Name: Janine
Current Event Posting: #3
Topic: Health
Title: Texas Board Approves Rules on Use of Stem Cells
Length of article: 630 words
Author: Minjae Park
Source: NY Times
Date: April 13th, 2012
On Friday, the Texas Medical Board approved controversial new rules on the use of adult stem cells, raising the concerns that Texans could receive therapies that have no yet been proven to work and that could potentially be unsafe or harmful. The new rules allow doctors to preform stem cell procedures as long as they are done for research and receive approval from an institutional review board, be it private or profit-making. The rules also require that patients sign informed consent forms. The actual process of getting approve took months. It was set in motion by Rick Perry, who reported relief from back pain after being injected with his own stem cells last summer before he began his presidential bid. He directed his staff to help push through the legislation on which the new rules are based. Researches say the evidence of success of stem cell injections is anecdotal, and they advocate waiting for clinical trial results before allowing doctors to charge patients for procedures. Needless to say, these types of trials and procedures are costly, with the average at tens of thousands of dollars.
However, because the rules have already been published in the The Texas Register and stakeholder had provided feedback, the medical board could not make major changes on Friday and had to quickly either accept or reject the rules. These rules are still in the early drafts of development, and most board members agree that they are nowhere near perfect. However, the rules improved on the current situation by adding a layer of protection for Texas patients.
Stem cell research, while controversial, has proven to be beneficial to all different fields of medicine. The continuation of this research would have only resulted in these trials sooner rather than later. I do not see the problem with allowing patients to participate in the trail after the individual has given consent, as they obviously know the risks at that point. These trails will ultimately prove helpful in furthering research on adult stem cells and their capability to repair and reconstruct different parts of the human body.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Name: Emmanuel
Topic: Science/Technology
Title: US sues Apple and publishers over e-book prices
Publisher: BBC
Date of Publication: April 11th, 2012
Length: 717 words
Apple sells E-books, or electronic books on its IBooks platform to iphones and ipads. However, while physical books' prices are set by the publishers at 50% the cover price, and decided by the retailer. In this model, which they called the "aikido move", designed partly by Steve Jobs, the publisher sets the price and received 30% of it. The goal was to stop Amazon from completely controlling the e-book market with its kindle. However, publisher Macmillian, Penguin, and Apple are being sued by the the US Department of Justice for "for conspiring to end e-book retailers' freedom to compete on price" (BBC). As a result, consumers are tricked into paying more than they should have for a title. The publishers and Apple teamed up as defendants, claiming the settlement the Department of Justice was requesting were too demanding, and would in effect completely make their model worthless and allow Amazon to become a monopoly of e-books.
As technology expands, new types of businesses arise everywhere. One of the main concerns of the U.S. economy is to prevent monopolies, which can result in price fixing. Price fixing is when a company conspires with others to move prices all-together up in order to make larger profits all-together. Many times, when monopolies are created, the government has to split them to make sure the economy stays balanced. Some speculate a bias because Apple just surpassed its net worth to $600 billion, becoming the world's most valuable firm, and controls too many markets.
In my opinion, Apple and its publishers is just trying to balance the e-book market with Amazon. However, with Amazon being so popular, appealing customers to switch required a stronger marketing strategy. While I agree that the Department of Justice should fight monopolies, it seems they are giving Apple no chance to compete with Amazon, thus creating a monopoly on the other hand.
First Name: Max
Topic: Science
Title of article:Baboons recognise words on a screen
Length of article: 500 words
Posting #3
Author: CNN wire staff
Date of Publication: 4/13/12
According to a recent study in France, it has been found that Baboons are now able to analyze (to some extent) human language. The monkeys were not actually able to read, but they were trained to be able to distinguish nonsense 4-letter words with real 4-letter words. The study was headed by Dr John Grainger and Dr Joel Fagot, and carried out at a special facility at the Aix-Marseille University. The baboons were never forced to do anything, and actually volunteered themselves for the tests. Test booths were set up, and computers would identify baboons that would decide to leave their social group and venture into the test booths. The test gave a 4-letter word to the baboon, and the baboon would touch a plus sign if the word was an actual word, or touch an oval is the word was gibberish. The test booths would give a treat as a reward, which gave the baboons incentive to volunteer. Dr John Grainger says the volunteer system is important, because the baboons pay more attention when they volunteer to do something. It was estimated that each baboon volunteered up to 61,000 times. One baboon, named Dan, could recognized around 300 words correctly. From these results, it was concluded that monkeys had the ability to understand sequences of letter, what is described as a "fundamental building block of language". They hypothesize that this ability comes from the ability to identify objects in the environment. Thus, despite the seemingly-obvious linguistic skill, the ability to distinguish words was more of an object-identification skill. In addition, it was noted that the monkeys were not actually capable of what we call, "reading". However, this study no doubt has a very big impact on our understanding of monkeys.
I think that this ability to identify words means more than the study makes it seem. A species cannot develop a written language without the ability to distinguish sequences of symbols, so this achievement definitely opens up the possibility that monkey could create a written language. In addition, I thought it was extremely interesting to learn that the test was completely voluntary. To be able to link the recognition of words with the award of food is, I think, in itself an achievement. This study leads me to wonder whether or not baby baboons could be taught to recognize even more words, because Dan was able identify 300 words, and at least in the human race, younger humans learn faster.
Topic: Science
Title of article:Baboons recognise words on a screen
Length of article: 500 words
Posting #3
Author: CNN wire staff
Date of Publication: 4/13/12
According to a recent study in France, it has been found that Baboons are now able to analyze (to some extent) human language. The monkeys were not actually able to read, but they were trained to be able to distinguish nonsense 4-letter words with real 4-letter words. The study was headed by Dr John Grainger and Dr Joel Fagot, and carried out at a special facility at the Aix-Marseille University. The baboons were never forced to do anything, and actually volunteered themselves for the tests. Test booths were set up, and computers would identify baboons that would decide to leave their social group and venture into the test booths. The test gave a 4-letter word to the baboon, and the baboon would touch a plus sign if the word was an actual word, or touch an oval is the word was gibberish. The test booths would give a treat as a reward, which gave the baboons incentive to volunteer. Dr John Grainger says the volunteer system is important, because the baboons pay more attention when they volunteer to do something. It was estimated that each baboon volunteered up to 61,000 times. One baboon, named Dan, could recognized around 300 words correctly. From these results, it was concluded that monkeys had the ability to understand sequences of letter, what is described as a "fundamental building block of language". They hypothesize that this ability comes from the ability to identify objects in the environment. Thus, despite the seemingly-obvious linguistic skill, the ability to distinguish words was more of an object-identification skill. In addition, it was noted that the monkeys were not actually capable of what we call, "reading". However, this study no doubt has a very big impact on our understanding of monkeys.
