London Shooting Spree...cnn.com

A gunman in London, England had went on a shooting spree in popular tourists visiting areas and killed 12 people in a very short amount of time. When police investigated the shooting further they found the suspected gunman in a wooded area dead. The police believe that the gunman after the killings had committed suicide. I think that there has to be something very wrong with a person to want to kill so many and then take their own life.

Natalie Halloway story......five years later

As i Watched the movie of Natalie Holloway it upset me and angered me because i couldn't understand why someone would want to end the life of an all American girl that had a future as bright as the sun. To hear that the man that had ended her life was not able to be convicted because of the lack of evidence later put a stop to many peoples hopes that they would ever find her body and that the man would be brought to justice.
But now five years to the day that Natalie Holloway was not to come home, there was a girl, Stephany Flores, was found face down in a hotel room dead. The last person to be with her was Joran van der Sloot, the man that was also last seen five years ago with Natalie Holloway.
To me this is concerning and unacceptable. i believe that this man should be convicted for what he has done and should be made realize the pain that he has put the family members of these poor girls through. This man should be put behind bars for the rest of his life in my opinion.

MTV True life

This video helped me see how similar that the Saudi Arabian people are to us in the United States. I feel that this video could change the way all people in the US see people from Saudi Arabia. The video i know opened my eyes to what others do and enjoy from other countries. It also showed me how lucky we women in the United States take our freedoms for granted. I think that this video should be shown at some point in school to students because it can teach them many different things that they may not have ever thought others would relate to them.

Oil Spill update 2

Today now the oil spills are becoming more unruly. While two weeks ago the people trying to fix the spill were predicting that it will end soon, they now see it becoming a larger problem that we don't know what to do about it. I know that many people are wondering how we are going to fix this problem but i don't see us finding a fix anytime to soon. I think that if we do find a fix to this oil spill problem that many people come to realization that they have to also help in some way to stop and prevent it from happening again.

Sinkhole

Recently in Guatemala there was a massive sinkhole that has opened due to the tropical storm that hit Central America. This natural disaster is one that not many people imagine happening. The sinkhole though is only one natural disaster that is effecting our world today.

Arizona police get killed on chase

Today in class we were talking about the latest news and one of my fellow students had brought up a shooting in Arizona that killed two policemen. The police were chasing after a vehicle that was involved in a drug operation and when the policemen got out of the car the suspects got out and shot both, killing them. The vehicle was then followed by helicopter and more police. When the vehicle finally pulled over the suspects got out and the other policemen shot them and they were also killed along with the police they had shot earlier in the event. This had involved two cops in separate cop cars, the suspects and then many other policemen later in the event.

Oil spills**

Today the oil spills have had a very big impact on the world and our oceans. Just recently the workers of the oil spills have gotten it somewhat under control. The news have had a large part in keeping the people informed. The oil spills have also effected the animals that live in the oceans. I think that what we are doing to prevent the oil form spilling over more of the oceans. Now we have plugged the oil pipes with other tubes that have been collecting the oil and preventing it from spreading more.

*Time Square Bombing*

The bombing by the man that has been said to be part of the Taliban was in my opinion just one thing that could be a sign for more to come. Although our armed forces and the ones that fight to keep us safe tell us not to worry, i find myself more fearful to what they could be planing next. The one man that planed to bomb time square, although he did not succeed in doing so, he has frightened many Americans because of the fact that he had gotten past many people and if he would have succeeded in the bombing he would have taken many peoples lives as well. To see someone who looks like an everyday American that you would never think twice about bombing a large area that is highly populated, is a very scary thought that many today would like to push to the back of their minds and think about it later. This event has put us back into a more guarded, more worried, and more frightened world once again and in opinion that is where the Taliban wants us to be.

