Current Event #16: Happy New Year!!!
Due: Friday, January 11th, 2013
It's 2013, a brand new year, with rapid news coverage happening worldwide. The topic for this week's current event blog assignment will be a topic of your choice. You should select a topic/story that has helped kick off the start of January 2013, that has people currently discussing its content or controversy. Be sure to use a current and reputable source (not Wikipedia) in finding an article that interests you. Your post should adhere to the following format:
What You Will Do:
Heading/ Be sure to include the following in your blog post:
-Your name/class period
-Title of article/author
-Source/date of article
-URL (copy and paste your article link in your response for me to review your article)
Paragraph #1:
-Summary of your selected article (minimum of 5-7 sentences that provide detail about who/what, when, where, and why your current event is significant)
Paragraph #2:
-Reflection/Opinion of article (minimum of 5-7 sentences)
-Give supporting facts and include any personal experiences associated with the article
-Relate the current event to what we've been studying in class (if applicable)
-pose questions/concerns about the event
Heading/ Be sure to include the following in your blog post:
-Your name/class period
-Title of article/author
-Source/date of article
-URL (copy and paste your article link in your response for me to review your article)
Paragraph #1:
-Summary of your selected article (minimum of 5-7 sentences that provide detail about who/what, when, where, and why your current event is significant)
Paragraph #2:
-Reflection/Opinion of article (minimum of 5-7 sentences)
-Give supporting facts and include any personal experiences associated with the article
-Relate the current event to what we've been studying in class (if applicable)
-pose questions/concerns about the event
** *Be sure to write specific, detailed, complete paragraph sentences, when writing your current event.***
HAPPY NEAR YEAR!!!
Avery Acierno
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
“Suspected US drone found floating in Philippines” by Associated Press
Fox News 1/6/13
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/07/suspected-us-drone-found-floating-in-philippines/?intcmp=HPBucket
On January 6, 2013, a US military drone was found floating in the ocean just outside of a central area of the Philippines. The drone was first spotted by fisherman, who reported that it might be a bomb. When investigates flocked to the scene they discovered a US drone with “Navy” on it. The US is currently investigating how this unmanned machinery ended up in the waters of the Philippines. The drone was not carrying any weapons or surveillance equipment, and might have been lost in a training exercise. However, there is a communist and terrorist presence in Masbate, where the drone was found. The US could have been tracking these groups with the drone.
I think that it is very suspicious that a US Navy drone just happened to turn up in the ocean near the Philippines and Masbate. I believe that there is more to this situation than we are being told. It is unlikely a drone would just “pop up” there. I think that the drone being there had to do with the communist and terrorist presence in that region. This reminds me of when you get on trouble as a kid, and you leave evidence of your crime (broken vase), and you say that it just “showed up”. How did the drone end up there? Why was it there? Are we being told the whole truth?
Morgan Durant
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
Jan 7 2013
Is this the start of Indias arab spring?
From Global Public Square staff
Recently in India People have been become concious of the rape problem after an unarmed women was raped and killed. the people have wonderd why rape is so common in india some reasons being few reports a 10:9 gender ratio and a corrup police force but now the peopl of india may soon take steps to lower the nubers of rape in their country
(part one done)
(part 2)
DeleteI think that its is good for the victems to be more concious and moral about their world and will be better in the long run for all the Indians including the one not affected. Im not active in stopping indian rape, though i disaprove of it, it is good for others to be and it would be good for the world if we became more envirenmently or gun safty active like the artical said
Abby Kameny 5th period
ReplyDeleteStrange But True: Astronauts Get Taller in Space
By Miriam Kramer
SPACE.com 1/7/2013
http://news.yahoo.com/strange-true-astronauts-taller-space-123629235.html
NASA scientists have performed tests with astronauts in space and have come to the conclusion that human beings can grow up to three percent taller while living in an area with low gravity. Although we have known this for decades, NASA has recently begun using ultrasound technology to find out what happens in an astronaut’s body in outer space. There is a new ultrasound mechanism that lets scientists see what is going on in a human’s anatomy. It is commonly known that the human body goes through several changes while in low gravity. It takes a very long time for an astronaut to get used to the new environment- many become nauseous or have back pains. Now, NASA scientists know even more about what happens to the growth of astronauts.
I was not surprised after I read this article, because I have heard of this theory before. I did find the article interesting and engaging, but I was wondering what the NASA scientists will do with this extra information about an astronaut’s growth in space. Will it help them stay in space longer, or is this discovery not really useful in the future? Also, do the astronauts get shorter again after being on Earth for a while, or do they stay the same height? I would like to know if this scientific breakthrough is actually going to help NASA or improve their technology.
Jackson Cabell 7th Period
ReplyDeleteMarijuana Use Is too Risky a Choice
By David Frum
cnn.com 1/7/2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/opinion/frum-marijuana-risk/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
This article is talking about how people do not want to lock people up for casual marijuana use. They just want to notice people that it is not a smart choice to choose this. Many effects include the following: Marijuana use damages brain development in young people. Heavy users become socially harmed and perform worse in school and at work. Marijuana smoke harms the lungs. A growing body of evidence suggests that marijuana can trigger psychotic symptoms.
I think that it's crazy that marijuana use can do such bad things to a young developing body. It occurs to me that governments should legalize a type of marijuana that doesn't have the bad stuff in it. Then, maybe the users will use the legalized stuff that is not as harmful. This may solve the problem of people developing problems in their body at a young age. Have they already thought of this idea? I'm sure the government has tried several solutions and hopefully they will one day come up with a successful solution that will help with the harmful results of marijuana use.
Gabi Brenman
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
Last week in the Southern Weekly Paper, a local propaganda chief drastically changed a “traditional New Years message”. This upset many journalists of the Southern Weekly. Newspapers in China have to be censored, but the journalists thought the changes were too extreme and occurred after the editors had signed off on the final message. The changes even contained incorrect facts. If a strike occurs, it will be the first time in twenty years a Chinese newspaper staff will have done so. The employer of these journalists claims the New Years message was written by an employee and no one changed the article.
I personally think that I would be holding a strike if I were one of the employees. However, China is much more reserved on public media than the USA. I am very curious if the New Years message was actually changed, and if so by how much? I find it very odd that the employer says the message was unchanged, but the employees say the message was greatly changed.
Sam Bauers
ReplyDeleteNew details emerge in hearing for Colorado theater shooting suspect
by By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
1)Remember that shooting that took place in Colorado during the midnight premier of new batman dark knight rises, that mans preliminary hearing was taking place and there are new facts emerging about the case. James Holmes the man that killed all those people had to spend his first day today in Court as it all begeins. New info is coming out including video surveilance from the theater showing holmes going in the theater, propping the door open and gathering his weapons. Sources say the attourneys for Holmes will argue that Holmes is mentally unstable and should does not have the capacity to make decicions.
2) To me this seems like a waste of time.I know those lawyers are just doing their jobs and trying to make a case, however there is no excuse for what he did. It doesnt matter how crazy you are that does not give you the right to shoot open fire on many people and kill over a dozen people. It makes me sick that there is even a need to put those families through anything more than they have too why not just put him in jail for life and get it over with.
Carly LeMoine
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
With new congress comes a new push for gun laws
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/05/politics/new-congress-gun-legislation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
The article is about the law for guns. It talks about many different places that are currently discussing what to do about gun violence. Some people are saying that police should have more guns. If this were to happen then police could better protect the innocent from gun violence. Others are saying guns should not be sold any where. Different states are going with different methods but most of them have the same goal. Stop gun violence.
I think that they should make guns illegal to citizens. The only people who should have guns are policeman, people in the army or in the navy. Most people use guns to hunt, but you can hut with other things, like a bow and arrow. If we didn’t have guns people could still hunt, and there wouldn’t be mass killings. I also think that there should be more police at schools, because right now some one could just walk up and start shooting. If there were more police less people would try to do any thing violent in schools.
Joyce Yao/ 2nd Period
ReplyDeleteMore Guns = More Killing/ By Elisabeth Rosenthal
New York Times/ January 15
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/sunday-review/more-guns-more-killing.html
There has recently been a tragic incident concerning guns that swept the nation off its feet. It was the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that made everyone question how good gun control really is and whether guns should even be allowed. Gun-ownership has always been a controversial topic in the United States, especially when there's a mass murder that evokes the whole nation's grieving. This article regards the gun violence in South America. In various places in the South, you'll find guards with guns everywhere. And while this may seem comforting that there are people to protect you, fighting guns with guns isn't helpful at all. It's stated in the article that studies have discovered that places with more guns have more violent deaths, both homicides and suicides. The places include: Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala.
I really like the point of view of this article. Rosenthal makes very good points and provides horrific facts. For example: hundreds of bus drivers have been killed in robberies, leading the job to be considered one of the most dangerous professions on the planet. One fact Rosenthal provides is about Australia and how in 1996, there was a mass murder which induced Australia to take legal measures. They made gun laws stricter, putting a ban on semi-automatic guns. With a previous one mass killing per year, Australia's stricter gun laws resulted in 0 mass killings per year. Let me just say that we could learn a lesson from Australia, as could the Latin American countries. By limiting gun-access, so many lives could be saved.
Mimi Kramer 5th period
ReplyDeleteNew details on Aurora shooting By: Jim spellman
Jan 7/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Police officer Justin Grizzle describes the scene of the Aurora theatre shooting. On July 20th 2012 James Holmes shot 12 people at a movie theatre in the small town of Aurora. Recently, In the hearing for this case new information has been released about the shooting. The officers released information on how gruesome the scene really was. They noted “blood everywhere” and a “scene that looked straight out of a horror film”. It has been released that Holmes looked very relaxed and calm about the hearing
I think that any new information about this event will be sad. The whole event is terrible. I feel terrible for the families of the victims. I also fell for officers or detectives who had to witness the gruesome scene. And in a small town like Aurora many are not used to seeing gruesome scenes like this. Its good that they caught the shooter though, and he will now be sentenced to time in jail.
Anna Castellano
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
With new Congress comes a new push for gun laws
By Athena Jones, CNN
January 7, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/05/politics/new-congress-gun-legislation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
This article was about how new gun laws need to be encouraged in the US. There is a new opportunity with a new congress this year. After multiple mass shootings, including the Sandy Hook shooting and Dark Night premier shooting, the public is vocal about wanting safer communities. With conversations about gun laws and gun control there will always be heated discussion. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is opposed to new legislation limiting gun access. Since they are a large and vocal body, it will take a determined congress to bring forth change.
I agree that there should be stricter gun controls in place in our country. After all these mass shootings, it seems it is all too easy to obtain a weapon and use deadly force. This article is kicking off 2013 because a new congress is about to be seated, providing an opportunity for new legislation. Congress can also take the opportunity to have discussions and possible action in providing better mental health resources for our citizens who have that need. It seems like some of the people involved in the shootings could have benefited from improved mental health interventions. I wonder if these proposed changes will make a difference in people’s actions and the ability to purchase lethal weapons.
Claire Lancaster
ReplyDelete1st period
Title: More Guns=More Killing
Source: New York Times
Date of Article: January 5, 2013
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/sunday-review/more-guns-more-killing.html
1) After the recent shooting at Sandy Hooke Elementary School, America has been questioning our gun laws. Should we ban guns altogether? Or should we train teachers to use guns and carry them around? Most people seem to be on one side or the other. This article talks about why people should not own guns. They’ve proved in studies that countries that allow people to carry guns all of the time have a higher crime rate than countries that don’t allow it.
2) Personally I think that having more people armed with guns just makes things so much worse. This article proves exactly my point. I think that if we arm more people then we’re twice as likely to have more people go crazy. What if the teachers at Sandy Hooke were armed? Most likely at least one (if not more) teachers would have panicked and maybe shot someone accidentally, then the outcome would have been even worse. If we outlaw guns completely then we don’t even have that problem to begin with. What else are guns used for other than some form of war? What could someone possibly want to do with a gun other than harming someone or something? I would definitely not feel safer if all of my teachers were armed with guns.
Rodney DeLoach
ReplyDelete1/7/13
Period 2
Ground search called off for missing sky diver
By cnn staff
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/us/washington-skydiver-missing/index.html?hpt=us_c2
Current event #16
5 days ago a group of men wing suited to the Cascade Mountains and since then one of them wasn’t seen since. As soon as the group was notified of his disappearance they went to searching. Soon after the police were involved, and they’ve been searching for the man all together but today the ground search was called off. But they hope to have the helicopter airborne before too late.
I think they should keep searching and possibly search the waters, that may be their final choice. I haven’t heard of a situation like this before but there are methods to solving this problem.