I think that this ability to identify words means more than the study makes it seem. A species cannot develop a written language without the ability to distinguish sequences of symbols, so this achievement definitely opens up the possibility that monkey could create a written language. In addition, I thought it was extremely interesting to learn that the test was completely voluntary. To be able to link the recognition of words with the award of food is, I think, in itself an achievement. This study leads me to wonder whether or not baby baboons could be taught to recognize even more words, because Dan was able identify 300 words, and at least in the human race, younger humans learn faster.
Andrew D.
Current Event #3
Topic: Education
Awake or Knocked Out? The Line Gets Blurrier
James Gorman
New York Times
April 12, 2012
Article length: Approximately 1 page
Scientists have yet to fully understand consciousness. The process of consciousness isn't simple as an on and off process. To better understand consciousness parts of the brain is monitored as patients undergo anesthesia.
It was found by Harry Scheinin and Jaakko W. Langsjo of the University of Turku that as one regains consciousness it is broken into gradations. First, portions of the brain focused on more primitive functions activate followed by full activation of complex functions. Patients that were considered unconscious had some ability to communicate. With this knowledge, doctors were able to communicate to vegetable state patients through simple communications. Crucial decisions involving the patients condition could be resolved as the patient would be able to decide their fate.
With this acquired knowledge that the unconscious are still technically conscious, It does not really effect much in terms of anesthetics as the patient does not remember anything from surgeries or other procedures. It is interesting to learn that our consciousness is more complex than previously thought.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/science/studying-states-of-consciousness.html?ref=science
Zanna
Post number: 3
Title: Iran nuclear talk to resume Saturday
Author: CNN Wire staff
Publication: cnn.com
Date of publication: April 13th, 2012
Length of article: 1 page
Iran
nuclear negotiators had arrived on Friday April 13th and started discussing
nuclear plans with its Chinese and Russian counterparts before the meeting on
Saturday. Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top
negotiator was at the meeting on Saturday and claimed that he wants to bring “
new initiatives” to the talk with other delegates from the five members of the
United Nations Security Council. The United States, France, Russia, China,
Britain and Germany have all previously tried to get Iran to “rein” its nuclear
program because they suspect that it contains military arms and a possible
nuclear weapon. Iran responded by tell the UN that their program is purely
peaceful. With constant Iran’s requests from European Nations and the United
States to cancel its nuclear program, Iran has been under a lot of pressure.
Iran tried to negotiate a deal where they would make a 20% reduction in the
amount of uranium it enriches, but it was quite unclear on Frieda if they were
still willing to do that. The reason analysts are so wary of Iran’s nuclear
program, and uranium enrichments is because it is enough to take more steps
“toward being able to create a nuclear weapon” (CNN wire staff).
In conclusion, the UN council is very concerned with Iran’s use
of uranium and potential nuclear bomb creation. Iran has tried to negotiate the
amount of uranium they use, but it could still be enough to create a nuclear
bomb. Like other countries Iran has the right to enrich uranium for commercial and
research reactors but it is also known that the facilities they use for
research can also be used to enrich uranium for a bomb.
I
think that Iran’s enrichment of uranium is being used for bombs, because they
are being too secretive about what they use the uranium for. When IAEA
inspectors traveled to Iran, they were denied access to a military base that
could be used to detonate a nuclear bomb. The fact that they aren’t sharing
specific information about what they are doing in their “programs” makes
everything seem suspicious.
On Cheating
Marisa
Post number: 3
Topic: education
Title: The Other type of Cheating
Author: Gary Rubinstein
Publication: cnn.com
Date of publication: April 12th, 2012
Length of article: 2 pages
In his article, Mr. Rubinstein asserts a variety of problems plaguing the U.S. education system. First and foremost, lawmakers do not know how to fix a broken system, despite claiming otherwise. This leads to the firing of perfectly good teachers in suffering districts, and misguided statements such as this: that the way to solve problems is to “'cut the number of teachers in half, but [also] double the compensation of them, and [thus] weed out all the bad ones and just have good teachers," under the mistaken impression that "'double the class size with a better teacher is a good deal for the students.'” (Michael Bloomberg, New York Mayor) Rubinstein also states that another significant threat lies within the gamut of standardized tests administered every year. These scores are easily doctored before being sent off to the relevant government body, making a school with poor scores seem acceptable, a quality that has allowed the practice to continue.
Indeed, a school with good scores is, effectively, a school that continues to receive money [particularly in the case of charter schools], which has led to money-grubbing practices that do very little to benefit students. Money also plays a significant role in the systematic elimination of subjects such as art, history, science, and physical education in so-called "failing" schools, in order to place emphasis on mathematics and reading - nothing else. Another notable issue presented in this article is the discrediting of poverty as a factor in performance, a fault exhibited by none other than the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. It is evident that there are a multitude of problems plaguing the educational system, but few solutions forthcoming. Mr. Rubinstein implies not only the [many] failures of the No Child Left Behind act, the repercussions of which are felt nationwide on a daily basis, but also the incompetence of those who claim to "'know' how to improve education in this country."
Arizona State Senate Passes House Bill 2563
Sean Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Education
Title of article: Arizona Bible Course Bill To Teach Elective In Public Schools Passes Senate, Goes To Gov. Jan Brewer
Author: Emmeline Zhao Date of Publication: April 12th, 2012
Publication Name: Huffington Post
Length of Article: 500 Words
On Thursday April 12, Arizona state Senate approved House Bill 2563 with a vote of 21-9. House Bill 2563 creates a high school elective course for public and charter school students. The new elective course will be titled "The Bible and its Influence on Western Culture," which will include lessons on history, literature and influence of the Old and New testaments on laws, government and culture among other aspects of society. The new course must also follow state and federal law in maintaining religious neutrality, although many view the courses ability to do this as unrealistic. Current Arizona state law doesn't ban the use of the bible or other religious texts in the classroom as long as they are being used for academic purposes. Advocates for the bill include Republican state Rep. Terri Proud, who supported the bill by saying, "there are people out there who hate the Bible and everything about it. That's fine, but don't deprive our children off biblical literature because of your personal feelings." Amongst the advocators are critics who argue that teaching religion and the Bible are tricky, and many teachers are under qualified to do so.
In conclusion, Bill 2563 is headed to Republican Gov, Jan Brewer's desk for final approval, after its passing through both the House and the Senate. If Brewer signs the bill Arizona would become the sixth state to allow districts to offer high school courses regarding the Bible. These six states include Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina. Other states have introduced similar bills, but the bills have failed to become law.
Personally, I believe that Arizona is traveling down a slippery slope. Allowing religion to be taught in public schools as an elective is clearly against many landmark cases that ban the practice of religion in schools, wether it be voluntary or not. It is also ironic that Arizona only months ago banned Ethnic Studies from its curriculum on the bases that it promoted segregation, and now they are promoting a class that will do exactly that.
