This is a blog for Mrs. Ballew's Civics and Economics classes.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
1st Period Current Event 9/18
Please post your current event for Friday, September 18 below. Remember to include the link to the article you read, provide the topic of your article, and write at least 5-6 sentences discussing your opinion of the article.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/09/markets/market_newyork So basically this article is saying that the Dow Jones Industrial and the Nasdaq Composite have hit an 11 month high and that the economy is stabilizing. I don't really understand what all of this means or how it affects me. I mean, all I know is that at the end of the day a bell rings and some people report numbers that decide whether or not our economy is healthy. Can anyone help me out here? When do we teenagers get the memo about this sort of stuff? -christine
This week I read the following article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/us/politics/08speech.html?scp=1&sq=obama%20school%20speech&st=cse It's about Obama's speech to us. There was a big uproar by many Republican talk shows about how we were going to get socialist ideology "foisted" on us. I don't know if other Republicans share the same view, so I was wondering about that. But talk show hosts are mostly just deliberately inflammatory so I think that's kind of silly. When we watched the speech in class I was pleased by how tame it was--people would have to work hard to find any hidden socialism in Obama's words when he encouraged us to learn from our failures and stay in school. I was wondering what others' opinions are on forcing children to watch it. I know that many people think that it should be optional, but others think that since this is our president, we should be shown it and form our own opinions. My own opinion is that the speech should be shown to everyone (perhaps in an assembly) but that people should be able to opt out. I was disappointed that it wasn't shown in school, so I had to look it up myself when I wanted to see it.
Christine: You got me...I believe the Dow-Jones is sort of the state of the economy. The fact that it's high and stabilizing means that the state of our economy has plateaued. This hopefully means that we can only go uphill from here. I think it's when like when you get a fever, and your temperature goes: 98.6, 100, 101, 104, 104, 103, 100, 98.6. So right now we're at 104, if that helps.
It is very sad to hear about a child's death. When a woman that is 20 years older then this girl kill her. It shows that our world is not perfect. the hard part to understand it that she was a sunday school teacher. I go to sunday school and every teacher that ive had were nice adults that you are able to look up to. I dont understand how someone so old and mature is taking the life of someone so young and yet to live her life. i think that she deserves her punishment the death penalty
(This is a press release, more than an article, but I found it through a link on this webpage.)
I believe the repeal of DOMA is one of the most important bills that will face Congress this year. It is not just critically important to the rights of GLBT Americans and families. The Defense of Marriage Act abridges states' rights and enforces a national policy of required inequality. Even those gay couples lucky enough to live in one of the six U.S. states where marriages are performed for them have their rights denied. They file federal taxes as "single," even though they are legally married. The national government doesn't recognize their relationship, and more than that, it removes the right traditionally given to individual states to define marriage by refusing to acknowledge the same-sex marriages legally performed in six states. It is a dehumanizing and immoral treatment to LGBT people and a contradiction of the fundamental principles of American democracy. I hope with all my heart that the repeal goes through, and soon.
A plastic surgeon, Cook, is charged with 2nd degree murder after going 85 miles per hour in a 45 mph speed limit while drunk and hitting an aspiring professional ballerina, Elena Shapiro. The bar he just came from refused to give him more drinks and offered him an organized ride home, but he refused and led them to believe a sober person was taking him home. If I was this man driving, I would feel like a horrible idiot. Not only was he going 40 miles over the speed limit, he was driving drunk which is probably one of the most not smart things someone could do. And to add on to that, he killed a pretty little ballerina. Only 20 years old, with her whole life ahead of her and a career. He's a doctor, so he should know to be more responsible. Even if drinking and driving isn't a regular thing, it's never OK. Even if you don't kill anyone the first time, it might give you the impression that you are invincible or something. People never seem to realize just how dangerous it can be.
