Sunday, December 29, 2013

Oh deer by Imani

Simply put. A feer wandered about and ended up in a store.You know, I could turn this into a huge "save their homeland" rant but no. I wont. All I will say is, we had this coming, and shouldn't obsess over preventing it. After all the things morally right or wrong we have done to the Earth, we have to accept that the animals were here first, and that we don't actually OWN anything, especially not land. Oh look at that, this is a rant on saving their homeland isn't it. Oh well.

http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-berks/oh-deer-dayafterchristmas-shoppers-caught-by-surprise/-/121418/23658854/-/b81sjx/-/index.html?hpt=us_bn7

Monday, December 23, 2013

Dying girl's wish granted by 10,000 carolers(Rhyann Lee)

Dying girl's wish granted by 10,000 carolers(Rhyann Lee)

Summary :
(CNN) - Eight-year-old Laney Brown will never see Christmas again. Her doctors say leukemia will take her soon.
Laney loves music. Loves to dance, loves Taylor Swift, loves Christmas carols.
As her dying wishes, she asked to meet the country superstar and for some people to come by her house for a night of caroling.On Friday -- her birthday -- Laney and Swift video chatted through FaceTime, a software application that allows callers to see each other on Apple products.
Saturday night the singers came. At first it was hundreds of people, then thousands. Then it was 10,000.

Analysis : this is so sweet and wonderful ! It almost brought tears to my eyes ! The love that they showed Laney was very nice and loving http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/22/us/dying-girl-christmas-carol-wish/index.html?c=us

Friday, December 20, 2013

Phil Robertson suspended

Summary:
     Phil Robertson from the popular television series "Duck Dynasty" was suspended after publicly stating his arguable opinion about gay people. Some people such as Sarah Palin and Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal are supporting him. He said, "It's a messed up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended." Robertson's opinions were based off of his personal beliefs, not directed toward anyone specific or anyone of the A&E Network/show. This network is known as a supporter of the gay/lesbian community and therefore did not like Robertson's comments.

Analysis:
     Yes, I see how saying his opinion about such an arguable topic can get him into some trouble, but I don't think getting suspended from his show is necessary. He purely just stated what he thought..it's not like he made "disparaging remarks about gays" like they are saying he did. Plus, later he said how he would never show disrespect towards someone because they are "different". Also, it is reasonable for him to have these opinions, considering he grew up in a time period with a society that is completely different to our society now. Therefore, it's reasonable for him to not be as open to ideas, such as gay people, that are more freely expressed in today's time.

http://news.yahoo.com/patriarch-off-39-duck-dynasty-39-gay-comments-013907278.html

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Affluenza Teen by Dylan Asher

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/ethan-couch-affluenza-lawsuits-car-crash-texas_n_4461585.html


On Dec. 10, the Texas 16-year-old was sentenced to a decade of probation after killing four people while driving drunk. During his trial, a psychologist called by the defense testified that Couch suffers from "affluenza," meaning that on the night of the crash he did not understand the consequences of his actions because of his privileged upbringing. Prosecutors had sought a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Couch is facing five lawsuits brought by families of the crash victims. The suits also target Couch's father, Fred Couch, as well as Fred's company, Cleburne Metal Works, which owned the pickup Couch was driving during the fatal wreck.
Marla Mitchell, mother of Breanna Mitchell, 24, who was killed in the crash, is suing for unspecified damages, as is Shaunna Jennings, wife of 41-year-old youth pastor Brian Jennings, who was also killed, reports NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. Eric and Marguerite Boyles are suing on behalf of deceased family members Hollie Boyles, 52, and Shelby Boyles, 21. The parents of two injured victims are also suing.
The tragic accident occurred when Couch was driving 30 mph over the speed limit outside Dallas on June 15 and swerved off the road. His Ford F-350 hit a small crowd of pedestrians gathered near Breanna Mitchell's broken-down car. Couch's blood-alcohol level was .24 at the time, which is three times the legal limit for an adult in the state of Texas.

Response:
Are you joking? Is this judge honestly granting a reprieve to an immature child, who stole alcohol from WalMart and then proceeded to drive three times the speed limit and kill people,  all because his lawyer cooked up some idea that he has Affluenza? Affluenza is basically this thing where kids become used to this mindset of not knowing right from wrong due to being so spoiled all the time.
This decision is not fair by any means! To let an innocent family's death go unpunished all because his parents are wealthy?
The most disgusting part is that Ethan Couch stated in an interview that he really didn't learn that much from this whole calamity. But the one thing he really took away was that he should follow the speed limit.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Peace on earth by:Taylor Grant-Gates