Topic: Education
Title of article: Arizona Bible Course Bill To Teach Elective In Public Schools Passes Senate, Goes To Gov. Jan Brewer
Author: Emmeline Zhao Date of Publication: April 12th, 2012
Publication Name: Huffington Post
Length of Article: 500 Words
On Thursday April 12, Arizona state Senate approved House Bill 2563 with a vote of 21-9. House Bill 2563 creates a high school elective course for public and charter school students. The new elective course will be titled "The Bible and its Influence on Western Culture," which will include lessons on history, literature and influence of the Old and New testaments on laws, government and culture among other aspects of society. The new course must also follow state and federal law in maintaining religious neutrality, although many view the courses ability to do this as unrealistic. Current Arizona state law doesn't ban the use of the bible or other religious texts in the classroom as long as they are being used for academic purposes. Advocates for the bill include Republican state Rep. Terri Proud, who supported the bill by saying, "there are people out there who hate the Bible and everything about it. That's fine, but don't deprive our children off biblical literature because of your personal feelings." Amongst the advocators are critics who argue that teaching religion and the Bible are tricky, and many teachers are under qualified to do so.
In conclusion, Bill 2563 is headed to Republican Gov, Jan Brewer's desk for final approval, after its passing through both the House and the Senate. If Brewer signs the bill Arizona would become the sixth state to allow districts to offer high school courses regarding the Bible. These six states include Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina. Other states have introduced similar bills, but the bills have failed to become law.
Personally, I believe that Arizona is traveling down a slippery slope. Allowing religion to be taught in public schools as an elective is clearly against many landmark cases that ban the practice of religion in schools, wether it be voluntary or not. It is also ironic that Arizona only months ago banned Ethnic Studies from its curriculum on the bases that it promoted segregation, and now they are promoting a class that will do exactly that.
Building near World Trade Center cleared after Suspicious Package Found
First Name: Jeffrey
Topic: Internal Affairs
Title of article:Building near World Trade Center cleared after Suspicious Package Found
Length of article: 250 words/ 1 page
Posting #3
Author: CNN wire staff
Date of Publication: 4/12/12
A grenade like item was found on a plague with the words written, "Complaint Department. Pull Pin." This prompted an immediate evacuation of a Manhatten Skyscraper across the street from where the Twin World Trade Towers stood more than a decade ago. The package was first flagged at 10:23 AM and in the building's mail room and was subsequently scanned. Quick acting security personnel initiated the evacuation of the entire skyscraper just seven minutes later. The all clear was given when a bomb squad was sent in to investigate the incident and deemed the package not a threat. Construction of the One World Trade Center Skyscraper where the original twin towers stood is well underway just across the street of the whole ordeal.
Another possible terrorist attack in such a close proximity of the greatest attack foreign attack on U.S. soil is just not acceptable. Fortunately the package was of no harm and was a simply a hoax but if "bomb" had gone off, a public outcry would soon be to follow. Security measures must be drastically increased especially in such a densely populated area such as Manhatten to deter any future such disturbances.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Campus Task Force Criticizes Pepper Spraying of Protesters
Helen
Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Civil Rights
Title of Article: Campus Task Force Criticizes Pepper Spraying of Protesters
Author: JENNIFER MEDINA
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: April 11, 2012
Length of Article: 1 page / 555 words
On Wednesday a task force of UC Davis released a 190 page report on the pepper spraying of peaceful demonstrators which had happened last November 18, 2011. The Occupy movement had occupied a plaza on the UC campus. The UC Davis Chancellor, Katehi had ordered campus police to clear out the occupiers from this plaza, which they did on November 18 in the afternoon. While this operation seemed to have proceeded peacefully, the world was outraged to see in a photo or a video that a police officer pepper-sprayed at close range demonstrators who were peacefully sitting on the ground. This event was a great embarrassment to the UC Davis leadership. The chancellor, who was criticized for this happening, then appointed a task force to investigate this event and figure out how this could have occurred; after all, University leadership and police claimed they did not intend to harm anybody. The head of this task force was Cruz Reynoso, a former California Supreme Court justice and now a law professor at U.C. Davis. The report of this event had been completed more than a month ago, but campus police had sued to prevent its publication. The report says that this event could have and should have been prevented. The report blames miscommunication between University leadership and campus police for this unfortunate event. Presumably the University leadership was concerned about keeping students safe from outside demonstrators; however it turned out that most demonstrators were actually students and faculty, and some clergy, according to UC Davis student affairs administrators. The chancellor said she had only wanted a limited operation to remove tents, and the police was not to use riot gear, which, however, they did anyway. The demonstrators had been confused as they had been told that over-night camping was forbidden, but the police started moving in on them at 3p.m. in the afternoon.
The 190 page report shows the importance of clear communications and following proper procedures in such matters as suppressing demonstrations. It will hopefully encourage the university leadership and campus police to act better next time when a demonstration occurs and especially to save guard the civil rights of demonstrators, which were violated here. The policeman who pepper sprayed the students so calmly and without provocation certainly should not be on the police force holding power over citizens.
While this report may help the U.C. Davis leadership avoid obvious errors, I am not sure if it will really improve the treatment of demonstrators in general. Would this event have become a scandal, if there had not been a video of it? Considering that most protesters were students, the administrations could also have tolerated the Occupy encampment for a longer time.
Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Civil Rights
Title of Article: Campus Task Force Criticizes Pepper Spraying of Protesters
Author: JENNIFER MEDINA
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: April 11, 2012
Length of Article: 1 page / 555 words
On Wednesday a task force of UC Davis released a 190 page report on the pepper spraying of peaceful demonstrators which had happened last November 18, 2011. The Occupy movement had occupied a plaza on the UC campus. The UC Davis Chancellor, Katehi had ordered campus police to clear out the occupiers from this plaza, which they did on November 18 in the afternoon. While this operation seemed to have proceeded peacefully, the world was outraged to see in a photo or a video that a police officer pepper-sprayed at close range demonstrators who were peacefully sitting on the ground. This event was a great embarrassment to the UC Davis leadership. The chancellor, who was criticized for this happening, then appointed a task force to investigate this event and figure out how this could have occurred; after all, University leadership and police claimed they did not intend to harm anybody. The head of this task force was Cruz Reynoso, a former California Supreme Court justice and now a law professor at U.C. Davis. The report of this event had been completed more than a month ago, but campus police had sued to prevent its publication. The report says that this event could have and should have been prevented. The report blames miscommunication between University leadership and campus police for this unfortunate event. Presumably the University leadership was concerned about keeping students safe from outside demonstrators; however it turned out that most demonstrators were actually students and faculty, and some clergy, according to UC Davis student affairs administrators. The chancellor said she had only wanted a limited operation to remove tents, and the police was not to use riot gear, which, however, they did anyway. The demonstrators had been confused as they had been told that over-night camping was forbidden, but the police started moving in on them at 3p.m. in the afternoon.