Oil prices have once again, increased. Even though it may only be by a few cents a barrel when being bought by a country, those few cents add up to thousands of dollars. People really need to learn to preserve oil more efficiently because our oil reserves are obviosly running lower and lower over time. Since oil is a nonrenewable resource, we have to make what we have last as long as possible. Some people continue to drive large, inefficient cars because they don't realize that every person makes a difference. I think if each and every person considered it their personal responsibity to increase oil efficiency, then the problem could be controlled. But thanks to inconsiderate and ignorant car owners, the issue continues to grow. Nontheless, there have been some improvements such as hybrids and smaller, more feul efficient cars being designed.
The National Climatic Data Center recently released its report on global sea temperatures for August. It found that the ocean temperatures were the highest in at least 120 years. (These reports began in 1880, so it is unclear about temperatures before then.) I thought this was quite shocking, and I find it hard to believe there are still some people who refuse to believe the earth's temperatures are rising unnaturally. If sea temperatures have risen that much, what is happening to aquatic ecosystems? All organisms have a set range of temperatures they can tolerate, and outside of that range, they must adapt or die. Adapting to new environmental conditions takes a lot longer for larger organisms, like fish and mammals, than it does for microscopic organisms like phytoplankton, so if the sea temperatures continue to rise rapidly, many aquatic organisms may become endangered, if not extinct. This news is quite troubling to say the least.
I agree with Obama's thoughts on health care. I like the fact that it will have to cover you even if you were already sick. it can't drop the coverage you have when you get sick. I also like that you only have to pay so much from pocket so that you don't spent all your money on health things. I think this is such a good idea we the wealthiest countries in the world but we still have some of the worst health insurance. I also agree that everyone should have it no matter what your job is or how much you make we all need it. I love his plans and he is doing a smart think by taking his time with it.
The people in Los Angeles are now limited in the number of roosters they can keep in their homes. This is because there are many cockfighting operations, which involved gambling, prostitution, and drugs. I think it's really interesting that people would make roosters fight each other. I also think that it's kind of unfair for those people who keep pet chickens and roosters, because they can no longer keep more than one rooster in their home. There are exceptions for birds in the media and roosters in petting zoos. I think that people should be able to prove that they're not using their roosters for fighting, and they can keep them. If a person is found to be guilty of cockfighting, they can be punished. I think that the restrictions won't be very effective otherwise.
http://dailytarheel.com/content/duke-studies-spread-h1n1 This article is about one of the most unique ways civilians can make money I've heard of in a while. It's good. There is a project just launched (with finacial aid from the US Dept. of Defense) at Duke University which is focused on figuring out exactly how the flu and other respiratory illnesses operate. It will be costly, with the 500-800 cases under observation, but the med students are sure to come out of this project closer to a cure. Freshman on the East Side of Duke campus are being studied because this is where more out-of-state students live, providing diversty. Each student who agrees to participate is paid money. According to David Weber (assistant dean of UNC dept. of medicine)no project of this kind can be undertaken by UNC Hospital due to their lack of "Infectious Disease Specialists." Nevertheless, the article contains some really good info and was an engaging read. I recommend it. ~miranda
This article is about a species of dinosaur that was just recently discovered in the lakes of Northeastern China. The article states that the dinosaur, nicknamed Raptorex, is like a mini T. Rex: it had similarly strong legs, tiny arms, and razor sharp teeth. It may have been the ancestor of the T. Rex. I think it's really cool that they found a new dinosaur. I think it shows that people are really dedicated to what they do and that anything is possible because no one was really expecting them to find it; they weren't even expecting to find anything. I also think it's great because it will help us close some of the gaps and answer some questions about evolution that we may have. It's a big step, and a big discovery.
My article is about pirates. No it is not the great Captain Jack Sparrow, but it is about a teenager who was arrested and charged with piracy.I found this fascinating since we don't here a lot about pirates now. This teenager wanted to be tried as a minor, but the court said he was 18 and should be tried as an adult. The weird thing is, his family testified saying he was only 15. It is interesting to me that for Somalia this is not the first pirate attack they have had this year. It is more common than most of us would think. The complaint against this teenager was sent in by Richard Phillips, the captain of a US flag ship. Apparently, the teenager boarded the captain's ship with an AK-47 threatening everyone aboard. It was also said that he took hostages. Because it was a US ship, we got involved and caught him. I am glad that we are able to helping slow down the attacks on the African coast.
