I'm not even sure what to think or say on this subject... who could ever think of or imagine a two year old smoking cigarettes... Not just smoking, but chronically smoking, 40 cigarettes a day?!?! It's just crazy! In America and many more countries, this kind of behavior would seriously be questioned and that kid would be receiving help from many people! - it wouldn't be accepted. I feel for the poor kid. He doesn't really know or understand what he's doing, people encourage or at least don't discourage his actions, and it's not even his fault he had the addictions in the first place, his mom smoked while she was pregnant. I guess I give kudos for the parents for trying to get him to stop smoking when in their culture, it doesn't really matter if kids smoke... then again, his parents are the ones who supported his smoking and allowed him to get addicted in the first place, and, they aren't even trying to get him to stop for the benefit of his health, they are only worried about trying to save that money they spend on the cigarettes. I can't believe Indonesia hasn't gone to more measures to stop this uprising fad. They must have figured out how smoking can seriously affect a person, and how kids smoking hurts them so much more since their bodies are growing, and because then they get addicted and continue smoking most, if not all, of their life. I just think this is them being stubborn or something, and it's extremely sad. They are saying it's ok for so many children and people to corrupt and stunt their lives. It's not ok. Well...I hope that they are successful in getting Aldi to stop smoking along with the thousands of other kids, and hopefully they come up with some solutions to change this part of their culture to make things better in the future.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
"Mom of Toddler Smoker in Indonesia Seeks Help for Him"
Recently, a video of a two year old in Jakarta, Indonesia was leaked onto the internet, this young boy was smoking a cigarette. The two year old, Aldi, is almost two times the weight of other children his age. In Indonesia, smoking is part of the culture, and it's not seen as hazardous or poisonous. Aldi's mother smoked when she was pregnant with him, but she and her husband have now quit smoking. She says, "Even when he was a baby and he would smell smoke he would be happy." She also says, "I don't remember when, but we went to the market and then suddenly he had a cigarette in his hand." Aldi smokes an average of 40 cigarettes per day. When Aldi doesn't get cigarettes, he throws tantrums, when he can't satisfy his addiction, he vomits. Indonesia has not accepted the World Health Organization's framework on tobacco control, so tobacco companies advertise aggressively. From 2001-2007, tens of thousands more children between the ages of five and nine have began smoking. This doesn't include children below the age of five, like Aldi. Aldi's parents are trying to get him to stop smoking, but sadly, their motivation is not Aldi's health, it's to cut the cost of buying cigarettes.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
"More than 175 dead from weekend storm in Central America"
Tropical Storm Agatha has hit El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras hard. In Guatemala alone, 152 are dead, 100 are missing and 87 are injured. Aside from this, 125,00 have been evacuated, and 74,000 are living in shelters. Along with the tropical storm, Guatemala is dealing with the Pacaya volcano (about 18 miles from Guatemala City) which erupted last Thursday and continued to spew ash through today. The storm's destruction has been widespread, with mudslides destroying homes and buildings, nine rivers at extremely high levels, and 13 collapsed bridges. In the northern part of Guatemala City, downpours from the storm have created a sinkhole which spans over an entire intersection (as the picture displays). A three-story building and a house fell into the hole. For now, classes have been canceled as the nation tries to regroup from this state of emergency. According to officials, the situation is improving, the tropical storm Agatha was demoted to a tropical depression and lost that status as well. It was the first storm of the hurricane season in the Pacific. This is just crazy! I never really know how to react when I hear about storms such as this one, because I have never personally lived through something like this. Yes, I have seen the video footage and pictures of various storms on the news before, and I can maybe imagine what it might be like, but living through it is completely different than just seeing it on a TV. What really got me was not just the fact that they are dealing with a hurricane, but the sinkhole which the picture shows. I've never heard of or seen anything like it before, it's just bewildering! I can not imagine just walking down a street and there being a giant hole taking over the entire intersection... it's just weird. I guess I don't really understand how it happened, the article didn't really explain that part. My guess is that there must be a fairly large underground water supply right there and then with the downpours, I guess it just kind of washed out? I'm not sure, I'm unclear about that part. Then, on top of the tropical storm, they are dealing with the repercussions of a volcano as well... if I were living there, I would bet that I would be completely over my head. So many disasters all at the same time. Well, I'm glad to hear that the situation is getting better, my prayers go out to all of the people in those countries. And, I hope they release more information on this sinkhole, it would be interesting to understand and learn more about it.
