the father he needs to step and take care of his child.
Casey Mickunas
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Author: CNN Wire Staff
Freak Snowstorm blamed for at least 22 deaths.
11/4/11
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/03/us/east-coast-storm/index.html?hpt=us_c2
In the American North East a huge snow storm rolled through and it has killed, as of today, twenty-two people.
831,000 people in Connecticut lost power during Saturdays storm.
President Barack Obama has signed emergency declarations for New Hampshire and Connecticut.
The storm killed six people in Mass., eight people in N.J., and eight people in Conn.
The government deployed 867 line crews,628 tree crews, and 550 support crews to help restore the area and restore power.
The storm is over but it will take a while to fix all of the damage it has done.
I think that this snow storm has been one of the worst in New England's history, and I am glad that the people there are being helped
out by the government, who is providing support to them. I have no idea how such a huge storm just suddenly happens on October 29th
but I guess it is possible now that I've seen this. I am glad that it is over and am thankful that no more people will be injured or die from this
event.
Danielle Bailey
ReplyDeletePd. 4
Conjoined Twin Girls Successfully Separated
Kim Carollo
Angelica and Angelina Sabuco, the two-year-old twin girls born connected at the chest and abdomen successfully underwent a 10-hour separation surgery on Tuesday at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Earlier that day another doctor had said the liver was going to be the toughest part of the surgery, both of the girls shared a liver, diaphragms, breast bones and the muscle to the chest. Luckily the hearts were separated, so nothing extremely major would happen. The doctor said that it was easier reconstructing there chest and abdominal area.
This seems like it would be a very hard time for the girls and their family. They had a major surgery performed on them, and luckily everything went successful. The parents have to be much relived that everything is alright. I bet it was tough to go through that and I think any parents would be very anxious during the whole procedure.