Final Post - Senior Reflection 4

This will be my final post. These are my final moments. I will no longer be posting here, my faithful readers(that's you, Mr. Stroud). Farewell is all I have to say to you. Farewell and good night. Speaking of night, did you know that the only reason night comes by is because the Earth slowly rotates, thus causing the Sun's light to shine on the other side of the Earth, leaving us in the darkness of the night. And to think, after all this time, I thought Helios was just flying his chariot of flaming horsies across the skies. No wonder the other kids on the playground would alway ostracize me for talking to Helios, I mean "the Sun." Well I have a question for all of you scientists, why does the Sun rotate, huh? I mean, why does bother to just sit there, in the center of the Solar System, rotating and circling the galaxy's centers at the same time? See, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever! I mean Helios would do it because he has a sense of duty to circle the Earth. But a big ball of burning gases, are you for real? Is this what the higher levels of education leads to, a bunch of crazy loons trying to prove that our solar light comes from a big ball in the blackness of space. I bet outer space is some pathetic mumbo-jumbo of their's too, huh? Whatever, I'll leave them to their misery. Now remember my children, Hail Zeus!

The Great Outdoors - Senior Reflection 3

Well, looks like the school year is about to end, and the summer about to begin. I have quite a few plans for this summer.

• First of all, preparations for college! I will need to prepare myself both mentally and physically for this new phase in my life. I will need to buy all of the equipment and products I will need in the next four years. I will need to be ready to fight off anyone who so much as looks at me menacingly. I will need to protect my ideals and my origins from utter exinction. I will need to become an all-around perfect hero of complete epicness in order to truly succeed throughout the rest of my life.
• Secondly are my plans for vacationing and relaxation. I will need to keep these plans as jolly as can be. I will need to keep myself happy as I train for the battle of my life. I will need to be completely prepared for the upcoming contest of manliness and valor as I fight for my place in my college. I will need to destroy all of my opponents in reaching my final goal of getting into any and all classes I desire to be in.
• Finally is my final goal, the one I will strive to for the rest of my life. I will need to be extremely spiritually prepared for this one as it's a hard one. I will need to stop creating exaggerated pieces of bull for my educational institution-related blog assignments...
  

My Life is Great/Bad - Senior Reflection 2

The life of myself is great as of late,

however, there still are some things I really hate.

Finals are coming and I'm not very happy,

but at least after graduation I can take a long nappy.

So now I hope for these next two weeks,

to pass me by without no leaks.

College is so close I can smell the Hokies,

let's hope I get to go to the Smokies.

Common Ground - Senior Reflection 1

• Obama's speech on Thursday in Cairo University, Egypt, addressed one of the most critical issues facing the people of the world today: the prejudice of others based on religion. He said all people of all faiths must come together to create a better society. He specifically mentioned the Torah, the Bible, and the Qu'ran, stating that the three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have common roots and thus should be totally natural in their relations. I believe this speech served as good, long-awaited introduction Obama wanted to make to the Muslim and it served as a good display of the new administrations fresh, new policies towards the Muslim world.
• The speech was also the first time the US government has rebuked Israel's invasive actions towards Palestinian land, in a long time. This came as Obama was talking of how a two-state could be made to create a compromise between the two, long-warring nations of Israel and Palestine. This is an issue that I believe is of great importance as well, because Israel's abuse of their superior firepower in the Middle-East region is spitting in the face of any possible peaceful compromises. Israel really needs to calm down and try to negotiate with Palestine and Hamas to reach a solution to the problems they both face. Though I'm still angry Israel's bombarding of Palestine a few months has still gone unpunished. I guess the superpowers really don't need to follow the international laws against war crimes and abuse of power.

Current Event 4 for the 4th Quarter

• An Airbus A330-200, part of the Air France fleet, carrying 228 people reported electrical problems in stormy weather before it lost contact and possibly crashed in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere off the coast of Brazil. The flight was supposed to be from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, but the Airbus A330-200 sent an automatic message signaling an electric circuit failure as it hit turbulence early in its 11-hour flight. The last known contact with the plane was reported at around 8:33 pm Eastern Time on Sunday night. Brazil says it has launched two air force squadrons to hunt near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha in the Atlantic Ocean, 226 miles from the Brazilian coast, although the plane vanished outside the country's radar coverage. France's ambassador to Senegal also said that French military aircraft had been dispatched to search the West African country's coast for any remains of the plane as well. French president Sarkozy said authorities were also seeking the help of satellites that might be able to pick up signs of what happened to the 4-year-old Airbus 330. Among the passengers on-board the doomed aircraft were 126 men, 82 women, seven children, and a baby, in addition to the 12 crew members.
  
