DJs 12/3/12

[Dylan Panicucci]

[Dylan Panicucci]

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 4:02:01 PM UTC-5, Dylan Panicucci wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/sport/football/nfl-chiefs-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

            Jovan Belcher a Kansas City Chiefs’ player killed his baby’s mother and then proceeded to kill himself.  Belcher was a free agent picked up by the Chiefs, and then he worked his way to full-time starter.  He was a favorite among his teammates and fans.  Belcher first killed his girlfriend at her house and then went to the stadium where he talked to and thanked his coaches before killing himself in front of them.  It is known that Belcher and his girlfriend had been fighting, and perhaps this sparked the violent outburst.  His baby is left without parents and lives with relatives.  It is a complete tragedy, and his teammates are filled with grief.  However, the game will go on this Sunday as an obligation to the people of Kansas City.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/world/americas/belize-mcafee-killing/index.html?hpt=us_c1

            John McAfee, a former security software creator, is living life on the run in Belize.  McAfee said someone poisoned his dogs, which he believes was his neighbor who hated the dogs.  Two days later, McAfee’s neighbor is found dead.  McAfee claims he did not do it or hire someone to but still refuses to surrender to the Belize police, so he fled.  He is paranoid and has used over 200 cellphones to avoid tracking since he left.  Surprisingly, he came out to do an interview with CNN.  Due to all of this it seems he is guilty but at the same time trying to be a media hog and regain fame before he is captured.

[rippeyrachel]

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/27/the-onion-fools-top-chinese-newspaper-the-onion-dupes-china-again?s_cid=related-links:TOP

So apparently, The Onion is more believable than originally thought. China fell for the joke. The extremely satirical, newspaper proudly named North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong Un as the sexiest man alive for 2012. The funny part is, China's Communist Party newspaper The People's Daily promoted a 55 photo slide-show report for Kim. This slide show was complete with quotes from The Onion's original article about Kim. This is not the first time The Onion has fooled many government leaders, and other international publications. This goes to show that the world is full of gullible people. 

http://business.time.com/2012/11/30/congress-looks-at-doing-away-with-the-1-bill/?iid=biz-article-latest-ap-widget

Looking to do away with the one-dollar bill, Congress is looking to do away with the paper bill and replace it with a coin. It is said that this will be a worthwhile decision, seeing a bill has to be replaced every four or five years, where a coin can remain in circulation for decades. With this change, it is said that it could save taxpayers around $4.4 billion dollars over the next 30 years. The only downside to this decision is, people don't prefer to carry coins around with them. I think that this could be a positive thing for the American economy, and for future generations. Everyone start saving your one- dollar bills!

[Julie Daniels]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/us/supreme-court-takes-up-question-of-patents-in-gene-research.html?adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1354471249-OeQc3TXr3hFLh+/2S8aVwg

“Supreme Court to Look at Gene Issue”

The Humane Gene has always been a bit of a controversial issue, including a wide range of topics including science, human ethics, and the amount of government involvement. With new technology resulting in new discoveries of the world we live in every day, it is beginning to get harder and harder for the government to retain its grasp on their little but influential control they have over the scientific community. Just the other day, the Supreme court has decided to entertain the idea of whether of not Humans Genes could be patented. But what exactly does this mean? A company called Myraid Genetics already holds a patent that correlates with the increased risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. This might seem like a good thing but to the other companies that deal in similar areas, it makes it difficult for them to help their patients because of the legal issues involved with this company. These limitations include allowing the companies like Myraid to exclude new information from the rest of the scientific community. It also prevents patients from obtaining second opinions and for them to examine the problem themselves if they so wish to. So the question comes down to, are isolated human genes considered products of nature or simply human inventions? Many of the Justices realized that the genes were not a common part of the body and that they were created in a lab so it was soon determined that these newer genes are able to be patented even with the harmful effects they may cause. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/science/space/mercury-home-to-ice-messenger-spacecraft-findings-suggest.html

“On closest planet to the sun, NASA finds lots of Ice” 

It seems to go against everything you ever learned in your elementary science classrooms; the planet closest to the sun should be the hottest right? Well in reality, it was found to contain enough ice to engulf the entire Washington DC area. The planet Mercury, ranks among one of the hottest in the solar system, so how is it possible to contain so much frozen ice? Journalist Kenneth Chang reports that scientists have recently found deep craters in which the sun never shines. These places tend to dip as cold as -370 Kelvin. Scientists and readers alike are intrigued by their new findings and this could lead to the possibility of the nest NASA mission to be sent up to Mercury to see what all this Ice is about. However, this might take decades to set in motion so for now all we can do is wait to find out what is really up there on this hot planet. 

[Ben Skalla]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/01/15601815-hundreds-flee-fire-in-rocky-mountain-national-park-outside-denver?lite

The article describes the situation in the Rocky Mountain National Park outside Denver.  A large wildfire crossed the containment lines last night causing a few hundred people to be evacuated.  This Fern Lake Fire has burned for about 2 months, beginning in october.  The fire began because of an illegal campfire.  Officials say that they really need snow.  Winds on Saturday night cause the fire to spread another 3 miles in only 35 minutes. About 40% of the fire had been contained before the strong winds last night.  Its extremely upsetting that the actions of those who created the campfire are responsible for the burning of a portion of this national park.  About 3,500 acres have burned as a result of this fire. 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/25/15430647-cheating-scandal-feds-say-teachers-hired-stand-in-to-take-their-certification-tests?lite

Adrian Sainz from NBC news reports about a cheating scandal in which teachers hired stand-ins to take their certification tests for them.  This scheme has possibly affected thousands of public school students who were being taught by unqualified teachers.  After the hired test takers took the exam, the aspiring teachers would use this test score to secure a job with a public school district.  Sometimes not only students are the ones cheating to get ahead.  This scheme has definitely caused the most harm to the students of these unqualified teachers.  Students have been deprived of the proper education they deserve in a society where education is a tremendously important in life.  A scandal such as this may also have deprived more qualified and hard working teachers from getting the jobs that had been taken by the teachers who cheated.  

[isabella.cuan]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/02/students-in-5-states-to-see-increase-in-class-time/?test=latestnews

Written by the Associated Press of Fox News, the article informs the public about the new measures taken in over 1,000 schools in five states, including New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Colorado. They announced that they will add at least 300 hours of learning time to the calendar in some schools starting in 2012 and the three-year pilot program will affect almost 20,000 students in 40 schools. According to education officials, spending more time in the classroom will give students access to a more well rounded curriculum that includes arts and music, reinforcement of critical math and science skills, and individualized help for students in need of help. Predominantly the reason for this prodigious change lies within the belief that American schools are not progressing nearly as fast as those in India, China, and other foreign countries. The validity of this statement could not hold more true as Americans, though college prices are soaring with competition increasing every year, are truly behind the times. In countries outside the US, college admittance is significantly more difficult and courses throughout the education system are more rigorous. I was shocked to learn that five states have already agreed to this new plan of action when it is clear that longer school days will not solve anything. As mentioned in the article, students in high-performing countries like South Korea, Finland, and Japan actually spend less time in school than most U.S. students. More than adding hours and possibly days to American education, I think it is imperative that we first take a good look at the quality of our curriculums nationwide.

[mdsaba1126]

http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/12/01/why-soccer-threatens-the-nhl/

 

This article, “Why Soccer Threatens the NHL” is one that I find to be interesting and that bodes well for the future of soccer in the United States. Right now soccer is the number one sport in the world with its hubs being in England, Western Europe, and South America. The idea that Americans are opening up to soccer also has economical bonuses. With this added support, the MLS could grow financially to rival even the NFL and MLB. Recently, the MLS has added three teams in Canada, which is the stronghold of hockey. In addition to the success of the MLS, there has also been the decline of the NHL. Right now, its players are on strike, as they have been for three months, which is severely impacting profits.