Forrest Pratson
ReplyDelete1/8/13
period7
Maijuna use is too risky a choice
by cnn staff
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/opinion/frum-marijuana-risk/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
David Frum writes about how new laws of legalizing pot is a big mistake while he agrees that the current laws are a bit too aggressive. he says the research is out and marijuana can really affect your current and later life. marijuana research shows that it can lower i.q. , really harms the lungs and can lead to mental disorders later on in life. people are also saying that marijuana use may be fine to use after you are 25 because by then your brain is done developing but to younger kids it is extremely harmful.
i think that for young kids marijuana use is bad whether casual or not, but so is alcohol and cigarettes also commonly used in kids. the laws for kids caught with these things are much less serve than with marijuana, but cigarettes do more damage to the lungs and alcohol kills more brain cells. therefore i think the the laws on marijuana use should be less strict and not ruin a kids life from the age of 12.
http://sourcefednews.com/us-military-has-created-tsunami-bomb/
ReplyDeleteThis article talked about a new strategies that the US is using against coastal countries. under the code name Seal, they drop multiple bombs 5 miles apart to form a tsunami that would desomate the nearby counties. ideas like this have been in the making since the 50s because they needed new technology to defend against the USSR in the Cold war.
I think that this is a brilliant idea, but it would do too much damage. a tsunami is extremely powerful, and i believe would kill far too many people. if you just drop a bomb, you can kill the people you want to, but with a tsunami, you will kill them as well as anyone in a 100 mile radius
Kurt Griarte
ReplyDeletePd 7
1)
Remember that shooting that took place in Colorado during the midnight premier of new batman dark knight rises, that mans preliminary hearing was taking place and there are new facts emerging about the case. James Holmes the man that killed all those people had to spend his first day today in Court as it all begeins. New info is coming out including video surveilance from the theater showing holmes going in the theater, propping the door open and gathering his weapons. Sources say the attourneys for Holmes will argue that Holmes is mentally unstable and should does not have the capacity to make decicions.
2)
To me this seems like a waste of time.I know those lawyers are just doing their jobs and trying to make a case, however there is no excuse for what he did. It doesnt matter how crazy you are that does not give you the right to shoot open fire on many people and kill over a dozen people. It makes me sick that there is even a need to put those families through anything more than they have too why not just put him in jail for life and get it over with.
Takoda Ren
ReplyDelete2nd
Casey Wian. Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson
Jan, 8, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
New details emerge in the hearing of James Holmes for his conviction of the Centennial, Colorado Movie theater shooting. They say that Holmes acted odd during interviews, often with the appearance of being high or delirious, but the detective deduced that he didn’t seem to be under the influence of anything. Holmes played with plastic bags like puppets and put a staple into an electrical outlet, all stupid ideas. Investigators found seventy six shell casings, with 70 people injured in some way. In one of the emergency 911 calls played during the hearing, all speech was eligible, although one thing was certain, you could hear the thirty gunshots fired in 27 seconds.
There are some things that could possibly be wrong with holmes acting the way he does. He could just be completely acting like he has some sort of mental disease to possibly receive a shorter sentence. Or he could actually be mentally impaired in some sort of way. The last and probably the least likely is that he got “high” on killing or something, which would be a terrible truth and would label him as a psycho killer who is addicted to killing. This is a terrible event, probably somewhere after the recent school shooting, because he killed 12 and injured 58, that’s a lot.
Alex Parks
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
New details emerge in hearing for Colorado theater shooting suspect
by By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
The shooting that took place in Colorado during the midnight premier of new batman dark knight rises, that mans preliminary hearing was taking place and there are new facts emerging about the case. James Holmes the man that killed all those people had to spend his first day today in Court as it all begeins. New info is coming out including video surveilance from the theater showing holmes going in the theater, propping the door open and gathering his weapons. Sources say the attourneys for Holmes will argue that Holmes is mentally unstable and should does not have the capacity to make decicions.
To me this seems like a waste of time.I know those lawyers are just doing their jobs and trying to make a case, however there is no excuse for what he did. It doesnt matter how crazy you are that does not give you the right to shoot open fire on many people and kill over a dozen people. It makes me sick that there is even a need to put those families through anything more than they have too why not just put him in jail for life and get it over with.
Kelly Zhang
ReplyDelete2nd Period
Out -- but not in: Military club closes ranks to gay wife
January 8, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/us/fort-bragg-same-sex-spouse/index.html?hpt=us_c1
Ashley Fantz
This article is about how a military gay couple is having trouble. Ashley Broadway has had trouble trying to become part of the Association of Bragg Officers’ Spouses. She and her wife are about to have a second child, and Ashley wanted to be around people who could understand her position as a military wife. After first applying, she got a response that she could not join because she does not have a military ID, but gay couples are not allowed military IDs and other benefits. The club is not actually part of the military, it is a private group; and it is not accepting Broadway because she is gay.
I think this isn't fair at all. It shouldn't matter if someone is gay or not. Everyone in the club is the spouse of someone in the military, and they want to be around people who support them and understand what they are going through. That is what matters. I think groups like these should change their rules and accept spouses like Broadway. This story has gotten a lot of news and many groups like the Association of Bragg Officers’ Spouses are thinking about reviewing their rules.
Nathan Guskiewicz
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
Family releases photos of captive American
Susan Candiotti
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/us/iran-missing-fbi-agent/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Retired FBI agent Bob Levinson was last seen on Iran’s Kish Island in March 2007. According to his family, Levinson was working as a private investigator looking into cigarette smuggling and disappeared during a business trip there. He supposedly got kidnapped. On Tuesday, Levinson’s family released images of Bob holding note reads such as “why you can not help me.” These photos were received in April 2011.
I think that it is horrible that this man has gone missing. He has been gone for 6 years and his family says that he has missed his daughters wedding, the birth of his grandson, and is likely to miss his other daughters wedding. Levinson’s wife feels as though the government isn’t doing enough to look for him and I agree. I think that they should be doing everything possible to look for Levinson.
Anna Grace Kelley
ReplyDelete1/08/12
Period 7
Title: Alabama Wins 2013 BCS National Championship, Routes Notre Dame, 42-14
Source: www.huffington.com
URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/alabama-bcs-championship-notre-dame_n_2429025.html
For the second year in a row, Alabama won the BCS National Championship football game on January 7th, 2013. They beat the number one Notre Dame in a game that was not very close. The Alabama quarterback, AJ McCarron threw four touchdown passes and the game MVP, Eddie Lacy ran for 140 yards and scored twice. With this win, Alabama became one of three teams to ever win three national championships in four years. In the game, Alabama was able to keep the Fighting Irish scoreless until the third quarter when it was 35 to 0. The teams unbelievable talent, their extremely tough coach and many other factors contributed to this big win for Alabama University.
For me personally, I am a huge football fan so this game was a little bit of a disappointment. I was not a fan of either of these teams and so I hoped for a little bit more of a game but I was also very impressed with Alabama. They have so much talent on their team yet they were able to work together and just play good football. Nick Saben now has four national championships and is on his way to being one of the best college football coaches ever which is very impressive and well deserved. He was able to pull this team together, get them to work hard and they ended up getting what they deserved.
Cisem Karaca
ReplyDelete1-8-13
5th Period
Not Even Close: 2012 Was Hottest Ever in U.S.
By JUSTIN GILLIS
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/science/earth/2012-was-hottest-year-ever-in-us.html?_r=0
1) The Article I chose had to do with the fact that our planet is warming. This article highlights that 2012 was the hottest year since 1998! In 2012 the brutal drought brought an end to many crops and made it difficult to keep them growing. Scientists said that the soil dried out in March making it perfect conditions for a drought. 61 percent of the country was affected by this drought. Some people have even compared it to the drought in 1950!!The lack of rain and hot temperatures in 2012 make 2013 an important year to watch, this may be a turning point on weather in the US. In addition to the droughts and high temperatures many catastrophic events took place. Hurricane Sandy devastated the east cost and left many without homes.
2) I feel that we need to make serious changes to keep our planet healthy. This warming may be a wake up call to more serious events. I think that we need to start using more energy efficient products and controlling how much of natural products we consume. Rain forests need to stop being cut down and tress need to be replanted. All of these may help keep our planet in order until we find better ways to do things that result in pollution. Changes need to be made and fast!! After all we only have one Earth!!!
ps.... giraffes need more recognition!!!
you should make a giraffe awareness club....
i like giraffes. and this winter was kind of weird....
DeleteJulianna Turner
ReplyDeleteJanuary 9, 2013
World History, 2
Current Event
Today I read an article titled NOAA: 2012 broke U.S. heat records, written by Matt Smith. The article was published January 8th 2013 on CNN.com.
On Tuesday the government announced that 2012 was the hottest year on record for the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. 2012 was also declared the second worst for extreme weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts and floods. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the average temperature in 2012 was 3.2 degrees above the normal temperature. All across the continental United States, every state had above average temperatures. Nineteen of those states broke their records for the highest temperatures. In the past year, the United States has faced eleven natural disasters costly in time and finance. These disasters ranging from hurricanes to droughts deeply affect our ability to produce crops and increase the risk of wildfires throughout the mountains.
I do not know what to make of this information. It worries me that the overall temperature of our country is increasing. The numerous environmental disasters are a danger to our success because they are costly and are affecting our crops. A shortage of food will lead to a rise in food prices which is not a good thing. It makes me wonder, is the increase in temperature in our country linked to global warming? If so, we need to reevaluate our way of living and alter it so we are not so wasteful. I decrease in pollutants will make our country cleaner, will make the air healthier to breathe, and will decrease the amount of carbon dioxide dispersing into the atmosphere.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/us/extreme-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Sydney B
ReplyDelete5th period
January 9
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
New details emerge in hearing for Colorado theater shooting suspect
By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN
Tue January 8, 2013
A 25 year old man named James Holmes killed 12 people on July 20 in a Colorado theater shooting. He went to the midnight premiere of The Dark Night Rises with a rifle and opened fire. Now, new evidence has been found in the case of James Holmes. There may or may not be enough evidence for Holmes to go to trial. The hearing could go on for days. Holmes seemed dejected from everything that's happening and willingly complied to everything the officers and judge told him to do.
I think that the fact of James Holmes being disinterested and unconcerned with what was happening around him is odd. It said in the article that he just stood outside the theater after killing all those people. I don't quite understand this. If anything, he should be interested in his fate of living or dieing. This whole situation is odd. I want to know: Why doesn't he care about his life more?
Albert Yam
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
1/9/12
New details emerge in hearing for Colorado theater shooting suspect
by By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
A 25 year old man named James Holmes killed 12 people on July 20 in a Colorado theater shooting. He went to the midnight premiere of The Dark Night Rises with a rifle and opened fire. Now, new evidence has been found in the case of James Holmes. There may or may not be enough evidence for Holmes to go to trial. The hearing could go on for days. Holmes seemed dejected from everything that's happening and willingly complied to everything the officers and judge told him to do.
There are some things that could possibly be wrong with Holmes acting the way he does. He could just be completely acting like he has some sort of mental disease to possibly receive a shorter sentence. Or he could actually be mentally impaired in some sort of way. The last and probably the least likely is that he got “high” on killing or something, which would be a terrible truth and would label him as a psycho killer who is addicted to killing. This is a terrible event, probably somewhere after the recent school shooting, because he killed 12 and injured 58, that’s a lot.
Francisco Coch
ReplyDelete7
The New York Times, January 9, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/us/politics/biden-meeting-gun-control-advocates-vows-action.html?hp&_r=0
The article that I chose gave information on the recent gun controversies related to how we can limit gun violence in America. The article discusses potential plans that the Obama administration has in mind, with Joe Biden representing them. He also stated that the administration was going to work hard to pass certain limitations, and that they were ready to use the legislative power at their disposal, if necessary. A meeting was held for Mr. Biden to discuss the issue with representatives of gun control organizations, as well as sending out invitations to members of the opposition party, including the NRA and representatives of Wal-Mart to work out possible solutions.
I think that this is important due to the recent shootings in Connecticut, and numerous other ones that happened throughout last year. The article was well written, and clearly described the plans and actions so far of the president’s administration. I think that if this proves successful, we will likely see Mr. Obama taking more action and using his power as president to a greater extent. In his last presidency, he did little at all to help this nation progress, and much of the problems that were results of George Bush’s terms in office have not yet been dealt with. I think that Mr. Obama should exercise his rights more often, if he wants this country to improve at all.
Hanna Siekierski
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
“With new Congress Law Comes a new Push for Gun Laws” by Athena Jones
CNN 1/7/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/05/politics/new-congress-gun-legislation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
After the shootings at Sandy Hooke Elementary School, lawmakers in Congress are now trying to pass gun laws that could prevent another tragedy. On the Democratic side they are pushing to have legislation that would require background checks for all gun sales and gun shows as well as ban online sales of ammunition. Meanwhile the Republicans are pushing for a bill that would ban the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of more than 100 firearms. They have also introduced bills that would allow more firearms around school. However these bills will be met with a strong opposition from the National Rifle Association. With the support of U.S. citizens, Congress hopes to pass these laws to make the U.S. a safer place.
I think Congress has the right idea trying to pass these new gun laws. When I looked over some of the new ideas for laws though, some of them seemed the same to what we already have in place. One example of this is when it said that on the Democratic side they want to pass a law requiring background checks on gun sales. Isn’t there already a law saying almost the exact same thing? Overall though, I agree that there should be stricter gun controls in place. Congress should also take the time to look over the effects that these shootings have had on the victims. Maybe they could pass a law helping those people out. At this point Congress may not be able to create more gun control laws, but they could work on laws to prevent other causes of shootings.