"Madagascan Bird Declared Extinct"
According to BirdLife International, a small diving bird, known as the Alaotra Grebe, which is native toMadagascar has been classified as extinct. The birds used to be found on the largest lake in Madagascar, Lake Alaotra, but the population decreased quickly after carnivorous fish were put in the lake and when the local fishermen started using nylon gill nets. This species is gone and there is no hope for them anymore, and the extinction of this species was due to the work of humans. This is not the only place where invasive alien species have caused extinctions. In Southwest Cuba, the Zapata Rail was upgraded on the endangered list due to mongoose and exotic catfish put into the marshland. In Asia and Australia, the Great Knot and Far Eastern Curlew are suffering due to pollution. The Great Knot is also suffering due to the destruction of a migratory site in South Korea. There have been a few recent cases of conservation projects helping out some bird species, but according to a BirdLife International employee, "The overall state of the world's birds is getting worse year on year." This employee also informed that, "We have the skill and the expertise, so these things can be prevented. But we need commitments from governments to provide money to help birds and animals to survive."
It's always disappointing to hear that a species no longer exists on our planet. It really makes you wonder and think about what we are doing to our planet, how it's changing and how deprived the future will be. For those people who never saw those birds that are now extinct, they will never see them in their life... well not in person at least. It's just sad to hear this news. Just think of how even we who are living on the planet right now will, and have missed due to our own impacts on the world. The really sad part about all of this is how, like that employee said, we have the skills to do things to make things better, to conserve, to save species and the planet, however, the government doesn't provide them with enough money to use those skills. Just think... we could be saving thousands upon thousands of species and providing the future with the same opportunities that we have been offered, but the government says no. For example, right now, the president wants to do some drilling in the ocean, but of course those plans have been put on halt due to the massive oil spill occurring as we speak. I say, instead of using all of our money to drill for oil in the ocean so we "aren't dependent on foreign oil," let's use that same money to pay for research on ways where we won't have to use oil anymore. We have the skills, we just need the government support. I feel this transfers to a lot of categories, such as cures for cancer, and like I said, the ending of the use of oil and gasoline. Just to think of the potential, the possibilities are right at our fingertips, but with no support (no strength), we will never see progress that will make a difference.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
"Food Allergy Diagnosis 'an Inexact Science'"
A food allergy does not have a universally accepted definition, and it does not have accepted criteria for diagnosis. Some people who have severe food allergies may not respond to the common tests, and others may be avoiding certain foods, but they may not even have a food allergy. There is no cure for food allergies, and it is uncertain why people develop food allergies. There are three main tests to see if one has a food allergy, the skin prick test- a small amount of certain foods are put in below the surface of the skin,- blood tests- test blood for the allergy related antibody Immunoglobulin E,- and the patch test- one wears a patch of a possible allergen on their skin for a few days. However, these tests are not positive, or 100% correct all of the time. They do not include how severely one will react to a certain allergen or how they will react if they ingest that substance. Other methods should be considered, because if one relies just on the test alone, many may be over-diagnosed. New guidelines are being worked on and are intended on being out the fall of 2010. The guidelines include physicians to go through the patient's history and exclude other possibilities, then use a skin or blood test, and then (if the test is positive) follow up with giving the patient the allergen in a controlled setting. Regardless of the new guidelines, diagnosing food allergies will continue to be a challenge, but figuring out if one really has an allergy is important, because allergies limiting, socially and nutritionally.
I find this article extremely interesting considering that multiple times this year, I have gone through different tests and such, and I possibly have a food allergy to MSG. Reading this article almost made me laugh from how accurate it is and how opening/informative it was. I knew that telling if someone had a food allergy was difficult, but I never realized it was this difficult. From reading this article, it sounds pretty much like a guessing game. I don't know if it's possible to find a better, more certain way to test a person for food allergies, but I sure wish there was. The article says, "It's a limiting diagnosis; it's difficult socially, it's difficult nutritionally..." this quote is so true. I'm not 100% sure that I have a food allergy, but this year has been extra difficult for me because I've been dealing with the possibility. I got a rash/hives from whatever it is that I'm allergic to, and it really does limit you socially... a lot! Even if other people don't really notice, it makes everything more difficult. With the added stress, and frustration... things would definitely be much easier if there was a clear test that could say 'yes, you are allergic to this allergen,' but, no such luck. I think that the new guidelines they are working on are definitely needed, and hopefully they are successful and show improvement. However, I have a feeling that food allergies will always be a big guessing game, or if they do come up with some way to tell, the test will be so expensive that the average person will not be able to afford it. Doctors and medicine and tests are discovered and are made to help people, so I don't understand why they are all so expensive that so many people can not take the help they need and are offered... I guess life wasn't made to be easy, we all have to have some major challenges. For all of the people suffering from food allergies out there; I feel for you, and, in the future, I wish us all success!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
"BP: Crews Dealt Setback in Placing Containment Dome at Oil Spill Site"
The oil spill, which is increasing by 210,000 gallons: equal to 5,000 barrels a day, was set to be potentially 'fixed' aka 'under control' by placing a containment dome over the broken wellhead. However, BP was dealt a setback because many hydrates (crystals which form when gas combines with water) accumulated inside of the dome. The hydrates make the dome float and they blocked the tope of the dome so BP would not be able to funnel the oil up into a ship. Now the crews must work hard to get rid of the hydrates. Workers did know that hydrates would be a problem, just not this big of a problem. The dome is not guaranteed to work, it has never been tested at the conditions it will be in in the ocean. There is another possible solution be considered, which includes "tak[ing] ground up material of various types and try[ing] to inject it into the blowout preventer at the bottom of it and it will flow up and plug it up." This method also has it's risks. Some success can be said about the oil spill though. Thousands of volunteers worked to skim the water's surface and collected 17,500 barrels of an oily-water mix and there were five successful controlled burns.