 

http://world.time.com/2012/11/29/why-palestine-will-win-big-at-the-un/?iid=gs-main-mostpop1

 

This article “Why Palestine Will Win Big at the UN” discusses about the negotiations that have been happening since the conflict began between Israel and Gaza. Palestine was allowed into the UN as a “nonmember state” meaning that it was considered a sovereign entity. European leaders have largely backed the representative of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbes, because he was a moderate. The author uses many quotations from a variety of sources to show the different viewpoints and ideas. This conference is very important for regional stability in the Middle East and necessary in order to allow for peace.

[sian.barry]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/30/stress-symptoms-surprising-signs_n_2213625.html?ir=Healthy+Living#slide=1820090

 

This article from the Huffington Post offers a humorous, but enlightening approach to the unusual symptoms that may indicate you are stressed. The author opens with an anecdotal and unserious tone to set a seemingly lighthearted mood, which I found strange, due to the fact that stress isn't something you have a good laugh about. Still, I believe the author takes this approach to relieve a tension and remove worry from the readers who may have symptoms. By showcasing the health risks that accompany chronic stress and offering solutions to combat it in a humorous way, the article is successful in achieving its purpose. The conversational aspect of the piece makes it easy to read, as it is quick and short, offering valuable pieces of information like the fact that "emotional tears contain stress hormones, thereby flushing them out of your body and helping you feel better." It was interesting to see some the signs that could potentially indicate stress and it makes sense with the explanations given as to the reasons why these are signs.

 

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/01/15605718-aspergers-disorder-being-dropped-from-psychiatrists-diagnostic-guide?lite

 

This article, written by Lindsey Tanner of NBC News, has the purpose of informing the public of a change in the psychiatric diagnosis guide, which includes the dropping of the now familiar term “Asperger’s Disorder.” She presents her report in a serious tone, using quotes from doctors to give light on the situation and why it is in the best interest of patients. Asperger’s is now being put under the label of “autism spectrum disorder”, which in the eyes of Kelli Gibson, a mother with four sons with various forms of autism, is a good idea. She said “to give it separate names never made any sense to me. To me, all my children had autism.” Also, the point is raised that many schools don’t provide services for people with Asperger’s, therefore, diagnosing them under this category could potentially help those with the disorder get the help they need and deserve. The one thing that poses a question to me is because there are various forms of autism, isn’t diagnosing such disorders difficult to begin with so how do you know what is and what isn’t classified as autism? From what I know, Asperger’s is quite different from autism, so I’m curious to know what adaptations have been made to “autism spectrum disorder” to incorporate the many forms.

[Liz Anderson]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/world/emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-hit-record-in-2011-researchers-say.html?ref=science

Carbon Dioxide Emissions At Record High

This article explores the current disaster that is global warming. The level of carbon dioxide in the air has increased 41% since the industrial revolution and is continuing to increase each year. Surprisingly, emissions in America have lessened in percentage, but that could be due to the development of other countries which were not previously producing mass amounts of carbon emissions. This article is interesting to me because I think that there is alot that we could be doing for the environment, that people simply disregard because they assume that the effects will be minute however no one thinks about the fact that their great grandchildren will be severely paying for our mistakes. 

[Liz Anderson]

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/12/03/weird-wacky-vending-machine-cuisine/?hpt=ea_mid&hpt=hp_bn11

Caviar In Vending Machines

This article shows how they are now offering luxury vending machines all over the United States. This vending machine in Los Angelos malls lets you purchase caviar for $500 an ounce. These are placed strategically so that they are in an area where the customers are those willing to spend that kind of money. Other interesting vending machines they talk about are lobster vending machines, and the most interesting is called "Lets Pizza". Where you select what kind of pizza you would like and they kneed the dough and create your pie all in 2 and a half minutes. 

[isabella.cuan]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/world/europe/uk-royal-pregnancy/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Reported by CNN News, it has been formally announced by the palace today that Britain’s Prince William and Catherine Middleton are expecting their first child after 19 months of marriage. This revelation occurred after Catherine was admitted to a central London hospital with acute morning sickness Monday afternoon. William and Kate’s child, whether boy or girl, will be the next in line to the British throne, a shocking change in the royal community. Planned changes regarding the law of succession are already in effect, according to the British Cabinet Office. More so than the concise and celebratory article of Will and Kate’s new future, I found it particularly disturbing the lack of privacy Kate has endured thus far. As it comes to no surprise because of the constant media infiltration in daily lives, I still am in disbelief about the extremely personal matters in people’s lives that are entirely exploited. Kate is not yet 12 weeks pregnant; most pregnant women are advised to wait until three months to share the joy with others because of possible dangers or complications that could arise before then. As a part of the royal culture, Kate is automatically subjected to a public life unlike most others, which means that any prospect of a pregnancy will become definite in the people’s minds. After reading this article, I sympathized with the royal couple, truly hoping the pregnancy is a success; according to the public, a royal baby will be born in seven months.

[Mikaela Litchfield]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/world/europe/uk-royal-pregnancy/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have recently announced that they are expecting their first child. They’ve only been married for a mere 19 months, which seems a little soon to be having children already in my opinion. This news has also become public without Kate even entering her second trimester. Journalists at CNN write that she had been hospitalized over the weekend for “acute morning sickness”; the Duchess is apparently part of the 1% of women that have severe symptoms like that. In addition, it was announced that whether the child is a boy or girl, it will take the throne after William.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/02/us/california-coast-guard-death/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

CNN reports that a coastguardsman was reported dead on Sunday. He was apparently thrown off of the boat due to the force of a “suspicious” boat hitting their vessel. The other Coast Guardsman tossed overboard was treated and released later Sunday morning from a hospital after suffering relatively minor injuries. This article was written factually and was, for the most part, vacant of emotion. 

[elizabeth.smith.24]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/pope-twitter-following-162421835.html

Technology has almost fully taken over the world as the Pope now has a twitter. This mostly informational, little emotion article by Claudiline Zap informs the world that the Pope now has a twitter and will make his first tweet soon. A member of the Vatican team did, however, announce that the Pope will probably not make his own tweets from now on although he will approve the 140 character messages before they are sent out. The messages will be sent out in eight languages in order to reach the majority of people and will hopefully appeal to the younger generations. 

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/nypd-homeless-man-boots-tillman-134758145.html

The act that has taken over the hearts of Americans may not have a happy ending overall. Jeffery Hillman, the homeless man who received a pair of boots from a police officer last week, is unable to wear the shoes as they are worth a lot of money in the homeless community and he fears for his life. Hillman, who has been homeless for 10 years, has said that the photo and video were put up without his permission and has drawn unnecessary attention. He does, however, wish that there were more people like the police officer in the world. His family has made it known that they have extended an open door to Hillman who has not yet accepted. 

[stephen.voc]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/fuck-it-man-on-death-row-just-going-to-read-entire,30546/

After browsing through the numerous Onion articles that are out this week, I decided that this one in particular is almost entirely too funny and outrageous not to post (please excuse any vulgarities mentioned in this piece).  The writers of this hysterical article likely had the sole intention of making their readers laugh.  The mere title is enough to make anyone laugh at the mental image of reading about a psychotic killer sitting in his cell and reading the innocent young adult Harry Potter series.  It might be argued that this article's purpose is to shed light on the lives of what likely does not run through a person's mind that is on death row.  However, the ridiculous nature of this article stands as proof that the writers of the article were trying to do what they do best at The Onion: make the people laugh.  After a long, stressful day at school, I was very pleased to sit down and read this piece as well as laugh out loud.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/girl-bit-dolphin-felt-bad-fish-163958436--abc-news-topstories.html

This article is the epitome of why children should not complain or cry about minor scrapes or scratches from falling off a bike.  It is safe to say that no child could receive a more terrifying experience while on vacation at the beloved Sea World in Orlando, FL.  As described in this article by writers at ABC News, an eight-year-old girl was bitten by a dolphin at the park while feeding the creatures.  Rather than being upset about it, the little girl now prays that nothing would happen to the dolphin.  The purpose of this argument is simply to inform Americans about a surprising circumstance and perhaps be more alert while on vacation.  However, I firmly believe that this little girl is a trooper, and whiny children need to follow in her footsteps.  (PS- you can watch the whole incident on video!  I have to admit it was quite funny; I'm just saying.)