The 190 page report shows the importance of clear communications and following proper procedures in such matters as suppressing demonstrations. It will hopefully encourage the university leadership and campus police to act better next time when a demonstration occurs and especially to save guard the civil rights of demonstrators, which were violated here. The policeman who pepper sprayed the students so calmly and without provocation certainly should not be on the police force holding power over citizens.
While this report may help the U.C. Davis leadership avoid obvious errors, I am not sure if it will really improve the treatment of demonstrators in general. Would this event have become a scandal, if there had not been a video of it? Considering that most protesters were students, the administrations could also have tolerated the Occupy encampment for a longer time.
Bringing the Civil Rights Movement into 21st Century Classrooms
First Name: Angela Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Civil Rights
Title of Article: Bringing the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement into 21st Century Classrooms
Author: Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Publication Name: Huffington Post: The Blog
Date of Publication: April 12th, 2012
Length of Article: 1,267 words
In honor of Not in Our Schools week and our current civil rights unit, I thought it would only be appropriate to pick an article that shows the importance of bringing exposure and knowledge to students about the power of the Civil Rights Movement as well as the dangers of racism. Charlayne Hunter-Gault writes about a high school meeting with high school seniors who were to graduate on May 17th, and none of them knew the historic significance of that day. On May 17th, 1954, the Supreme Court of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruled that segregation in public schools was ruled unconstitutional. It was this case that opened the floodgates to future activity against segregation in America. The truth is many of the classrooms in America aren’t teaching the steps young people, around our age, took back then to fight for their right in saying “freedom for all” and their guaranteed equal constitutional rights regardless of race, creed or color. The article talks about the Law Center’s report that showed how “born frees” in South Africa, or the young people born after Nelson Mandela was released, associate the struggle for rights in America with only Mandela, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. However, today’s students know little or nothing about the efforts of the youth that participated in the Civil Rights Movement, sometimes known as “shock troops”. They participated in sit-ins at lunch counters, endured arrest (sometimes being sent to infamous prisons), tortured, and in some cases murdered. However, they demanded the same services as whites, and it was this demand that sparked the determination from students in black college campuses and communities all over the South, that allowed people like Charlayne to be where she is now. Their pledge was “keep on keepin’ on”.
Topic: Civil Rights
Title of Article: Bringing the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement into 21st Century Classrooms
Author: Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Publication Name: Huffington Post: The Blog
Date of Publication: April 12th, 2012
Length of Article: 1,267 words
In honor of Not in Our Schools week and our current civil rights unit, I thought it would only be appropriate to pick an article that shows the importance of bringing exposure and knowledge to students about the power of the Civil Rights Movement as well as the dangers of racism. Charlayne Hunter-Gault writes about a high school meeting with high school seniors who were to graduate on May 17th, and none of them knew the historic significance of that day. On May 17th, 1954, the Supreme Court of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruled that segregation in public schools was ruled unconstitutional. It was this case that opened the floodgates to future activity against segregation in America. The truth is many of the classrooms in America aren’t teaching the steps young people, around our age, took back then to fight for their right in saying “freedom for all” and their guaranteed equal constitutional rights regardless of race, creed or color. The article talks about the Law Center’s report that showed how “born frees” in South Africa, or the young people born after Nelson Mandela was released, associate the struggle for rights in America with only Mandela, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. However, today’s students know little or nothing about the efforts of the youth that participated in the Civil Rights Movement, sometimes known as “shock troops”. They participated in sit-ins at lunch counters, endured arrest (sometimes being sent to infamous prisons), tortured, and in some cases murdered. However, they demanded the same services as whites, and it was this demand that sparked the determination from students in black college campuses and communities all over the South, that allowed people like Charlayne to be where she is now. Their pledge was “keep on keepin’ on”.
However, segregation, although not as
publicly widespread as before, still exists. According to a recent study by the
Manhattan Institute, some schools have re-segregated and some unemployment
statistics show that black unemployment twice that of non-Hispanic whites. The
same is true in South Africa where 7.5 out of the 49 million, mostly black, are
unemployed. 18-25 year olds have the highest unemployment with over half
unemployed. And with all of this evidence, Charlayne concludes that it
important this history is taught to students. She says that history teaches us:
“No matter the challenge, we CAN overcome.”, and the constant need for citizen
involvement to make sure the government keeps its promises to its people.
And with
that, I would like to conclude with an excerpt from a letter Charlayne received
from one of the seniors who attended her meeting that I learned from and found meaningful: “It’s
difficult to imagine a school where everyone easily fits into an indentical
mold. I don’t comprehend where greatness would lie in a world where everyone
looks alike, act alike and thinks alike…Personally, I feel that a life filled
with sameness and a lack of change is no life at all. To live, you must disturb
your universe. With variety, one is able to have true knowledge and see the
connectivity and beauty of the world.”
Campus Task Force Criticizes Pepper Spraying of Protesters
Name: Cassie Chen
Posting #3
Topic: Education
Title: Campus Task Force Criticizes Pepper Spraying of Protesters
Author: Jennifer Medina
Publication: The New York Times
Publication Date: 4/11/2012
On November 18, 2011, a protest was held in Los Angeles at the University of California, Davis as part of the Occupy movement. During this (nonviolent)protest, police officers of the University used pepper spray on protesters as a way to get them to leave. The campus task force has just recently on Wednesday released a 190 page paper concluding that the pepper spray incident shouldn't have happened, and that there were miscommunications as well as inadequate campus leadership on that unfortunate day. The event evidently gained a lot of attention through social media, with images showing police including Lt. John Pike spraying seemingly peaceful protesters on the ground. The police as a result had sued in order to prevent the report's release, claiming that it amounted to an internal investigation. Court hearings then delayed the report for over a month, and the university also agreed to take out names of most police officers from the report. The report later stated that administrators said that they were concerned that the protesters would flood the campus and endanger students. The campus police chief estimated that 80% of the protesters did not even attend the university. However, this was counter-argued by student affair administrators who claimed that a vast majority of campers were in fact students. The report also blames Chancellor Katehi, for not successfully communicating her desire for a "limited operation" where police demand for tents to be taken down with "no other force". Police officers disregarded her request for them not to wear riot gear, as they said past experiences have led them to predict the use of batons and pepper spray.