I'm glad to hear that some success and progress is being made on fixing this oil spill. However, I must say that I'm disappointed in the actions or lack of actions that people are taking. To me it seems that BP has not reacted quickly enough. The oil spill began shortly after April 20. That is ten days short of a full month now. I would think that they would have done something by now to try and halt the growing spill issue. I know that they were working on making this dome, but now to find that they have to do more work on it to make it successful... I would think that with almost a month in preparation, they would have worked out all of the kinks. This spill is a disaster, a man made disaster that is going to harmfully impact the environment in a way that will last for decades! And still, almost a month now, 5,000 barrels of oil are spilling into the ocean every day! I just can't really grasp on the idea that it has been a month and nothing has been done or attempted... well I guess one thing has, but still, I feel that this attempt is long overdue and should have been done a matter of days after the spill began. People should have been working major overtime, and more workers, more ideas, more care, more action should have been present. Maybe I'm just thinking idealistically and none of this is actually possible, but then again, maybe I'm not. All I can do is pray that things get fixed soon and that actions are made and something turns out to be successful. My prayers go out to all of the volunteers, to the people living on the coastline, to the environment and to all of the attempts and work going into trying to fix this disaster.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
"Consequences of spills can last for decades"
The oil spill (which has now began reaching the coastline) started on April 20 when the BP drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Two days later it sank and left oil gushing into the ocean. With multiple conflicts surrounding the issue of stopping the ever-growing spill and getting rid of as much of it as possible before it reaches the coast, people and scientists have felt a growing stress on how they can save the coastline. Since the spill is so large and is growing everyday, we're are facing a "long-term poisoning of the area. Ultimately, this will have a multi-decade impact." The oil spill in Alaska in 1989 consisted of 11 million gallons of oil, and still today one can find oil lying under rocks on beaches. The ultimate damage of the oil spill we are dealing with today can not be officially determined, it all depends on how much reaches the coast. The coast could face much more damage than Alaska's coast did because it is made up of mostly marshland and has calm waters making the oil much more difficult to clean up. One of the big issues with this oil spill is that from the Gulf of Mexico we get 40% of the U.S.'s seafood supply. Some say the damage will last from two- five years, but as we know from the Alaskan beaches, the damage can last much longer than that!Sometimes I just have to wonder how people come up with ideas... who just randomly thought to drill for oil in the ocean? First, I have to say that I'm glad this spill happened before President Obama's oil drilling plan started, and I hope that this puts a huge gap and prevents or at least puts more restrictions on this drilling. I have seen some footage of the oil spill in Alaska and people trying to clean up from it... I know that it was a lot of hard work with long hours and that many animals and plants suffered greatly, not to mention how it affected the whole ecosystem. I honestly don't really care about the oil spill today will affect the seafood, how the spill, once it reaches the shore, will destroy a large amount of the seafood the U.S. consumes. I don't like and therefore don't eat seafood, but I know that with this loss, many people will not be happy and it could be possible that some businesses will have to suffer a lot and pay more to import seafood which people won't like as much, lose business, and some may go bankrupt. What I'm more concerned about is the coastline and how it will affect the ecosystems and habitats in those areas. Especially with much of the coast being marshland, the oil will affect it that much more with the calm waters and such. Just think of all of the poor animals that will not be able to escape and the plants that will have a slow death, like you being wrapped in plastic with no air holes, just left sitting there to die. I really hope that people will learn a lesson from this and move forward- in a positive direction. There obviously needs to be greater restrictions for oil companies: more check-ups or replacing more often or routine checks to make sure things are working properly... something needs to be done. Or, I have an idea, let's not drill in the ocean anymore and use that money instead to find ways where we can be non-dependent on oil! People need to focus on helping the environment and earth and not be so selfish. Resources will not be there forever, so let's preserve them so the future can live just as great lives as we have.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
"Ohio Mom, Mystery Man Found in Miami Beach"
Over the weekend (April 17-18) a 31 year old southwestern Ohio mother and her one year old daughter went missing. The mother, Tiffany Tehan, had taken her daughter with her to go to a shopping trip for the day. The mother was found in Miami Beach, Florida today (April 22). She is safe and has been in contact with her family. The day after her disappearance, her vehicle was found abandoned near a skate park with a flat tire. In a surveillance video from a local convenience store she was seen with a man during the months of March and April. The man had also been missing for a few days, he was also found in Miami Beach. The man was not someone that the rest of Tehan's (the missing woman's) family knew. However, the video shows that the missing woman and man appeared to have known each other and they had been seen at that location multiple other times.
