Sunday, February 23, 2014
Life
Many great minds have pondered one mighty, unconquerable question: "What is the meaning of life?" As I sat outside with my hypothetical thinking cap on, I suddenly realized I had sat out during the perfect time. As the sun sets in front of my eyes, I now could say I have solved the mystery of life. The thirty minutes I spent outside summed up life. First it was sunny; the sun's rays beamed with the spirit of hope, happiness, and productivity. Then, as the sun began to set, there was a dim moment where it seemed as if all the beauties of life were slipping away from my fingertips. And as I sat there, the darkness began to suck all the light away from the Earth. Suddenly what was a pretty, budding flower was hidden under the great shade. We all have that one moment in life to take advantage of, take risks, make mistakes, laugh, run from responsibilities, enjoy yourself, fall in love, live life. For the time will come when you look back and realize your life is entering a downhill slope and you wonder if you lived it to its potential. That moment when you realize everything is slipping away because of the sun setting is a moment you want to be proud of, not one you regret. That is the meaning of life. Do not simply let the moments of brightness and endless possibilities slip away until you reach the time in your life where you question yourself. Live. Do something so crazy if you tell your grandkids, they will think you are the coolest person they have ever met. Sit outside and take a breathe of fresh air, it will do wonders for you.
Jason Collins: First openly gay NBA player
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/23/jason-collins-nets-gay-nba-player_n_4843591.html
by Chris Greenberg
2/23/14
Jason Collins has earned a ton of respect ever since the beginning of his professional basketball career. The seven-footer was drafted eighteenth overall in the 2001 NBA draft from Stanford, where he built up his reputation as a gritty interior defender. A man of class and a great sportsman in general, Collins' move to announce his sexuality was straight-up and professional. Shortly after he was released by the Washington Wizards last season, he announced he was gay. His announcement received a gigantic amount of attention and controversy as he would not only be the first openly gay NBA player, but the first openly gay player in any of the four professional American sports (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB). The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent Jason Collins to a ten-day contract. Collins has stated that he does not care for the history of the game and is just excited at the chance to play for an NBA team once again. The Nets organization has cleared up that the signing was for basketball reasons and not used as a publicity stunt. As from the players' standpoint, there have been no significant comments regarding playing with an openly gay teammate. It is truly phenomenal to see how far along sports have come along; as much as five years ago, nobody would have ever expected this day to come. Although it might come off as awkward, it is a huge step for the NBA and a colossal step for the homosexual community.
by Chris Greenberg
2/23/14
Jason Collins has earned a ton of respect ever since the beginning of his professional basketball career. The seven-footer was drafted eighteenth overall in the 2001 NBA draft from Stanford, where he built up his reputation as a gritty interior defender. A man of class and a great sportsman in general, Collins' move to announce his sexuality was straight-up and professional. Shortly after he was released by the Washington Wizards last season, he announced he was gay. His announcement received a gigantic amount of attention and controversy as he would not only be the first openly gay NBA player, but the first openly gay player in any of the four professional American sports (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB). The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent Jason Collins to a ten-day contract. Collins has stated that he does not care for the history of the game and is just excited at the chance to play for an NBA team once again. The Nets organization has cleared up that the signing was for basketball reasons and not used as a publicity stunt. As from the players' standpoint, there have been no significant comments regarding playing with an openly gay teammate. It is truly phenomenal to see how far along sports have come along; as much as five years ago, nobody would have ever expected this day to come. Although it might come off as awkward, it is a huge step for the NBA and a colossal step for the homosexual community.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Heartbeat
Each individual is the heartbeat of the community. Individuals provide life for a community and a community is completely and wholly dependent on its people. The people of the community defy the community. For example, a neighborhood is a community defined by where people live. Schools - like Pilibos - are identified, represented, and personified by their students and staff. An individual has to account for all their actions because a single action taken by an individual could exemplify the whole community. Hypothetically speaking, if Nareg belonged to the Armenian, Pilibos, and Glendale communities and he was recently imprisoned for 3rd degree murder and drug possession, he would not only shame one of the communities, but all. He will be characterized as an Armenian, therefore making Armenians seem like horrific people. He will be identified as a Pilibos student, making it impossible for people to view Pilibos the same way. Glendale will also be hurt as it will be known to sprout a mass-murderer. Now, if Nareg were to win the Pulitzer prize or the Medal of Honor, the same sort of ripple effect would take place. Each individual contributes to their community more than they could imagine, it is up to the people to make sure every tree they plant will bear fruit for the community.