• This tragic event shows that even with the advanced technology of today’s aircraft, the forces of nature should still not be underestimated in their destructive force. The fact that the A330-200 aircraft has been touted as being a "reliable, ultra-modern, state-of-the-art airplane, with an impeccable safety record” shows that even the very cutting edge of today’s technology can be usurped with some well-placed natural fury. Overall, the article was well written though a little sparse on the information, which is understandable considering how recent the malfunction occurred.

Current Event 3 for the 4th Quarter

• The country of Pakistan is quickly become engulfed in the Taliban’s terror tactics as bombings continue to rock the country. The most recent bombing occurred today, May 27, 2009, as an emergency response center was bombed in Lahore, Pakistan. The police building was attacked by a well coordinated group of gunmen and an explosives-packed van thought to be the Taliban’s work, though no proof has been found of this being the Taliban’s attack as no one has claimed responsibility yet. At least 23 people were killed, as well as more than 250 injured, as the police building was demolished and the nearby hospital was also damaged. The attack came as a Pakistani military offensive went in to remove militants from their haven in the northwestern part of the country. Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistan Taliban, had threatened to target major Pakistani cities if the operations did not cease and this may well be his work. The attack came in one of Lahore's busiest areas. The passenger van, laden with explosives, broke through a security barrier and was headed toward the police building when guards opened fire to stop it. The two sides exchanged gunfire, with the attackers hurling grenades. But eventually, the van, carrying 100 kg of explosives, exploded slightly before reaching its intended target, though still causing extensive damage.

• I believe this informative article does a good job of presenting a view of the current situation in Pakistan. This country’s condition is quickly deteriorating as the Taliban slowly extend their influence across the country. The attack’s location being Lahore, Pakistan is particularly disturbing due to the fact that Lahore is Pakistan’s cultural capital and has been far from the Taliban’s influence. But now the Taliban’s grip has extended far beyond its previous range of influence. If it actually is the Taliban, of course.

Current Event 2 for the 4th Quarter

• The drug wars that are getting more and more violent by the day are starting to really spill over the border into the United States now as the Mexican drug cartels are trying to take control of the border trade of these drugs. If nothing is done in the near future, we could see these cartel wars, which are now predominantly in Mexico, spilling into our own country, having battles break out in our big cities, such as the growing violence in cities close to the border like Phoenix, Arizona. Right now, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, the 54-year-old leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, is the most wanted man in Mexico and one of the most wanted in the US. He has also recently upped the stakes of the cartel wars by ordering that his associates use lethal force on any law enforcer if necessary, to get their goods to their proper destination. This move is considered very brazen, as the cartels have usually avoided confrontation with US forces.
  
• This article, featured on CNN.com, is fairly informative and well-written, serving as a good update on the current situation of the drug wars on the border. I believe this article to be important not because of its direct impact on my life, but due to the fact that these cartel wars could become a very serious issue in the areas in direct contact with the cartels, especially the border lands. Major cities are another area where these cartels may have great influence. These battles with the cartels are also important because they have and will continue to raise the issue of marijuana and its legality. Due to the fact that marijuana is illegal in the US, these cartels make a big profit from taking over the drug trade and monopolizing the sale of marijuana over a large area. If the government legalizes marijuana, taxes it, and thus allows the free sale of it, these cartels would lose much of their business, while making a few bucks on the side. Though the money made from the taxation of marijuana may not make much of a dent on the national debt, if it ends the violence it may be well worth the harmful effects of legalization.

Current Event 1 for the 4th Quarter

• The pandemic known as the swine flu is still spreading and even though most of the horror of the virus comes from public hysteria, the actual origin of the virus is still unknown. The country of origin is known to be Mexico, but the exact pig population’s location is not known. However, the communities in and around La Gloria valley firmly believe the cause of the pandemic to be the growing number of pig farms in the area. These industrial pig farms were already driving the local farmers crazy due to the foul stench, packs of ravenous dogs, and the vast amounts of excrement that came from the population of over one million pigs, which was feared to be contaminating the farmers’ water supply. These farms are owned by Smithfield Foods and though the farms are not proven to be the cause of the swine flu, there are a number of negative aspects associated with keeping such gigantic farms running. La Gloria, in the southeastern state of Veracruz, has been at the center of the flu crisis since late March. A mysterious respiratory illness infected 616 residents, more than 28 percent of the population, among them was a 5-year-old boy identified as one of the first confirmed cases of the new swine flu. The rest of the cases have now been confirmed to be seasonal flu.