Epcot

When i had the chance to go to Epcot it was one of the most educational hands on trip i have ever been to and i would tell everyone who could go to do so. In Epcot, for those who don't know, is sections of countries with little food areas with people actually from the country you're in, and places that are famous in those countries that you can experience as if you were actually there. And i had the chance to see all the countries that they have in the park. I had the chance to also stop in some of the countries and experience some of their culture. In France i had gotten to eat some of their famous deserts. I also had gotten the chance to eat dinner in Norway with wonderful foods that were traditional but yet elegant. To learn more about a country and get the feel of how it would be if you were to go there i think Epcot is the perfect place to get that feel.

oil spills

Recently there have been oil spills in the gulf of Mexico that have been damaging the waters that our animals use for living. Many are wondering what we're going to do to clean up the oil spills and prevent it from happening again. I know that we are doing the best we can to clean it up right now but i wonder what can we do to prevent from this event from happening again?

Midevil times

I have recently been able to experience the show of knights fighting on horses and kings and princesses watching in amazement. I had gotten to enjoy the wonderful food that you only eat with your hands and the actors in character the whole time. This is a show that i would suggest to anyone that is willing to experience something new. To many it may seem weird and not entertaining and to them i have to say that i was that person who thought that too. But when i looked at it as an experience that you only get once, and i enjoyed it tremendously. This takes you back in history and shows you the games the knights had played for a certain purpose and to entertain the royalty of their nation.

The PA Governor election comercials

Everywhere on television now you see commercials on the elections for Governor. And the commercials that most likely catch my eye are the ones that make the runner seem more like an everyday person then someone who is going to be in control of many responsibilities that involve our state. The commercials that make me want to vote someone to have the ability to change something in our state is the person that would most likely do the most good, the one that sees not just people but people with families and loved ones that need help and they're willing to give that help. To me i do believe that these commercials are dramatized and made to make the elected people look their best but i do also think that it works cause i know if i were to see the politician that fit all of the things on my list i believe would make them best fit i would choose them.

Al Jazeera video**

This video showing all the ways of the advertising of war and way of living of the people was hard to watch and imagine that that's the way people do live. The way that they show the violence and death in their country in such a way of openness had made me uncomfortable with the way they do things. i understand that they want to show the public the way the war is going and the violence behind all the words but i think that the images and videos of the dead soldiers was something that shouldn't have been shown. The people that fought for our country or any country should not be publicized in a manner that was so degrading. This video had opened my eyes to many of the things i have never even heard of before.

Save Money today**

The way we are all going today is leading many people to a different way of living for everyone. The shortage of money is going to put many in a way of living that they aren't used to. Over less than a year the economy has dropped fairly fast. I think that people should start to save their money now before it gets any worse then it is now. I know that my family is used to going day to day saving our money and not spending it on things we don't need. But many others don't know what to do to save the money, because their to used to spending it. To save money people should start cutting out more coupons and not shop whenever the should start shopping when they only need things and every once in a while splurge on something they want.

Disney!!!!!!

One of the most visited places in the United States is Disney World or Land it doesn't matter which you go to it's the joy of being a kid again that brings people still to the attraction. Many never get the chance to experience the world that we see in the Disney movies. I luckily am able to enjoy this great place very soon. I, as many who haven't had the chance to go, am very excited. I'm very excited to be able to learn more of where the Disney characters have come from and where it all started. Today you see everything that has been made for Disney on television but i would like to see where it started.

Television of today

Television has brought many good things to families in the world. It has also been a way to educate others of what's happening in the world. The television was an invention that today many can't imagine living without. Some might even say that it's an addiction.

Television today has also had a negative impact on the world today. The shows on today are very different from what they showed years ago. Today T.V. shows are showing things that are real and hit people hard, the shows are somewhat more dramatic then anyone could imagine as well.


I believe that the television shows today have came to far. Although the shows are interesting and show parts of people that nobody would get a chance to see i think that it is something in someones life that should not all be shown to the public.
Television is something that should in today's society be regulated for children till they are a certain age.