There Isn't Much Loud Noise Where You're Headed
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-dunn-loud-music-verdict-20140213,0,5446202.story#axzz2tbpOT4lM
by Michael Muskal
February 15, 2014
A couple weeks back, the proud citizens of the United States celebrated the day dedicated to the monumentally influential civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What Dr. King fought for equality amongst all; an issue the United States has faced ever since the dawn of slavery. On Nov. 23, 2012, yet another racial injustice occurred as middle-aged white man Michael Dunn fired straight into a SUV full of black teenagers due to a dispute over loud music. The shots fired into the SUV killed Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old. It truly comes as a surprise as to how quickly it becomes "right" to pull that trigger when it comes to these racial issues. If Dunn were angered at a white 17-year-old, the mere thought of taking his life would have never even crossed his mind. There have been far too many incidents where the innocent lives of these young men have been taken over situations which could have ben handled much less violently. These young adults have parents, siblings, friends, and lovers who care for them deeply. Dunn was convicted on four of the five charges, but not on the most crucial one: first-degree murder. It does not take a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective to figure out this was indeed a first-degree murder. The recognition of these racial injustices has to be practiced in the court of law for the proper punishment of these criminals.
by Michael Muskal
February 15, 2014
A couple weeks back, the proud citizens of the United States celebrated the day dedicated to the monumentally influential civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What Dr. King fought for equality amongst all; an issue the United States has faced ever since the dawn of slavery. On Nov. 23, 2012, yet another racial injustice occurred as middle-aged white man Michael Dunn fired straight into a SUV full of black teenagers due to a dispute over loud music. The shots fired into the SUV killed Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old. It truly comes as a surprise as to how quickly it becomes "right" to pull that trigger when it comes to these racial issues. If Dunn were angered at a white 17-year-old, the mere thought of taking his life would have never even crossed his mind. There have been far too many incidents where the innocent lives of these young men have been taken over situations which could have ben handled much less violently. These young adults have parents, siblings, friends, and lovers who care for them deeply. Dunn was convicted on four of the five charges, but not on the most crucial one: first-degree murder. It does not take a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective to figure out this was indeed a first-degree murder. The recognition of these racial injustices has to be practiced in the court of law for the proper punishment of these criminals.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Beef Recall: Rancho Feeding Corp. Recalls A Year's Worth Of Beef Products
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/09/beef-recall_n_4754403.html
2/9/14
A Northern California company is recalling more than 8.7 million pounds of beef. That is considerably more than the average family barbecue. 8.7 million pounds is enough to feed approximately 4 and a half million families! The beef was reportedly recalled because it was "processed diseased and unhealthy animals without a full federal inspection." It was processed by the Rancho Feeding Corp., which has recently been under scrutiny by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection. The products had been under the processing for about over a year - Jan. 1, 2013 to Jan. 7, 2014 - and were recently shipped to distribution centers and retail stores in California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas. The recalled bunch includes beef carcasses, oxtail, tongue, liver, cheeks, tripe, and veal bones. Rancho Feeding Corp. also messed up last month when they recalled forty thousand pounds of beef. Although there have no reports of illnesses yet, such an immense amount of beef being recalled must be a serious issue. The people of California are avid eaters of steak and hearing news like such scares most. Modern ties have allowed sufficient technologies and means to solidifying the validity of the steak being distributed, as this sort of situation should not be repeated again.