My current event is actually going to be about something that is currently going on in my AP English class. For exams this week we had to prepare to debate is there could be peace on earth. The twist was that we had to argue both the positive and the negative arguments. When it came time to debate I was chosen to argue the positive side, or yes, there can be peace in earth. I went on to detail how if the world took the time to understand and accept one another's differences then we could be peaceful. My opposition obviously refuted that. The debate ended in a tie nevertheless. But this got me thinking, can there ever really be peace on earth? Truthfully speaking from my heart:no. Why? Because there is always going to be evil or conflict on this earth. Evil will always conquer one and when it conquers one it will conquer another and another. Bad trips good all the time. Peace can be attainable in small sections of the earth in even smaller periods of time. Peace is not an allusion, it's just so very hard to come by its seems impossible. But seriously ask yourself, Can there be peace on earth? If yes, in its entirety or just partly?

Saudi ready to act alone on Iran, Syria: ambassador- Sarah Klein 4th period

A top Saudi diplomat said that the West's policies on Iran and Syria are a "dangerous gamble" and Saudi Arabia is prepared to act on its own to safeguard security in the region,
"We believe that many of the West’s policies on both Iran and Syria risk the stability and security of the Middle East," the Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, wrote in a commentary in the New York Times.
The bluntly-worded warning was the latest in a series of public statements by senior Saudi figures showing their displeasure with Western diplomacy towards Syria and Iran.
The Saudi kingdom has been dismayed by Washington's decisions to pull out of Syria militarily and to establish a nuclear deal with Iran. Saudi leaders have rarely voiced public criticism of their Western allies until recently.

I think Saudi Arabia has good reason to be upset with the recent US behavior in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia may not be an ally that the U.S. wants to lose.
http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-ready-act-iran-syria-39-without-39-051516382.html





China confirms near miss with U.S. ship in the South China Sea- Sarah Klein 4th period


China on Wednesday confirmed an incident between a Chinese naval vessel and a U.S. warship in the South China Sea.  The US government said a U.S. guided missile cruiser had avoided a collision with a Chinese warship maneuvering nearby.
The near-miss between the US ship and a Chinese warship operating near China's only aircraft carrier was the most significant U.S.-Chinese maritime incident in the since disputes in the South China Sea in 2009.
China's Defense Ministry said the Chinese naval vessel was conducting "normal patrols" when the two vessels "met", but from a separate news agency, the Chinese accused the US of intentionally provocative behavior.

It is very hard to know whether this encounter was really accidental or not because of the tensions over this issue. I think it was wrong, but inevitable, for the Chinese to blame the US for being deliberately provocative.

http://news.yahoo.com/china-confirms-near-miss-u-ship-south-china-030206620.html

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Brain Dead Teenager Ashley Barnes 2nd

After having her tonsils removed, a teenager tragically had a bad surgery, and 2/3rds of her brain swelled. She was pronounced medically dead. The family of this child wanted to keep her on life support. They feel as though she could heal and get better, if she remained on the plug. However, medical doctors are stating that the girl is legally dead, and that they don't treat dead people. They also said that they would have the right over the family to unplug her. One problem with delaying the teenager being unplugged, is that it will become harder to see what went wrong.

This is devastating. Surgery isn't perfect. It can be so helpful, but there is always a chance of something like this when you start surgery. I find it incredibly sad that the parents don't want to unplug her, but have to. It is understandable why the hospital wants to unplug her, but I know that if it were me, I would be incredibly upset about this choice. Hopefully once they unplug her, they will be able to determine what went wrong in the surgery, in order to prevent this terrible event from happening again.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/health/california-girl-brain-dead/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Byron Otis-Florida School Drops Confederate Name

Nathan B. Forrest High School in Florida (named after a confederate general and Ku Klux Klan member) was titled so fifty-four years ago, against the wishes of both students and teachers. It was recently taken to a vote and was unanimously decided that the name should be changed. With 64 percent of the student population being black, it is completely understandable that this name should be a cause for offense. The new name is to be either Firestone or Westside, both of which are boring, but perhaps less offensive. While Nathan Forrest is generally considered to be a military genius, I'm not sure whether being very good at amassing and organizing people to fight for an oppressive institution is a feat worthy of school. I feel very good about our school, named after Booker T. Washington, especially because nobody could ever argue the legitimacy of his feats, or whether he was a good person.