[brook...@gmail.com]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/boy-meets-world-spin-off-to-focus-on-difficulties,30538/

So... I'm a little bit confused. I've read The Onion articles before. I understand that the majority of them are articles that use jokes and satire to display and idea that is fairly humorous to people who aren't afraid to be a little offensive to what might be a sensitive issue. But without looking into the new "Boy Meets World" spin-off, and my only knowledge on it being this article, it leaves me with one question: What the hell? There is no way any of this is true. Call me ignorant for even questioning it, because I highly doubt it is, but if this show were actual I would be appalled. The old "Boy Meets World" characters dealing with unemployment, raising an autistic child, and loss of Pvt. Eric Matthews in Afghanistan are the basis of the new spin-off - or so The Onion claims. The Onion writes with an explanatory tone to those looking forward the the release of the new series, "Girl Meets World" (Also unsure if this is the new titles. Really. I just don't know anything about this mainly because I don't give a crap). While intending to introduce the new idea, I fail to even believe it's true. Maybe I just shouldn't read the Onion anymore.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/jack-white-radio-city-abrupt-end-show-135746989.html

We’ve all had our experiences with musical divas. The White Stripe’s very own Jack White has now made his name part of the list. In this article, Dylan Stableford writes of White’s Radio City Music Hall performance abrupt ending on Saturday night. After a short forty-five minute set, White left stage complaining of poor sounding acoustics in the venue. Expecting something of an unusually early encore, the audience waited for his return to play more music and fill up his time slot. Those who attended the event paid something around ninety dollars for a ticket to see White perform for, unfortunately, what ended up being nothing but forty five minutes. Stableford uses an appalled tone, being a White fan himself, and writes to bring attention to White’s newfound diva-attitude. Much like Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day’s recent outburst on stage, cursing out the audience and smashing his guitar, White drew forth the wrath of his New York Radio City crowd on Saturday. Shouting things like “F--- Jack White!” The crowd remained in the venue for hours post-show. White has been known to do this in other venues as well, which upsets an equal amount of fans. He is scheduled to play Radio City Music Hall again on Sunday, although people are unsure how it will pan out. Those who are fans of Jack are angered with questions of if Jack is becoming something they do not appreciate, or if Jack is some mad genius too obsessed with the sound of his music at his concerts. How do Jack White fans feel about this? Is he turning into something he shouldn’t be, or does this happen to most popular musicians, like Green Day? Fans are wondering.

[katherine...@gmail.com]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lundberg/when-does-quoting-poetry-_b_2218896.html

To most, this is probably a ridiculously boring article to read, but I found John Lundberg's opinions on poetry in film rather interesting. As both a movie and poetry enthusiast, I was immediately in agreement with his statement that too often, poetry is thrown into a movie at an ill fitting time, with the actors fumbling over themselves, trying to deliver the work in a reasonable manner. The fact is, you can't just toss in Tennyson to a James Bond movie and expect it to flow. While watching the movie I couldn't help but notice how strange it was that there was shooting, scotch, shower sex, then a touching ode to M's late husband. It was weird, and took away from the movie. I believe that instances like this are bad attempts to try and bring culture and such to people who didn't ask for it. I can understand trying to put in a little something different to create a unique scene, but people go to see movies like Skyfall for constant gun violence and Daniel Craig looking all dashing in a tuxedo, not for nineteenth century poetry. 

http://www.babycenter.com/0_hottest-baby-name-trends-of-2012_10375912.bc

I was linked to this article from a CNN Opinion article that kindly asked people to stop naming their kids things like "Siri". I'm so glad I clicked the link, because I couldn't have lived without seeing this ridiculousness. I'm honestly shocked that any mother would want to name her child after the protagonist of an erotic novel. I mean, really? Do you really want to think of those lonely nights spent with yourself and a book every time you look at your kid? I honestly don't understand the thought process behind these people. The article goes on to explain just how much pop culture influences the lives of people in this country by telling statistic after statistic of certain celebrity names increasing in popularity throughout the course of the year. I thought it was especially funny that One Direction was able to influence the list so much because I've been under the assumption that only little kids (and the occasional teen girl...) have an obsession with them. It's strange to think that people having children are so enthralled by a boy band that they're willing to name their child after them. My only hope for the people who named their kids anything from this list is that they didn't name their child specifically after the celebrities, but rather heard the name tossed around so much that it managed to catch on with them (specifically with 50 Shades of Grey because, ew.) 

[orionfarr]

http://gizmodo.com/5965295/vice-magazine-just-accidentally-revealed-where-john-mcafee-is-hiding

Vice Magazine Just Accidentally Revealed Where John McAfee Is Hiding (Updated)

This article from Gizmodo gives recounts breaking news on alleged murderer John McAfee's where-abouts. John McAfee has been on the run for weeks now due to being accused of first-degree murder, and a VICE newsreporter had apparently had a secret interview with him in Guatemala. The only reason why we now know that he is in Guatamala is because the VICE news agent had forgotten to remove the GPS tag on his iphone photo of McAfee before he had uploaded it. Now that the information is online, it is unknown whether the information was purposely planted to throw detectives off the trail or if McAcfee is really in Guatamala.

[orionfarr]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20121203.html

NASA Mars Rover Fully Analyzes First Soil Samples

After a few months on the martian surface, the Mars Science Laboratory, or Curiosity, has finally analyzed its first scoops of martian soil. Since Curiosity is a roving biochemical laboratory on wheels, it's mainly looking for organic molecules as well as water; the signatures of life or past life. The most prevalent chemicals detected were water, sulfur, oxygen  and chlorine-compounds. Along with these organic carbon compounds were detected, but in such low amounts many believe that it must come from Earth contaminants on Mars. Hopefully Curiosity and its team find these organic compounds like Methane in significant quantities, as they are the signature for life.

[grace miller]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/innovation/fake-facebook-lottery-winner/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

In this article, Doug Gross explains that the picture that may come up on anyone’s facebook of a man with the winning numbers of powerball is a fake picture. As many people know, the Powerball lottery was just recently won.  The winner of this lottery received $588 million dollars. This article explains that there was a picture put up on facebook of a man holding the winning numbers of the Powerball and under the picture it said “Looks like I won't be going to work EVER!!!! Share this photo and I will give a random person 1 million dollars”. This photo quickly became the most shared picture on facebook until it was discovered that it was fake. The picture was photo shopped too look like this man had the winning numbers. The purpose of this article was to let people know that it was fake and to show that one person’s actions really do effect others. I though this article was funny because e even I saw it on my facebook so that means all ages were trying to get that million dollars.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/us/new-jersey-train-derail/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

In this article, by the CNN wire staff it was reported that a railroad crew had made adjustments to the railroad the day before the bridge collapsed.  As a train was crossing the bridge, a few of the cars derailed and they are unsure if the bridge collapsed before the cars derailed or the cars derailed first.  I think it is kind of scary that this bridge was inspected by a railroad crew the day before it collapsed. The tone of this article is serious because several cars ended up in the water and hazardous chemicals were released into the air.