This is an interesting story. I am slightly confused though. At the beginning of the article they say that the woman had taken her one year old daughter with her when she left to go on the shopping trip, but later on they do not mention anything about the daughter being missing, they only say that the woman was missing. Also, when I say a segment on the news about this story, they mentioned nothing about a missing child. They did show Tehan's family and her husband was holding a little girl, obviously their daughter, but I did not catch the age. My guess is that the article is mistaken when saying that the woman brought her daughter with her on the shopping trip. I am very glad that the police were able to find her. I know they were showing pictures taken from the surveillance video showing her with the man. The man to me seems to be a suspicious character in this story. So since roughly a month ago, the two were seen more than once at a convenience store, then, when the woman was reported missing, the police found her vehicle with a flat tire (meaning she was possibly taken or set up, etc.) and finally, the man had also been missing for a couple of days but was found in Miami Beach- the exact place Tehan was found. I would call that very suspicious. I hope they figure out all of the missing clues to this story and a follow up is released. It will be interesting to find out what happened in this story. I guess time will tell...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
"China Rescues 115 from Flooded Mine"
On March 28, 2010, the Wangjialing mine in Shanxi province China flooded by underground water. More than a week after this flood, 115 miners were pulled out of the mine alive. They were taken out wrapped in blankets on stretchers and taken to waiting ambulances, they were said to have been in stable condition. There were a total of 261 workers in the mine when it flooded, 108 men were able to be reach immediately, after the 115 were pulled out, there were another 38 believed to be in the mine. Two days before the major rescue, tapping was heard from inside the mine and the night before the rescue swaying lamp lights were said to have been seen. Some of the miners thought smartly and attached their belts to the shaft walls when the water first began to rush in. After three days of suspending there, a mining cart floated by and they jumped inside. There was a total of 50 rescue groups including 200 people. This is not a first for China, in 2009 there were 2,631 people who died in mining accidents.
I think it's a miracle that so many of the miners were able to be rescued after such a long time in the mine. More than a week is an extremely long time to be anywhere where you have no food, safe drinkable water and the conditions are unsafe. So for the men to be safe is a miracle. I'm guessing that the mine must not have been completely full with water- obviously for the men to have survived they would have needed to breath oxygen- but I'm also guessing that the water must have been higher then the mens' hight considering that when the article described the way some of them attached their belts then later jumped into the mining cart, it said that the men "remained suspended for three days." I also wish to know if the other 38 men who were believed to still be in the mine after the initial 108 and then the 115 featured in this article, were rescued or not. Aside from those who were being rescued, an honor goes out to those who were doing the rescuing. For more than 200 people to be working to help the men inside is awesome. Finally, going to the last part of the article, it's hard to believe that, with 2,631 people having died last year in mining accidents and that being a lower number than other years, that they don't have stricter guidelines, regulations and procedures for the mines in China. The article mentioned that they are setting a campaign to inspect the safety regulations, but this has been going on for years. I don't understand why they haven't made changes before now.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
"Man fatally stabs 8 schoolchildren in China"
In Nanping City in Fujian province, about nine hundred miles from Beijing, a forty-one year old man attacked. The man "stabbed eight children to death and wounded five others." The kids were students as the Experimental School. The man attacked shortly after seven a.m. on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. The school has more than two thousand students and is "considered one of the best in the city of three million people." The man who committed the crime used to work at a community clinic, he was a doctor. There are mixed opinions and rumors on if he resigned from his job or if he was fired. There is not a lot of information on this story, but it is still tragic. The poor poor families of these children, I feel for them so much and they will be in my prayers. It is really hard to hear about people killing other people, especially when there doesn't appear to be a reason or if there is a reason it is really petty and insignificant. It is 80 times worse to hear of people killing kids. I can only ask the typical questions, what did the kids ever do to him? Why did they stick out of all other people? Why did he feel the need to kill them? - What's wrong with him? I just don't understand the logic of some people on this planet. I really don't. How people get the feelings inside of them to kill other human beings- other human beings that they don't even know- other human beings who are one hundred percent innocent... I can't comprehend these questions, or the answers to them that people come up with. I really hope that they release more information on this incident. It will be really interesting to find out if the kids who were injured are ok, and how the man is punished (I'm not even sure if they caught him), how he explains his actions, etc. This world seems to need an attitude or action or some kind of adjustment. Let's keep the peace and happiness and goodness and let them run us.