This article is a school attack that happened today at a high school in Southern Germany (Ansbach.) A student came to the school with an ax, knives and Molotov cocktails (explosives.) He severely injured 8 students and one teacher during the attack and did not back down until the police shot him 5 times and arrested him. The student is now in very critical condition. The article also says that this is the second Southern German high school this year that has been attacked. The other incident, 12 students were shot and killed. This article actually really scares me, one because we all go to school every single day and the idea that someone could attack us while at school is very frightening. The other reason it scares me is because in June, I am going to a Southern German high school for 3 weeks and having both of the incidents happen closeby and being so devastating is even more frightening for me.
http://www.slate.com/id/2228414/pagenum/all/#p2 This was about a discussion about the plan for Afghanistan, in which Adm. Michael Mullen, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Sen. Carl Levin established that the Taliban has neither planes nor tanks, but are still somehow gaining ground. They figured out that the real problem isn't the Taliban; it's the Afghan government, because the people don't view the government as legitimate, and that no matter how many troops they send in, it won't give the government any legitimacy. As Graham put it, if you "offer them an alternative to Taliban rule, and if they have an alternative to Taliban rule, they will choose it," because "The enemy in Afghanistan is not the insurgents. The enemy is fear." I think this is a true statement, because if they're afraid to put trust in their government because they think it won't support them well enough, they will put their trust and support into a leadership that is fighting for more ground. Graham, Mullen, and Levin are saying that if the US is seen as fighting with the Afghan government, it will be seen as illegitimate, too. What they seemed to have decided is that a bribe would be the best way to give both the Afghan government and our government legitimacy in the eyes of the people of Afghanistan. The numbers provided seem ridiculous at first, however; "The idea may seem outrageous, until one considers that we're currently spending about $4 billion a month on this war." The cost total for the bribe will most likely be less than the cost that keeps rising to keep troops in Afghanistan. Since it seems like their intentions are good (keep Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, restore legitimacy to the government rather than Taliban rule), I think that it's the best option; sending in even more troops isn't going to do any good.
This article is about Laos, located in Southeast Asia, and how its verycommunist government seems to be getting more and more intense.Apparently, books that are about Marx and Lenin are the best sellers inbookstores, and schools order as many as 500 posters a month tohang in easy-to-see places around the building. But some things thatthe reporters found are somewhat reassuring; they interviewed a farmeronly 15 miles outside the capital city, and he had no idea who KarlMarx was. He thought Lenin might have been a famous Vietnamese leader.(!!) “If I had studied more, I might know more about it,” Mr. Lee said. My side on this issue is that, if communism was working for thiscountry, there is no reason they shouldn't continue going by it.However, it's one of the poorest countries in Asia, so I think theycould definitely benefit from a different kind of government. When I was in Laos last year, the schools each had a huge communistflag on the outside, and it was like stepping back in time. It wasreally scary. I think that Laos should alter their system while stillkeeping a very real culture.
Max Gilpin, a teenager Kentucky died three days after collapsing from the heat. His football coach was found not guilty of reckless homicide. I am glad he was found not guilty, but I think that in the future the coach should not have pushed the kids so hard to run in the heat without regular water breaks. Itm is a horrible thing and the coach has lost his job and has to carry the burden of a boy dying because of the practice. I think that is punishment enough. He should have warned the kids about knowing when your body has had enough; instead he pushed 15 year old Max too hard.