"Colorado high school gunman had intended to attack five classrooms," Carson Wright, 5th Period

Last week, a teenage gunman named Karl Pierson, an 18-year-old senior at Arapahoe High School, stormed a Colorado high school. Pierson critically wounded classmate Claire Davis in his rampage, which lasted about eighty seconds. Upon his forearms he wrote "the numbers and letters that correlate to specific rooms in the building," as well as the Latin phrase, "Alea iacta est," meaning, "the die has been cast."
Pierson was armed with a shotgun, ample ammunition, a machete and three Molotov cocktails. He fired five rounds and ignited one cocktail during the attack on Friday.
When an armed deputy stationed at the school cornered him, Pierson committed suicide.
An ongoing investigation will look into whether or not Pierson had any assistance with carrying out the heinous act.
Pierson's parents have stated that they are "shattered and devastated" by their son's actions, and that they "cannot begin to understand why Karl did what he did."

There have been twenty-one school shootings since Columbine. There have been roughly 33,672 gun-related deaths since Newtown. There has been, thus far, virtually no change in firearms policy and legislation.
I keep thinking that the next one will convince them; the next one will be enough to engender a change in gun control laws. But there is no change.
There is no change because the extremists of the pro-gun lobby believe that restricting gun safety regulations will result in the nullification of the second amendment and a ban on all guns. This belief, if naught else, illuminates the fear and paranoia that rests behind any sort of legislation considered to be "liberal."
So, due to the political distaste of some, the safety of many is cast off into the gutter and trampled underfoot by madmen. Maybe one day, reason will be the prevailing guide.

Article: http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-high-school-gunman-had-intended-attack-five-235606880.html

Teen hugs teacher and gets suspended: Joan Milburn pd. 1

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/living/parents-student-suspended-sexual-harassment-hugging-teacher/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

17-year old Sam Mcnair hugged one of his teachers and ended up getting a year long suspension from his high school which puts his college plans in jeopardy. He is a senior who plays football and is getting ready for lacrosse and now he is being suspended. The teacher claims that not only did Mcnair hug her, but kiss her neck. Mcnair denies the accusation.

Response
I think this is just a personal space issue elevated to the next level. The teacher claimed that she warned him about hugging and that he kissed her neck but Sam denies it. It is a case of he said she said that could end up costing a kid his future. However, if he did make inappropriate contact with the teacher some measure of discipline should be taken out.

Archbishop accused of abuse: Joan Milburn pd. 1

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/17/archbishop-accused-of-abuse-takes-leave-of-absence/?hpt=hp_t2

The Catholic Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis was accused of inappropriately touching the buttocks of a young boy during a photo session. He is voluntarily taking a leave of absence due to the accusation which is actually said to have taken place in 2009.

Response
I don't necessarily know how to take this story. If this happened in 2009 why is the boy just now coming forward with the story? Well I guess thats up to the boy. If there was any inappropriate touching I think it is good the the archbishop takes a leave of absence.

Girl braindead after tonsil surgery: Joan Milburn pd. 1

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/health/california-girl-brain-dead/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

The parents of Jahi McMath are fighting to keep her on a ventilator after she was declared braindead following a tonsillectomy. The surgery to remover her tonsils was recommended for sever reasons such as helping her sleep apnea, helping her loose weight and focus better and more. The surgery was at first thought to be a success as she was alert and talking. She was then moved to the ICU where her parents were not allowed to see her and following that episode she was pronounced braindead.

Response
This is really sad and puzzling at the same time. It surprises me that she was up and alert one minute and then braindead the next. I am curious if it was a result of the surgery or some other medical reason that just had bad timing. Regardless, the world lost a child and that in itself is tragic.

2 dead in Reno medical building shooting: Joan Milburn pd. 1

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/us/reno-hospital-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

2 were killed in a shooting at a medical building at Renown Regional center in Reno Nevada. One person was gunned down and the shooter then died of a self inflicted gun-shot wound. 2 others were injured and are being treated at the hospital.

Response
I think this is a tragic story. I read over the entire article and it didn't say the reason for the shooting which makes the situation even more frustrating. I am just glad that more people weren't injured or killed. It also says in the article that the building tweeted about the shooter so people could take cover which I thought was really amazing.

Family wants to keep life support for girl brain dead over tonsil surgery-Michael cano 1st period

Summery
Jahi Mcmath, a 13 year old girl is declaired brain dead after going to get her tonsils removed. She is now on life support ..she had the surgery the 9th and it initially went great, says sand chapman whos jahis grandmother whos herself a nurse. She was doing well after and then she was moved to intensive care unit . after that her family couldnt see her. 30minutes later they noticed somthing wasnt write. When they got to see her they noticed there was too much blood and they continued to ask the nurses if this was normal, some said yes and some said they didnt know. Her family is saying that the hospital is pushing them to take her off of life support and arent compasionate ,but she wants to still fight.