• This story is interesting to me because the company that owns the industrial farms, which are thought to be the center of the swine flu pandemic, is actually based in my home state of Virginia. That’s right, the main suspect for the pandemic that is causing mass hysteria throughout the world is actually based right here in my home state, which is kind of interesting but still expectable that they would go to a foreign country and create miserable farms there instead of here. Anyways, the article was well written by the Washington Post and it provided an enjoyable story of what the Mexicans living in the very heart of this worldwide pandemic actually thought to be the cause of the disease.

Current Event 5 (3rd Quarter)

• The current system for legal aid to the poor is broken. It is broken and beaten. It will not be working for very long in its current state, anyways, and then it will shatter into a million pieces. Once this has happened, the legal aid will be nonexistent and thus lead to the multitudes of poor Americans to roam around the streets of the cities without even the current amount of pennies they receive. Thus our Legal Services Corp. must be fixed quickly before it fails. The current problem is that the Law firms, which traditionally provided most of the Legal Services’ money, are now being hit very hard by the economic crisis and are thus lowering the amount they are giving to the Legal Services. The government has started off well as Obama’s omnibus bill has provided some aid to Legal Services, even though it is not considered enough to make up for the firms’ shortfall. If the government goes a step farther and decides to free the Legal Services from its current burdens of business, such as its inability to ask for recovery fees in court cases, the system would be able to make enough money to keep itself afloat in this time when most programs require massive amounts of government aid.

• The current legal system needs to be fixed quickly, in my opinion, especially due to the fact that the current economic crisis may lead to many people who used to barely live on their own to go out to Legal Services to ask for aid now. If the system stays in its current state of burdensome schedules and shackled cases, it will not be able to keep providing for the lives of the millions of Americans who will be in dire need of financial aid to support themselves and their families.

Current Event 4 (3rd Quarter)

• The start times for Fairfax County Public Schools may be changed for the following 2009-2010 school year, however, these changes may be delayed as there are many complaints about the proposed schedule. For high school students, who will be affected the most by the biggest change, start times will go from 7:20 am to 8:30 am. This change has been considered by many, including students, to be much too disruptive a change. However, as the area’s school officials have “championed the five-year effort,” an even-newer schedule would take at least that much more time and money to create. The 169,000-student school system needs to be fixed fast, say members of SLEEP (Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal), while others argue the effort should lead to a perfect plan where everyone is happy, especially with so much money already gone into the effort.

• I, personally, believe the current plan set forth by the county should go forward as planned and be passed for the upcoming school year. However, my opinion does not really matter very much due to the fact that the proposal will not affect me, though I would still want it if it did affect me. The students and the parents and the school workers are the ones who really need to speak up and come up with a decision. If they truly do not believe the proposed schedule will not work as well as another idea, then they need to go forth and promote their own idea to the school board. If the newer plan receives enough support then maybe it will be passed instead. However, when people just sit around and whine about the proposed plan, then nothing will get done. So either accept it, or propose something better.

Current Event 3 (3rd Quarter)

• Due to the recession, some new ideas are being introduced in the United States that would have otherwise been deemed too socialistic. Ideas such as the nationalization of banks were never before considered to the extent it is being declared necessary today. The nationalization of banks would lead to the dilution of the value of privately owned shares, as well as having creditors wiped out with a complete takeover, as stated in this Washington Post editorial. The editor is very fearful of the consequences of having the big banks, like Bank of America and Citigroup, taken over and nationalized. The government takeover of banks would mark a drastic change that has been foreshadowed for a while now as our capitalistic system has finally shown the major signs of having become a socialist nation. Coupled with the bailout plan, the government has really reached its arms out and taken control of the American economy.

• I, personally, believe that the banks had their chance. These banks had plenty of time to stabilize and safeguard their properties, but they didn’t. Instead these very same giants spent their money with reckless abandon and no regard for the safe keeping of their shareholders and creditors. Their investments in shaky businesses led to the economic crisis becoming more dangerous than a normal recession. These banks had their chance to reform and fix themselves, but they failed, and thus it is now the governments turn to take control of these banks and see what can be done to fix the deteriorating economic situation. If the government’s takeover really does go according to plan and the consumer’s confidence is restored, then maybe in the future banks will be a little more careful with where they spend their money.
  