All public schools in NY have experienced budget cuts due to the bad economy and so have most states in the U.S. Budget cuts are effecting our public schools greatly as it says in this article. Many helpful programs in these schools are being removed to save money, and those programs were very helpful to children. One thing that i thought they definitely should not have cut was the program that helped raise math and reading scores. a program like that is very helpful to children who aren't as good with math and reading as the other kids, and it could really help them be raised to that level. In NY they are experiencing classroom numbers rising just as we are because a teachers have been cut back. I think that since there are more children in classrooms, help will be harder to get, because there are many more students in the classes now. One good thing was that when teachers were laid off as classroom teachers, they are put in a reserve pool as substitutes. I thought that was a good idea because at least they would not be unemployed and struggling to pay bills. School systems are also reducing spending on over-time and substitutes. Schools who used to be able to buy supplies to help kids in need, are now cutting back and won't be supplying them anymore. The local PTA however, is helping out the community by getting donations and spending it on school supplies like backpacks, for kids who can't afford some supplies for school. This Economy is really effecting our education in a bad way, because of all of the program cuts that are beneficial to students.
Allie: well, I was quite surprised reading this article. I clicked on it expecting to read another news article about the economic crisis that we are in getting worse. this is the first article I've read that says that our economy is improving. I'm so surprised that I find it a bit hard to believe. I'm not surprised that some people dont want to do what they are being told to do to "improve the economy". I would probably have doubts too if I were in the same situation. There is so much happening and keeping all the possible risks in mind I understand it is hard to make decisions. but, sometimes risks have to be taken so I think that bankers, and economists and people in power should do whatever they can to try and improve the economy so that we can get out of this crisis.
Im worried for the people that live in the area that this man escaped into. He could go into some ones house and take a family hostage. He is a dangerous person. He killed a bunch of people. I hope that the police men find him. He might do something rash. I wonder how he was able to escape anyways?
http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/09/markets/market_newyork
ReplyDeleteSo basically this article is saying that the Dow Jones Industrial and the Nasdaq Composite have hit an 11 month high and that the economy is stabilizing. I don't really understand what all of this means or how it affects me. I mean, all I know is that at the end of the day a bell rings and some people report numbers that decide whether or not our economy is healthy. Can anyone help me out here? When do we teenagers get the memo about this sort of stuff?
-christine
This week I read the following article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/us/politics/08speech.html?scp=1&sq=obama%20school%20speech&st=cse
ReplyDeleteIt's about Obama's speech to us. There was a big uproar by many Republican talk shows about how we were going to get socialist ideology "foisted" on us. I don't know if other Republicans share the same view, so I was wondering about that. But talk show hosts are mostly just deliberately inflammatory so I think that's kind of silly.
When we watched the speech in class I was pleased by how tame it was--people would have to work hard to find any hidden socialism in Obama's words when he encouraged us to learn from our failures and stay in school.
I was wondering what others' opinions are on forcing children to watch it. I know that many people think that it should be optional, but others think that since this is our president, we should be shown it and form our own opinions.
My own opinion is that the speech should be shown to everyone (perhaps in an assembly) but that people should be able to opt out. I was disappointed that it wasn't shown in school, so I had to look it up myself when I wanted to see it.
Christine: You got me...I believe the Dow-Jones is sort of the state of the economy. The fact that it's high and stabilizing means that the state of our economy has plateaued. This hopefully means that we can only go uphill from here. I think it's when like when you get a fever, and your temperature goes: 98.6, 100, 101, 104, 104, 103, 100, 98.6. So right now we're at 104, if that helps.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/10/huckaby.death.penalty/index.html
ReplyDeleteIt is very sad to hear about a child's death. When a woman that is 20 years older then this girl kill her. It shows that our world is not perfect. the hard part to understand it that she was a sunday school teacher. I go to sunday school and every teacher that ive had were nice adults that you are able to look up to. I dont understand how someone so old and mature is taking the life of someone so young and yet to live her life. i think that she deserves her punishment the death penalty
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny08_nadler/repealDOMA091509.html
ReplyDelete(This is a press release, more than an article, but I found it through a link on this webpage.)