Analysis
Mayra Cuevas wrote this artical and it was published december 17 which is today.  This story just happened and im guessing she wrote this article to update people on the sad event. This is the first time me hearing this story but ive read articles like this. The main point of this article is to inform people about an unfortunate event that happened to a little girl. It wasnt her fault and reading article slike this make me sad. this story is relevent to us because most of us have had tonsils taken out and this could happan to any of us. This event is a scary thing that makes me question a doctor.http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/health/california-girl-brain-dead/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Year-long suspension for innocent hug? Valerie Coahuilas

 A Georgia high school senior has been suspended for a year after he hugged a teacher. He claims to have been trying to brighten her day but she denies this and believed it to be sexual harassment. A school surveillance camera happens to capture the incident, showing McNair embracing the teacher from behind causing her to push him aside. The teacher claim his lips touched her neck, but he denies this. She also states that she has previously warned him in the past of these kind of approaches. The young man's mother, April McNair, says she never heard any complaints in the past and is worried that the suspension could seriously affect her son's ability to graduate and attend college. McNair says he has never tried to kiss the teacher and he and his mother say they're just a family of huggers.




http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/why-teen-suspended-hugging-teacher-193100001.html 

You won the big one, now what?

ttp://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/us/if-you-win-the-lottery/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

A great question indeed. What WOULD you do if you won the lottery. Some people pay their way to stardom, other solemnly vow to give to the "less fortunate" The fact is, money is a disease, yes a disease. Once you get it, the mindset will take over your life. Those who once hated reality television celebrities then become them, those who wanted to give become greedy and spend their money on idle things like cars and lavish homes. Coming upon a sum of money randomly, we all know, entices you to spend it as such- randomly.

Elvis....really

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/12/13/tsr-pkg-moos-elvis-is-alive-kinda.cnn.html


Not that I don't love elvis, but who actually cares if some one sounds like elvis. This trend of idealizing celebrities so much that your only cool if you sound like him, is in my opinion pretty stupid. Other people should not be the standard of perfection, because in the words of miley cyrus "nobody's perfect."

One step loser Mmontana Dalton 2nd period

A recent new development of machines that can run, jump and climb. But the new breed of robots uses vast amounts of data as well as include high-tech motors, springs and sensors. A Wildcat robot can gallop at 16 miles per hour however the Cheetah can run even faster, at an astounding 28.3 miles per hour. The founder of these creations were by Marc Raibert, a professor at Boston Dynamics. He based these machines off of animals giving the sense of a lively quality. They are able to carry heavy packs, climb mountains and even run at high speed.


This is just one more step closer to the development of technology and i am still indifferent as to whether this is  benefiting our society or corrupting it of its natural inclinations. I personally feel as though humans now a days spend way to long on technology whether for academic or individual purposes.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Colorado shooting victim in critical condition: Devon Travis

Last Friday, a school shooting in Colorado critically wounded Claire Davis, the school's senior. The family of Karl Pierson, the 18 year old shooter, send their prayers to Claire and her family. People are still hoping will Claire will recover from her coma.

This makes me wonder why bad things happen to good people. Why do we let these people into our schools, and how can school shootings be stopped? Can we figure out if a person is dangerous before they take action? These situations are always horrible, from Sandy Hook to the aurora shooting, if onlt these innocent people had not made it to school that day. But think about it, are we ever really safe? How is there a way to figure out if someone will shoot up the school? Morbid thoughts... but it's become a more common thing in the past decade. My prayers to Claire

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/15/us/colorado-school-shooting-victim/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1

Year in Review: Bioengineers make headway on human body parts- Haley Hill


Year in Review: Bioengineers make headway on human body parts

haley Hill- 4th
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/year-review-bioengineers-make-headway-human-body-parts


These organs (brain, kidney) were made by stripping down rat kidneys, and mouse hearts and adding new cells to it. 

Researchers have learned how to turn embryonic stem cells into all sorts of different cell types. But, in order to be successful, the cells need to team up to form tissues and organs that doctors can transplant into patients that need them. Gel based frameworks help stick the very delicate cells together because when developing, they're very fragile. 
Although this is only a start, it is the beginning of a new age of biomedically produced organs and tissues. This is a huge breakthrough and definitely will help benefit society in the future once everything is worked out.


Comet ISON sweeps near sun, shows signs of "life" by Joi Ware

Summary: The comet ISON, or a portion of it, is now thought to have survived its close encounter with the sun. Scientists say that it is throwing off dust and (supposedly) gas. But they're not sure how long it will last. It went 730,000 miles over the sun on Thursday. Comets are made up of frozen gases, rocks, and dust, and can be up to several miles wide. When they are warmed, they develop tails of gas and dirt. Comets are not typically in our part of the solar system. Scientists take opportunities such as this one to study comets, hopefully finding clues about how our solar system formed. ISON was discovered last year with a telescope in Russia. Scientists hoped it would survive its encounter with the sun and give off an even larger dust trail than usual. Earlier on Thursday, NASA had practically declared it dead, but other scientists refused to give up hope. The discovery that it had apparently survived led many to nickname it "the zombie comet".