Francis Wemmenhove
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
“Cuomo on gun violence: 'It has been enough'“ by Ashley Killough
January 9th 2012
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/09/cuomo-on-gun-violence-it-has-been-enough/?hpt=po_c2
The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, said that the gun violence had been enough. New York is ranked fourth in a list of states with the strongest gun laws. However, Cuomo believes more needs to be done. Some of his proposals are, closing the loopholes that allowed people to skip background checks when buying a gun, banning high capacity devices that have two or more rounds of ammunition that can be attached to guns, and to make sure to keep guns away from the mentally ill. Cuomo continues to fight for better regulations against guns. Cuomo said, “It’s about ending unnecessary risk of high capacity assault rifles.”
In my opinion, what Cuomo is doing is the right thing. I do believe that the United States needs better gun regulations. It is way to easy for a person to be able to get guns. The background check are not even always done because people can find ways to get out of it. This means that anybody could get a gun, even people with a terrible criminal background. Also, mentally ill people should not be able to get their hands on guns. Both things are obvious to cause bad things to happen at some point. Overall, I agree with Cuomo’s argument of there needing to be stricter gun regulations.
Emily Molina
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
Title: City lights create sexual early birds
Author: Susan Milius
Date: Jan. 8th, 2013
Source: sciencenews.org
URL: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347417/description/City_lights_create_sexual_early_birds
Summary:
A study conducted by Davide Dominoni of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, Germany reported that male European blackbirds put under artificial light can be sexually developed weeks before their fellow birds in natural countryside lighting. The study began in 2010 by exposing captive male blackbirds to the typical amount of nighttime lighting in urban settings during "winter." This exposure caused earlier molting, organ development, and raised testosterone levels in "spring." By the "spring" of 2012, after the continuous exporure of the night light, the blackbirds were left reproductively shut down. The researchers say the reason behind this may be that the increases amount of light (urban night lighting compared to natural night lighting) does not reset the birds' biological clock. Although the circumstances of the experiment are highly unlikely to occur in nature, the experiment does show that artificial lighting has a very big impact on the large number of birds living in the cities.
Response:
Honestly, reading this article and learning about what these researchers in Germany discovered scared me a bit. Artificial lighting having such a large impact on blackbirds' natural cycles seems a bit outrageous, but the facts do not lie. This study really tells us that we as humans need to be conscientious of how our activities can influence the activities of other organisms. Our nighttime lighting in cities is messing with birds' mating season time, which can negatively impact when their chicks grow up. By now, most species have set mating and hatching seasons because they line up with prime times of the year to raise offspring. With our exploding population, our cities will be expanding and lighting up more areas. That could lead to catastrophic impacts on species of birds and possibly many other creatures. As people living in this world with other beings, we need to concern ourselves with our well-being and the well-being of other organisms. We need to cut back on lighting in cities during the night because it is really afftecting more than we previously thought.
Edward Zhuang
ReplyDeleteDavid Goldman
Period 5
Hacker hits on U.S. power and nuclear targets spiked in 2012 (1/9/13)
http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/09/technology/security/infrastructure-cyberattacks/index.html
The worlds technology is improving at a tremendous rate, and with that there are some problems. The US department of Homeland Security reviewed the year 2012, and discovered that there were 198 significant attacks, many of them successful in their intentions. Many industries prefer not to specify whether or not they were attacked, so it can be imagined that the amount of attacks is higher than what is known. IT was reported that “The energy sector was the most-targeted field, with 82 attacks, and the water industry reported 29 attacks last year. Chemical plants faced seven cyber attacks, and nuclear companies reported six.” It is predicted that with the growing reliance of electronics, we can expect to see a greater amount of cyber attacks.
In my opinion, cyber attacks are not viewed by the public as seriously as other threats. We do not comprehend the power that hackers have. This is an issue that truly needs to be vocalized, so we can secure our cyber defenses. I fear that the widespread fear of cyber attacks will only arise after something large happens. We do not want to wait for that, as the implications would be damaging and brutal to our infrastructure.
Jesse Chen
ReplyDeleteperiod 7
Title:Marijuana use if too risky a choice
By: David Frum
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/opinion/frum-marijuana-risk/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Marijuana use, although illegal is something that David Frum thinks should not be punished by going to jail. Though this may sound bad, Frum also realizes that marijuana use has many negative Effects on the brain such as lower performance in school and work, brain damage, and damages brain development in youths.
I think that although Marijuana has many negative effects and is illegal, casual use should not be enough to put someone in jail. Putting someone in jail for smoking marijuana would most likely not help that person stop using drugs, but also for them to be influenced by other people in the prisons who had committed different crimes.
Anna Zurliene/7 Period
ReplyDeleteWal-Mart to Attend Gun Control Meeting at White House/ Emily Jane Fox
CNN/ January 9, 2013
http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/09/news/companies/walmart-gun-debate-biden/index.html
After first declining an invitation to attend Vice President Joe Biden’s gun violence task force meeting, they decided today that they would attend. They first said they couldn’t come because they were required to go to a monthly sales meeting at the headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Being a very large retailer, there was much scrutiny about them not going to hear about gun sales, which made them change their decision. They thought there wasn’t much need to attend in person, because they were planning on hearing it anyways. They say they sell their rifles responsibly and want to take part in the discussion about what the right path forward is with law-makers. They sell guns at 1800 of their 4000 stores, so almost half of their stores sell guns. After the recent outbreak in Connecticut, President Obama tapped Biden to lead a panel that will provide recommendations to prevent another mass shooting.
I am very surprised Wal-Mart reps didn’t think they could miss one monthly meeting to address one of the most concerning topics in our country at the moment. Wal-Mart says they are responsible with their sales but even if you only sell it to people with their gun license, they still could have the wrong intention. I don’t think semi- automatic rifles should be sold in stores as public as Wal-Mart. It is making it way to easy to have access to and that’s not appropriate. It’s hard for me to even feel safe if people just have guns for hunting, either. A gun is a weapon no matter what so there is always a danger to it. We are making them so accessible to everyone, even by selling it to those who are “allowed” because then the person who owns it now, doesn’t need to check if people have a license to give them a gun, they just can if they want to. It’s weird to read the article and think about this because my grandma is friends with the owner/ creator of Wal-Mart and their both from the south and I know that hunting is a big thing down here so they might have thought they had it all under control because they have so much experience with what they are doing.
Blake Johnson/ 2nd period
ReplyDeleteKatherine Webb: Media unfair to Musburger/ Jason Hanna
Cnn/ January 9, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/us/alabama-webb-musburger/?hpt=zite_zite5_featured
My article was about Brent Musburger’s comments while on air about Katherine Webb. During the BCS national championship game they showed Katherine Webb on tv who is Alabama’s quarterback’s girlfriend. Musburger called her gorgeous and beautiful while live. Now the media is discussing if Musburger’s comments were too much. ESPN apologized for the incident, but Katherine Webb didn’t think he did anything wrong. "I think the media has been really unfair to him," she told the NBC show on Wednesday morning. "If he would have said something along the lines of that we were hot or sexy, or made any derogatory statements like that, that would have been different.”
My opinion is that if she wasn’t offended by it then he didn’t do anything wrong. No harm no foul. In my opinion it could be considered kind of creepy, but I didn’t think it was anything earth shattering. I mean what he said was true.
Jessi Szymczak 2nd period
ReplyDeleteMarijuana use is too risky a choice by David Frum
CNN on January 7, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/opinion/frum-marijuana-risk/index.html?iref=allsearch
The article that I read focuses on a group of people that got together to talk about how they don't believe that it's right to lock up people for using marijuana. They figured out that this law was not reasonable and wouldn't be easy to put into affect. So a clear solution for this was that they could make sure to send a message to teens saying that the use of marijuana isn't a healthy or smart option. Especially focusing on teens in general, it can damage brain development. So the best thing to do about this situation without making it illegal would just be to make sure kids know the harmful affects of using marijuana.
I thought that the article was pretty informative about the harmful affects that marijuana can cause to your body. I didn't now that it affected the brain development of younger people. I think that they should have an age restriction on what age it should be illegal for. This wouldn't be anything unreasonable but maybe just something around the age of at least 10. Or is there already a law on this?
Joy Stouffer
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
Boston declares health emergency amid U.S. flu outbreak
http://news.yahoo.com/boston-declares-health-emergency-amid-u-flu-outbreak-030031382.html
1. This article is about the flu epidemic in Boston. There is already 10 times the number of reported flu cases last year. There are so many sick people that hospitals have been forced to turn some away. This type of flu (H3N2) is known to be fatal, especially to the elderly. The mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, said the city would be offering free flu vaccinations on Saturday.
2. I think it’s horrible that so many people are sick. It’s even worse that hospitals have to accommodate for them, and yet still don’t have enough room for them. I hope nobody dies and that every person is prescribed medicine to help fight of this epidemic.
Erica Johnson
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
“Justin Bieber fans draw shock, outrage with gruesome ‘Cut4Bieber’ trending topic”
Chiderah Monde
New York Daily/ January 8th, 2013
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/cut4bieber-trending-topic-draws-shock-outrage-article-1.1235624#commentpostform
1) My current event was about the girls who are cutting themselves for singer Justin Bieber, who was seen smoking pot. An anonymous twitter post encouraged girls to cut themselves for Justin so they could see how his actions were damaging his fans. Unfortunately, many girls have gone along with it, and have actually cut themselves! This article is important because it shows how effective the media can be, even on young people.
2) I think any girl who would do such a thing just to prove a point is really stupid. Why couldn’t they just send emails or start a petition of some kind? I don’t think that the girls know just how much they are hurting themselves, as well as Justin himself. It must be really hard to see your fans who love you hurt themselves. I personally think that although it was a bad decision, it’s really not that big of a deal since he is an adult and he should be able to make decisions without his fangirls freaking out about it and cutting themselves. This article doesen’t really relate to anything we have been doing in class, but it has to do with the effect that social media and the internet in general has on people in general.
Markale Cordova
ReplyDelete1/10/13
Period 5
Title: Alabama Wins 2013 BCS National Championship, Routes Notre Dame, 42-14
Source: www.huffington.com
URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/alabama-bcs-championship-notre-dame_n_2429025.html
For the second year in a row, Alabama won the BCS National Championship football game on January 7th, 2013. They beat the number one Notre Dame in a game that was not very close. The Alabama quarterback, AJ McCarron threw four touchdown passes and the game MVP, Eddie Lacy ran for 140 yards and scored twice. With this win, Alabama became one of three teams to ever win three national championships in four years. In the game, Alabama was able to keep the Fighting Irish scoreless until the third quarter when it was 35 to 0. The teams unbelievable talent, their extremely tough coach and many other factors contributed to this big win for Alabama University.
Personally, I think it's a huge big deal for what Alabama has done for there program. I'm happy for them doing what they have to do what they have to do to win.
George McBurney 5th period
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/health/us-flu-season/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews
1. The flu has been very impactful this year. 41 out of the the 50 states have recorded”high” amounts of flu infections. This year there has been 11 children deaths and they are on the rise. Scientists have deemed this flu H3N2. Experts say that it is the worst flu season since H1N1. The flu has definitely impacted the world this year.
2. I believe that in order to minimize flu outbreaks like this one, scientists need to stop “rolling the dice” on flu vaccines. Scientists predict what kind of flu will be present the next year and pharmaceutical companies make the vaccines. I think we need accurate vaccines for everyone.
Avery Scope-Crafts Peroid 1
ReplyDeleteBiden vows recommendations to curb gun violence by Tuesday Josh Levs,
CNN, January 10, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/politics/gun-control-battle/?hpt=hp_t1
Summary:
Biden, who oversees the task force, agrees with most Americans in the fact that he thinks we need stricter gun laws. He says “This doesn’t mean it is the end of the discussion, but the public wants us to act”. Biden also said that he is surprised by how many groups have encouraged universal background checks for all gun owners, including those who purchase through private sales. This comes as a huge step for those wanting stricter gun control. Many people believe that the increase in gun control awareness is because of the shooting at Newtown, Connecticut. It will be a great relief to many when this issue has been resolved.
Response:
Along with most, I am for stricter gun control. What happened a little bit ago in Connecticut isn’t okay on any level. Whats worse is that fact that the exact same thing could happen again. This is the one issue that Republicans and Democrates aren’t totally on opposite sides for. That is that one good outcome of this situation. Although this article was a little difficult to read, it was very informing and now I have better knowledge on the situation. How much longer is the gun control battle going to last?
Claire Kern: Period 7
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/business/colleges-expect-lower-enrollment.html?hp&_r=0
Colleges Expect Lower Enrollment
By ANDREW MARTIN
Published: January 10, 2013
This article was about how colleges and universities that an increasing amount of school have a declining enrollment in their future. Many say it is the financial struggles that many students face, unable to pay their pays or afford to go to college. This is said to be because of the financial crisis of 2008. Families are having a lower income, and ca no longer afford the expensive intuition price of many colleges across the country.