I believe the repeal of DOMA is one of the most important bills that will face Congress this year. It is not just critically important to the rights of GLBT Americans and families. The Defense of Marriage Act abridges states' rights and enforces a national policy of required inequality. Even those gay couples lucky enough to live in one of the six U.S. states where marriages are performed for them have their rights denied. They file federal taxes as "single," even though they are legally married. The national government doesn't recognize their relationship, and more than that, it removes the right traditionally given to individual states to define marriage by refusing to acknowledge the same-sex marriages legally performed in six states. It is a dehumanizing and immoral treatment to LGBT people and a contradiction of the fundamental principles of American democracy. I hope with all my heart that the repeal goes through, and soon.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1691667.html
ReplyDeleteA plastic surgeon, Cook, is charged with 2nd degree murder after going 85 miles per hour in a 45 mph speed limit while drunk and hitting an aspiring professional ballerina, Elena Shapiro. The bar he just came from refused to give him more drinks and offered him an organized ride home, but he refused and led them to believe a sober person was taking him home. If I was this man driving, I would feel like a horrible idiot. Not only was he going 40 miles over the speed limit, he was driving drunk which is probably one of the most not smart things someone could do. And to add on to that, he killed a pretty little ballerina. Only 20 years old, with her whole life ahead of her and a career. He's a doctor, so he should know to be more responsible. Even if drinking and driving isn't a regular thing, it's never OK. Even if you don't kill anyone the first time, it might give you the impression that you are invincible or something. People never seem to realize just how dangerous it can be.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gIXHgZ3wZWsZCKG_jmWcx8F6-f-g
ReplyDeleteOil prices have once again, increased. Even though it may only be by a few cents a barrel when being bought by a country, those few cents add up to thousands of dollars. People really need to learn to preserve oil more efficiently because our oil reserves are obviosly running lower and lower over time. Since oil is a nonrenewable resource, we have to make what we have last as long as possible. Some people continue to drive large, inefficient cars because they don't realize that every person makes a difference. I think if each and every person considered it their personal responsibity to increase oil efficiency, then the problem could be controlled. But thanks to inconsiderate and ignorant car owners, the issue continues to grow. Nontheless, there have been some improvements such as hybrids and smaller, more feul efficient cars being designed.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/august-seas-warmest-in-120-years/
ReplyDeleteThe National Climatic Data Center recently released its report on global sea temperatures for August. It found that the ocean temperatures were the highest in at least 120 years. (These reports began in 1880, so it is unclear about temperatures before then.) I thought this was quite shocking, and I find it hard to believe there are still some people who refuse to believe the earth's temperatures are rising unnaturally. If sea temperatures have risen that much, what is happening to aquatic ecosystems? All organisms have a set range of temperatures they can tolerate, and outside of that range, they must adapt or die. Adapting to new environmental conditions takes a lot longer for larger organisms, like fish and mammals, than it does for microscopic organisms like phytoplankton, so if the sea temperatures continue to rise rapidly, many aquatic organisms may become endangered, if not extinct. This news is quite troubling to say the least.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONKxGko-JNI
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf_3okCBfUc&NR=1
I agree with Obama's thoughts on health care. I like the fact that it will have to cover you even if you were already sick. it can't drop the coverage you have when you get sick. I also like that you only have to pay so much from pocket so that you don't spent all your money on health things. I think this is such a good idea we the wealthiest countries in the world but we still have some of the worst health insurance. I also agree that everyone should have it no matter what your job is or how much you make we all need it. I love his plans and he is doing a smart think by taking his time with it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/us/17rooster.html?ref=todayspaper
ReplyDeleteThe people in Los Angeles are now limited in the number of roosters they can keep in their homes. This is because there are many cockfighting operations, which involved gambling, prostitution, and drugs. I think it's really interesting that people would make roosters fight each other. I also think that it's kind of unfair for those people who keep pet chickens and roosters, because they can no longer keep more than one rooster in their home. There are exceptions for birds in the media and roosters in petting zoos. I think that people should be able to prove that they're not using their roosters for fighting, and they can keep them. If a person is found to be guilty of cockfighting, they can be punished. I think that the restrictions won't be very effective otherwise.