--
 
 

[Alexandra Chin]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/mobile/sms-text-message-20/index.html?hpt=te_t1

This article takes a light-hearted look at the evolution of texting. This method of communication has reached the ripe old age of 20 as of today. This method of instant messaging clearly has no intent of dying anytime soon as now even 911 is now accepting texts for help. Despite the many positive aspects of texting that comments below the article are startlingly correct for once. They say that while we are talking more we are saying less. Your thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/living/native-american-fashion-appropriation/index.html?hpt=li_t2

While might be old news for most people there was an incident on the Victoria Secret runway that didn't turn heads jest because of women wearing barely any clothing. This time it was for something that was a little less tasteful. A Native American costume for skimpy lingerie did not bode well for the Native American community. They claimed that it was a mockery of their culture and that their traditions were not a costume. They were 100% right. The costume was not tasteful in any respect an lacked consent from said community. Native Americans ask that their culture be respected not necessarily discontinued from clothing lines. 

[Randy May]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/eye-controlled-functionality-coming-soon-smartphones-tablets-002134448.html

In this article, Eric Pfeiffer explains that soon, all cellphones, iphones,and tablets will be controlled by just eye movements. It used to be just for disabled and impaired people, but now scientists and other technicians working with computers are trying to apply this same technology to the social media world. To be completely honest, after reading this article, I found this idea completely ridiculous. Sure it will make operating mobile devices and computers easy, but what could be easier than using a mouse to click on things. This technology just proves that people are slowly becoming lazier and lazier. Soon, nothing will be hand held, and everything will just require eye movements in order to operate. 

 

 http://news.yahoo.com/carbon-pollution-2-million-pounds-second-180229689.html

 

Carbon pollution in the world has slowly climbed up to 2 million pounds of carbon per second released. Most of the pollution, researchers say, is coming from China, but within the top 10 polluters are Germany and America. Last year alone, 38.2 billion pounds of carbon was realised into the worlds atmosphere, and the pollution is not getting better, it is only getting worse. from last year, the pollution rate has gone up a whopping 3 percent. Environmentalists are going crazy over the ridiculous amounts of carbon released into the air more than ever before. I also believe that this amount of carbon released by the world is totally ridiculous. Countries should have a limit to the amount of gas they let off, and of they accede that limit they should be fined immediately. The world has to find a solution to this problem and fast.

 

 

[jamiemelville1]

http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2012/12/03/15625246-running-farther-faster-and-longer-can-kill-you?lite

This NBC article presents a drastically different point of view on health than most other articles. On the contrary to the typical belief, Linda Carroll exposes the research and statistical information that running so much, as marathon runners do, may contribute to heart problems in the future. Studies show that people who run and train so frequently never give their hearts a chance to heal. It is recorded that those who run over 25 miles per week, will end up with the same life expectancy as a couch potato. The actual statistics are not as shocking as the blatant irony in that those who work and train to get healthy, could be putting in all of that work for nothing. It is left as, "“A routine of moderate physical activity will add life to your years, as well as years to your life...running too far, too fast, and for too many years may speed life’s progress towards the finish line of life.”

[jamiemelville1]

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/03/15650062-obama-takes-fiscal-cliff-case-to-twitter?lite

This article by Ali Weinberg creates an enlightenment to the power of social media, and how it connects everyday people to the President, and how advances in technology are used in Obama's tactful ideas. The fact that he participated in a Twitter question-and-answer shows that technological connection, and how it used to enforce and help Obama's presidency. The matter-of-fact tone shows that these new alternate ways of connection may be more efficient than all previous ways of political leaders connecting to the people.

[OliviaPasserini]

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/12/03/federal-government-no-apocalypse-in-2012

 

In this article, the author talks about how the US government has assured the public that, contrary to popular belief, the world will NOT be ending at the end of this year. This article has a little bit of humor and irony. I find it absolutely ridiculous that anyone would even seriously consider the fact that the world will end this year. It seems that every couple years some religion or faction starts some rumor about how the world will be ending at a certain date, and it has never come true. Hopefully the majority of people in the world have the sense to laugh off that the government even has to talk about this nonsense, let alone ensure American citizens that the world is indeed not ending, and everyone should cancel their doomsday parties.

[brook...@gmail.com]

I agree with that statement completely. I text a lot of the time while doing most things, such as watching TV, eating, or doing homework. For someone that you would want to talk to nearly 24-7, texting makes talking much more convenient. I do believe, however, that the concept of texting can be taken for granted. Especially for younger teenagers, they use texting to say things that would be better said to someone's face easily. I see that it;s very common at young age. I actually try to talk on the phone, but I'm often too busy or too lazy - and I suck at multitasking. By the way, congrats, texting, you're growing up!

[brook...@gmail.com]

That's hysterical! Classic China. Not really. But that Onion, man. They'll get you ever time. I love the satirical style of writing in every article they put out, but often times I find it a little bit offensive or I just don't get it. I don't have a very good sense of humor. However, I was not aware that other countries are not aware of the joke that the Onion truly is. I find that VERY funny. But hey, if it's any consolation for Kim Jong Un, I would vote him sexiest man alive for 2012. He's a winner.
I think?

[merstriolo]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/12/04/warning-un-is-coming-for-your-internet/

 

This article talks about the UN’s attempt to control the Internet. It is essentially the epitome of biased arguments, yet I can’t help but defend it every bit of the way. If the internet were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be the end of artistic freedom and the liberties of free expression that users practice every day, for censorship will inevitably take over. Furthermore, it will migrate away from a place of free enterprise, and towards a propaganda tool for the government to manipulate data coming to and from users. This is actually more severe a situation than you might think. Just consider what the UN could do to, well, the platform from which we receive information and fulfill our knack for entertainment every day. In my opinion, Reagan’s quote at the end, “We built it; we paid for it. We intend to keep it as a symbol of freedom, not a tool of tyranny,” could not have been put any better. It’s what defines America. Your thoughts?

 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/04/iran-claims-it-has-captured-another-us-drone/

 

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a United States Drone? Hmmmm, a Decepticon in disguise? I’m at a loss… This article discusses a recent claim by Iran that they have captured a U.S. drone in route over the Persian Gulf, yet the United States claims that all drones are accounted for.  Footage has been released of two guard commanders analyzing the alleged drone, but it is unclear whether it is the same drone captured in 2011, or another. In addition, translators analyzed in the footage a phrase written on a map that said, “We shall trample on the U.S.” This only fuels suspicion that Iran may potentially be a nuclear threat, and similar to their actions in 2011 when Iran captured a drone, which supposedly held top secret information which was released, they have been hostile and uncooperative with the United States.

[Dylan Panicucci]

It really is ridiculous that the US government had to confirm to the people that the world is not going to end in 2012.  Do people really believe the garbage that wackjobs spread around?  Two years ago was supposed to be our rapture, and obviously that never happened.  Also, just because the Mayans did not want to write more after they brought their calendar all the way to 2012, does not mean the world is going to end.  Who can really know when the world is going to end anyway?  And when the world does end it is over, so what good does it do to sit around worrying about it?  Live your life people!

[Dylan Panicucci]

Texting is an extremely convenient way to communicate with other people.  However, people are losing that face-to-face connection.  They do not even talk on the phone.  Texting, especially at a young age, will create a generation of people who lack necessary social skills.  Besides texting there are things like e-mail, which put an end to writing a personal, warm letter to someone.  Even at Quick Chek you fill your sandwich order out on a computer screen even though I could have easily just talked to the person behind the counter.  It’s just things like this and texting that are placed in our society that will make us less sociable and emotional.  I love texting but people cannot regress as technology progresses, just saying. 

[Liz Anderson]

I agree with Elizabeth that technology has inundated all aspects of everyones lives. Traditionally you would expect someone to make a parody account for the pope, but the fact that he will actually be submitting tweets is almost laughable. Its insane what technology has done, and how it is able to reach such a vast majority of people in a short period of time.