• Maybe.

Current Event 2 (3rd Quarter)

• The recent case of salmonella-infected peanut products has now become known for being deliberately placed in stores, even with the salmonella tests showing up negative. The fact that the Peanut Corporation of America would knowingly put out salmonella-tainted products in order to keep making money and stay in business shows that the economy has really got to people. Now the government needs to gets its act together to put tougher restrictions on food suppliers so that the selling of known tainted products can become impossible and dangerous for these companies.

• This Washington Post article gives one editors opinion on how the government can go about its business of protecting America’s food supply. Already nine people have died and 637 have been infected by the illness. However, there is some proposed legislation from various representatives that would safeguard the future from contaminated foods. The combination of bills from Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), John D. Dingell (D-Michigan), and Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) would together allow a system of checks against future food problems. These bills would create the requirement for hazard tests to be reported, mandate the use of certified labs with results sent in, and make contaminated foods mandatorily recalled. If these bills are passed future generations would rest easy knowing that their foods are good, clean, and safe to eat. Currently there is no real system in the United States providing for the certification of the safe distribution of foods and thus, contaminated tests are not required to be turned in to the government. In older times, people wouldn’t even think of selling tainted foods to the public, but as times have gotten tough, people have gotten greedier, which leads to today’s salmonella crisis.

Current Event 1 (3rd Quarter)

• Three months after 59 percent of Maryland voters approved the slots, the machines still have not lived up to the expectations of the people in the revenue they were supposed to generate. Basically everything has fallen apart as the slots are only expected to make only $40 million of the $90 million that was originally factored into Gov. Martin O’Malley’s fiscal budget of 2010. The slots are not even being placed in the right places as 4,750 of the 6,550 machines are being placed near the family-friendly Arundel Mall. There also lies another problem: there are only 6,550 machines available to place around all of Maryland. When the people approved the slots, they were not betting on the school budget being left dry while the money all went to the slots, and now that the slots are not working out, Maryland has been left in a little financial crisis of its own.

• The fact that the people of Maryland have been betting on the slots singlehandedly getting their economy out of the financial crisis is very disturbing. Due to the fact that all of the trust is left in the hands of one factor, the chance of failure increases quite a bit and failure could lead to the collapse of the entire economy. The people of Maryland now need to pull together and get a new plan for their economy ready so that the economy can return on an upward path to revenue gain. The slots have already failed so they should just leave that in place, if possible, and also get a backup plan ready just in case the economy goes into a crisis. Next time, the residents of Maryland need to think again and try to learn from their mistake and remember not to make the same mistake again.

• President-elect Obama will soon be losing the "-elect" and becoming a full-scale president. This change of power will be an amazing moment in the history of the United States of America, as we will get our first black president. I really hope Obama will bring the change he is promising he will. I hope that he will be able to help the economy up from its current, crippled state to its previous state of economic stability.
• This cartoon shows what I believe to be the way inauguration will go for Obama. He will go be in Washington and he will be happy and proud of himself, and then, he will suddenly realize that he is going to be the one on whom all of America's future will rest upon. Obama is going to be the one to fix America or fail as a president. He will be forced to fix all of Bush's mistakes or fail trying to keep America up. I really do hope that Obama's words are true and that he will be able to work hard enough to get this country back up on its feet. Because if he isn't good enough, then America will be doomed.
• So, yeah, no pressure, Barack...
  

• Some political cartoons just go straight up treasonous and completely insult all that the US Government has done to try and stop the economy from continuing on it's downward spiral. And that's why I love them.
  
• But seriously, this cartoon does a good job of showing how the US Government is trying to help but is really just being unreasonably stupid and hopeful in thinking the companies that stole so much money are now going to suddenly change into angelic saviours of the American economy. These companies are like druggies and drunks who take money only to use it to quench their own unquenchable thirst for luxury. They will never be good again, the government might as well let them die their miserable deaths so that a new, hopefully-cleaner playing field will give birth to new, hopefully-cleaner companies.
• But seriously, this cartoon is a good example of how the government puts false hope in matters that are of utmost importance. The drug addict or drinker would only ruin themselves but the businessman can ruin the economy. I, personally, think that a bailout plan could work as long as the government keeps extensive records on where the money goes and if these applications of money are going to help the economy.