2/9/14
A Northern California company is recalling more than 8.7 million pounds of beef. That is considerably more than the average family barbecue. 8.7 million pounds is enough to feed approximately 4 and a half million families! The beef was reportedly recalled because it was "processed diseased and unhealthy animals without a full federal inspection." It was processed by the Rancho Feeding Corp., which has recently been under scrutiny by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection. The products had been under the processing for about over a year - Jan. 1, 2013 to Jan. 7, 2014 - and were recently shipped to distribution centers and retail stores in California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas. The recalled bunch includes beef carcasses, oxtail, tongue, liver, cheeks, tripe, and veal bones. Rancho Feeding Corp. also messed up last month when they recalled forty thousand pounds of beef. Although there have no reports of illnesses yet, such an immense amount of beef being recalled must be a serious issue. The people of California are avid eaters of steak and hearing news like such scares most. Modern ties have allowed sufficient technologies and means to solidifying the validity of the steak being distributed, as this sort of situation should not be repeated again.
Novel = Movie
The often unfair knack on a director's prowess is their "lack of attention to the details" in a novel. Novels are usually preferred over the big screen because most people do not see the same artistic vision whilst reading the illustrious details presented in the book as compared to the director's conception. As the cast goes, the actors were selected by relevance to description and familiarity to the people; the recipe of success. The movie was sound and the masterful minds behind the scenes did an excellent job paying attention to all the small details. As the movie left most speechless, my number one complaint was the over-exaggeration in not only the actors but the production. Something as minuscule as lighting a cigarette took approximately twenty seconds with extensive eye contact. It is understandable that the setting and the situation called for every small aspect to be blown up out of proportion, but it felt as if the director and the producers took every chance they could at elongating the movie with hapless, emotional melodrama. All in all, director Baz Luhrmann presented a fantastic film truly depicting Gatsby's welt extravaganza, open heart, and shady past. A wonderful film, great compliment to F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Police officer delves baby in gas station parking lot
by Thomas Curwen
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-police-officer-delivers-baby-gas-station-simi-valley-20140202,0,648855.story#axzz2sCL7JHnm
Februrary 2, 2014
As pregnant mother and son were driving along the 118 freeway, the contractions kicked in and the mother knew she was due. They pull over and the son calls 911; the mother still struggling. Anna May, a dispatcher for the Simi Valley Police Department, answered the call. May contacted the paramedics and the senior police officer, Kyle Crocker, was the first to show. A less action-packed day, to say the least, for Crocker as he was coincidentally paired with an Explorer Scout as a ride along. As he pulled up the scene, he saw that the three kids and their grandmother were at the scene - whether they were in the car with them is unclear. Crocker then commanded his Explorer Scout ride along to move the family members away from the scene as it seemed he was ready to take matters into his own hands. Initially, he attempted the soothe and calm down the aching mother by informing her that the fire department and the paramedics should arrive shortly. Short after, the mother was ready to give birth and the policeman - still unaccompanied by paramedics or the fire department - was determined to deliver the baby. The delivery was successful and as people might not appreciate policemen, they can truly be heroes.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-police-officer-delivers-baby-gas-station-simi-valley-20140202,0,648855.story#axzz2sCL7JHnm
Februrary 2, 2014
As pregnant mother and son were driving along the 118 freeway, the contractions kicked in and the mother knew she was due. They pull over and the son calls 911; the mother still struggling. Anna May, a dispatcher for the Simi Valley Police Department, answered the call. May contacted the paramedics and the senior police officer, Kyle Crocker, was the first to show. A less action-packed day, to say the least, for Crocker as he was coincidentally paired with an Explorer Scout as a ride along. As he pulled up the scene, he saw that the three kids and their grandmother were at the scene - whether they were in the car with them is unclear. Crocker then commanded his Explorer Scout ride along to move the family members away from the scene as it seemed he was ready to take matters into his own hands. Initially, he attempted the soothe and calm down the aching mother by informing her that the fire department and the paramedics should arrive shortly. Short after, the mother was ready to give birth and the policeman - still unaccompanied by paramedics or the fire department - was determined to deliver the baby. The delivery was successful and as people might not appreciate policemen, they can truly be heroes.
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