The report, while delayed, essentially proves the importance of communication and obedience to orders. The University's police proved themselves as inadequate leaders with their inability to follow the Chancellor's requests, and their unnecessary use of pepper spray. The incident also shows the effects of people taking advantage of their power, over a seemingly peaceful and nonviolent gathering. Hopefully, Davis University's campus police has improved over the past few months, having learned from the unfortunate event.
North Korean Rocket Said to Fail Moments After Liftoff
Olivia
Posting #3
Leaders
North Korean Rocket Said to Fail Moments After Liftoff
By: Choe Sang-Hun
The New York Times
April 12, 2012
2 pages
North Korea tried this morning, their local time of 7:40 AM, to launch a rocket, Uhna 3, that supposedly contained a satellite. Korean officials insisted that it was for peaceful purposes; however, despite what they said, the Obama administration and Japanese officials are clearly very worried. They believe that this is a step towards North Korea developing a nuclear missile to use as a weapon. Because the Korean government did not follow the warnings of others, Obama has since suspended the food aid that was intended for the malnourished citizens of North Korea. Obama has come under fire because he and Kim Jung-un had initially signed a pack, allowing the Koreans to receive food aid from the Americans, while promising to not delve into the world of nuclear weapons. Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney accused Obama of appeasement, saying that the North Koreans have a history of disregarding packs and treaties, and that Obama has played right into their hands. North Korea keeps insisting that it was a test trial for peaceful purposes, yet they are still being very closely monitored in America, as well as Japan.
The failed attempt has caused great shame and mostly embarrassment upon the new North Korean government, especially to the new ruler himself. Many think it will prompt them to create another missile quickly, just to prove themselves to the other nations that they can do it. Until then, it has been agreed to not give the North Koreans any aid in food or materials, whilst keeping a vigil watch on their activities.
I think that it is a good idea that multiple countries are keeping an eye on them. Historically, the North Koreans do not have a good precedent of being honest and well-meaning in their intentions. Therefore, I do think that Japan and the US have a legitimate basis for their paranoia over what they are up to. It also appears to be a public safety issue, which is important to our day to day lives, but especially Japan because they are neighbors.
Cultural Constraints on Women Leaders
Josie
Posting #3
Topic: Civil Rights
Title of Article: Cultural Constraints on Women Leaders
Author: Chrystia Freeland
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: March 30, 2012
This article discussed the challenges women face in trying to gain equal rights and equal leadership, including the cultural barriers that women face. It focuses on a study that two professors at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto did trying to answer the question, "Why aren't there more female leaders?". Soo Min TOh and Geoffrey divided cultures into two types, "tight" cultures and "loose" cultures. According to them the "tight" cultures have clear and ridged rules on how people should behave and they tend to be more strict on women's rights and take a stronger stand against them. "Looser" cultures, in contrast, do not have clear norms and are more tolerant and open to deviation from the rules. However wonderful the looser culture sounds, they still tend to lean towards masculine leadership, but the tighter cultures that do understand make the decision to support female leaders are very good at executing it. For example, Norway, which is considered a tight culture, is high ranking in the world for egalitarianism and has very ambitious equal opportunity legislation. They legally require firms to reach 40% women board representation by 2017. Loose societies do encourage women to start working, but they encourage them to join the work force and start small businesses, not working in large corporations. Most technology start-ups (ex: Google, Apple and Facebook) were not founded by women, in-fact none of them were. There is a complete absence of women leadership. The article brings up the point that some people believe that women themselves might prefer the leadership of men because they, possibly subconsciously, believe that being male is more leaderlike. This is where it is important for women to stay motivated and empowered. Hilary Clinton at the Women in the World conference said "It doesn't matter what country they're in or what religion they claim. They want to control women."
Posting #3
Topic: Civil Rights
Title of Article: Cultural Constraints on Women Leaders
Author: Chrystia Freeland
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: March 30, 2012
This article discussed the challenges women face in trying to gain equal rights and equal leadership, including the cultural barriers that women face. It focuses on a study that two professors at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto did trying to answer the question, "Why aren't there more female leaders?". Soo Min TOh and Geoffrey divided cultures into two types, "tight" cultures and "loose" cultures. According to them the "tight" cultures have clear and ridged rules on how people should behave and they tend to be more strict on women's rights and take a stronger stand against them. "Looser" cultures, in contrast, do not have clear norms and are more tolerant and open to deviation from the rules. However wonderful the looser culture sounds, they still tend to lean towards masculine leadership, but the tighter cultures that do understand make the decision to support female leaders are very good at executing it. For example, Norway, which is considered a tight culture, is high ranking in the world for egalitarianism and has very ambitious equal opportunity legislation. They legally require firms to reach 40% women board representation by 2017. Loose societies do encourage women to start working, but they encourage them to join the work force and start small businesses, not working in large corporations. Most technology start-ups (ex: Google, Apple and Facebook) were not founded by women, in-fact none of them were. There is a complete absence of women leadership. The article brings up the point that some people believe that women themselves might prefer the leadership of men because they, possibly subconsciously, believe that being male is more leaderlike. This is where it is important for women to stay motivated and empowered. Hilary Clinton at the Women in the World conference said "It doesn't matter what country they're in or what religion they claim. They want to control women."
False Acceptance Letters
Nicole
Current Event Posting #3
Topic: Education
Title of Article: UCLA sends mistaken congrats to 894 applicants and then apologizes
Author: Larry Gordon
Publication Name: LA Times
Date of Publication: April 10, 2012
Length of Article: 361 words
Current Event Posting #3
Topic: Education
Title of Article: UCLA sends mistaken congrats to 894 applicants and then apologizes
Author: Larry Gordon
Publication Name: LA Times
Date of Publication: April 10, 2012
Length of Article: 361 words
On April 3, 2012, the University of
Los Angeles (UCLA) sent out emails to 894 high school seniors, saying that they
were admitted to the campus for fall semester.
However, those students actually remain on the waiting list for the school. UCLA apologized for the mistake, but
officials have yet to move anyone into the admitted category. According to campus spokesman Ricardo
Vasquez, updated notices of provisional financial aid were sent Saturday and Sunday
to thousands of admitted students as well as to students on the waiting list
for possible freshman admission in the fall. Somehow, the note, “Once again congratulations
on your admission to UCLA, we hope that this information will assist you in
making your decision to join the Bruin Family in the fall,” had been included
in the message. To make things even more
confusing, the email directed those 894 students via an online link to a
detailed financial aid letter that clearly stated they were on the waiting list.
In response to these mixed messages, applicants called UCLA, and apology messages
to the 894 students were sent. This is not the first time something like this has happened. In 2009,
UC San Diego mistakenly sent admissions notices to about 28,000 applicants who
actually were rejected. In 2010, UC
Santa Barbara mistakenly told 60 applicants they were admitted to the next
fall's freshman class when, in fact, they remained on the waiting list. Vazquez
attributed the mess up to human error and said UCLA is looking into exactly how
the mistake was made on the email lists, but for now, the reason as to how this
mistake was made remains unknown. This
is not the first time an error like this has occurred.