[Liz Anderson]

I agree that when they say "we are talking more and saying less", it is entirely accurate. These days you can text someone without having conversations in person. In writing you have time to think up a response, and be whoever you want to be. People use technology as a crutch bevause it spares them from the "horrors" of actual face to face communication. The fact that 911 is now answering texts messages is absolutly ridiculos. If this is the progress in only 20 years who knows where we will be in another few!

On Monday, December 3, 2012 9:08:03 PM UTC-5, Alexandra Chin wrote:

[rippeyrachel]

America is truly behind when it comes to education, and the teachers are not the ones to blame. With the increase competition among other countries, America feels the need to up it's education system. This solution, however, does not seem like it will be beneficent to the children who already have a hard enough time paying attention in school. Obviously, America needs to reassess it's curriculum  and maybe find a different approach on how to educate kids. Like for example, while in high school, why do they make everyone take "core classes"? If the student knows what direction they want to go, they should be offered a large amount of courses to suit their needs. Either way, America needs some jumper cables to get back on track of producing some of the smartest people in the world.

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 8:33:52 PM UTC-5, isabella.cuan wrote:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/02/students-in-5-states-to-see-increase-in-class-time/?test=latestnews

Written by the Associated Press of Fox News, the article informs the public about the new measures taken in over 1,000 schools in five states, including New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Colorado. They announced that they will add at least 300 hours of learning time to the calendar in some schools starting in 2012 and the three-year pilot program will affect almost 20,000 students in 40 schools. According to education officials, spending more time in the classroom will give students access to a more well rounded curriculum that includes arts and music, reinforcement of critical math and science skills, and individualized help for students in need of help. Predominantly the reason for this prodigious change lies within the belief that American schools are not progressing nearly as fast as those in India, China, and other foreign countries. The validity of this statement could not hold more true as Americans, though college prices are soaring with competition increasing every year, are truly behind the times. In countries outside the US, college admittance is significantly more difficult and courses throughout the education system are more rigorous. I was shocked to learn that five states have already agreed to this new plan of action when it is clear that longer school days will not solve anything. As mentioned in the article, students in high-performing countries like South Korea, Finland, and Japan actually spend less time in school than most U.S. students. More than adding hours and possibly days to American education, I think it is imperative that we first take a good look at the quality of our curriculums nationwide.

[rippeyrachel]

This is so exciting! I absolutely adore Kate Middleton, and after reading all the headlines in the tabloids (obviously I shouldn't have believed them) I was saddened at the possibility that the Royal Couple were unable to get pregnant. However, this pregnancy was anything but an accident, and after a year and a half of marriage, William and Kate are expecting! 

[Julie Daniels]

When one goes to send a simple text message, the evolution behind it is not usually thought of. Most take for granted the instant communication that we have with other people but in reality, it has only been around for 20 years! The First text message ever sent was on December 3, 1992 and it read “Merry Christmas”. Now, we have the ability to send pictures, videos, links and many other things. Common texting is popular all around the world with all age types. It might seem odd when you get a text from 82 year old grandfather but in technology years, texting is almost an ancient compared to other things. Here the author is attempting to tell of how we shouldn’t take the average of over six million texts sent daily for granted. The billion dollar communication invention has evolved greatly and still is not stopping. 

On Monday, December 3, 2012 9:08:03 PM UTC-5, Alexandra Chin wrote:

[Julie Daniels]

I was very surprised that such a thing actually exists! Most people go to the  a vending machine just to get a quick snack to hold them over until the next mealtime.A  luxury vending machine the sells caviare, seems a little absurd to me.  Made in a matter of seconds, these new vending machines can also offer pizza and even lobster. The prices vary but one thing is for sure, not many people are going to be visiting these places very often. 

On Monday, December 3, 2012 2:23:36 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/12/03/weird-wacky-vending-machine-cuisine/?hpt=ea_mid&hpt=hp_bn11

Caviar In Vending Machines

This article shows how they are now offering luxury vending machines all over the United States. This vending machine in Los Angelos malls lets you purchase caviar for $500 an ounce. These are placed strategically so that they are in an area where the customers are those willing to spend that kind of money. Other interesting vending machines they talk about are lobster vending machines, and the most interesting is called "Lets Pizza". Where you select what kind of pizza you would like and they kneed the dough and create your pie all in 2 and a half minutes. 

[isabella.cuan]

In response to "Federal Government: No Apocalypse in 2012." 

I was shocked to even learn that the government would have to make a national statement about this. Most of us joke about the world ending in a few weeks, but do we really mean it? I think not. Like Olivia mentioned, it seems like every few years, a new theory is devised about when our ultimate demise will be, and one has yet to come true. I could not help but laugh when the article quoted the government explaining how the rumors have people frightened, especially children. I am almost positive that this fear stems directly from parents who have yet to reassure their kids that they WILL be here for Christmas. At times like these, society propels itself into a sort of chaotic state, when in reality, we should be somewhat more sensible about these matters. 

[isabella.cuan]

In response to "OMG, the text message turns 20."

The title was definitely appropriate for this article, and actually made me laugh right away. I was surprised to learn that the text message is already twenty when it seems as if this technology is still relatively new. No wonder why we have all become somewhat bored with texting, or at least I have. We have had twenty years (which isn't even a long time) of non-stop conversation, impersonal communication, and tiring addiction. No doubt texting is a revolutionary advancement in the modern era accompanied by countless benefits, but the comments could not be more accurate. We text, text, text, and text, but most of the time, it is inconsequential gibberish. Most people have become so dependent on texting that they have forgotten what is is like to have a face-to-face conversation and even more importantly, when you should and shouldn't text someone about an important matter. It seems like we never stop talking, but really...what are we even talking about? 

On Monday, December 3, 2012 9:08:03 PM UTC-5, Alexandra Chin wrote:

[Mikaela Litchfield]

Hopefully the conflict int he Middle East will soon be resolved. I know that the United States have supported Israel in since it's creation after World War 2, so it will be interesting to see how our country reacts. Palestine being  introduced to statehood is a worldwide historical event, and it is really awesome being able to be alive during such a momentous time period. 

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 10:12:57 PM UTC-5, mdsaba1126 wrote:

http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/12/01/why-soccer-threatens-the-nhl/

 

This article, “Why Soccer Threatens the NHL” is one that I find to be interesting and that bodes well for the future of soccer in the United States. Right now soccer is the number one sport in the world with its hubs being in England, Western Europe, and South America. The idea that Americans are opening up to soccer also has economical bonuses. With this added support, the MLS could grow financially to rival even the NFL and MLB. Recently, the MLS has added three teams in Canada, which is the stronghold of hockey. In addition to the success of the MLS, there has also been the decline of the NHL. Right now, its players are on strike, as they have been for three months, which is severely impacting profits.

 

http://world.time.com/2012/11/29/why-palestine-will-win-big-at-the-un/?iid=gs-main-mostpop1

 

This article “Why Palestine Will Win Big at the UN” discusses about the negotiations that have been happening since the conflict began between Israel and Gaza. Palestine was allowed into the UN as a “nonmember state” meaning that it was considered a sovereign entity. European leaders have largely backed the representative of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbes, because he was a moderate. The author uses many quotations from a variety of sources to show the different viewpoints and ideas. This conference is very important for regional stability in the Middle East and necessary in order to allow for peace.

[Mikaela Litchfield]

The Onion is probably one of my favorite news sources. Like Stephen, I found myself laughing out loud while reading this article. I thought it was ridiculous how they were kind of brushing aside the face that this man killed another person, but instead they focus on that he's reading the Harry Potter series. For instance, they  describe the brutal manner in which he killed the 26 year old woman, and then nonchalantly adds he that " admitted to reporters that he had never planned on reading J.K. Rowling’s popular series chronicling the education of a pupil at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". 