http://dailytarheel.com/content/duke-studies-spread-h1n1
ReplyDeleteThis article is about one of the most unique ways civilians can make money I've heard of in a while. It's good. There is a project just launched (with finacial aid from the US Dept. of Defense) at Duke University which is focused on figuring out exactly how the flu and other respiratory illnesses operate. It will be costly, with the 500-800 cases under observation, but the med students are sure to come out of this project closer to a cure. Freshman on the East Side of Duke campus are being studied because this is where more out-of-state students live, providing diversty. Each student who agrees to participate is paid money. According to David Weber (assistant dean of UNC dept. of medicine)no project of this kind can be undertaken by UNC Hospital due to their lack of "Infectious Disease Specialists." Nevertheless, the article contains some really good info and was an engaging read. I recommend it. ~miranda
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/09/17/tiny.t-rex.dinosaur.discovered/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a species of dinosaur that was just recently discovered in the lakes of Northeastern China. The article states that the dinosaur, nicknamed Raptorex, is like a mini T. Rex: it had similarly strong legs, tiny arms, and razor sharp teeth. It may have been the ancestor of the T. Rex. I think it's really cool that they found a new dinosaur. I think it shows that people are really dedicated to what they do and that anything is possible because no one was really expecting them to find it; they weren't even expecting to find anything. I also think it's great because it will help us close some of the gaps and answer some questions about evolution that we may have. It's a big step, and a big discovery.
Michelle says...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,551700,00.html
My article is about pirates. No it is not the great Captain Jack Sparrow, but it is about a teenager who was arrested and charged with piracy.I found this fascinating since we don't here a lot about pirates now. This teenager wanted to be tried as a minor, but the court said he was 18 and should be tried as an adult. The weird thing is, his family testified saying he was only 15. It is interesting to me that for Somalia this is not the first pirate attack they have had this year. It is more common than most of us would think.
The complaint against this teenager was sent in by Richard Phillips, the captain of a US flag ship. Apparently, the teenager boarded the captain's ship with an AK-47 threatening everyone aboard. It was also said that he took hostages. Because it was a US ship, we got involved and caught him. I am glad that we are able to helping slow down the attacks on the African coast.
~Michelle Gay
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090917/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_school_attack
ReplyDeleteThis article is a school attack that happened today at a high school in Southern Germany (Ansbach.) A student came to the school with an ax, knives and Molotov cocktails (explosives.) He severely injured 8 students and one teacher during the attack and did not back down until the police shot him 5 times and arrested him. The student is now in very critical condition. The article also says that this is the second Southern German high school this year that has been attacked. The other incident, 12 students were shot and killed.
This article actually really scares me, one because we all go to school every single day and the idea that someone could attack us while at school is very frightening. The other reason it scares me is because in June, I am going to a Southern German high school for 3 weeks and having both of the incidents happen closeby and being so devastating is even more frightening for me.
http://www.slate.com/id/2228414/pagenum/all/#p2
ReplyDeleteThis was about a discussion about the plan for Afghanistan, in which Adm. Michael Mullen, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Sen. Carl Levin established that the Taliban has neither planes nor tanks, but are still somehow gaining ground. They figured out that the real problem isn't the Taliban; it's the Afghan government, because the people don't view the government as legitimate, and that no matter how many troops they send in, it won't give the government any legitimacy. As Graham put it, if you "offer them an alternative to Taliban rule, and if they have an alternative to Taliban rule, they will choose it," because "The enemy in Afghanistan is not the insurgents. The enemy is fear."
I think this is a true statement, because if they're afraid to put trust in their government because they think it won't support them well enough, they will put their trust and support into a leadership that is fighting for more ground.
Graham, Mullen, and Levin are saying that if the US is seen as fighting with the Afghan government, it will be seen as illegitimate, too. What they seemed to have decided is that a bribe would be the best way to give both the Afghan government and our government legitimacy in the eyes of the people of Afghanistan. The numbers provided seem ridiculous at first, however; "The idea may seem outrageous, until one considers that we're currently spending about $4 billion a month on this war."