In conclusion, UCLA made a huge
mistake. They accidentally sent messages
saying “congratulations” to students who were on the waiting list rather than
accepted student. 894 seniors had their
hopes raised and then ultimately crushed because of a possibly careless
mistake. This careless mistake led to a
huge, heartbreaking misunderstanding, and colleges need to be more wary of the content
of the letters they send. They literally
have the ability to make, or break, an incoming freshman’s dreams.
48% of Chicken in Small Sample Has E. Coli
Kara
Posting: #3
Topic: Health
Title of Article: 48% of Chicken in Small Sample Has E. Coli
Author: Stephanie Strom
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: April 11, 2012
Length of Article: 878 words
There have been recent tests on raw chicken packages in ten major cities in the United States that have all resulted in E. coli contamination. E. coli is a bacteria that can be found in foods and can cause illnesses and potentially lead to death. It can also be used to indicate fecal contamination in foods. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes a vegetarian lifestyle and discovered the fecal contamination in raw chicken. They examined the chicken products with an analytical testing laboratory in Chicago, Illinois to test for E. coli contamination. The director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, Dr. Michael Doyle, pointed out that, "produce is grown in soil fertilized with manure, and there's E. coli in that, too". Not only is meat being contaminated by E. coli in feces, but other goods are being exposed to E. coli through fertilized soil, which leads to fecal contamination in many types of foods. Eight-nine billion chickens are processed for food per year and one of every 22,000 chickens is tested for E. coli per week. Of the tested chickens, only 57 samples were questionable out of 42 million pounds of chicken. Some of these tested chicken samples have a higher amount of E. coli than accepted by the Department of Agriculture, but nothing is being done about it. Many doctors and physicians are trying to achieve quality raw poultry that must be within the strict food safety policies to keep everyone healthy; however, these doctors and physicians are unaware of what the untested chickens may contain and are still sending them out to the grocery market.
The doctors and food specialists should pay more attention to the produce and poultry they are allowing into the markets because about half of the chicken samples are contaminated with E. coli. Without proper care, the bacteria can cause many illnesses and even death in humans and the Department of Agriculture must prevent that by being stricter with their food policies. The public should be educated on what they are exactly eating - contaminated chicken - and the risks in consuming E. coli, since the Department of Agriculture let is pass by. Along with the already E. coli infested chicken, the bacteria can multiply in the refrigerator and in the processing plants, which will only increase the amount of bacteria in the raw meats. Although the Department of Agriculture has a zero tolerance for visible fecal matter, E. coli bacteria still manages to be found in the chicken samples in the grocery markets.
Posting: #3
Topic: Health
Title of Article: 48% of Chicken in Small Sample Has E. Coli
Author: Stephanie Strom
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: April 11, 2012
Length of Article: 878 words
There have been recent tests on raw chicken packages in ten major cities in the United States that have all resulted in E. coli contamination. E. coli is a bacteria that can be found in foods and can cause illnesses and potentially lead to death. It can also be used to indicate fecal contamination in foods. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes a vegetarian lifestyle and discovered the fecal contamination in raw chicken. They examined the chicken products with an analytical testing laboratory in Chicago, Illinois to test for E. coli contamination. The director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, Dr. Michael Doyle, pointed out that, "produce is grown in soil fertilized with manure, and there's E. coli in that, too". Not only is meat being contaminated by E. coli in feces, but other goods are being exposed to E. coli through fertilized soil, which leads to fecal contamination in many types of foods. Eight-nine billion chickens are processed for food per year and one of every 22,000 chickens is tested for E. coli per week. Of the tested chickens, only 57 samples were questionable out of 42 million pounds of chicken. Some of these tested chicken samples have a higher amount of E. coli than accepted by the Department of Agriculture, but nothing is being done about it. Many doctors and physicians are trying to achieve quality raw poultry that must be within the strict food safety policies to keep everyone healthy; however, these doctors and physicians are unaware of what the untested chickens may contain and are still sending them out to the grocery market.
The doctors and food specialists should pay more attention to the produce and poultry they are allowing into the markets because about half of the chicken samples are contaminated with E. coli. Without proper care, the bacteria can cause many illnesses and even death in humans and the Department of Agriculture must prevent that by being stricter with their food policies. The public should be educated on what they are exactly eating - contaminated chicken - and the risks in consuming E. coli, since the Department of Agriculture let is pass by. Along with the already E. coli infested chicken, the bacteria can multiply in the refrigerator and in the processing plants, which will only increase the amount of bacteria in the raw meats. Although the Department of Agriculture has a zero tolerance for visible fecal matter, E. coli bacteria still manages to be found in the chicken samples in the grocery markets.
NOOK Simple Touch
name: Joshua
topic: technology
posting number 3
title of article:NOOK Simple Touch To Feature E Ink Screen With First-Of-Its-Kind 'GlowLight'
author: Jason Gilbert
publication name: Huffingtonpost
date of publication: April 12th 2012
length of article: 812 words
Gilbert, Jason. "NOOK Simple Touch To Feature E Ink Screen With First-Of-Its-Kind 'GlowLight'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2012..
topic: technology
posting number 3
title of article:NOOK Simple Touch To Feature E Ink Screen With First-Of-Its-Kind 'GlowLight'
author: Jason Gilbert
publication name: Huffingtonpost
date of publication: April 12th 2012
length of article: 812 words
Borders has re-entered in the race of e-readers with its new NOOK. The new NOOK Simple Touch is already open for early purchase and is announced to be released in May. This new model is different from any of the other e-readers as it is backlit, thus making it the only e-reader which is usable during both day and night. Unlike the new tablets such as the Ipad and new kindle fire, the new NOOK Simple Touch does not use an LCD screen which makes it much more user-friendly in the sun. With this new GlowLight technology the NOOK Simple Touch promises to be the new envy of all the other e-reader companies. This new method of lighting up the screen is less intrusive than the LCD screens used by tablets and its color does not “wash off” when in sunlight. The GlowLight function can be turned off and adjusted based on the ambient light. NOOK Simple Touch is starting off at the high price of $139 which is challenging the prices of the full fledged tablets such as the kindle fire at only 60 dollars more and borders’ own NOOK Color at only $40 more. This will likely pose a challenge to the NOOK Simple Touch as it is only a reader and does not have any apps. The NOOK targets more “hardcore readers” for whom the added benefit of being able to read both inside or out, at night or day, would be worth the extra cost.