Teen pregnancy's

Today it's not unlikely not to hear about teen pregnancy's. It is all to common any more for teenagers becoming parents. I think that teens aren't ready for the responsibility of taking care of a child. I respect the people that do have children at a young age and make the decision to step up and take responsibility for their actions but at the same time i also think that it could have been prevented by not having sex. Relationships today have reached a level of unacceptable that we have never thought we would ever see. the pressure in relationships to have sex has become something that many can't say no to. It is a form of peer pressure that has grown even more through the years. I believe that if the teens today would look at it as something important and not something just to do. Thinking of it as something bigger i think would make teens think twice and in the long run prevent teens from having children when they're not ready to.

Health care Reform

I believe that the health care is needed in the economy that we are living in today.
To help the families and individual people that need health care we need to provide health care for the ones who can't afford it. I also agree that people should work for their health care like everyone else, i do see how some can't get health care and so i believe they need to at least be presented with the opportunity of health care. But there should be things that they must do to get the health care. I think that the people should have to have a source of income of some sort.

unemployment / welfare discussion 3/4/10

A topic that had come up in class today was about people who collect money from the unemployment or welfare. The discussion had gone in many directions as to what we all think of this topic.
From my experience of having a parent be laid off of work and having the unemployment money supporting us, i feel that it is needed and should be given to the people who have worked all their lives and nothing but injuries to show for it. Having My parent who was laid off also later getting a job at the unemployment office gives me a chance to hear kind of what other people under the unemployment system are like. And although there are many people that are working hard to find another job but need the unemployment money to get them through till then, there is also the people that take advantage of the system and "play" it so that they don't have to find a job till later. This i feel is unfair. Unemployment should only be given to the people that actually are trying to support their families or live a somewhat normal life.

* Lives That are Gone But Not Forgotten *

Today in class we talked about a student that had passed away lasted year because of the reckless, drunk driving of her boyfriend. And although i agree to an extent that it's somewhat her fault for getting in the car, i also think that any person's life should be recognized widely if they have passed.
I have seen many people in my life pass away. And i wish that for every one of those people there would have been an article or some sort of recognition of them so that others could have seen what wonderful people they were. Yes, Many of them had chosen to make decisions in life that if they didn't it might have prevented their passing but that is what life is about. We live life, we make mistakes, and in the end we all move on.
When those people leave our lives they leave the memories behind with us. And although the memories are both good and bad, we focus only on the good. So why can we do that with the people we loved and were close to but we can't for the stranger's we hear about in the paper or on the news? How is it that we can grieve for our loved one's mistakes that had brought them to their end but we find ourselves looking down on the mistakes made by others that also led them to the end of their lives?
I think we have to start looking at all that's happening around us. Everyone must stop focusing on one person's life ending mistake and instead of criticizing it, we should learn from it. We should read those articles about the ones who made those horrible mistakes, with respect for the ones that are gone and also the loved ones that they left behind. We should take the life lesson and run with it, not following the path they took but going the other way.
With this highschooler's story it shows that when someone you know is under the influence of anything you shouldn't get into a car with them. This girl did and had to face the consequences.

"Baby's First Diet Pill" By: Annie Murphy Paul

The New York Times Magazine 8/ 5/ 07
All Immigration Politics Is Local Page 18

A man named Michael Cawthorne and a few friends from the Clore Laboratory at Britain's university of Buckingham, wants to create a baby formula to make baby's metabolism's resist gaining to much weight. They want to supplement regular formula with this formula that has leptin in it which is a hormone that appears in a baby's brain and regulates what calories will be stored in the body as fat or what the body will burn off. They want to make this formula because of the obesity rate rising.
some factors to why baby's are or might be overweight or are later in life can be caused by different reasons. One reason is how hot is is in the baby's home. The heat can have an effect on the baby's number of sweat glands they have later in life. Another cause can be the amount of stress the mother is during her pregnancy, the stress has an impact on the baby and can later follow them through life.
Cawthorne the man who wants to create this formula, has been testing this on animals because it is to new to try on humans just yet. Because of the safety treatment they must use, they have to be careful with the dose of leptin and when they give it to the baby. They hope to use this to end obesity in the future.