I feel that colleges should both lower the price of college, and make it more affordable to the public. Also the government should find a way to stop the financial crisis. Education is really a key factor in making sure the adults of the future are able to get jobs, and know what they are talking about in the business world. Young adults not having the information they need in life can really affect lots of other things such as the unemployment rate and the birth rate. If people don’t go to college, they are less likely to get a job needed to support a family. This is why they really need to set the college price lower.
Harish Prasad
ReplyDelete1-10-13
Period 5
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/us/afghanistan-troops/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
The War in Afghanistan began on 7 October 2001, as the armed forces of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and France, and the Afghan United Front (Northern Alliance) launched Operation Enduring Freedom. The reason this war was the September 11th attacks on the U.S. The main aim of this war was to dismantle the al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization, which has its roots in Afghanistan, and has training camps there. The U.S. also aimed to remove the cruel and savage Taliban regime from power and create a viable democratic state, where the citizens, men and women alike, could lead a safe productive life without fear of prosecution from the Taliban. However, after more than a decade of war, the NATO forces are still battling the Taliban. Moreover, after more than 2,000 casualties of the U.S. troops, the military making plans for it troops to withdraw from Afghanistan.
The Obama administration is considering withdrawal of all its troops after the NATO combat mission officially finishes in 2014. The administration is considering a range of options, with one scenario having no U.S. troops there. According to defense officials, they wanted to have been between 6,000 and 15,000 U.S. troops possibly remaining in the country, sufficient to assure the stability of the Afghan government and the denial of that safe haven to the Taliban. The troops would help with the training and equipping of their forces in counterterrorism strategies. However, Obama administration would like to have an assurance of legal protection for the troops who are increasingly coming under fire from Afghani soldiers. Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai wants the U.S. troops to continue their presence there, but has been very critical of them at the same time. This issue will probably be discussed when President Obama meets with President Karzai this Friday, January 11th, 2013. In my opinion, if we pull out all the troops by the end of 2012 it might become taken over by terrorists groups like Taliban and al-Qaeda again, thus ending the democratic rule that the NATO troops fought so hard to retain in the country.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSarah Taekman, Period 5
ReplyDeleteDeaths increase, misery mounts as flu sweeps nation by Cathy Lynn Grossman, Elizabeth Weise and Judy Keen
USA Today, January 10, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/10/flu-nation-sick-elderly-flu-deaths-workplace/1823425/
All of us are familiar with the yearly hassle of getting the flu shot to ward off the disease this season. But this year, the flu has spread much faster without much difficulty. 42 states have reported being hit hard with the influenza, mostly in the East, South, and Midwest. Last year’s flu season was one of the mildest on record, most likely lulling people out of getting a shot this year. But the death toll is much higher this year, and the symptoms are even more miserable. The disease continues to be spread as well, due to people not wanting to miss school or work. This is significant because it shows how sickness can ruin and rip apart an entire nation, just because people are so freaked out that they’re gong to miss working.
The way they described the flu, I can agree it sounds pretty miserable. I think I got a firsthand experience of it over winter break, and I’m still not fully recovered. I also think that it’s kind of sad that people are so used to being overworked that they refuse to miss it, even when they feel terrible and risk getting others sick. Also, this epidemic is similar to that of the bubonic plague back in the Middle Ages, though without the deadly consequences or lack of medical care. I just hope that this sickness doesn’t last much longer.
Veronica Kim
ReplyDelete1st period
1/10/2013
"'Twilight' finale leads Razzies worst-of list" by Associated Press, January 10, 2013
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Twilight-finale-leads-Razzies-worst-of-list-4183518.php
Right, so you know how the Oscars are, like, best actor, best movie, etc? Well, there's this thing called the Razzies, and it sums up the worst movies, and worst actors/actresses, and so forth. And here is what I read about:
Apparently Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Part 2) is the worst movie from the year of 2012. Now, there were some pretty good movies (Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty) that have come out, and Breaking Dawn scores low on that list. Low enough that it's actually the worst movie. In fact, Robert Pattinson was nominated for Worst Actor, and him and Kristen Stewart for Worst Screen Couple, plus director Bill Condon for Worst Director, and it also got a few more for worst screenplay, sequel, and screen ensemble. That's a lot of "worsts." Kristen Stewart was also nominated for Worst Actress in Snow White and the Huntsman, which, suffice to say, SUCKED. Like, it actually sucked. No normal "princess" who has been stuck in a castle for 10 years climbs down a sewer grate, swims through a rocky ocean, follows some birds, and finds an island with a beautiful white pony on it that carries her to a haunted forest. Ponies don't just wait around on islands for not-so-pretty princesses to come find them. They have lives too.
Anyways, I think Kristen Stewart is totally deserving of these awards, and so are Snow White and the Huntsman and Breaking Dawn Pt. 2. They were terrible. (Spoiler alert) In Breaking Dawn, they had this 10-minute long scene where all the vampires died, and then everyone in the theater freaked out, and then it turned out it was just a VISION. Who screws with the audience like that? I think that's the reason why Bill Condon was voted Worst Director - it was terrible. Absolutely terrible.
Basically, I think the Razzies are a fabulous idea. Movies in 2012 which were amazing deserve the proper recognition, but movies that sucked... well, they deserve what they get. Especially if their stars have affairs with their directors.
Jacob Engel
ReplyDeleteperiod 5
Man in Plastic Ball Dies on Russia Ski Slope
Andrew Roth
NY Times January 10th
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/world/europe/zorbing-accident-kills-1-man-and-injures-another-in-russia.html?ref=world
Two men in their young 30's got into a big plastic ball and rolled down a Russian ski slope. After bouncing around, the ball took an unlucky turn and careened down a rocky slope and then a cliff for almost a mile. One man, Denis Burakov died on the way to the hospital from a broken spine and the other, Vladamir Shcherbakov had a concussion and deep cuts on his arms and face. The man who offered them the ride in the Zorb was not liscenced to offer rides and was arrested. Later a business man in Moscow said that the Zorb was his and planned to start a business, but it was stolen gunpoint from him two years earlier. The injuries that these to men has suffered has amplified the arguement to make Russia's ski slopes more secure. At least 10 people have gotten seriously injured this winter.
I feel very sorry for these two men, but they didn't have a lot of common sense. I saw the video of the Zorb accident and the slope that they went down was flat, and there was a slope leading to the cliff. I also think that Russia needs to keep their ski slopes more regulated and safer. For instance, I think that they should have roped off the cliff, so that nobody could have any more freak accidents like this. I also think that things like Zorb rides should only be offered in safe areas.
Ari Horwitz 7th period
ReplyDeleteCanadians rush to save 11 trapped killer whales by Steve Almasy
January 10th 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/americas/canada-trapped-whales/index.html?hpt=wo_t2
Time goes by, as a pack of orca whales remain trapped near a small Canadian village on Hudson Bay. 11 orca whales appear to be limited to one 30 feet by 30 feet hole in the ice, which is the only breathing source for the killer whales. Open water appears to be 6 miles from the site of the whale’s location. The Canadian government is dealing with sending experts to the site to learn more about the situation and decide as to what they shall do. At this time whales are already supposed to leave the arctic and this sighting of the killer whales is the farthest north they have been sited ever at this time of year. The town is figuring out a plan to save these mammals, Usually they would send an icebreaker boat to the scene but all the b ice breaker boats are a 36 hour trek away which could be to late for the whales survival. Many new techniques are being put to test as the rush to save the orcas goes on.
This article fascinated me as to the great measures these people are taking to save these 11 whales. It is horrible that they are in this situation and the problem as to how they will deal with this situation is bad. Personally I have a great passion for whales just like Mr. Waters do Giraffes, It pains me to have to witness the struggle of one of my favorite animals. I was interested in the new techniques people are taking to resolve this problem one was a propeller they call the de-icer, which makes warm water rise beneath the ice causing the ice to melt. This is relevant to what we are learning at this time in our class because empires in the early days discovered new technologies to resolve their problems just like people are doing in this situation. I hope that the country can figure out a resolution to return these helpless whales to their destination.
simon dunson
ReplyDeleteperiod 7
Hospital set to open in Lillington
Bryan Mims
WRAL 1/10/13
http://www.wral.com/hospital-set-to-open-in-lillington/11965311/
A new hospital will be opening soon. A 50-bed hospital in lexington will open on january 18. It will have a special care unit and three operating rooms. Harnett county residents had to travel to raleigh or Fayetteville in the past but know they can get care closer to home. The opening of the hospital will provide a new level of health care for Harnett county.
I am very glad for the opening of the new hospital. This hospital will provide care for many people. Along with providing great health care it will also strengthen their economy and provide many new jobs.
Shamim Zarei
ReplyDelete2nd Period
Flu 'epidemic ... still on the uptick,' national health official says
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/health/us-flu-season/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews
January 10th
FLu season is here and spreading fast in the United States. Forty States reporting rapid activity spreading and what health officials are calling a epidemic. Flu season started earlier this season and has spread much faster this year. Over 2300 hospitalizations and 20 deaths found in children. The flu season will most likely last for 12 weeks this year. Most States around the U.S are reporting many cases and some deaths from the Flu.
I think its really scary that the Flu is killing many people around the U.S. We need to be more careful and wash our hands more before it spreads even more. It's not okay to go to school when your sick because you can easily spread it and kill many more kids. Im glad their making new hospitals because it can prevent deaths and keep U.S a cleaner and safer Country.
Kunal Lodaya
ReplyDelete1st period
California sheriff: Youth who shot classmate felt he'd been bullied
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/california-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
A student who felt he had been bullied brought a shotgun to his school. A teacher and campus supervisor convinced him to put his gun down. The shooting victim survived, and the shooter is being charged for attempted murder. He used a side entrance to the school, arriving late and attempting to hide the shotgun from view. He fired two shots, the first hitting his target, and the second, miraculously, not hitting anybody. His teacher faced him off, and talked to him.
I would have been scared out of my mind if a student like this came to school. This is yet another example of the terrible effects of bullying. It needs to be determined who exactly pushed this student over the edge. His reaction was unacceptable, but the cause is key to avoiding this in the future.
Isabelle Alzona
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
California Sherriff: Youth Who Shot Classmate Felt He’d Been Bullied
By: Michael Martinez
CNN
Thursday, January 10, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/california-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
In Taft Union High School a student went into school with a shot gun and attempted to kill two other students. The student’s name was not released but he felt he had been bullied. He was said to have been late to school and security cameras later caught him trying to conceal his weapon while going into school through the side door rather than the main entrance. A woman who lived across the street said she saw a boy between 15 and 16 go into the school with a gun, but she believed it to be a toy, but then not long after she heard two distinct shots. After two shots were fired, not killing anyone, a teacher named Ryan Heber and a campus supervisor named Kim Lee Fields were able to talk him into setting down the gun. One of the people that the shooter was trying to kill did get shot but is stable in the hospital. Two more people were injured, both girls. One was standing close to the shotgun when it fired and is in the hospital with hearing injuries, the other was hurt while attempting to flee.
I think that the teacher and campus supervisor that stood up to the student were amazingly brave. They saved lives, if the student hadn’t set down that gun who knows who would’ve gotten hurt. They were brave to stand face to face with a teenager with a gun and still act like rational people. I think most people would have run or tried to tackle the shooter. Also, people are bullied every day, you shouldn’t try to kill the people who bullied you. Its high school and in a few years you’ll be off to college. You’ll never have to see those bullies again. If you feel that bad about it, then talk to someone. There are plenty of people that would love to help you. I think it’s sad that it’s coming down to school shootings. Is this how we want our future to be?
Hope Davison / 1st Period
ReplyDeleteCanadians rush to save 11 trapped killer whales / Steve Almasy
CNN / 1-10-13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/americas/canada-trapped-whales/index.html?hpt=wo_t2
11 killer whales were found in the waters of Hudson Bay in Canada on Tuesday morning by a seal hunter. The family pack of orcas are six feet from the surface and have only a space of 30 feet by 30 feet, around the size of a large tent meant for event receptions. They have only one opening they are using to stay alive. For a family of 11 killers, 9 smaller and 2 bigger, this space is unbelievably cramped. (Try to compare it to a reception tent fit with 11 of the giant creatures) The Canadian government sent experts to the scene in attempts to try and save them. No one has ever seen orcas this far north in January before- they usually leave the Arctic before the ice moves in. Basically, if the hole freezes over, the killer whales die; the crew can keep the whole open, but it’s only a matter of time now as they are not close to the scene.
This is really depressing to me. Killer whales are already endangered, and seeing some of them struggle in an environment like the one mentioned is pretty horrible. As well as the fact that this is a rare event we’ve observed, but ice entrapment is not rare at all, so it can easily be happening much more than we think. I’m hoping for the best in this situation, that the orcas can be released into a proper environment. I believe we need to preserve endangered animals to the best of our ability if we want them to continue to live on in the future and to prevent their extinction.