On Monday, December 3, 2012 5:53:12 PM UTC-5, stephen.voc wrote:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/fuck-it-man-on-death-row-just-going-to-read-entire,30546/

After browsing through the numerous Onion articles that are out this week, I decided that this one in particular is almost entirely too funny and outrageous not to post (please excuse any vulgarities mentioned in this piece).  The writers of this hysterical article likely had the sole intention of making their readers laugh.  The mere title is enough to make anyone laugh at the mental image of reading about a psychotic killer sitting in his cell and reading the innocent young adult Harry Potter series.  It might be argued that this article's purpose is to shed light on the lives of what likely does not run through a person's mind that is on death row.  However, the ridiculous nature of this article stands as proof that the writers of the article were trying to do what they do best at The Onion: make the people laugh.  After a long, stressful day at school, I was very pleased to sit down and read this piece as well as laugh out loud.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/girl-bit-dolphin-felt-bad-fish-163958436--abc-news-topstories.html

This article is the epitome of why children should not complain or cry about minor scrapes or scratches from falling off a bike.  It is safe to say that no child could receive a more terrifying experience while on vacation at the beloved Sea World in Orlando, FL.  As described in this article by writers at ABC News, an eight-year-old girl was bitten by a dolphin at the park while feeding the creatures.  Rather than being upset about it, the little girl now prays that nothing would happen to the dolphin.  The purpose of this argument is simply to inform Americans about a surprising circumstance and perhaps be more alert while on vacation.  However, I firmly believe that this little girl is a trooper, and whiny children need to follow in her footsteps.  (PS- you can watch the whole incident on video!  I have to admit it was quite funny; I'm just saying.)

[stephen.voc]

There is no need to be confused, Henri!  The writers at the article are not trying to falsely convince the world that a new spinoff series called "Girl Meets World" will be playing on our screens anytime soon.  You need to remember that pretty much nothing The Onion has to say is directly true, and the same principle holds for this piece.  However, all of these satirical works do have an underlying message.  After reading this brief piece, I believe the authors could have simply been trying to portray the notion that TV is not what it used to be.  Gone are the days of average coming-of-age problems faced by Corey in "Boy Meets World."  By depicting a show that has so many dramatic twists and turns, the writers of this piece are trying to tell producers everywhere that these ridiculous shows with overly dramatic plot lines need to come to an end.  I completely agree; television has been long overdue for a revival, and this piece by The Onion is just another way of showing that.

[stephen.voc]

In response to your second article about baby names:

I could not agree with you more, Kathy!  It is absolutely absurd for people to be naming their children after these characters from novels or after celebrities.  I do not care how much these screaming girls love One Direction, it is not okay to devote yourselves so much to the group that you feel the need to name your kids after the members.  Frankly, it is a little creepy.  The same can be said for novels.  Just because you may love a novel, think about the negative impact naming your kid after one of the characters in it could have.  Just as 50 Shades of Grey advocates should not name their kid "Siri," most would probably agree with me that Moby Dick fans should not name their kid "Ahab."  It's just not okay.  I am glad you posted this article because it sheds light on the stupidity of some people with facts and figures to serve as proof.

[sian.barry]

In response to "Caviar in Vending Machines"

Wow, this concept is really funny to me. I mean, I like luxury foods, not caviar, but I'm not quite sure what areas would be applicable for this kind of spending on a snack from a vending machine. I'd assume that they would be strategically placed in extremely wealthy places, mainly where celebrities live. Still, I don't believe this could be a profitable business. Sparta, where we live, is deemed to be a well-off area, but any person in their right mind wouldn't spend so extravagantly on caviar. However, if there were a sushi vending machine, that would be extremely profitable and popular because it has such a wide market and is very trendy.

On Monday, December 3, 2012 2:23:36 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/12/03/weird-wacky-vending-machine-cuisine/?hpt=ea_mid&hpt=hp_bn11

Caviar In Vending Machines

This article shows how they are now offering luxury vending machines all over the United States. This vending machine in Los Angelos malls lets you purchase caviar for $500 an ounce. These are placed strategically so that they are in an area where the customers are those willing to spend that kind of money. Other interesting vending machines they talk about are lobster vending machines, and the most interesting is called "Lets Pizza". Where you select what kind of pizza you would like and they kneed the dough and create your pie all in 2 and a half minutes. 

[Ben Skalla]

As Isabella mentions, the media coverage of the royal family must drive them insane.  Not only do Will and Kate have to experience this, but also this future member of the royal family will be born into this life.  If you think about it, the child's life is essentially predetermined.  Roughly seven months prior to the birth of the royal baby, the media is already beginning to follow the course of his or her life.  This child will never be given the opportunity be an average person.  They too will have to accept the life style of the royal family.  he or she will not have privacy, even on many personal aspects of their life.  Its interesting to think that a person who will not be born for more than half a year is already being named the heir to the throne.  

[sian.barry]

In response to "William and Katharine Expecting Royal Child"

When I read this story earlier in the week, I was so happy. I know it's silly to get excited over someone else's pregnancy but as a girl living in America with a British passport, I am allowed to have some sense of nationalism in supporting the royal family. I was in England when the royal wedding of William and Kate took place and the girls of my family had a tea party and watched the ceremony on TV, but it is insane the amount of publicity the royal family receives, especially now with addition of Kate and their expecting royal baby. That will be the talk of the tabloids for an ongoing seven months. Nonetheless, I really like Kate Middleton, I think she is absolutely gorgeous and represents the epitome of elegance in a woman, next to Princess Diana, who is one of my icons. She is doing an excellent job of fulfilling such an emotionally demanding position in which the media stalks your life, which is hard for anyone to do. 

On Monday, December 3, 2012 4:03:18 PM UTC-5, isabella.cuan wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/world/europe/uk-royal-pregnancy/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Reported by CNN News, it has been formally announced by the palace today that Britain’s Prince William and Catherine Middleton are expecting their first child after 19 months of marriage. This revelation occurred after Catherine was admitted to a central London hospital with acute morning sickness Monday afternoon. William and Kate’s child, whether boy or girl, will be the next in line to the British throne, a shocking change in the royal community. Planned changes regarding the law of succession are already in effect, according to the British Cabinet Office. More so than the concise and celebratory article of Will and Kate’s new future, I found it particularly disturbing the lack of privacy Kate has endured thus far. As it comes to no surprise because of the constant media infiltration in daily lives, I still am in disbelief about the extremely personal matters in people’s lives that are entirely exploited. Kate is not yet 12 weeks pregnant; most pregnant women are advised to wait until three months to share the joy with others because of possible dangers or complications that could arise before then. As a part of the royal culture, Kate is automatically subjected to a public life unlike most others, which means that any prospect of a pregnancy will become definite in the people’s minds. After reading this article, I sympathized with the royal couple, truly hoping the pregnancy is a success; according to the public, a royal baby will be born in seven months.

[Ben Skalla]

This story is a reminder of those who less fortunate.  Living in a town like Sparta, homelessness really isn't a common sight.  Here, Hillman says that he wishes there were more people as generous as this officer.  Although when interviewed, the officer claimed that he did what any person would do, many people walk by a homeless person without any such thought.  It is a horrible situation, because even though Hillman was given a pair of boots, he says that he is afraid to wear them.  He fears that he is putting himself in danger by wearing the boots because they are worth a lot of money.  