"Cold case: Mom, tot disappear during custody dispute"
Mike Kibalo and his wife Ann Yermak were scheduled to have a divorce hearing on February 5, 2001. They had a daughter together, and three weeks after her birth Ann Yermak filed for divorce. The two had agreed on a shared custody agreement for the time until the hearing for their daughter Samantha. Mike Kibalo brought his daughter to the police department in order to follow with the scheduled visitation exchange the day before the court hearing was supposed to take place. It was rumor that Kibalo would receive custody of Samantha during the hearing. However, the hearing did not take place because Yermak and Samantha disappeared. Yermak had shown signs of Munchausen syndrome by proxy which is "a condition where a person attributes sickness to someone else, often a child for whom they are caring, even though the child is not sick." According to Kibalo, after he would drop his daughter off, Yermak would bring her to the hospital saying that he had abused their daughter, there was never any evidence of abuse. Yermak thrived off of the attention she received for taking care of a "sick" child. Samantha was two years old when she and her mother disappeared, now she would be eleven years old. (The picture shows what she looked like at the time of disappearance and a computer generated picture of what she might look like now). There is no evidence saying where the two might have gone. They are most likely using new identities and getting help from someone- possibly from Yermak's family. Kibalo is not giving up, he wants to see his daughter again. Every time I hear of these types of stories, it just reminds me of how many weirdos and sick people are on this planet. It also puzzles me how it seems that people can simply appear to "disappear" meaning that they are still living somewhere, but no one can find them. It's hard for me to fully understand how that works. With this particular story, I find a few issues. First, if the mother (Yermak) had shown signs of the condition Munchausen syndrome by proxy, I don't understand why the visits she had with her daughter were not supervised, especially because in the article they mention that a psychiatrist had suggested that "Samantha's future visits with her mother should be supervised." So why weren't they? Also, I'm not quite sure why this is just coming out now. The two have been gone since February 4, 2001. This story came out on March 20, 2010... Why have they not mentioned this before? It is a possibility that it has been shared before, but there is no mention of that in the article. I know that bringing these stories out into the public often helps a lot with finding these people and solving cases, that's why it's important. I think that, considering that the mother had shown signs of a condition where she constantly brought her daughter to doctors/hospitals, that pictures of Samantha and her mom should be in every doctor office and hospital. Doing this could possibly bring about some answers. Also, Yermak had been living with her mother according to the article. She has been questioned but "has provided little help," I think that she, along with the rest of Yermak's family should be thoroughly questioned. I hope that soon they find some answers, it appears that the dad (Kibalo) really loves his daughter and will do whatever he can to find her.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
"Haitian Kids Allegedly Taken by Americans Reunited With Families"
Since late January, when Laura Silsby and a group of Americans tried to take 33 kids from Haiti only to be arrested due to not having the required paperwork, the kids (12months to 4 years in age) have been living in SOS Children's Village. All except one have now been reunited with their families as of Wednesday. Even though when Silsby tried to take the children out of Haiti, she claimed all were orphaned or abandoned, all of the children had at least one parent who took them home. For the one child who has not been reunited with her family, it is not clear when she will see them, the SOS Children's Village is still going over paperwork for her. Authorities say that it has taken a while for the children to be reunited with their families, and this is due to making sure they were giving to the right parents. As for Silsby and the others, they were charged for many things, one including kidnapping of minors. Nine of the ten have been released on bail, Silsby still remains in jail in Port-au-Prince. This story is just something strange. First, we hear about a group of Americans trying to take a bunch of kids out of Haiti- you think, oh that's nice, they are taking them to a place where they can get proper food, water, shelter, etc.- only later, you find out that these kids were not orphans and still had parents in Haiti, and that the Americans didn't have the proper paperwork! Your viewpoint changes within seconds. I think it's great that the Americans wanted to help, but if you're going to help, you need to do it properly. These poor people of Haiti, they just suffered through a 7.0 earthquake and are trying to survive, their heads must have been spinning like wild at the time. The article said that some of the parents had let Silsby take their kids in hope that they would have a better life. I just feel bad for the kids, they are too young to understand what's going on in the first place, then their parents send them with some people who they don't know... to add to this, these people then get arrested so the kids end up in an orphanage-like place and not until over a month later are they reunited with their families. Wow. Also, the fact that it took them over a month... I know that things aren't going so well in Haiti, they are trying to pick up the pieces after everything was torn down, but still... a month? I'm not too sure about that one. All in all, through everything, I am very happy that the kids are now with their families once again and hope that all goes well for them. I also hope that soon the last little girl gets reunited with her family.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
"Couple nurtured virtual child while real baby starved"
A forty-one year old father and twenty-five year old mother living just south of Seoul, South Korea have been arrested after their three month old baby girl died while their virtual child in a game called "Prius Online" thrived. South Korea has outstanding internet networks, able to hold out twenty-four hour high-speed internet cafes. This feature helped out the couple in this story. Both the man and woman had lost their jobs, and they had just had a premature baby girl. As said by a police officer, "They instead played an online game in which they raised a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby." The couple was so absorbed in this game, they would feed their real child only once a day... in between marathon stretches in the internet cafe where they raised their virtual child. During this game they nurture a baby "with mysterious powers who grows and increases her skills as the game progresses." South Korea is said to have a society where if people fall out of the social norm, they experience great stress and pressure.