*Who do we help first OURSELVES or OTHERS????....*

Through the past few years the world has taken its share of bad events. And in almost every bad event the United States was there to help the countries in need. But where was the U.S. when we needed them? Where was the world when we needed them?
Remembering back on September 11, 2001, I see it as the day when it all started to fall apart. This is the day that our country had gone to war. But remembering what happened on that day it shows me that we are there fighting for a reason. We are fighting for our country’s freedom and safety, but we are also fighting for the freedom of the innocent people of the country that attacked us on that very day.
Now years have passed and we have gone through another tragic event. This disaster was called Katrina. This storm took away so much out of the country. It took lives away, homes, and a place that was once full of spirit is now in ruins and filled with sadness. And from that years have passed, and what are we focused on? What is our main priority at the moment? Our country is in Haiti helping them rebuild what is left of their country, and in chili helping them. But I don’t see the concern for our people in our country that are still left without homes, trying to find their family, and what they might have left of their life before the storm. How can we be so concerned with other countries but push aside our own problems? It might be selfish to say that we have to focus on our own country first but if that’s what we have to do to get our country back together again then that’s what we have to do. We need to get our country back on track and that means getting our problems fixed.

Healthcare

In my opinion health care should be something that everyone has an opportunity to have. Unfortunately many people don't have the privilege of having enough money to pay for health care. And that is why i think that the government should pay for people's health care if their job doesn't provide it or if they are unemployed and looking for work. It is not fair that woman who aren't covered can't go to their doctors visits when they are pregnant. They should be able to have the baby looked at and be able to get the medication that they need to help the baby grow strong before it is born. This is unacceptable and should be changed there should be health care for everyone if they have the money for it or not.

video thoughts 3....

After seeing this documentary my thoughts and knowledge of what happened when Katrina hit has grown. I didn't think much about the victims of Katrina as i do now, before i didn't hear much about the victims which lead me to believe that it must not have been that bad or most of the people had gotten out in time. To learn years later that it was much worse then people lead to believe was unforgivable. If the people who had worked on this story had gone through all of what the victims had to go through, i believe that more people would've had gotten the true story. The facts and opinions that are shown in this video i do, for the most part, agree with. As the UNITED States of America we should have been more involved in the Katrina victims lives and what they needed. We should have been able to come together as a country and help the people of our country come back from this disaster. I am very disappointed in our countries slow process of trying to get things back the way they were. It is many years later and they still have not gotten nearly as much as they should have done.

Video thoughts 2.....

This video is one that gives us insight on what really happened to the people that were affected by Katrina. It shows how others that weren't affected didn't exactly think of how they would have wanted to be helped when they were put in that situation. This video has taught me a lot about the troubles people went through with Katrina. It makes me look at these people in a way that i didn't before, i look at them as more stronger and independent people that have been working hard to keep their home that has been there through generations.

Video thoughts...1

This documentary shows just what struggles the people in New Orleans had to go through. It can't show us what they all went through personally but it gives us all a little more inside to what was going on while the country wasn't as involved as they should have been. I think that instead of us taking days to get down there and help we should have been getting prepared before the storm even came. They say that they knew it was coming so why couldn't they start helping the people sooner. This video shows the rawness of what really happened and how the people affected feel about it. It also shows what reporters that reported on this natural disaster felt about what wasn't happening and what the government people weren't doing to help the one's in need. I think that this video helps us understand what was really going on in New Orleans while the reporters were lying and making the true life stories of people into lies and dramas. I hope that if a natural disaster would ever happen like this one again that our country will be prepared and ready to help our country before we get concerned with others.

Haiti/Katrina

All though i believe that it's a good thing that we are helping the other's in Haiti. But what i don't understand how we can help other's before we help ourselves. When hurricane Katrina had occurred in the United States our own people were in trouble and suffering and it took us how long to get supplies to them to help them survive. Now today the country of Haiti has gone through an earthquake and it took us no longer than a few days to start sending things to them and getting supplies for them. What my question is, is who should we be more concerned for? Should we be more concerned with what's going on in our country and how we can help or should we be more worried about the other countries that in the end we don't know will help us in the future.