Analysis: I find it fascinating that the comet survived the intense heat of the sun. It makes me wonder what exactly it consisted of. ISON is a type of comet called a "Sungrazing comet", since it traveled so close to the sun. Scientists will probably be able to learn a lot from this unusual event. We'll have to wait and see what further things they discover about it. It may actually reach a point where it becomes so bright that it can be seen with the naked eye. Hearing about things like this makes me want to grab a telescope and see if I can catch a glimpse of it- although I doubt anything I have access to would be powerful enough to spot it in its current state.


For the full story visit, http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/us/ison-comet/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Mice on Steroids- haley hill


Mice on steroids

Haley Hill 
https://student.societyforscience.org/article/mice-continue-to-build-muscle-after-stopping-steroid-use

We all know the negative effects of steroids because of what is reported in the news. However, new science shows that when mice are injected with steroids, they continue to build muscle despite having only been injected once. "In fact, if steroids have the same effect on people that they did in the study mice, steroid-taking athletes would have to be banned from competition for at least 10 years. The drugs’ effects may last at least that long."
Basically, once you have the nuclei in the muscle, you can't lose them. Through experiments it showed that even mice treated a while ago, versus mice who weren't even treated, the ones who were only given one injection years ago were able to build more body strength and more muscle much quicker than mice without being injected. 
Because of the implications of steroids, it would be hard to test this on humans in a humane way. But it's an interesting theory. 
muscle on right shows with steroids, muscle on right shows w/o


China’s Chang’e-3 craft lands on the moon - haley Hill


China’s Chang’e-3 craft lands on the moon

Haley hill- 4th
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/chinas-change-3-craft-lands-moon


The unmanned shuttle and rover finally made it to the moon and had a successful touchdown on December 14th. This marks the third country to land a shuttle on the moon and since 1976. After about 7 hours, the rover, Jade Rabbit, rolled onto the moon's surface. The rover is expected to study the moon's surface and minerals. With the telescopes and cameras on the rover, it is supposed to view and document objects farther out into space. 

Although this is an incredible breakthrough for the Chinese, could this possibly cause an accidental scramble for other uninvolved/involved countries? Cold War 2? OR could this just be a breathtaking discovery waiting to happen? It should be interesting to find out.

Nana Johnson - Kiss Your Bananas Buh-Bye

Summary: The main variety of bananas that are shipped to the United States, the Cavendish banana, may be wiped out within the next few years. The variety is under serious attack by a fungus that has spread outside of Asia, and into Mozambique and Jordan. The biggest fear is that the fungus spreads to Latin America, who is the world's largest banana exporter. Prices for bananas have also significantly increased over the past 10 years. Luckily, the Cavendish is only 13% of bananas produced every year.

Analysis: Although I don't particularly care for Cavendish bananas, I can certainly see why this is an issue. With the constant use of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms), we are putting ourselves at more risk for completely depleting the species. If a virus or bacteria were to surface upon a specific gene in a plant, the entire crop runs the risk of not surviving for years. This does not only apply to these bananas, but all produce that is genetically modified. This also makes me believe that in the United States we should be able to have another variety of produce incase something like the Great Famine in Ireland occurs. Because Ireland's staple crop was the potato, a potato disease caused an entire population to starve. Variety and natural selection is key, and we shouldn't become overly dependent on a specific species being there because they will always be replaced.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/kiss-your-bananas-buh-bye-163342332.html

Europa vents water, Hubble data suggest-Haley Hill


Europa vents water, Hubble data suggest

Haley Hill-4th 
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/europa-vents-water-hubble-data-suggest

Water vapor spewed from Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, according to research shown on the 12th of December. Hydrogen atoms, possibly having been water molecules, are shown in blue in the picture above. This could possibly mean the moon is life supporting, but in order for beings to exist on it, there would have to be water and heat under the kilometers thick ice. The Hubble Space telescope was able to detect ultraviolet radiation emitted by hydrogen and other atoms from Europa. NASA has proposed a $2 billion mission called the Europa Clipper, but a $230 million cut in planetary science funding this year and more proposed cuts for next year mean there’s no guarantee it will launch

This is astonishing and is a breakthrough in astronomical discovery. If only NASA had the money to support research like this.