Katherine Yang
ReplyDelete1/10/2013
5th Period
Title: Blasts in Pakistan Kill at Least 88 and Raise Fears Over Elections
Author: Declan Walsh
Source: New York Times
Date: January 10, 2013
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/world/asia/pakistan-blast-quetta-swat-valley-elections.xml;jsessionid=999FA3BFDE07419AA8658C4D496DC45E?f=19
Suicide bombers killed over eighty Pakistani civilians and press, who were there for the upcoming elections for the government of Pakistan. The people were innocent civilians, and as of now, 88 were killed and almost 400 were wounded by this terrible bombing in the two cities of Queatta and Islamabad. Earlier today, 12 people were killed in a bombing by a Baluch separatist group.
I think this is truly horrible, that a group of Pakistani citizens would try impede the progression of their own nation. Even so, it does say a lot about Pakistan itself. Unlike other nations where democratic and fair governing is the goal, if not the norm, Pakistan has only recently developed this new voting-for-government system. I hope that one day, the people of Pakistan will be able to freely vote without worrying about threats to their lives.
Paige Jones
ReplyDeleteperiod 2
1.11.12
New Details Emerge in Hearing for Colorado Theater Shooting Suspect
by By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
James Holmes(25) killed 12 people on July 20 in a Colorado theater shooting. He went to the midnight premiere of The Dark Night Rises with a rifle and opened fire. Now, new evidence has been found in the case of James Holmes. There may or may not be enough evidence for Holmes to go to trial. The hearing could go on for days. Holmes seemed dejected from everything that's happening and willingly complied to everything the officers and judge told him to do.
There are some things that could possibly be wrong with Holmes acting the way he does. He could just be completely acting like he has some sort of mental disease to possibly receive a shorter sentence. Or he could actually be mentally impaired in some sort of way. The last and probably the least likely is that he got “high” on killing or something, which would be a terrible truth and would label him as a psycho killer who is addicted to killing. This is a terrible event, probably somewhere after the recent school shooting, because he killed 12 and injured 58.
Jonathan Phillips
ReplyDeleteperiod 1
Man in Plastic Ball Dies on Russia Ski Slope
Andrew Roth
NY Times January 10th
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/world/europe/zorbing-accident-kills-1-man-and-injures-another-in-russia.html?ref=world
Two men in Russia decided that it would be a good idea to go down a ski slope in a zorb ball. Unfortunately the two took a bad bounce and got severely injured with one dying from a broken spine on the way to the hospital, and another having a severe concussion. Apparently the man who rented out the balls was not licensed to. The man reportedly took the zorb ball by gunpoint about two years ago. This enforces cries to make Russia's ski slopes more secure.
I do think that if the ski slopes aren't secure then you should fix them but it sounds like a bad idea to role down a ski slope in a zorb ball anyway. In fact it's dumb. This story just gets even better with the fact that the zorb ball was robbed at gunpoint a few years ago.
Emily Ball
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
Marijuana Use Is too Risky a Choice
By David Frum
cnn.com 1/7/2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/opinion/frum-marijuana-risk/index.html?
The main topic of this article is about the use of marijuana. Certain people believe that the use of marijuana is harmless and cannot affect you at all. But this artivle goes to show that it can in more ways that one. Marijuana use damages brain development in young people, and heavy users become socially harmed and perform worse in school and at work. Marijuana smoke harms the lungs. A growing body of evidence suggests that marijuana can trigger psychotic symptoms for whoever uses it.
My opinion on this topic is that no use of marijuana should be tolerated. But, then again, smoking is legal, and is harms your lungs and body too. I dont believe that if smoking tobacco can harm and and marijuana can harm you, then one should be legal and one should not be legal. It just goes to show the many different opinions of people.
Sydney Jones
ReplyDelete7th period
Had a flu shot? You’ll be OK-maybe--by the CNN staff
via CNN.com on 1/11/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/health/flu-vaccine-effectiveness/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
In this article it talks about the flu shot and how even with the shot we are not completely protected from the flu. It is highly recommended that we all get the vaccine, because it can really make a difference in our health and the health of everyone around us. The flu shot, even if it doesn’t completely protect us, makes us less likely to contract the flu and also makes those with the flu experience milder symptoms. This is a significant article because we are currently in the middle of the flu season and there has been a lot of talk about flu shots making people sick. Although this article does not discuss the bad effects of a flu shot it does explain how it can relieve symptoms and prevent the flu.
Personally I think this is a good article for people to read to inform them about flu shots. I know there are many people who decide to not get one just because they are skeptical. It is also important I think for the people who have flu shots to read this article or articles like it, so they can know exactly what the shot does for them and why they should get one. I thought this was good information to know and to remember during flu season, and I know that in my family we all get flu shots and that this could be beneficial information to us. Although I like this article and thought it was very informational, I wish it included more about the ill effects of the flu shot as well.
Connor Korfas
ReplyDelete1/11/13
Period 1
Playoff Pressure 1/10/13
Cnn.com
Coming up on the second week of playoffs the pressure is on for most NFL teams and players. This year the stakes are high for a position in this years super bowl. With no clear team having the advantage this season it seems as if every team has the possibility of playing in the final game this year. Also a record number of coaches have lost their positions this year at the start of the playoffs. The stage is now set for the other coaches of the league. Either way we are in for some good games in the upcoming weeks.
I am very excited for the development of these playoffs. With the teams being as closely matched as people think they are I think we’ll see some good football. I myself am personally bummed that the Chicago Bears won’t be playing but I will still watch never the less. I was also saddened to hear the Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith will also not be returning. However I hope this opens the possibility for change with my beloved bears. Besides the problems with the bears, so far it’s been a great season and I hope this will continue into the playoffs.
Source:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1479216-25-nfl-players-teams-coaches-feeling-the-most-pressure-in-divisional-games?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=cnn-sports-bin&hpt=hp_bn14
Jeff Richardson/Period 1
ReplyDeleteHow Media Lose Interest In Gun Control/Danny Hayes
CNN/Janruary 11, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/opinion/hayes-gun-control-attention-span/index.html?hpt=op_t1
Summary-Revised gun laws have always been a controversial topic in the U.S.; however, the public only acts on their beliefs after a traumatizing event. The shooting at the movie theater in Colorado and the one in Connecticut were in the news for weeks, and with the media came the people. After the adrenaline dies down the event fades into the past. The public's interest in change plummets as they turn their attention to more recent news. This cycle of interest followed by disregard is the reason legislative action is not possible.
Response- There is no doubt the media influences us as subjects of the 21st century. Stories and ads can change our thoughts, opinions, and sometimes our actions. But people need to realize that they can make just as much of an influence themselves. The news reporters will not repeat the same stories continuously, and it's inevitable that people will forget about Sandy Hook. But those of us who genuinely care about change should take action and voice your opinion.
Rachel Danner
ReplyDelete1/11/13
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/kate-middleton-portrait-unveiled-national-gallery_n_2454703.html
By Jessica Misener
Kate Middleton’s official portrait was released last week, and it received mixed reviews. She sat for the artist, Paul Emsely, twice, and wanted to be painted in her “natural state.” However people have been saying that she looks like something from twilight. Whatever. In the portrait the dutchess is wearing a green top that does not actually exist, but was a blend of other outfits she has worn. The earrings were a private wedding gift to her. Although the public is not a huge fan, Wills and Kate think it’s lovely.
I think this is an important event because since the USA does not have its own royalty, we have to obsess over the British monarchy. Which means that Kate Middleton’s portrait and pregnancy are a big deal. She is important to me, evident in the fact that I got up at 4:30 in the morning to watch her get married. I wish we had royalty. They are so much more interesting. Anyway, I think this whole portrait fiasco is going to develop over the coming months. This is relevant to our current course of study because we have been discussing art.This is a great example of how art affects our society now.
Lillian Menkens-Weiler/5th period
ReplyDeleteFlu ‘epidemic...still on the uptick,’ national official says/Elizabeth Landau
CNN/1/10/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/health/us-flu-season/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Every year in this country, and around the world, we have “flu season.” The dreaded time when everyone misses school because they are too sick to get out of bed. Teachers are constantly giving out make-up work, students are making it up, and handwashing becomes an obsessive, very frequent activity for everyone. And now there is a huge flu epidemic sweeping the country. It has already killed 18 people, and this is, of course, a huge problem.
The fact that the flu has killed 18 people is very sad. I had the flu earlier this year, and it scares me to think that a sickness that is so normal for so many people (many get it every year) is killing so many. It seems to me that this may be something that is discussed for a long time this year. A few years ago we had a scare with the swine flu, which had killed people, but was not as big of a problem in the U.S. Now we are facing a flu epidemic that actually has been deadly. Thinking of children dying from this seasonal illness really saddens me. This also pertains to what we are learning class because we recently learned about the plague and how it spread, and we also are learning about different governments, all of which have different ways of dealing with disease. This issue may be a defining headline for 2013. One question I have is how we will deal with this epidemic.
Blake Rasnake 2nd
ReplyDeleteTentative NHL deal could end lockout
By Maria P. White and Josh Levs
CNN 1-6-13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/06/us/nhl-tentative-deal/index.html?c=us&page=1
The NHL this the NHL that. All the talk might be over and we can get to playing some hockey. The owners and the players union met on Sunday. Gary Bettman the commissioner of the NHL says that they have reached the "basic framework" that would end the lockout and get the hockey season up and running again. They will be playing a much shorter season, but on the good side at least they will be playing. They are going to miss almost 43% of the season. There was another lockout in the 2004-2005 season that caused them to miss the whole season and they don't want something like that to happen again. This year each them is expected to play 48 games.
I think that it is about time for the lockout to be over and for people to just stop talking about it so much. I am tired of turning on sports center and all they are talking about is hockey, and how they can't reach something to stop the lockout. I am very glad that they have gotten their heads to together and they are really doing something about it. I enjoy watching hockey and I am glad that they are finally getting it back together.
James Menache
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
“Gun Control Group Urges Expanded Background Checks” By MICHAEL D. SHEAR
New York Times, January 11, 2013
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/us/politics/gun-control-group-urges-expanded-background-checks.html?_r=0
My current event is about gun control and the recent shooting. A gun control group tried to give recommendations to Biden to expanded background checks for gun buyers so they can reduce gun violence. They say that the “Universal background checks on all gun sales would have a clear positive impact on public safety.” They also say the laws would be clearly compatible with the rights of citizens to own guns. Their main concern was about the need to limit the availability of military assault weapons. They specifically said that they should “limit the availability of military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition that are designed for mass killing.” This is very significant because the limitation of these types of weapons could have prevented past mass killings.
My opinion is the that the background checks should be more substantial for buying assault weapons, and the gun buyers should also need to give detailed reasoning to why they need to buy the weapon. The background checks and laws for rifles and pistols, in my opinion, should stay the same. Personally I, and others in my family own rifles, but nothing like assault weapons. There are many different types of pistols, some can hold ten rounds, and some can hold five rounds. I thing the availability of pistols should be dependent on this capacity and intended use. I have no questions about this except why they haven’t thought about this before.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/world/asia/pakistan-blasts/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
ReplyDeletedavid collazo
honors world hitory 7th period
This current event is called Pakistani province in mourning after blast kill scores. For 3 days there was a series of bombs that killed more than 100 people in Quetta. The police said that another bomb happened but did not kill anyone and that these two bombs were one of the worst attacks in Shiite. Not only did people die from the bomb, but 150 people got shot. Also the police said that the responsible for this where Sunni and Shiites and now face persecution. After this another bomb went off in a preaching center which killed 21 people and police are still looking for who was involved with this crime. In my opinion I think what these people are doing is bad because it’s killing innocent people who haven’t done anything wrong. I think the people who are involved with this should stop all this violence and work together to make that country a better place. If I were them I would stop all this and would try to make things better.
Max Weintraub
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
Lawmakers condemn school shooting, say more gun control needed
Patrick McGreevy
Las Angeles Times 1/11/13
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2013/01/california-school-shooting-noticed-by-gun-control-advocates-in-legislature.html
The article starts out by reviewing the facts of a school shooting that occured in California on Thursday. Then it says how this shooting along with the one in Sandyhook has made the California's congress "willing to take this on". The article goes on to describe the gun laws they are considering putting into effect. Some examples are more extensive background checks and banning kits that allow rifles to shoot more rounds faster. They hope it will reduce the amount of gun violence.
I am glad to hear that some state is finally taking action and putting laws into affect. It has been far to long and gun violence won't be solved by more guns. I hope that the federal government soon decides to pass some laws for the country. And although I am glad that change is coming, I am sad that 20 first graders had to die to cause it.