The cost total for the bribe will most likely be less than the cost that keeps rising to keep troops in Afghanistan.
Since it seems like their intentions are good (keep Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, restore legitimacy to the government rather than Taliban rule), I think that it's the best option; sending in even more troops isn't going to do any good.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/world/asia/18laos.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
ReplyDeleteThis article is about Laos, located in Southeast Asia, and how its verycommunist government seems to be getting more and more intense.Apparently, books that are about Marx and Lenin are the best sellers inbookstores, and schools order as many as 500 posters a month tohang in easy-to-see places around the building. But some things thatthe reporters found are somewhat reassuring; they interviewed a farmeronly 15 miles outside the capital city, and he had no idea who KarlMarx was. He thought Lenin might have been a famous Vietnamese leader.(!!)
“If I had studied more, I might know more about it,” Mr. Lee said.
My side on this issue is that, if communism was working for thiscountry, there is no reason they shouldn't continue going by it.However, it's one of the poorest countries in Asia, so I think theycould definitely benefit from a different kind of government.
When I was in Laos last year, the schools each had a huge communistflag on the outside, and it was like stepping back in time. It wasreally scary. I think that Laos should alter their system while stillkeeping a very real culture.
-MaddyKameny 1st period
Max Gilpin, a teenager Kentucky died three days after collapsing from the heat. His football coach was found not guilty of reckless homicide. I am glad he was found not guilty, but I think that in the future the coach should not have pushed the kids so hard to run in the heat without regular water breaks. Itm is a horrible thing and the coach has lost his job and has to carry the burden of a boy dying because of the practice. I think that is punishment enough. He should have warned the kids about knowing when your body has had enough; instead he pushed 15 year old Max too hard.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/17/kentucky.coach.trial.index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/education/15cuts.html?hpw
ReplyDeleteAll public schools in NY have experienced budget cuts due to the bad economy and so have most states in the U.S. Budget cuts are effecting our public schools greatly as it says in this article. Many helpful programs in these schools are being removed to save money, and those programs were very helpful to children. One thing that i thought they definitely should not have cut was the program that helped raise math and reading scores. a program like that is very helpful to children who aren't as good with math and reading as the other kids, and it could really help them be raised to that level. In NY they are experiencing classroom numbers rising just as we are because a teachers have been cut back. I think that since there are more children in classrooms, help will be harder to get, because there are many more students in the classes now. One good thing was that when teachers were laid off as classroom teachers, they are put in a reserve pool as substitutes. I thought that was a good idea because at least they would not be unemployed and struggling to pay bills. School systems are also reducing spending on over-time and substitutes. Schools who used to be able to buy supplies to help kids in need, are now cutting back and won't be supplying them anymore. The local PTA however, is helping out the community by getting donations and spending it on school supplies like backpacks, for kids who can't afford some supplies for school. This Economy is really effecting our education in a bad way, because of all of the program cuts that are beneficial to students.
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/fp/urged+lift+rates+sooner+rather+than+later/2009163/story.html
ReplyDeleteAllie:
well, I was quite surprised reading this article. I clicked on it expecting to read another news article about the economic crisis that we are in getting worse. this is the first article I've read that says that our economy is improving. I'm so surprised that I find it a bit hard to believe. I'm not surprised that some people dont want to do what they are being told to do to "improve the economy". I would probably have doubts too if I were in the same situation. There is so much happening and keeping all the possible risks in mind I understand it is hard to make decisions. but, sometimes risks have to be taken so I think that bankers, and economists and people in power should do whatever they can to try and improve the economy so that we can get out of this crisis.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/20/washington.escaped.killer/index.html
ReplyDeleteIm worried for the people that live in the area that this man escaped into. He could go into some ones house and take a family hostage. He is a dangerous person. He killed a bunch of people. I hope that the police men find him. He might do something rash. I wonder how he was able to escape anyways?