Patience Henderson 1st Period; Indiana Groom Dies in Road Accident Hours after Wedding

 William Riley Knight and his wife had just got married and where leaving their wedding reception when he pulled over to he side of the road to help a lady whose car was stuck in a ditch. Linda Darlington was stranded along with her car in need of help, while Riley got out to help the woman both of them were struck multiple time by the side of the road. A source Patti Van Til said that is wife was still in her wedding dress when the incident occurred. Riley had four children and two stepchildren, a friend says he was wonderful with children. All the drivers remained on the scene there was no sign of alcohol was a factor in the crash, the accident still remains an investigation. "He was just trying to do a good thing for somebody in need," the spokeswoman said."It's very sad. We have a job to do here, but sometimes it just brings you sadness."
 
 
Analysis:
 
 
This is crazy just after his wedding reception he does a good deed and he ends up dying. Some say bad things always happen to good people, whether or not he was a good person he was doing a good deed. But I feel like it genuinely was an accident, even though it wasn't intentionally.



http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/15/us/indiana-groom-death/index.html?hpt=us_c1

Griffin Johnston, 4th period, Security officials learned from their improved their tactics after Columbine shooting to stop Arapahoe High School shooter


            On Foxnews.com the Associated Press reports on the success of the security measures put into place after the Columbine shooting in the recent shooting at Arapahoe High School. Karl Pierson, the shooter, was said to have shot himself after shooting his only victim and as a, the words of the article, “fast-acting school security officer, a deputy sheriff, closed in.” The prompt and aggressive action by the security officer prevented more casualties and was a revised tactic different from the tactic used by Columbine police officers who closed off the school. As the governer of Colorado said, “It’s nice to see how well the system worked. It’s a remarkable improvement from before. This could have been much, much worse.”
            Mistakes and flaws often bring about better results that if those mistakes were successes. The ability to learn from our mistakes shows tremendous maturity and sophistication and proved to be beneficial to the safety and well being of the students of Arapahoe High School. However the blemish that is still blatant (especially with this being among the multiple shootings in schools and public places) is the fact that he was able to walk into the school with a gun and get a shot off. Furthermore, the motive of the shooter does not fit with the lack-of-motive-mentally-unstable pattern that is ubiquitous in most recent shootings. The boy was said to have been, “a funny kid…smart…in the Eagle Scouts, a very intelligient kid.” Pierson also, “did not like being wrong.” The reason for the shooting was said to have been anger towards the librarian, who is also the debate coach, who had reprimanded him. As the governor said, the shooting, “defies any explanation, and you know we are searching for some pattern.” With all of the efforts to prevent these types of things from happening, we must not raise up our expectations to the point of saying that we “should” be able to completely stop these sorts of things from ever happening again. There is only so much the government can do. We often here these type of events in the news and get caught into thinking that the world has become a much more horrible place and the number of shootings have increased. However, according to Pew Research, the amount of shootings has decreased in the last several years. The media can tend to exaggerate the amount of shootings. This is a blessing. We become more aware of crimes around the nation and world and therefore be better able to improve.   Though we can never become complacent, we must have a positive outlook towards our current position while constantly seeking to improve. Strive for perfection even though you know you cannot get there.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/16/colorado-governor-visits-school-shooting-victim-says-post-columbine-security/?intcmp=obnetwork

Apple's Cook speaks out on civil rights- haley Hill


Apple's Cook speaks out on civil rights

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/tech/web/apple-cook-civil-rights/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

haley hill- 4th

Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke out on how civil rights and equality are at the core of his belief system. The speech came out when he was accepting a lifetime achievement award from his alma mater. He said he recalled a cross burning, a common symbol for racism, in his hometown of Alabama around 1960. "This image was permanently imprinted in my brain and it would change my life forever," he said. "I could never understand it, but I knew then that America's, and Alabama's, history would always be scarred by the hatred that it represented."

Its great to know that a CEO this important with so much media surrounding him advocates strong equality. Especially with LGBT laws trying to be passed. Maybe he can use some of his press to advocate different topics too. 

In Arapahoe texts, bonds between father and son shine through Ilana Lemack

A Colorado father texted his son after he saw several fire trucks and police cars infront of his son's high school, fearing something had gone wrong with his diabetes. A normal conversation between a caring father and son. At around 12:30 on friday, an 18 year old with a gun walked into the high school and first shot a girl in the hallway. He ignited firebombs in the library before killing himself in the back hallway of the school. The father that heard the sirens was unaware that any of this was going on, but he did know something was wrong and began driving towards the school. Keep in mind, Colorado is the same place as the infamous Columbine shooting of 1999. Throughout the shooting the father and son we're in touch with each other via text. Many other students were keeping in touch with their families during the shooting. One boy wrote a note on his hand in case he didn't make it out alive.