Wow... this is unbelievable. I can't even begin to grasp the concept this couple had for these actions. First, I must say that there is no excuse for this. The article said that the internet has "provided such people with a paradise to escape to and simply get lost in," it also said that the couple used the game to escape from reality. And it concluded by saying that that people who fall out of the norm can experience extreme pressure and stress. These do not take the blame for anything. First, even if this couple did fall from the norm, the only pressure and stress they get is what they put on themselves, it's all the matter of whether you care what others think of you or not. Second, you can never escape from reality, even if you think you can, it's impossible: reality is reality and it always comes back into your life because it is life. Third, the internet may provide games and other features that can seem like a "paradise" and some people may get "lost" in them, but it was the couple's choice to play the game to begin with. Some of the comments posted by people who read this article said that it wasn't a choice, it's an addiction. I have to disagree with these people. Even with people who smoke, they may be addicted to it, but that doesn't mean they don't have a choice. It was their choice to start smoking, it was their choice to continue smoking, and even if they are addicted, they still have the choice to stop. You control your body, you body doesn't control you. So yes, it was the couple's choice; And now the couple will always have to live with the fact that they chose a computer over a living human being. The couple will have to suffer the (needed) consequences of killing their own living, breathing child for a fake child in a meaningless game.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
"SeaWorld Trainer Died from Traumatic Injuries and Drowning"
Dawn Brancheau (shown in the picture), a whale trainer, was killed by a killer whale by the name of Tilikum at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday February 24th 2010. She died from "multiple traumatic injuries and drowning after one of the park's killer whales pulled her into a pool." The whale has a history of being involved with deaths. In 1991 in British Columbia a trainer was killed by Tilikum after falling into the tank and being dragged down. Also in 1999 a man was found in the whale's tank said to have been killed by the whale's "horseplay." Because of his history and the whale's enormous size, the trainers did not get in the water with this whale. Brancheau was said to be in knee-deep water when Tilikum came up and gabbed her by her ponytail and pulled her underwater. Because of Tilikum's behavior at the time, others had to coax him into a different tank before Brancheau could be reached. This incident has been labeled as a tragic accident. Researchers do not believe that Tilikum tried to kill the trainer, they say he was probably just trying to play with her as they behave that way in nature as well. This incident has been raising a lot of questions regarding the captivity of animals, including issues about space, tricks and situations they are put in.This truly is a tragic incident. I agree with a lot that has been brought up in this article and with what has been brought up because of this incident. I do believe that the whale did not try to kill Brancheau. From what I have heard, she had been training this whale for a long time and loved it. Just like the article said, he was probably just trying to play... it's just like a little kid, he didn't know any better. No matter what kind of animal it is, if it's in captivity, the wild, or even if it's a family pet, there have been stories of them all acting out at one point or another. It's just the way they are, the way they were made. It's the way the world is and how it works. We have to remember that all animals are exactly that, they are animals they are living creatures, just like us. People act out all the time, just look at all of the crime we have in the world. Humans are animals too, so why do we expect them to be perfect even though we know that we are far from perfect? I also have to agree with what was said about animals in captivity in this article. Everyone loves zoos, and I think it's cool how we have made them available for people to see wild animals up close. However, if we are going to have animals in captivity, we need to think of them first. We need to make sure that they have enough space and have everything that they would have if they were living in the wild. Also we should not be making them do silly little tricks. After all, the animals are wild animals, so it is our job to keep them wild. Isn't it enough to get the chance to see these wild animals? Like I said earlier, animals are just like us, humans are animals too, we don't like to be forced things, so do you think they like to be forced to do things? Think about it.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Kevin Smith: "I'm never going on Southwest again."
Film director Kevin Smith had bought a ticket for a flight on Southwest Airlines, but was taken off the plane. Smith is a heavier set man, and Southwest has a "customer of size policy," this policy states that if someone can't fit into a seat comfortably and safely, they have to buy a second seat. Kevin did not buy a second seat for this flight, he says it is not necessary. He states that he had no problems with buckling his seat belt and lowering his armrests, and according to the policy, if he could do this he should have been fine. Smith says that he is "not fat enough to [be] ejected off a Southwest flight," the reason he thinks that he was taken off of the flight was because one of the employees did not like his comic films. Southwest has called multiple times to apologize, however Kevin claims he has not received any calls. Also Smith claims that he will never go on a Southwest flight again, but has bought ten tickets in the past week with Southwest Airlines.