[katherine...@gmail.com]

As beneficial as the transition from dollar bills to dollar coins would be, I don't see the general public being completely on board with this idea. The fact that coins are more awkward and heavy to carry around is a serious deterrent for most people. I think, for a large part, that men might be against this because, as they are known to just carry a wallet in their pockets, it would be very inconvenient for them to have to figure out a way in which to tote around a bunch of coins. Hopefully, enough people will see that the benefits of saving taxpayers this extraordinary amount of money each year greatly outweighs the inconvenience of having a slightly heavier purse, or buying a belt to keep your heavier pants up!

[Randy May]

In response to Caviar In Vending Machines:

 I don't know about anyone else, but I would never eat caviar, nor lobster out of a vending machine. These vending machines that have been placed around LA are absolutely ridiculous. This is just another way for wealthy people to throw around their money instead of using it for something useful. 500 dollars an ounce? I mean come on. Not only is it a waste, it is stupid to put anything worth 500 dollars in public. These vending machines can easily just be broken into and stolen from if they are in a public place. Plus all the undercooked food the buyer must get from the machine. This just sounds totally gross.   

 

In response to Jovan Belcher:

 

 Anytime a professional athlete is lost in a way like this is always a very sad situation. But after looking deeper into some of these athletes story's, you find out some men, like Jovan Belcher, are a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Although this story is heart wrenching, trouble followed Belcher where ever he went. When he was in college, Belcher had many confrontations with the law at his college, the University of Maine. These instances included drugs, assault, and other various crimes. I am very surprised that no one tried to help Belcher, or guide him after he graduated college, because obviously he must have been lost. He should have had a mentor and somebody supervising him, and maybe this horrible series of events could have been avoided. But still, the loss of anyone this way is always very sad and disappointing.

 

 

 
 

[katherine...@gmail.com]

I never thought about just how many text messages are sent each day, and I never expected that number to be around 6 billion, in the US alone. My first thought was, "that's insane!" but when I took another second to think about it, I realized that it's really not. Texting is as addictive as it is simple. It's so much easier to just shoot off a text than it is to email someone, or god forbid actually call them. Plus, there's the added bonus of being able to go back later and reference what you, or the other person said. This may not seem like that fantastic of a feature, but in a teen world of making plans to hang out at a specific time, or showing your friends what that "like totally hot guy" sent you, it really does come in handy. We don't even realize anymore how often we text each other, as it's become second nature to us. I think that while most text conversations lack real depth, they do bring you closer to the people you know, by always having that stream of communication open, I can't see that as anything other than good. 

[merstriolo]

Well, to start, this is a perfect example of why America needs to reform its education system, which is no longer considered as advanced as other countries anymore. It’s crazy to think that this can actually happen, and it’s also scary because an education is the most important part of growing up. It sets the guidelines for what you are going to do for the rest of your life, and if that basis is faulty, it’s going to be tough to find a job that pays well, and that you enjoy. There should be harsh penalties for this, because education is sacred, and it shouldn’t be denied to anyone, especially at the fault of neglectful authorities. 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/25/15430647-cheating-scandal-feds-say-teachers-hired-stand-in-to-take-their-certification-tests?lite

Adrian Sainz from NBC news reports about a cheating scandal in which teachers hired stand-ins to take their certification tests for them.  This scheme has possibly affected thousands of public school students who were being taught by unqualified teachers.  After the hired test takers took the exam, the aspiring teachers would use this test score to secure a job with a public school district.  Sometimes not only students are the ones cheating to get ahead.  This scheme has definitely caused the most harm to the students of these unqualified teachers.  Students have been deprived of the proper education they deserve in a society where education is a tremendously important in life.  A scandal such as this may also have deprived more qualified and hard working teachers from getting the jobs that had been taken by the teachers who cheated.  

[merstriolo]

Yes! Finally soccer is being recognized in the United States, but at the cost of the NHL, I’m not sure that will do. I think that the NHL is just in a phase, similar to that of the refs in the NFL that will soon pass. In fact, I find this article very offensive in that it bashes the support of the NHL and the presence of it in America. By no means do I see it fading away in the near future, and I hope the owners can come to a consensus that will get the season going strong. 

[mdsaba1126]

This tragic story about Jovan Belcher is a sorrowful reminder about how depression and rage can affect just about anyone. The truly great part of this story is how the team was able to go on and play in the wake of the tragedy. It shows true camaraderie that they were able to not only play, but were also able to defeat the Jaguars 27-21. The person that was most horribly affected by this tragedy was Belcher's young child who may never be able to comprehend what happened, but only that he does not have a mother or father. This tragedy which had many terrible consequences should be a lesson to us all about how we must treat other human beings. 

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 4:03:49 PM UTC-5, Dylan Panicucci wrote:

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 4:02:01 PM UTC-5, Dylan Panicucci wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/sport/football/nfl-chiefs-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

            Jovan Belcher a Kansas City Chiefs’ player killed his baby’s mother and then proceeded to kill himself.  Belcher was a free agent picked up by the Chiefs, and then he worked his way to full-time starter.  He was a favorite among his teammates and fans.  Belcher first killed his girlfriend at her house and then went to the stadium where he talked to and thanked his coaches before killing himself in front of them.  It is known that Belcher and his girlfriend had been fighting, and perhaps this sparked the violent outburst.  His baby is left without parents and lives with relatives.  It is a complete tragedy, and his teammates are filled with grief.  However, the game will go on this Sunday as an obligation to the people of Kansas City.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/world/americas/belize-mcafee-killing/index.html?hpt=us_c1

            John McAfee, a former security software creator, is living life on the run in Belize.  McAfee said someone poisoned his dogs, which he believes was his neighbor who hated the dogs.  Two days later, McAfee’s neighbor is found dead.  McAfee claims he did not do it or hire someone to but still refuses to surrender to the Belize police, so he fled.  He is paranoid and has used over 200 cellphones to avoid tracking since he left.  Surprisingly, he came out to do an interview with CNN.  Due to all of this it seems he is guilty but at the same time trying to be a media hog and regain fame before he is captured.

[mdsaba1126]

This article describes a well known topic that people need to learn about and not just know of. Since fourth grade, the term "Global Warming" has been brought up in almost every science class, yet the majority of Americans are unaware of the causes of it. The carbon emissions from cars and factories have increased a tenfold annually and although many corporations are making efforts to curb this rampant pollution, it will take much more than a few green companies to reverse the damage of the past 100 years. 

On Monday, December 3, 2012 2:12:38 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/world/emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-hit-record-in-2011-researchers-say.html?ref=science

Carbon Dioxide Emissions At Record High

This article explores the current disaster that is global warming. The level of carbon dioxide in the air has increased 41% since the industrial revolution and is continuing to increase each year. Surprisingly, emissions in America have lessened in percentage, but that could be due to the development of other countries which were not previously producing mass amounts of carbon emissions. This article is interesting to me because I think that there is alot that we could be doing for the environment, that people simply disregard because they assume that the effects will be minute however no one thinks about the fact that their great grandchildren will be severely paying for our mistakes. 

[elizabeth.smith.24]

Like Rachel, I am super excited about this new prince or princess! I mean, I woke up early to watch these two get married and have been following all the major rumors since their marriage; I feel like I practically know them! The possibility of a new monarch for the British is very cool and I feel like those in the US who don't really care about the royal family are missing the history and tradition that are associated with them. I hope that Will and Kate somehow honor Diana in the naming of their child, especially because of the significance of the ring that Will gave to Kate when they got engaged.

[elizabeth.smith.24]

Like Julie ,I am very surprised that such a vending machine is in existence. Honestly, though, I dont' think I would be willing to purchase something so expensive out of a vending machine as putting a credit card into the slot seems somewhat sketchy. Also, in regards to those that make pizza- honestly, how good would it be. It takes a whole lot longer to make a pizza than 2:30. My last question was I to be purchasing from one of these futuristic machines, would be freshness- how long do you think foods like caviare would be in the machine, especially at the prices that it is being sold at. Overall, I don't think these machines will be used often and that they will end up being a waste of money. 