This is a heartwarming story even though it happened in a bad situation. It is good to know that there are so many strong relationships still existing.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/us/arapahoe-father-son-texts/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Nana Johnson - If Jennifer Lawrence Needs This Much Airbrushing, We're All Doomed

Summary:

This controversial GIF of Jennifer Lawrence reveals how the media unnecessarily photoshops images of those in Hollywood to fit their standards. The author of the article is most surprised by the fact that the magazine, Flare, photoshopped things that were already perfectly fine. They even photoshopped her fingers. Jennifer Lawrence is known for being outspoken about perfection within Hollywood. She doesn't think that she should conform to the Hollywood standards by going on a diet or changing who she is. She thinks that the industry had a significant opportunity to change the way that girls see themselves. The article also suggests seeing the positive sides about things you dislike about yourself.

This article really shows how the media attempts to insert the image of a "beautiful" woman in the United States. In the United States during the 1950s, the concept of a beautiful woman was a fuller figured woman like Marilyn Monroe. Jennifer Lawrence stated in an interview that she'd never go on a diet to fit a certain role, and she doesn't want girls trying to starve themselves to look like her either.
The author's main point is that at the media has a big impact on girl's self image and self awareness, and aren't making it any better. They are so obsessed with the concept of perfection, that it negatively impacts everyone else.

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/jennifer-lawrence-needs-much-airbrushing-39-doomed-210100228.html

"Judge Questions Legality of NSA Phone Records" (Melissa Kurtzman, 5th Period)

Summary: On Monday a judge ruled that the phone records kept by the NSA could violate the Fourth Amendment. Judge Richard J. Leon, a federal judge in the District of Columbia, ordered the government to stop collecting the data of the two plaintiffs who brought the case to court. Edward Snowden, the man behind the original leak of NSA files, released a statement from Moscow saying that "It is [just] the first of many". This ruling does not cover the entire program, but does apply to the plaintiffs.

Analysis: This entire phone record thing is all really weird. Obviously the government has a right to monitor someone's calls if they're considered suspicious but I don't think it's right to keep records of everyone's calls. I'm glad that Judge Leon made this ruling and I hope that everything gets sorted out soon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/us/politics/federal-judge-rules-against-nsa-phone-data-program.html?hp&_r=0

Kolina Hocevar period 5 Chris Brown probation yanked

A judge took off Chris Brown's probation because of his October arrest in Washington, but the singer's not going to jail because he's already in a court-ordered residential rehab program. He appeared before a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Monday, and must return for a hearing on February 10 that will decide if he'll serve jail time after his three months in rehab. Judge James Brandlin ordered Brown to check into a rehab program a month ago after he had been booted from another rehab facility a week earlier for smashing his mother's car window during a family session. "The clinical and medical team have witnessed very positive change in Mr. Brown since his psychotropic medications have been changed and he has been taken off medical marijuana," the program director said. "His ability to emotionally regulate himself has improved markedly." Brown was arrested on an assault charge in Washington on October 27. That case is why Brandlin ruled Monday that he was tentatively revoking Brown's probation for the Rihanna assault. He will decide in February if he will order Brown to complete his sentence in prison instead of probation.


If he wasn't rich, he'd be just another felon in the system.I think reducing the rate of re visitation and helping rehabilitation are more favorable than reveling in prison abuse. I understand that people want felons to experience what they did, but reducing re visitation and focusing on rehabilitation are more important. There is, however, the factor of deterrents, which makes the issue very complicated. Send the boy to jail already.

Sniffing Out Danger-Meg Mickelsen

The general consensus was that we only become fearful of a smell after information about the smell is processed by our brain, however a new study, using mice suggests otherwise.  In the study mice were given a specific odor and then a shock.  Soon before the smell was even processed by the brain, the mice showed a heightened response to the smell in the cells of the nose.  This suggests that experience and trauma can actually effect how are sensory organs work on a basic level, which could lead to better understanding of trauma patients.  I find this discovery very interesting I wonder if the hypersensitivity could be reversed using exposure therapy.  If so, this could greatly help trauma patients.  Read more about it here http://www.sciencedaily.com.

"Deaf Father Hears Daughter’s Voice for First Time Ever" - Natalie H. - Class 2



A dad hears his daughter’s voice for the first time. This article was featured six hours ago today (12/16/13) on Yahoo! News by Jennifer Carofano, a member of the Yahoo! Shine staff.

The world has come a long way from living in the dark. There are many open doors to finding the aids one needs to enhance their senses. And America is one of those places that can provide all the medical resources for its civilians.

Even so, we are still a little ways away from finding an ultimate cure to repairing the human body. 49-year-old Ken Stehle, who has been deaf since birth, just received the working hearing aid he needed, and hoped that it would prove to be successful at his daughter’s concert. It was there that he heard 15- year-old Ashley Stehle’s voice for the first time ever. After a touching song sung to her father, they were both moved to tears. Ken can now listen to more than just murmurs and vibrations.