"walking like spiderman may not be so far..."

Every kids dream when they were little was to be like a superhero. Well for the ones that wanted to be Spiderman might just have the chance soon. Research in Cornell University have come up with palm-sized-liquid-adhesion devices or devices that basically make you able to climb like Spiderman. These devices work as suction cups that are so strong that let you move as the famous character. I think that technology today has become so advanced and this new creation just goes to show how great the future can be if we all choose so. So many dreams can be lived out, and so many changes could be made in the world that could just make it a better place to live.





http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10447948-1.html

coping...class discusion

If i were to be in the situation where someone was cheating i think i would turn them in depending on the situation. If someone would be cheating on an essay and taking the credit for someone else's work as there own i would definitely turn them in but if someone who usually dosn't cheat were to cheat on a small quiz that they didn't study for, i don't believe that i would turn them in.
Although many people may say that they have never cheated, I don't believe that that's true at all. Everybody has cheated once in their life, it might have been very small and on something that didn't matter all that much but cheating is cheating. But in the end I'm not completely sure that i would turn someone in.

"oligopoly..."

I agree with this statement. I do believe that we need to make changes so that we have better journalism to be serious about democracy. We need people to get more involved in what's going on and to become more interested in the democracy. I think that it would be a smart idea to grow the journalism into a eye catching way to make people interested.

class discusion 2-3-10

The technology of today has come a long way. I believe it may be coming to far. Schools starting to get into gaming to teach children, may be seen as a good way of teaching but i see it as only a way to get children to pay attention to what they should be learning not a way of actually teaching them the skills and education they need. I can see where the games would have a positive effect on the students but i also think that the games wouldn't help the students in later schooling. The kids will move on to greater schooling and wont know what to do because of the games they learned from. I don't understand though how it teaches the children lessons. I don't think that this way of learning or teaching is as beneficial then regular book teaching and learning as well as the one on one help that you could get from teachers. being on a game can't teach you or explain questions u might have. it may seen fun for the kids but i don't think that it will be helpful in their future of learning.

State of Union Speech

The state of union speech made by Obama was uplifting and to many people what they wanted to hear. The issues it brought up had value to many people in the country and i think that's why many enjoyed what he had to say. The Comments made about the ongoing depression we are in right now gave many, including me hope about the future. Being one of the people that had a parent who was unemployed for almost over a year i understand how hard it is to only have what you need and how it effects the way of living that you're used to. After a lot of stress put on the family with a very tight budget, having my father find a job in the economy today was some of the best news that our family had gotten in a while. After hearing that Obama wants to make more jobs for more people i was ecstatic. To hear that many other families won't be put in that position of stressing over how they're gonna be able to put food on the table was a sign that our country just might be looking up. Obama also made comments on the money of Collage. Collage hasn't ever been cheep but to be going now it's, more expensive then ever. To hear that he wants to help so that many more students can move forward with their education was something i know many of the people of this country wanted to hear. I believe that Obama wants to make a change in this country but i also think that he has to start making us see that he is. The people need to start seeing the change he is talking so highly about. Till the country sees that I don't think that we're going to be going anywhere fast.


channel 12-Obama's State of the Union Speech

Boy, 7, raises money for Haiti

A boy in London, England has made a big effort to help the people in Haiti. He set a goal for himself to just raise a small amount of money that he could donate although he also had created a website where other's could donate themselves. With the help of many people and his donation ideas his goal was reached. Not only reached but he went way over his goal. This seven year old child doesn't know how his idea has impacted many people around the world. As I read this article I thought to myself, look at this kid all he wants is to help people in the world. And not only did he help those in Haiti who have lost everything but he also changed the minds of many people that were not personally effected by the natural disaster. I support this child in what he is doing to help Haiti and I think that if we would all join together in helping them we'd have more people to help us in the event that we would have another natural disaster.



http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/25/uk.boy.charity.haiti/index.html