I find this story extraordinarily interesting for a few reasons, for one, I find it appalling that airlines would discriminate against heavier people in this way, also there are many things in this story that don't really match up, or that make it difficult to decide which side is telling the whole truth/ which side to go with. Ok so to start with my first point... it is surprising to me that they have a policy concerning that if people are bigger that they have to buy two seats, yes I understand that it is in concern for their other costumers and making them comfortable and such, but still.. And if they are going to really take people off a flight because they claim the person is "too fat" then I think that they need to make a deal with that person, such as a discount on their, now required, second seat and they need to book them on a new flight. I've never heard of anything like this before, and frankly, to me it is shocking. My second point... there are many different things in the article that don't match up which can only lead to the fact that someone is lying somewhere down the line. The first thing is the plain fact that Kevin was taken off of the plane, he claims that he could buckle his seatbelt and put the armrests down with no issues at all, well obviously it must have been pretty close or there are just different opinions on this or something, because he was taken off the plane. The second part is that the article says that Southwest Airlines executives have personally called Kevin to apologize, but he says that he hasn't gotten a call. Someone is not telling the truth there... A third thing is just against Kevin, he says that he is "never going on Southwest again" but then the article says that in the past week he has bought ten tickets through Southwest, what's up with that? A final point is that Kevin said he's not too fat to get taken off of a flight, and that someone took him off because they don't like his comic films. If that's true, that's just horrible, no one should judge if he can ride a plane or not by what they think of his films. So there are many different questionable items in this article. I still feel bad for Kevin and others who have gone through this, and I don't necessarily agree with it, but I can also understand where the airline is coming from.
Monday, February 8, 2010
After boy's slaying, brother missing for 19 years.
On April 16th, 1990 two brothers wanted to play outside with other kids in their neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Their mother said yes and off they went. After a half hour, their mother (Tambar Ellis) went to call her sons in for dinner, she received no response. Panic arose and after searching for 45 minutes with no success, she called the police. All through that night and through the next two days, they searched. On the third day, the boys' father received the news, the oldest boy, Basil who was 8, was found in a landfill. He had been found by the truck driver who noticed his body sticking out from a plastic bag. He had been stabbed in the back twice, gagged, bound with duct tape and after his death his skull had been fractured. Now, investigators are doing DNA tests, which weren't available when Basil was found, hoping they will lead to some answers. 19 years later, the younger brother, Jamal who was 7, is still missing. However, no one has given up hope, the detective said, "I think there's a strong possibility that Jamal's alive, and I think we will find the person who's responsible."
This is a heartbreaking story, it almost brings you to tears. When I was younger, I never really paid much attention to the news and things that were going on, so I'm not super familiar with stories like this. Yes, I have heard of them happening before, but this is the first one that I'm really old enough to fully understand. I can't even being to imagine what their mother and father are going through. First the panic, then extreme sadness after finding Basil and now...? No matter what it is that they are going through I'm thrilled to hear that they have not given up hope. There have been other stories of people being found after multiple years, and a person can't just simply disappear off of the planet, so he has to be around somewhere, the only trouble is finding him... On another hand, it's horrible to think that there are people out there who would do this kind of horrible thing. I've heard bad stories before, but when they involve kids, they are even worse. Why would someone want to harm little kids, what did they ever do to deserve that kind of fate? I just don't understand. I'm glad that the family has done multiple things to get the word out there about their missing son, and once again I'm glad that they haven't given up hope! If we all pray and keep this family in our thoughts, we can help solve this case for good, and just maybe reunite this hopeful family.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Prius brake fix near, Toyota tells dealers
Toyota Motor told dealers that it is going to give a solution to fix the problems with the brake system of the Prius hybrid sedan- the car that was released as an example of the company's technological and engineering abilities. The problem is in the software that controls the anti-lock braking system, so the brakes take about a second to work when the roads are in poor condition. Snow, rain or even potholes can trigger the glitch. Along with releasing a plan to fix the brake glitch, Toyota is also going to release a campaign to try and regain some of their damaged reputation. They have found a solution for cars that are being made today, but have not for the cars that are already on the road. The Camry, Corolla and the Rav4 have also been hit by the gas pedal recall.