Hopefully the world can provide an even better aid for future generations to come, but for now, we are truly grateful for what it has to offer today.


Source: http://shine.yahoo.com/ellen-good-news/deaf-father-hears-daughter%E2%80%99s-voice-for-first-time-ever-220821567.html

Nia Edwards 4th period Chris Brown's probation revoked!

Current Event
Nia Edwards

In October, singer Chris Brown was arrested in Washington on October 27. His probation was revoked because he is already in a rehab program. He has to return to a court hearing on February 10 to see if he is to go to jail after his time in rehab. He is known to have "anger-management problems and drug abuse issues" He has been on probation sine 2009 when he beat up Rihanna. He has just gotten kicked out of another rehab place because he smashed his mother's car window. The rehab facility have said that he has made a lot of progress since he first began coming. Brown has gotten into a couple of brawls that have the authorities questioning whether he should continue with rehab or just go to jail.

I am still surprised that Chris Brown is still acting up. You'd think after getting in trouble for beating up Rihanna he would learn to not do it again. I think maybe he should go to jail this time because it is evident that rehab is not doing him well. He needs to learn his lesson and the authorities need to stop giving him the easy way out and letting him go to rehab. Maybe spending some more time in jail will make him gather his senses and start doing the right things.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/showbiz/chris-brown-probaton-revoked/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Felicia Padilla 5th period: No suspicious devices found at Harvard after email

Tactical police assemble outside a building at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Monday, Dec. 16, 2013. Four buildings on campus were evacuated after campus police received an unconfirmed report that explosives may have been placed inside, interrupting final exams. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)


Today, school officials received an email stating that there were explosive devices in four buildings at Harvard University. Four buildings were evacuated, but after searching high and low, no explosives were found on campus. The email was received at around 9:00 this morning, which was right when students were to be taking their final exams. Harvard police and community officials are still investigating to try and find out who all was involved in the scandal. There is speculation that students sent the email in order to try and delay their finals, but officials aren't commenting on this suspicion at this moment.

It is very good news that this was a false alarm, and it is comforting to know that the school officials responded very quickly, and took the issue very seriously. The part that is unsettling is that someone would give a false alarm, this is very bad because everyone knows the story of the boy who cried wolf, plus it is awful to scare people like they did.
http://news.yahoo.com/no-suspicious-devices-found-harvard-email-214057443.html

Dangers in Delivery Valerie Coahuilas

Tracey Sole, a mother in Barnhart, Missouri was understandably upset when she read a UPS InfoNotice indicating that the new Android tablet she purchased for her daughter’s Christmas gift was left, “In Black Trash Can.” As initially reported by KTVI, a mother who had been saving her money for several months to buy her daughter an Android tablet was driven to tears after finding a notice in her mailbox letting her know that her package had been delivered and was left in a trash can. After an almost an hour of trying to contact UPS, they finally apologized for the incident and agreed to to buy a new tablet for her daughter before Christmas. After the story was made public, people began to offer donations to pay for a new tablet for her but she refused and said the donations should instead be made to Toys for Tots. Tracey also says she does not want the Driver to be fired because she can guarantee he will never make that mistake again. With the bad weather approaching and the holiday season coming with the possibility of thieves waiting it is very common for packages to be hidden so as to keep them safe.

http://www.maximumpc.com/ups_driver_leaves_android_tablet_trash_bin2013

Could Soylent solve world hunger?/ Arlesia McGowan Period 4


Soylent creator and CEO Rob Rhinehart says he'd like to take on world hunger,

By: Lauren Russell
Friday December 13, 2013

              To steer off the Friday the 13th baloney, how about world hunger for a change? What if there was a formula that could change all of that? Soylent, a nutrition product that has raised millions in seed fundings and pre-orders. It's a thick, light beige goop others describe as "bland" but CEO Rob Rhinehart says that is not meant for taste although they are still working it. This product is only for those who are looking for sustenance and nutrition in a meal. The meal substitute caters the young, healthy and broke being that it's only $3 per meal; the product could be a real money saver for people. Now, inspired by this motive, people all over the world are inspired to make their own Soylent recipe because of Rhinehart. Well I'd say we're close to solving the problem.
    I find it really fascinating that Rhinehart has created this amazing product. I feel that this can solve a lot of the world hunger issue and also the fact that poor families and people need to eat. Being that that is considerate of the problem hopefully no one will go hungry! Let's keep discovering :)

Arlesia McGowan
Period 4

Heres more! http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/13/health/soylent-hunger/index.html?hpt=he_c2