Harrison Young 7th Period
ReplyDeleteMarijuana Use Is too Risky a Choice
By David Frum
cnn.com 1/7/2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/opinion/frum-marijuana-risk/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
The article I read talks about how people don't want to lock people up for casual marijuana use. They just want to notice people that it is not a smart choice to choose this. Many effects include the following: Marijuana use damages brain development in young people. Heavy users become socially harmed and perform worse in school and at work. Marijuana smoke harms the lungs. A maturing body of evidence suggests that marijuana can trigger psychotic symptoms.
I believe that it's crazy that marijuana use can do such bad things to a young maturing body. I realize that governments should legalize a type of marijuana that doesn't have the bad stuff in it. Then, maybe the users will use the legalized stuff that is not as harmful. This may solve the problem of people developing problems in their body at a young age. Have they already thought of this idea? I'm sure the government has tried several solutions and hopefully they will one day come up with a successful solution that will help with the harmful results of marijuana use.
Nikki Thai
ReplyDelete1st Period
“Flu reaches epidemic level in U.S.: CDC says” Sharon Begley
Jan. 11, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-usa-flu-idUSBRE9080WD20130111
The year 2013 starts off with an epidemic, a flu epidemic! So far, roughly 7.3% of the united states are dead from either pneumonia or the flu. Slowly the flu is spreading across from state to state, some have issued new regulations due to the epidemic. Into certain states and areas schools are even closing, and hospitals are warning that those without “serious” injuries or illness are better off staying at home. Which starts the year off quite badly...
I think the year has started off pretty badly. And right now, I’m kind of going through the flu, or maybe a cold, i don’t know. But I think this is pretty big news, the biggest since the years started. This sort of relates to what we had been studying which was the black plague during the middle ages. That was an epidemic, and so is this.
Olivia Wander, Period 2
ReplyDeleteAfter 50 Years, Cuba Drops Unpopular Travel Restriction
by Nick Miroff
http://www.npr.org/2013/01/11/169070431/after-50-years-cuba-drops-unpopular-travel-restriction?sc=17&f=1001
For 50 years, Cuba has banned it’s citzens from leaving the country without a government approved exit pass. This ban on free travel was instituted under Fidel Castro in 1960. The current regime kept it up until now, ostensibly for the purpose of keeping their doctors in the country. This ban has been lifted. Normal citizens are now allowed to travel provided that they have a passport. Military personnel, top scientists, and professional athletes are still not allowed to travel, most likely as the Cuban government fears that they will be snatched up by other countries, for their intellect or other skills. Not everyone is satisfied. Activist Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, who has been offered several scholarships by colleges abroad, refuses to leave Cuba until the government has granted rights to all citizens, not just a few. However, it appears that most people are happy with the progressive steps that the government is taking.
I am thrilled that the Cuban government has finally granted its citizens a basic right: unrestricted freedom of movement. I feel like saying, “Welcome to the 21st century, guys. Congratulations on being modern human beings.” It is, in my opinion, barbaric that a government would control a person’s basic right to mobility. Their law was preventing hard working people from gaining promotions that they deserve. It is obvious that the Cuban government still has some work to do. It isn’t fair to restrict traveling rights just because of ones profession. However, the lifting of this rule is a big step forward in the rights of Cuban citizens.
Sam Nielsen 1st Period
ReplyDeleteState of emergency declared in Mali Pierre Meilhan
CNN January 11th 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/world/africa/mali-france/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Recently the African country of Mali has been dealing with many rebel extremists in northern areas. This has escalated so much as to make France intervene. A recent event in this conflict was the retaking of a city previously occupied by extremists due to the efforts of France, the Malian government, as well military support from other west African countries such as Nigeria. The President of Mali declared a general mobilization in order to retaliate against these Islam extremists. Earlier, France had stated that it would take little to no part in the conflict in Mali, but the ergency of the situation made France change its mind. It is believed that if the extremists managed to take over the country of Mali, then it would give a dangerous foothold that would allow these terrorists to be active through out Africa and even Europe.
I personally think that France made the right decision in supporting Mali. Despite the fact they had promised not to at first, they still realized that the threat was serious enough to really require French intervention. So France seems to have made a good call here. If Mali actually did end up succumbing to these extremists then terrorists would pose a significantly greater threat to Africa due to having a foothold. I also think that the fact other Frican countries are supporting Mali is a good sign. It shows that other countries in that area are willing to work against Islamic extremists even when they are not being directly attacked by them.
Danielle Reviere
ReplyDelete7th 1/11/13
Gun Rights Groups say Georgia Home invasion proves their point by Rich Phillips
CNN 1/11/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/home-invasion-gun-rights/index.html
In this article they talk about a robbery that took place in Georgia. The victims, a mother and her two children, were in the attic; the mother had a hand gun. When the Robber came into the attic after using a crowbar to get into the house she shot him five times and he still got up and drove off, but he crashed a little bit down the road and is now in the hospital. This made people question if it should be legal to own a gun at all. The Sheriff in a later interview said “If you don't think that you have what it takes to take a human life then don't bother buying one.”
I happen to agree with the Sheriff; I think that if you can live with taking a human life out of self-defense then people should have a right to own a gun. On the other hand if you are ok with taking a life, but you do not know how to use a gun then you should learn how to use a gun before you buy it, or you should just not by a gun period. If everyone owns a gun will anyone be safe? That is the only thing that I see that could be wrong if they do not put any major restrictions on who can and cannot own a gun. If the majority of people own a gun will there be more shootings?
Rebecca Harless
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
“Taft School Shooting: Teen Gunman Told Teacher, Ryan Heber, ‘I Don’t Want to Shoot You’”
By Russell Goldman
ABCNews
January 11, 2013
http://abcnews.go.com/US/teen-gunman-told-teacher-ryan-heber-shoot/story?id=18189580
Extremely unfortunately, another school shooting has happened on Thursday, at 9 A.M., at Taft Union High School, California. A student, sixteen years old, started shooting, after planning Wednesday night, in Mr. Hebers’s first period science class. The reason: to kill two other students who had supposedly bullied the shooter, who goes unnamed, being a minor. What ended up happening was that Mr. Heber and Kim Lee Fields, campus supervisor, convinced the shooter to put the weapon down, with police on the way and the school under lockdown. This happened only after the shooter already shot a classmate, who was then taken to a hospital in a serious condition, and two students were injured, one with hearing loss, while the other students managed to escape because of Heber’s actions. This is important because it is another school shooting in the New Year, which shows the ability of kids to have guns and what bullying does.
I think that this article was written well, and that it had a good amount of information. I would have liked for it to include the exact date of the event, but, in all, it was a good article. I remember when we all heard about the Sandy Hook shooting, so much about it on the news, and how, now, I don’t remember having heard about this shooting until I did this current event. This does not really relate to what we’ve learned in class, except maybe that I think there needs to be a gun safety Reformation in schools. What do you think about this shooting? What could be some things we can do?
Abby Thomas
ReplyDeleteFlu cases down in some areas; child deaths up
1-11-13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/health/us-flu-season/index.html?hpt=us_c2
This article is about the current season of sickness we are having right now. At the moment, we are struggling to stay healthy and the epidemic of flu is taking over. People are getting vaccinations, but it’s a strong epidemic that not everybody is immune to even with the vaccine. The flu warning has gone down some but in places such as New York, it still goes strong. Children are dying from this strain of the flu that is going around. The only thing we know about it is that it’s very unpredictable.
I think that the flu is a very serious sickness. Even with immunizations, people are still catching it which isn’t a good sign. It shows that it’s easily spread. This is a very strong strain of the flu and it’s managing to move faster and faster and it’s going to peak in some places. Being a person who gets sick easily, I know that it can be very dangerous especially with such strong strains going around.
Shreyas Pyati
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/opinion/somalia-pirate-retires/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
One of Somalia's most influential pirates has resigned from his post. Mohamed Abdi Hassan was responsible for many hijackings and his publicity skyrocketed around 2008. Two particularly high profile attacks were made by him that year- one on an oil tanker the size of an aircraft carrier carrying oil worth up to 100 million dollars and another that was a Ukrainian vessel carrying tanks and over 800 tons of ammunition (among other things). However, this does not mean that piracy shall go down as this particular pirate hasn't been involved directly in any attack since 2008.
I found this article really amusing. I mean, a pirate retiring? That, coupled with the fact that there is a picture of him speaking to the media is incredible, as you would think he'd be jailed for his crimes. It's a disappointment that piracy rates will not go down, but it is good that at least one part of the equation has been removed.
Sydney VanOrd
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=18189580
This article is about the shooting that just recently happened in California. A 16 was bullied, and couldn't take it anymore and brought a gun to school to shoot the bullies. Luckily, someone got control of the situation before it wreaked havoc, but a child still ended up in a coma.
I think that it is horrible that someone is getting bullied so badly to the point where they feel like they need to kill the person to make it stop. Obviously killing the person is not the best solution, and it was wrong of the 16 year old, but we need to have control on the situation, and control bullying in schools.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLily E.
ReplyDelete"With new Congress comes a new push for gun laws" by Athena Jones
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/05/politics/new-congress-gun-legislation/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
Following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, Congress has considered over a dozen bills relating to firearms. Some seek to ban certain guns or high-capacity magazines, and others suggest that there should be armed guards/police in schools to prevent violence. Any attempt to limit firearms will likely be contested by the NRA. Although this is a major issue and nothing like Sandy Hook should be allowed to happen again, Congress is dealing with the nation's economic issues (such as the debt ceiling and the deficit), which may take precedence.
I don't think Congress can justify ignoring one major issue for another; with 435 members, they should be able to come up with plans for multiple issues. My opinion on guns is that some should be banned. I won't pretend to know much about the names and types of guns or the specifics of which are more powerful. I understand that some people use them for hunting, but there should be limits on the sophistication of those weapons.
For instance, why have high capacity magazines? This link:
http://www.surefire.com/tactical-equipment/high-capacity-magazines.html
shows that people can buy 60 or 100 round magazines. Why would they need to shoot /anything/ 60 times without reloading, let alone 100, for any reason?
I also think that guns meant for use by soldiers should be made illegal. They're only used in war because they are dangerous and are meant to kill people. Consider an AK-47, which is an assault rifle. This link says that assault rifles are "designed for military use."
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle
Despite this, AK-47s are legal in parts of the U.S. (depending on state/county laws), and I don't think they should be at all. These are only two ideas, but I hope we see Congress approve bills along these lines soon.
Gavin Rothwell
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
Man in Plastic Ball Dies on Russia Ski Slope
Andrew Roth
NY Times January 10th
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/world/europe/zorbing-accident-kills-1-man-and-injures-another-in-russia.html?ref=world
Two men in Russia decided that it would be a good idea to go down a ski slope in a zorb ball. Unfortunately the two took a bad bounce and got severely injured, with one dying from a broken spine on the way to the hospital, and another sustaining a severe concussion. Apparently the man who rented out the balls was not licensed to do so. The man reportedly took the zorb ball by gunpoint about two years ago. This enforces cries to make Russia's ski slopes more secure.
I do think that if the ski slopes aren't secure then you should fix them but it sounds like a bad idea to role down a ski slope in a zorb ball anyway. It's really just a funny story. And it becomes even more amusing with the fact that the zorb ball was stolen from a store at gunpoint.
Emily Chang
ReplyDeletepd 1
More than 800 NYC rape cases reviewed for mistakes
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/justice/new-york-rape-cases/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
This article is about how many rape cases in NYC have been misevaluated and the evidence misread. There are many cases in which the culprit has not been caught, so they are going back over many of the cases to try to catch the offender.
I think that what they are doing is right, but they should have caught the offender the first time. The safety of women in the city is important and we can't have women suffer from rapists on the loose. I certainly hope that they will be able to find a way to more accurately find the culprit to prevent this in the future.
Annelise ter Horst
ReplyDelete7th
Gun violence task force meets with makers of video games
Mariano Castillo
cnn.com
Jan. 11th, 2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/politics/gun-control-battle/
Recently, Vice President Joe Biden has put together a task force on gun violence. This task force is a result of the tragic events this past year in Connecticut, as well as Colorado. We all know well of the shootings that have occurred, but not a lot has been said about what our government has done to try to stop pointless deaths from happening. Bidens’ first idea of helping our nation's’ safety was to talk to representatives of a major video game company. While Biden did not know whether or not meeting with the representatives would change situation of violently realistic games, they met with them to try. The meeting did not make a very big difference, so President Obama took another perspective: trying reinstating the assault weapons ban. A lot of responses came from this new action, most of the negative ones from the NRA.
I agree with this article on some parts and some other parts I disagree. How do you solve a situation like this? Is there even ways to know when violent games go too far to lead a person to do this? I do not know whether this path to protection will help significantly, I have some views that differ from every detail in the plan, but that does not mean I do not think it is a good one. While I agree with the NRA that banning weapons is too far and overstepping our constitutional right to bear arms. But more rigorous background checks will not do anything but help. I could see that some things were agreeable with what the NRA said, but some (it could also be the way the article portrayed them) sounded biased and gun-crazy. Especially when a NRA member said that Martin Luther King Jr. would have supported their cause as well since “if African Americans had the right to bear arms, things would have turned out differently in regards to slavery”. First of all, MLK was not Malcolm X, he believed in nonviolence, and while I do not know for sure if he would want to own a gun, that is just the way I see him. Second of all, slaves were not even able to own land at that time, do you think being able to have a gun would stop the great amount of injustice?