This news is very disturbing to me. It is hard to think of thousands of people driving out on the roads with cars that could have faulty parts which could lead to problematic situations. In the story it says that this glitch can cause the brakes to delay for a second, this alone doesn't really put things into perspective. It also says that "A car traveling just 30 m.p.h. can travel almost 50 feet in the one second that the brakes are not working." Now that information put things into a recognizable situation, and is extremely hard to believe. I can only imagine how far a car can go when they are going 60 m.p.h. or when they are on the free way. In drivers education we are taught about the 2 second rule, well I have noticed that not very many people follow this rule in the first place, and that makes me nervous. Now it can be even worse to think well what if a Toyota with a brake problem is following me that close. With this issue you not only have to think about other people's safety, but your own as well. I can't believe that the Toyota company did not test the cars enough to realize that they have this problem, and even without that, the fact that they didn't call drastic recalls and that it has taken so long to come up with a solution to this problem. It's not a good feeling to know that people aren't taking extra precautions when the safety of so many other people is in their hands. This is not just a distant problem for me, my family owns a Toyota Camry which is the car that I drive. Having recently discovered that the Camry was one of the cars found to have this issue, I am nervous when I drive and am doing extra research to find out if our car is one that may be affected. I can only hope that Toyota comes up with an effective solution, that this never happens again, and that people stay cautious and safe.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
"Winter storm hits mid-South hard"
This article describes how the huge storm affected many states in various ways. This storm hit the Southeast and sections of the Northeast, it coated almost everything with ice which resulted in many people losing power to their house and also in many places topped everything off with a nice dosing of snow. A city in North Carolina almost doubled it's record snowfall, and this was on top of one-quarter to one-half and inch of ice. Many cities advised people to avoid all unnecessary travel. Along with the ice and snow, wind was another pressing issue, it threatened to topple over trees and power lines. This storm reached many states including the Carolinas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia. Dallas, Texas was at a cold twenty-six degrees! With the cancelations and dangers adding up, this storm was not something to think about lightly.
This storm also affected us here in Minnesota, to me it is crazy to think about how a storm can cover such a wide distance all at one time. This storm was a danger, with the freezing rain and ice, driving and even walking quickly became difficult and stressful. After the ice arrived, we had strong winds with snow falling, this made things even more dangerous causing blizzard like conditions. For me, not being an extremely experienced driver, this storm was an extreme stress for me and I did not find it enjoyable. When people hear about this storm and experience it, I hope that they think about global warming. I personally find the topic of global warming to be a touchy subject. I do believe that global warming is happening, but no where near to the extent that the media has made it sound. I know that we are harming the earth with cars and pollution and waste, and this is causing global warming. However, I believe that how the temperatures have over the past few years been above average can be blamed on the fact that it is just part of a cycle. I know that some people are only hearing about global warming through the news or only by certain peoples' opinions, without doing any research on it themselves. Through this, they may be getting false information or false impressions. But when I hear of Texas being only twenty-six degrees, I have to wonder what is going through the heads of people who extremely do believe in global warming, or how they would describe why this kind of cold weather is happening. It is just something that people should really thing about... something that people need to decide where they stand and in what they believe. I also hope that more specifically with this storm, that people have gotten through okay and are safe.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
"Haitian authorities record 72,000 deaths from earthquake"
More than 72,000 bodies have been recovered since the earthquake in Haiti (just in one city by the name of Port-au-Prince), according the Prime Minister. The death toll in this city ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 people. Even with these numbers, people are not giving up hope, they're still praying, one woman was pulled out of rubble alive after seven days. After being desperately low on supplies (food and water) some has finally arrived, now, just like everything else, is just the issue of distributing it. Along with supplies, soldiers and police officers have also arrived with happy and upset remarks. Medical attention continues to be one of the main issues, now with limited instruments, buildings/space, IV equipment, surgical supplies, sterilizers, no electricity and no running water, the challenges continue. With $220 million, soldiers, and supplies sent, adoptions being made and lots of prayers, the situation in Haiti is improving and progress is being made.
In my opinion, this article was amazing! It's wonderful to hear that the situation in Haiti is improving and things are starting to get better. Some food and water has been sent, also some soldiers are in Haiti right now and there are more on the way, it's heart lifting to know that help is being sent to those who need it. It is not all good news however, the article is titled "...72,000 deaths..." I had no idea that there were that many people who suffered from the earthquake, it's an unbelievable amount. It's also hard to know that even though there are supplies being sent to Haiti, the roads are so full of rubble that getting to the people who need it can result to be impossible. Along with supplies, many soldiers have been sent, which was a wonderful decision in my mind! From what I've heard and understood about the whole situation, it sounds like people there could use all of the help they can get, so for the soldiers to be sent there is terrific. I'm not quite sure why some people are not happy that soldiers were sent to help, I guess they think that supplies would be more beneficial than people, but I think that both would help out. The medical part of the challenges in Haiti are obviously at the top of the list. With not having enough of anything, not being able to use the actual hospital building, and in the buildings they are using, not having running water or electricity, the city of Port-au-Prince is really having a hard time. Hopefully with soldiers being there, they can help out and get electricity and running water back, also with help from around the world maybe they can get the medical equipment they need as well. People have made an amazing response to this earthquake by helping out all they can, in any possible way including adopting children, sending money and praying. As for me, I will continue sending my prayers and hope for the best for Haiti.
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