To conclude, Borders is coming out with a new e-reader equipped with cutting edge technology. The NOOK Simple Touch is of the first e-readers to be backlit with new GlowLight technology. This allows it to be read in the dark with ease as well as during the day. The NOOK Simple Touch does not have an LCD screen and thus works better than the tablets during the day and does not bother your eyes as many tablets do at night. This new e-reader is to be released in May, in time for mother's day.Gilbert, Jason. "NOOK Simple Touch To Feature E Ink Screen With First-Of-Its-Kind 'GlowLight'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2012.
The iceberg was just part of it
First Name: Derek
Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Science
Title of article: The Iceberg Was Only Part of It
Author: William J. Broad
Publication Name: The New York Times
Date of Publication: April 9, 2012
Length of article: 1476/ 2 pages
A century ago on a moonless night in North Atlantic, the Titanic hit an iceberg and catastrophe ensued. Despite this well known cause that doomed the liner, scholars, books and official inquiries contiue to address a deeper question of how a costly and well built ship — a ship declared to be unsinkable — could have ended so terribly. The theories placed the blame on everything from inept sailors to flawed rivets. Two new studies argue that rare states of nature played major roles in the disaster. Recently, a team of researchers from Texas State University-San Marcos and Sky & Telescope magazine discover an apparent explanation that Earth had come unusually close to the Sun and Moon that winter between December 1911 and February 1912 , enhancing their gravitational pulls on the ocean and producing record tides. The high tides refloated masses of icebergs traditionally stuck along the coastlines of Labrador and Newfoundland and sent them adrift into the North Atlantic shipping lanes. Mr. Maltin, who has written three books on Titanic and with the aid of astronomer Andrew T. Young and mirage specialist at San Diego State University, theorizes that the icy waters that night created ideal conditions for an unusual kind of mirage. He thinks the cold air bends light rays downward and creates warped images that confused the Californian, a ship nearby that could have rushed to the Titanic’s aid but instead did nothing. James Gibson of the Californian tstified 10 miles apart in the Labrador Current, there was nothing at all about it to resemble a passenger boat.
The scientists don't claim that these fresh perspectives or their idea is conclusive. Whether the natural factors outweighs the significance of ineptitude or not, here were no heroes or villains. Instead, there were a lot of human beings trying to do their best in the situation as they saw it. It was a very deceiving night.
Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Science
Title of article: The Iceberg Was Only Part of It
Author: William J. Broad
Publication Name: The New York Times
Date of Publication: April 9, 2012
Length of article: 1476/ 2 pages
A century ago on a moonless night in North Atlantic, the Titanic hit an iceberg and catastrophe ensued. Despite this well known cause that doomed the liner, scholars, books and official inquiries contiue to address a deeper question of how a costly and well built ship — a ship declared to be unsinkable — could have ended so terribly. The theories placed the blame on everything from inept sailors to flawed rivets. Two new studies argue that rare states of nature played major roles in the disaster. Recently, a team of researchers from Texas State University-San Marcos and Sky & Telescope magazine discover an apparent explanation that Earth had come unusually close to the Sun and Moon that winter between December 1911 and February 1912 , enhancing their gravitational pulls on the ocean and producing record tides. The high tides refloated masses of icebergs traditionally stuck along the coastlines of Labrador and Newfoundland and sent them adrift into the North Atlantic shipping lanes. Mr. Maltin, who has written three books on Titanic and with the aid of astronomer Andrew T. Young and mirage specialist at San Diego State University, theorizes that the icy waters that night created ideal conditions for an unusual kind of mirage. He thinks the cold air bends light rays downward and creates warped images that confused the Californian, a ship nearby that could have rushed to the Titanic’s aid but instead did nothing. James Gibson of the Californian tstified 10 miles apart in the Labrador Current, there was nothing at all about it to resemble a passenger boat.
The scientists don't claim that these fresh perspectives or their idea is conclusive. Whether the natural factors outweighs the significance of ineptitude or not, here were no heroes or villains. Instead, there were a lot of human beings trying to do their best in the situation as they saw it. It was a very deceiving night.
Instagram's passionate users wary of Facebook takeover
Name: Kenny
Posting number 3
Topic: Technology
Title of Article: Instagram's Passionate Users Wary of Facebook Takeover
Author: Tyson Wheatley
Publication Date: April 11, 2012
Length of Article: 1182 words
Last week, Facebook bought Instagram for one billion dollars. Facebook gave attention to the tech world. The Instagram has seen explosive growth, over 35 million registered downloads in just 18 months. On Tuesday, the app hit the first place of Apple's App store. Instagram is a simple way to share photos on mobiles. People can add extra design on the photos. The photos will show up in their stream that users can "like" or comment on photos. Some Instagram users worried that Facebook might sell their personal data or their photo streams with ads. Benjamin Heath, photographer, is more cautiously optimistic. A graphic designer, Ike Edeani, bought his fist iphone partly so he could download Instagram. But some people do not want two similar account. They either delete Facebook account or Instagram account
Facebook has been smart to buy Instagram before any other companies, such as Google. Facebook is willing to pay one billion dollars for an app shows that Facebook knows the positive effects Instagram will give them. This program will definitely increase Facebook users and Instagram users. Instagram also increase mobile users which increase Facebook from computer to phones. Android and Iphone are consider in Instagram.
Name: Sameeha
Current Event Posting #3
Topic: Health
Title of Article: Closer to using aspirin for cancer prevention
Author: Madison Park
Publication Name: CNN
Date of Publication: April 10, 2012
Length of Article: 1 page
Recent reports show that we are getting closer to using aspirin as part of clinical guidelines in cancer prevention. In the past, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended an aspirin regimen for some patients in order to prevent heart problems and reduce the risk of strokes, however an aspirin regimen hasn't been used for cancer prevention before. Studies show that aspirin can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and colorectal polyps but it can also increase the risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Aspirin can actually increase bleeding because it decreases the amount of clotting that occurs in the bloodstream and anyone with bleeding problems, like hemophilia, should not take it. Doctors have also warned that aspirins should not be given to children under the age of two because there is a possible link of aspirin to Reye's syndrome. Michael Thun, vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society, wrote that "daily aspirin at doses of 75 mg and above might lower both overall cancer incidence and overall cancer mortality." In a recent study conducted by Dr. Peter M. Rothwell, researchers saw a 20% decrease in cancer incidence in patients between three to five years of the aspirin regimen and a 30% decrease after five or more years. The researchers also found that the amount of cancer deaths among aspirin users reduced from 664 deaths to 562 deaths. Scientists have discovered that this aspirin treatment is only successful at reducing risk of cancer at low doses of 75-160 mg; anything higher than this is not effective. The mechanism by which the aspirin works to reduce the risk of cancer isn't entirely understood by scientists but they think that aspirin helps the body cut off blood supply to cancer growths, preventing them from spreading.