[Orion Farr]

It's funny that so many people on facebook actually thought that someone would give millions of dollars to someone who just 'likes' the photo. I mean its not like these photos aren't popping up all over someone's feed constantly, for example, "Like if you love ___, ignore if you hate ____". I don't think most of the likers believed that they could have been a recipient of a generous benefactor, but simply did it because it showed up on their feed. It doesn't take that much effort to do so, so why not.

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 8:39 PM, grace miller <grace.m...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/innovation/fake-facebook-lottery-winner/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

In this article, Doug Gross explains that the picture that may come up on anyone’s facebook of a man with the winning numbers of powerball is a fake picture. As many people know, the Powerball lottery was just recently won.  The winner of this lottery received $588 million dollars. This article explains that there was a picture put up on facebook of a man holding the winning numbers of the Powerball and under the picture it said “Looks like I won't be going to work EVER!!!! Share this photo and I will give a random person 1 million dollars”. This photo quickly became the most shared picture on facebook until it was discovered that it was fake. The picture was photo shopped too look like this man had the winning numbers. The purpose of this article was to let people know that it was fake and to show that one person’s actions really do effect others. I though this article was funny because e even I saw it on my facebook so that means all ages were trying to get that million dollars.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/us/new-jersey-train-derail/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

In this article, by the CNN wire staff it was reported that a railroad crew had made adjustments to the railroad the day before the bridge collapsed.  As a train was crossing the bridge, a few of the cars derailed and they are unsure if the bridge collapsed before the cars derailed or the cars derailed first.  I think it is kind of scary that this bridge was inspected by a railroad crew the day before it collapsed. The tone of this article is serious because several cars ended up in the water and hazardous chemicals were released into the air.

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 8:14 PM, orionfarr <orio...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20121203.html

NASA Mars Rover Fully Analyzes First Soil Samples

After a few months on the martian surface, the Mars Science Laboratory, or Curiosity, has finally analyzed its first scoops of martian soil. Since Curiosity is a roving biochemical laboratory on wheels, it's mainly looking for organic molecules as well as water; the signatures of life or past life. The most prevalent chemicals detected were water, sulfur, oxygen  and chlorine-compounds. Along with these organic carbon compounds were detected, but in such low amounts many believe that it must come from Earth contaminants on Mars. Hopefully Curiosity and its team find these organic compounds like Methane in significant quantities, as they are the signature for life.

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[grace miller]

In response to “OMG, the text message turns 20. But has SMS peaked?”

 

I thought that this article was funny to read. It was about texting but not how texting is usually talked about. Usually if there is an article about texting it is either about how bad it is for your thumbs or how it is making adolescence dumber. In contrast to those articles, this one is light-hearted saying it is texting’s birthday; something that nobody would ever think to say. Also in this article it says that the amount of texts is slowly decreasing. This would make sense with all the new technology that we have but is also surprising to me because that is usually my main means of communication.

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 9:08 PM, Alexandra Chin <alexandr...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/mobile/sms-text-message-20/index.html?hpt=te_t1

This article takes a light-hearted look at the evolution of texting. This method of communication has reached the ripe old age of 20 as of today. This method of instant messaging clearly has no intent of dying anytime soon as now even 911 is now accepting texts for help. Despite the many positive aspects of texting that comments below the article are startlingly correct for once. They say that while we are talking more we are saying less. Your thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/living/native-american-fashion-appropriation/index.html?hpt=li_t2

While might be old news for most people there was an incident on the Victoria Secret runway that didn't turn heads jest because of women wearing barely any clothing. This time it was for something that was a little less tasteful. A Native American costume for skimpy lingerie did not bode well for the Native American community. They claimed that it was a mockery of their culture and that their traditions were not a costume. They were 100% right. The costume was not tasteful in any respect an lacked consent from said community. Native Americans ask that their culture be respected not necessarily discontinued from clothing lines. 

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[Orion Farr]

Its really funny and sad that parents would actually name their kids ridiculous names on purpose. Siri and Apple were two of the most uprising names in the US this year apparently, what will these kids think of being named after phones or software as they get older? After the Egyptian revolution an Egyptian man named his daughter Facebook due to the organizing of the revolution through the internet. It's sort of a mean thing to do to your kid, a name will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and being named something like Seymour Butz will make someone's life a bit more depressing

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 7:21 PM, katherine...@gmail.com <katherine...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lundberg/when-does-quoting-poetry-_b_2218896.html

To most, this is probably a ridiculously boring article to read, but I found John Lundberg's opinions on poetry in film rather interesting. As both a movie and poetry enthusiast, I was immediately in agreement with his statement that too often, poetry is thrown into a movie at an ill fitting time, with the actors fumbling over themselves, trying to deliver the work in a reasonable manner. The fact is, you can't just toss in Tennyson to a James Bond movie and expect it to flow. While watching the movie I couldn't help but notice how strange it was that there was shooting, scotch, shower sex, then a touching ode to M's late husband. It was weird, and took away from the movie. I believe that instances like this are bad attempts to try and bring culture and such to people who didn't ask for it. I can understand trying to put in a little something different to create a unique scene, but people go to see movies like Skyfall for constant gun violence and Daniel Craig looking all dashing in a tuxedo, not for nineteenth century poetry. 

http://www.babycenter.com/0_hottest-baby-name-trends-of-2012_10375912.bc

I was linked to this article from a CNN Opinion article that kindly asked people to stop naming their kids things like "Siri". I'm so glad I clicked the link, because I couldn't have lived without seeing this ridiculousness. I'm honestly shocked that any mother would want to name her child after the protagonist of an erotic novel. I mean, really? Do you really want to think of those lonely nights spent with yourself and a book every time you look at your kid? I honestly don't understand the thought process behind these people. The article goes on to explain just how much pop culture influences the lives of people in this country by telling statistic after statistic of certain celebrity names increasing in popularity throughout the course of the year. I thought it was especially funny that One Direction was able to influence the list so much because I've been under the assumption that only little kids (and the occasional teen girl...) have an obsession with them. It's strange to think that people having children are so enthralled by a boy band that they're willing to name their child after them. My only hope for the people who named their kids anything from this list is that they didn't name their child specifically after the celebrities, but rather heard the name tossed around so much that it managed to catch on with them (specifically with 50 Shades of Grey because, ew.) 

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 4:02:01 PM UTC-5, Dylan Panicucci wrote:

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[grace miller]

In response to “Running farther, faster and longer can kill you”

 

I am not surprised that there could be much shock from this article because it seems these days there can be no limit to exercise. I find it quite logical that running a crazy amount like 25 miles per week could eventually kill you or injure you severely. It is kind of like lifting weights in a way. If you lift too much weight or do too many reps of the exercise, is unhealthy. I don’t  see how overworking your body to such an extent could be a good thing. Obviously getting exercise is necessary and good for you but something to that extent being categorized as dangerous does not come as a surprise to me.

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 9:54 PM, jamiemelville1 <jamieme...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2012/12/03/15625246-running-farther-faster-and-longer-can-kill-you?lite

This NBC article presents a drastically different point of view on health than most other articles. On the contrary to the typical belief, Linda Carroll exposes the research and statistical information that running so much, as marathon runners do, may contribute to heart problems in the future. Studies show that people who run and train so frequently never give their hearts a chance to heal. It is recorded that those who run over 25 miles per week, will end up with the same life expectancy as a couch potato. The actual statistics are not as shocking as the blatant irony in that those who work and train to get healthy, could be putting in all of that work for nothing. It is left as, "“A routine of moderate physical activity will add life to your years, as well as years to your life...running too far, too fast, and for too many years may speed life’s progress towards the finish line of life.”

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