Ashley Yang
ReplyDelete2nd period
CNN 1/11/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/california-school-shooting/index.html
Just weeks after the shooting at Sandy Hook, another shooting took place in California. A sixteen year old shooter did what he did because he was bullied according to the article. He wanted to shoot two of his bullies, hitting one, who is at the hospital right now.The shooter is now in custody. At least two other people were injured in the midst of this accident.
This is another horrible incident like Sandy Hook. I think incidents, such as school shootings, could be limited by putting laws on owning firearms. It is horrible what happened, even though the shooter was bullied into doing what he did, attempting to murder someone is not the right path. After Sandy Hook, there have already been many arguments over whether or not laws should be passed regarding guns, but I hope this is another reminder that school shootings will keep on happening. Even with gun laws, there still might be school shooting, but most likely there will be less. Bullying will always be a problem because it's so widespread and can happen anywhere and even then going to such extremes is not right.
Daniel Kleissler
ReplyDelete2nd period
CNN 1/11/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/california-school-shooting/index.html
After being bullied for several weeks a sixteen year old opened fire on his classmates in California. He was planning on killing the two main bullies but he only wounded one before he was persuaded to drop his firearm. The school councilor and the teacher were forced to face the young man and persuade him to not harm any more people. The only victim was not killed, but is now in critical condition.
While many people believe that covering school shootings in the media encourages others to complete their own dark agendas. However, just a few weeks after Sandy Hook, I cannot see how after seeing a man kill children, this boy was able to still go through with his plan. In the Sandy Hook shooting, the killer had a mental disability so I cannot fully hate him for what he did. But this man, even if he has mental issues, I will have no such restraints with. Just weeks after seeing the death of so many children he still made the conscious decision to pull the trigger. That disgusts me, and I cannot defend that, no matter the circumstances.
Wenbo Wang
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
“CES 2013: The Blind See, the Deaf Hear, the Mute can be Heard” by Virginia Heffernan, Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 29 June 0000. Web. 11 Jan. 2013
http://news.yahoo.com/ces-2013--the-blind-see--the-deaf-hear--the-mute-can-be-heard-191343896.html
1. The significance of technology is widely apparent as of today, relieving human society from the hardships of certain tasks to what one day people fear, would be the transition from human to cyborg. Ever since the 20th century, developments in technology advanced mankind; studied by philosophers such as Marshall McLuhan, who believes that these advancements further one’s reach in the world. However around the world, these improvements in technology lead to a new fear; the obesity and the possible lack of personal knowledge due to the reliance on technology seen in the recent decades. The author compares this to the other usages of recent technology, suggesting that physically impaired individuals will need the modern, up to date technology to gain certain senses lost. For the mute, voice technology is required; bionic eyes installed in the blind; and 3D headphones provided for the deaf. Ones who lost an organ to disease can replace it with modern technology. The negative consequences of advanced technology are exceptional, but its potential benefits- according to recent medical breakthroughs- may possibly outweigh the risks. The significance of the capability to restore a damaged major organ in the impaired body to its original-or partial-extent is a prominent reason for the rapid development of technology, allowing it to not only entertain; but to restore one’s personal morale.
2. Technology has indeed evolved greatly over the past eon of human civilization, with the more modern form of the terminology originating from the steam engine, followed by oil powered, electric powered cars. Heavy, bulky technology became ever more increasingly light, agile, and convenient. With more advanced technology to do human labor, the risks of obesity and reliance on technology looms ever closer. I do agree with the author on how technology should be used by the less physically advantaged, for it is not right that physical wellbeing is based on genetic probability. 576 pixel eye displays in grayscale is definitely positive to the blind; different from simply crouching by a television; for the bionic eye increases human creativity and the original benefits blocked by the missing characteristic before. Watching a movie on the possible dominance of robots over mankind in the future, the article reflects upon the idea that writers express the negative consequences of technology if development continued; literature warns of the increasing reliance upon technology shown by humans of today. Technology has evolved from stone cutlery to benefit and ease physical strain laid upon man; eventually leading to the ramps that were used to build the Great Pyramids. Technology and reliance has evolved too drastically, resulting in much obesity in the world. When should the advancements of technology reach a downward slope, to avoid physical diseases; or should it increase at an extreme rate forever, to benefit for the impaired, who will need it to gain back their lost characteristics kept away from them for so long?
Sanjana Vasudevan
ReplyDelete1st Period
NY Times 1/11/13
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/a-new-scribble-on-your-dollar-bill/?smid=tw-share
One event that has created some controversy is the new signature that will be on the dollar bill. President Obama nominated Jacob Lew to be the new Secretary of the Treasury. As the secretary, Lew's signature will be on the newly minted dollar bills. People are complaining that the signature looks childish, not professional and not worthy of being on the dollar bill. The signature is a series of loops, similar to a curly fry or slinky.
I don't think this is a big issue. Lew could easily improve his signature or even keep the signature the same. Most people do not take notice of the signature anyway. Our current Secretary of Treasury, Tim Geithner improved his own signature even though his original was not nearly as bad as Lew's. People should really be more concerned with Jacob Lew's ideas, policies and character than his penmanship.
Current Event #16
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
PD. 2
Keith Segars
Flu Epidemic .... still on the Uptick
The year of 2013 is off to a rough start for many Americans. The flu is spreading across 40 states and some health officials are calling it an epidemic. Unlike last year, the flu started earlier this year and it is more severe. So far, there have been 2,257 hospitalizations and at least 18 children have died. These numbers are likely to be low estimates since the states are still compiling statistics. Surprisingly, the flu kills an average of 50,000 people each year in the United States. While flu shots are effective in preventing the disease, they do not guarantee that you will not get it. This year the estimated effectiveness of the shot is 60%, which is higher than in past years. No one knows if this is a single bad year or if stronger strains of flu will make the coming years even worse. Some experts feel that lifestyle has much to do with the epidemic. People are unwilling to stay home when they are sick which helps spread the disease.
The amount of flu this season is alarming to me. The number of deaths that are caused by flu also surmises me. While many elderly people die from the disease, the death rates among children are climbing. I think more needs to be done to prevent the disease and to encourage those who are sick to stay home. A flu epidemic affects the health care system by overloading doctors and health care providers. Emergency rooms and hospitals become overcrowded with the sick. The economy also suffers because of lost work and lost wages. I think the government should give more money to local health care providers to build programs to prevent the flu. Businesses can also help by developing awareness and clinics prevent and stop the spread of the flu.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/health/us-flu-season/index.html?iref=allsearch
Robert Fernald
ReplyDelete“USA needs more effective flu shots, experts say” by Liz Szabo and Elizabeth Weise
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/11/flu-strains-vaccine/1827677/
The center for disease control and prevention noticed that flu vaccines are only 62% effective. That information has led to the fact that we need better flu vaccines. Another study proved that the vaccine is barely effective for children or people over 65. People want drug companies to develop a flu vaccine that would protect people for years at a time, that kind of vaccine would include common parts of the virus that do not change yearly. It is thought that a universal flu shot could be developed in 5 years but could take up to 15 years.
I think that a universal flu shot would be a great breakthrough because it would be more effective and it would last for years like other vaccines. The problems with developing a universal flu shot include expense and that drug companies would not make as much money because they would not have to produce yearly flu shots. The problem is that if the companies do not make enough money then they will not have an incentive to produce it in the first place. I think that a universal flu shot would greatly improve modern life.
Kaitlin Hill
ReplyDelete2nd Period
CNN
1/11/13
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/california-school-shooting/index.html
After being bullied for several weeks a sixteen year old brought a shot gun to school and opened fire on his classmates in California. He was planning on killing the two main bullies but he only wounded one before he was persuaded by his teacher to drop his firearm. The school councilor and the teacher were forced to face the young man and persuade him to not harm any more people. The only victim who was shot was taken to the hospital and is stable but in critical condition.
This story was very disturbing to me. With all the talk about gun control and only a few weeks after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school, it was even more tragic that a student would pull the trigger. Two school shootings so close to each other is just horrible and it shows that something needs to be done about guns and safety in this country.
Ian Hufford
ReplyDelete1-11-13
CNN
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/to-keep-the-brain-benefits-of-exercise-keep-exercising/?ref=health
It is well known that exercise increases brain function, however, what happens if you stop exercising? Do you retain the increased brain function, or, like a muscle, does it weaken after inactivity? That’s what researches at Sao Paulo University wanted to find out. They used rats to determine if the amount of brain cells decreased and if memory was affected. As it turns out, rats that had stopped exercising did loose memory function after a period of a few weeks.
I think that this goes to show the importance of constant exercise. I think that this is cool not only because it shows the importance of staying active, but also it shows that by being active, it not only helps the body but the brain as well. I wonder if the results of rats brain loss after periods of not exercising will be the same if human trials are done. All and all, I think that this shows that the body needs constant excursive to stay in good shape.
David Cho 2nd
ReplyDeleteCalifornia School Shooting
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/us/california-school-shooting/index.html
1/11/13
A sixteen year old high school student brought a shotgun to his high school. He was targeting two people. one was in critical condition but the police says he is still alive and is recovering in the hospital. He brought the gun to school because he was being bullied. And he was very hurt by all this bullying. he was taken to custody after school teachers and counselors convinced him to put the gun down.
I feel bad for the kid but i also dont think he should have reacted that way. i dont think that violence is the answer. he should have just talked to a school counselor instead of putting many lives of people at risk. but on the other and I think that schools should try and enforce the bullying rules so that they monitor whats happening around the school.
“Obama won't support building 'Death Star' ”
ReplyDeleteAssociated Press, January 12, 2013
Shomya Mitra
Honors World History, 5th Period
President Obama does not support a Death Star super-weapon like seen in Star Wars, the American people now know. A petition on the internet with 34 thousand signatures is lobbying the White House to create the super-weapon, claiming it would help job growth and national security. But, Paul Shawcross (an administrative technology adviser) says that the Death Star would cost about $850,000,000,000,000 (850 quadrillion) to build, which is slightly outside the US budget. Also, Shawcross said that Obama "does not support blowing up planets."
I think a Death Star would absolutely solve our national security problems, and help our job deficit. According Admiral Motti, of the Imperial Navy, the station was “the ultimate power in the universe.” If we had the Death Star, terrorists would be so scared of our military power they would not try to resist us. Also, the Death Star employed 342,953 people, which would definitely put a dent in the unemployment problem. So, I think if we could raise the money, a Death Star station would be very helpful to our domestic and international situation.
Jeffrey He
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
World History
Mr. Waters
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/12/us/gun-violence-philadelphia-newtown/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Among America's largest cities, Philadelphia's homicide rate is the worst. Guns are the weapons of choice, with more than 80% of homicides committed with a firearm, according to the most recent police statistics. African-Americans make up 85% of the victims, meaning that a african american male in Philadelphia is more likely to die of a gun than that of a soldier deployed in combat.
Despite the daily gun violence plaguing American cities like Philadelphia, Chicago or New Orleans, it's the mass shootings at a school or a theater or a public event
This is important because gun control is heated debate right now in the United States. I personally think we should limit handguns, especially high capacity ones and high caliber assault rifles.
Casey Patterson
ReplyDelete1-13-13
Legalization of Marijuana in the North Carolina?
Lena Butler
North Carolina is following in the steps of 13 other states and discussing the legilization of Marijauna. Medical marijuana has been legalized in 13 states. It is being argued that marijuana is a very useful painkiller. The other side is arguing that the are enough availible painkillers on the market. Marijuana has the same effects as a very popular legal painkiller called Marinol, the only contreversy is the fact that marijuana is known as the gateway drug to abusing other worse substances.There would be a lot less drug related deaths if marijuana was legalized.
In my opinion legaling marijuana is a terrible idea. Is it really a good idea to have a bunch of stoners walking and working in construction, transportation, polotics etc. Driving while high can be just as bad as driving drunk. What if our poloticians all used marijuana? Then our entire country will be led by stoners.Studies show the marijuana buisness could cause problems in the US because marijuana tends to be of similar price, this means it will not create much of a profit.
Julia Perkins
ReplyDelete1st pd. History
Trouble in Russia of Ban of Adoptions by Americans
By Ellen Barry
New York Times
Published 1/11/13
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/world/europe/russias-us-adoption-ban-proves-divisive-at-home.html?_r=0
This article is about the legislature in Russia that would keep Russian orphans from being adopted by American families. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, supports this ban. Much of the Russian masses support this ban in the name of patriotism, but the main component of the opposition are urban dwellers who stay more updated on world events. This issue originally began as conflict between Russia and America, but now it seems that it has turned into a Russian versus Russian debate. Opposing forces to the ban have been demonstrating their dissent in the form of rallies and marches.