Because aspirin is capable of preventing heart problems, strokes, and possibly cancer, it has been called a miracle drug and a wonder drug. More than one-third of all adults and four-fifths of people with heart disease have been on the aspirin regimen for many years and this number will grow as more and more evidence is found of aspirin's capability to prevent some cancers. Some people are skeptical that taking aspirin, which isn't as powerful as more popular painkillers like Advil and Tylenol, won't be effective. But, aspirin contains special chemicals that Tylenol and Advil don't have that can guard our bodies against diseases like cancer. Doctors are eagerly waiting for more results about aspirins and their ability to prevent some cancers so that they can recommend taking small doses of aspirin to patients as a daily regimen and greatly lower the number of people who die of cancer each year.
Name: Andrew A.
There is currently a pandemic of abuse of pain medications, but at the same time most pain is under medicated. How can this happen? Doctors attempt to prescribe pain medications as little as possible, but there is no practical sure fire test to determine whether or not someone is under serious pain. It is extremely easy for someone to fake pain, and it is a common practice for addicts. Currently doctors are attempting to implement a system to allow them to track who has been prescribed which medications, and to track how much they have been prescribed. It is called 'CURES', but unfortunetly it is underfunded and unutilized by doctors who do not wish to spend the extra time filling up data on their patients. This is problematic because currently a fatal overdose on pain medications occur once every 19 minutes in this country. This is a bigger problem than heroin and cocaine combined, but I believe because the people who overdose are not usually 'hard' criminals, the issue is overlooked. Politicians look good for being 'tough' on crime, which has led to the overflowing of our prisons and imprisonment of nonviolent people. This would not be important enough to earn them votes, and as such they ignore it. While politicians wait the system continues deteriorating, and more people die or are sent to the emergency office 35 people sent for every 1 who dies. Most who leave the emergency office are then in pain or addicted, which leads to them needing more drugs, creating a vicious cycle. The drugs used to treat pain while not as powerful as those such as heroin can lead to the same debilitating effects quickly enough, and it is easy for anyone to become addicted to them after a painful accident.
In conclusion we must learn to combat the issue and stigma of pain killers in society, and find out a better way to ensure people have only the drugs they need and no more.
Current Event Posting Number: 3
Topic: Health
Title of Article: Pain and Pain Medication Abuse: Two Epidemics in Tension
Author: Steve Heilig
Publication Name: Huffington Post
Publication Date: 4/12/2012
Length of Article: 513 words
There is currently a pandemic of abuse of pain medications, but at the same time most pain is under medicated. How can this happen? Doctors attempt to prescribe pain medications as little as possible, but there is no practical sure fire test to determine whether or not someone is under serious pain. It is extremely easy for someone to fake pain, and it is a common practice for addicts. Currently doctors are attempting to implement a system to allow them to track who has been prescribed which medications, and to track how much they have been prescribed. It is called 'CURES', but unfortunetly it is underfunded and unutilized by doctors who do not wish to spend the extra time filling up data on their patients. This is problematic because currently a fatal overdose on pain medications occur once every 19 minutes in this country. This is a bigger problem than heroin and cocaine combined, but I believe because the people who overdose are not usually 'hard' criminals, the issue is overlooked. Politicians look good for being 'tough' on crime, which has led to the overflowing of our prisons and imprisonment of nonviolent people. This would not be important enough to earn them votes, and as such they ignore it. While politicians wait the system continues deteriorating, and more people die or are sent to the emergency office 35 people sent for every 1 who dies. Most who leave the emergency office are then in pain or addicted, which leads to them needing more drugs, creating a vicious cycle. The drugs used to treat pain while not as powerful as those such as heroin can lead to the same debilitating effects quickly enough, and it is easy for anyone to become addicted to them after a painful accident.
In conclusion we must learn to combat the issue and stigma of pain killers in society, and find out a better way to ensure people have only the drugs they need and no more.
Current Event Posting #3
By: Jill
Posting: 3
Topic: Health
Title: Medical Tattoo Looks to Replace Bulky Devices
Publication: ABC
Author: Lara Salani
Date of Publication: April 4, 2012
Length: 250 words
New research is coming having to do with new options for medical devices that previously were bulky, external, and rigid, announced David Icke, CEO of electronic systems company MC10. The biostamp is an electronic device that can monitor the condition of someone with a disease, is a small piece of technology that is placed under the skin. It is also being looked into to have devices of the same caliber that are places in the heart and other internal organs. The biostamp can detect important changes in the body that could mean life or death for a patient, and can be synchronized to work with a cell phone or other external device to allert the patient in emergency. The technology is still very new and being researched still, but will be able to help with conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes, and surely the technology will expand to be able to monitor other diseases. The main advantage of the biostamp is the ability to be free of a clunky device that weighs a lot or is difficult to maneuver. The research has begun and is continuing and the technology was announced at the TedMed Conference in Washington D.C.
If the technogoly is perfected, its very exciting because it can then go beyond, doing things like releasing medication for an individual, or maybe even stimulating an area in someones brain that could ease their condition. The key would be to make the biostamp that is nearly fail proof and wouldn't have bad effects if something went wrong. Also, it would be important that there would be a way for the technology to charge, perhaps even connecting to the body on a greater level (to be found in research far in the future). Hopefully the biostamp will save many lives, become common place, and allow people not to be embarrassed by the previous devices they had to carry around.
Posting: 3
Topic: Health
Title: Medical Tattoo Looks to Replace Bulky Devices
Publication: ABC
Author: Lara Salani
Date of Publication: April 4, 2012
Length: 250 words
New research is coming having to do with new options for medical devices that previously were bulky, external, and rigid, announced David Icke, CEO of electronic systems company MC10. The biostamp is an electronic device that can monitor the condition of someone with a disease, is a small piece of technology that is placed under the skin. It is also being looked into to have devices of the same caliber that are places in the heart and other internal organs. The biostamp can detect important changes in the body that could mean life or death for a patient, and can be synchronized to work with a cell phone or other external device to allert the patient in emergency. The technology is still very new and being researched still, but will be able to help with conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes, and surely the technology will expand to be able to monitor other diseases. The main advantage of the biostamp is the ability to be free of a clunky device that weighs a lot or is difficult to maneuver. The research has begun and is continuing and the technology was announced at the TedMed Conference in Washington D.C.
If the technogoly is perfected, its very exciting because it can then go beyond, doing things like releasing medication for an individual, or maybe even stimulating an area in someones brain that could ease their condition. The key would be to make the biostamp that is nearly fail proof and wouldn't have bad effects if something went wrong. Also, it would be important that there would be a way for the technology to charge, perhaps even connecting to the body on a greater level (to be found in research far in the future). Hopefully the biostamp will save many lives, become common place, and allow people not to be embarrassed by the previous devices they had to carry around.