I think that this is an unfortunate situation for Russia to be in because ultimately, I think the ban will get passed because their leaders in government support it, but that will only disadvantage Russian orphans even more. The rumor in Russia that Russian orphans in American families get abused and that the American government pays no attention to it are just not true, and I think that it’s unfortunate that there can’t be enough trust between the two countries to continue to help these children find good homes. In the end I think this situation will only affect the children, and it seems ridiculous to me that the government would be pushing forth on an issue like this just for the sake of patriotism.
ReplyDeleteNew Details Emerge in Hearing for Colorado Theater Shooting Suspect by By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt
On June 12 2012, a man named James Holmes went into a midnight premier of The dark night rises and opened fire on the audience. Over the past week more evidence has been found, which may or may not be enough evidence for Holmes to go on trial.
There are many things that could be wrong with Holmes. He could have a mental disorder, or even just be crazy. But I personally don't think that anyone who killed 12 and injured 8 should be allowed anything but jail time. This past year has been a bad one in terms of shootings, but we am only hope for better in the new year.
McKenna Willoughby/ Period 2
ReplyDeleteWhy 2013 will be a year of crisis/ David Frum
CNN/ September 3, 2012
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/03/opinion/frum-food-price-crisis/index.html
It has been predicted that the year 2013 will be a year of crisis. It started with last summer’s extreme heat and droughts. 80% of the United States experienced droughts as well as Russia and Australia. The droughts runed important crops, such as corn and wheat, which raised their prices. The higher grain prices will be an issue for developed countries. It will be an even bigger problem in poor countries though. People in those countries usually spend half of their income on food. In 2007-2008, bread prices spiked, causing bread riots in 30 developing countries. Egypt also had grain issues around that time. If the food prices jump, China may just be the most vulnerable. The cost of living there has jumped 6.5%.
In my opinion, this news worries me. The worse the crops are, the higher the prices will be. Higher prices equals riots in some countries. Food is what keeps the world alive; if it starts to go away, we are in trouble. People need to stop using all of those chemicals and gasses that are making the temperature rise. What if these changes decrease our water supply to where we barely have any? Where would we be then. This subject reminds me of back in the “Little House on the Praire” days. When they had good crops, they had a lot of money and food. When their crops went bad, they lost everything.
Vanessa Campos-Diaz
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
Teen Accused of Attempted murder in California School Shooting
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/14/justice/california-shooting/index.html?hpt=us_c2
This Story talks about how student Bryan Oliver age 16 opened fire in school and wounded 2 students. One student was not badly injured but the second student had to be air lifted to a hospital he was shot in the chest. Bryan Oliver was charged with 2 counts of attempted murder because when he was shooting a teacher was grazed by one of the bullets and he said he wasn't trying to hurt him he was trying to shoot at other students. Eventually a teacher convinced Bryan to let go of his weapon.
My opinion of this article is that the United States should hurry and make gun laws because their have been way too many school shootings. A school is a place that you should feel safe in not be scared that maybe one day someone or one of the students will walk in with a gun one day and go on a shooting rampage. It should not be easy for a minor to get their hands on a gun, that is just way too dangerous. Laws need to be put in place as soon as possible to prevent tragedies like these.
Valeria Campos-Diaz, 1st period
ReplyDeleteMy View: We love our children, we need to protect them
By: David Thweartt
http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/14/my-view-if-we-love-our-children-we-need-to-protect-them/?hpt=us_t5
At the Harold Independent school district in Texas the school district has allowed some of the teachers to be armed with guns. This is allowed by the "Gaurdian Plan", a plan that allows certain teachers that have undergone special training and clearance by the school board to possess a gun in school. They thought this was the best plan for their school after the recent school shootings happening nationally. The Harold school has teachers set up with guns scattered around the school, the thing is is that they don't let anyone know who the teachers that have the guns are and where they are. Hence them acting as "Gaurdians". They do this so that students won't know and won't have an easy access to them.
Personally I don't agree with the way of protection that this particular school has chosen to go because, any student could find their gun and decide to take it from them. If students aren't allowed to bring guns to school and someone can't possess a gun within a certain distant from a school I dont think it's right for a teacher to have one. What type of security are they trying to impose? I'm sure that having a gun gives them somewhat of a sense of security but there are other strategies and ways to deal with threatening situations in school.
Alex Ramirez
ReplyDeleteHonors World History
1st period
Beijing adopts emergency measures for 'hazardous' pollution
By Steven Jiang and Elizabeth Yuan, CNN
updated 6:24 AM EST, Tue January 15, 2013
1) In Beijing a smog of air that was highly polluted was recorded
"hazardous" levels of pollution, reading of 515 at 3:00 a.m. They had
to halt the school children from outdoors. The smog continued through
the capital of China. Reporters said that the sun was not even visible
in four days. Citizens in China nearby the polluted smog have to wear
protective mask to a least protect them from getting sick. The
European Commission show that China produced 9.7 million kilotons of
carbon dioxide, more than other countries such as the US.
2) In the video a professor of the University of Beijing, says that
even staying indoors, such as houses, basements anywhere you cant
leave the smog. It can get in the filters and conditioning which can
cause more people to get sick from the smog. I watched the video and
he said they cant do nothing about it which to sit and hold tight when
the smog leaves the area. In my opinion, China should stop making or
reducing the products to not make this happen again.
Emma Baldwin
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
Triage System Helps Colleges Treat Mentally Ill Students, Jenny Gold
NPR, January 7, 2013
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/01/07/168618329/triage-system-helps-colleges-treat-mentally-ill-students
In 2012, the United States experienced several violent events linked to mental illness (the Colorado movie theater shooting, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting). Many people have indicated that they think gun control is part of the problem--as it no doubt is--but it is also true that the mental health of young people is often overlooked. This is why programs at colleges like the University of Virginia in Charlottesville that use triage are becoming increasingly important. In one case, a girl named Miranda Dale enrolled at the University of Virginia called her school’s counseling hotline with low expectations, only to end the call with a prescription and a formal counseling appointment. Most college counseling centers see an estimated 10% of the student body a year.
I think that mental health is a very important topic because it is so hard to define. With most mental illnesses, people (either the patient or the patient’s family and friends) tend to try to play the illness down and even ignore it. The number of shootings in the last decade have shown how well that way of dealing with it has turned out. Also, in court cases many people try to plead that it was not their fault because they were mentally ill. Therefore, it will become increasingly more important to define mental illness and make it easier for health care to cover therapy, which is currently unusual. An improved definition and attitude towards mental illness will certainly make 2013 a more productive year in the quest to end gun violence.
Bobby Russell
ReplyDelete5th period
Wal-Mart to Attend Gun Control Meeting at White House/ Emily Jane Fox
CNN/ January 9, 2013
http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/09/news/companies/walmart-gun-debate-biden/index.html
After first declining an invitation to attend Vice President Joe Biden’s gun violence task force meeting, they decided today that they would attend. They first said they couldn’t come because they were required to go to a monthly sales meeting at the headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Being a very large retailer, there was much scrutiny about them not going to hear about gun sales, which made them change their decision. They thought there wasn’t much need to attend in person, because they were planning on hearing it anyways. They say they sell their rifles responsibly and want to take part in the discussion about what the right path forward is with law-makers. They sell guns at 1800 of their 4000 stores, so almost half of their stores sell guns. After the recent outbreak in Connecticut, President Obama tapped Biden to lead a panel that will provide recommendations to prevent another mass shooting.
I am very surprised Wal-Mart reps didn’t think they could miss one monthly meeting to address one of the most concerning topics in our country at the moment. Wal-Mart says they are responsible with their sales but even if you only sell it to people with their gun license, they still could have the wrong intention. I don’t think semi- automatic rifles should be sold in stores as public as Wal-Mart. It is making it way to easy to have access to and that’s not appropriate. It’s hard for me to even feel safe if people just have guns for hunting, either. A gun is a weapon no matter what so there is always a danger to it. We are making them so accessible to everyone, even by selling it to those who are “allowed” because then the person who owns it now, doesn’t need to check if people have a license to give them a gun, they just can if they want to. It’s weird to read the article and think about this because my grandma is friends with the owner/ creator of Wal-Mart and their both from the south and I know that hunting is a big thing down here so they might have thought they had it all under control because they have so much experience with what they are doing.
Johnny Huang
ReplyDelete5th period
Steven Jiang and Elizabeth Yuan
Beijing adopts emergency measures for 'hazardous' pollution
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/14/world/asia/china-smog-blanket/index.html?hpt=wo_bn4
The air in Beijing has caused many immediate responses to occur. Schoolchildren were ordered to stay inside for outdoor activities. There have been more respiratory problems, which may be the cause for the immense increase of sales of masks. The air quality index rates the city at around 755. That is insanely high as anything above 350 is considered dangerous and anything over 500 is, quite literally, off the charts, as the index does not go past 500.
I think that the numbers can really speak for itself. The amount of pollution coming out of Beijing is dangerously high and is causing danger and/or inconvenience to it's citizens. In addition to causing global warming, this pollution is causing many things to be cancelled. Although the economical boost from the industrialization of China is great, the amount of pollution seems to be hazardous and could effect Earth's future. If all the countries keep polluting, the climate change is going to become more and more noticeable.
Sophie Heins
ReplyDelete1st
Lance Armstrong tells Oprah he doped to win
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57563952/lance-armstrong-admits-doping-to-oprah/
A little bit ago Lance Armstrong, an extremely famous cyclist admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he doped to win. This came as a shock to the world. He had always denied that doped or drugged at all and was strongly against it. It was just shocking to the world. The terrible part of this is that it could affect his cancer organization which would be tragic.
I am shocked by this news. I always thought that he was somebody that could be looked up to and that he was a great guy with a miraculous story, I guess I was wrong. The terrible part is that his cancer organization will be affected. It actually is a great organization so if that is to be affected it could cause a ton of backlash. I understand that we should shun him but not his organization.
Louis Rabinowitz
ReplyDeleteTwo majorly twisted tails have both just become top news here in the USA. The first is that after years of denying the use of performance enhancing drugs Lance Armstrong has just admitted to usage. He did so in an interview with Oprah. The second twisted tail is that Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's girlfriend apparently never existed. He met her on an online relationship.
Both of these tails are tragic. Personally I find Lance's revelations more disturbing because they are ruining the lives of many people across the globe.
McKenzie Matherly
ReplyDeletePeriod: 2
New Details Emerge in Hearing for Colorado Theater Shooting Suspect
by By Casey Wian, Jim Spellman and Michael Pearson, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
James Holmes(25) killed 12 people on July 20 in a Colorado theater shooting. He went to the midnight premiere of The Dark Night Rises with a rifle and opened fire. Now, new evidence has been found in the case of James Holmes. There may or may not be enough evidence for Holmes to go to trial. The hearing could go on for days. Holmes seemed dejected from everything that's happening and willingly complied to everything the officers and judge told him to do.
I think that the fact of James Holmes being disinterested and unconcerned with what was happening around him is odd. It said in the article that he just stood outside the theater after killing all those people. I don't quite understand this. If anything, he should be interested in his fate of living or dying. This whole situation is odd. I want to know: Why doesn't he care about his life more?
Paige Haskins
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
January 17, 2012
Article: Colorodo Move Theater, scene of mass shooting, Reopens
URL: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/18/us/colorado-aurora-theater-reopens/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
In this article, they talk about the movie theater shooting that occured on July 12 in 2012 in Aurora Coloroda. THey discussed the likely event of its reopening. Many family members who lost a loved one in this shooting are protesting this idea on behalf that it's too soon. They argue that they will never see their loved ons again and don't wantsomeone who didn't try to help or reach out to them during this in those theaters, where they died. Colorodo Governor still beileives that the theater should reopen as kind of a closer for those who lost someone. This will help those people return to their normal lifes and hopefully with peace. Some famlies however have not been to peaceful with this situattion. Many have threatened to sue and some already have. Never the less, the theater plans to reopen by the end of next week.
I think it's a good idea to reopen the theater because this way things would return to normal and the memory of that terrible night can go behind everyone. I think if it reopens the family members would have complete closer. Typically closer is at the grave during the funeral, but because there nine people had very public deaths, it only seems resonable to have a public closer, by reopening the theater.
Alex Parks
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
“USA needs more effective flu shots, experts say” by Liz Szabo and Elizabeth Weise
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/11/flu-strains-vaccine/1827677/
The center for disease control and prevention noticed that flu vaccines are only 62% effective. That information has led to the fact that we need better flu vaccines. Another study proved that the vaccine is barely effective for children or people over 65. People want drug companies to develop a flu vaccine that would protect people for years at a time, that kind of vaccine would include common parts of the virus that do not change yearly. It is thought that a universal flu shot could be developed in 5 years but could take up to 15 years.
I think that a universal flu shot would be a great breakthrough because it would be more effective and it would last for years like other vaccines. The problems with developing a universal flu shot include expense and that drug companies would not make as much money because they would not have to produce yearly flu shots. The problem is that if the companies do not make enough money then they will not have an incentive to produce it in the first place. I think that a universal flu shot would greatly improve modern life.