Animal Abuse

Who would have the audacity to do such a horrible thing? In Northeasst Philadelphia, both 15- and 16 year-old boys were to blame for this incident. Msnbc.com reported that the kitten they abused was placed into a microwave oven and thrown out of a third-story window. The two- to six-month old kitten, Tostino, only suffered from cuts, bruises, and a concussion. After SPCA officers were informed of the situation, they caught the boys, who actually jumped out of the same window that they threw the cat out of. The boys end up facing around two years in jail or probation, at least a $1,000 fine, and were charged with animal cruelty.

Baby Found with Raccoons in her Crib

Who would think that raccoons were kept as pets by a family that lives in Georgia? Msnbc.com reported that two raccoons were discovered in a baby's crib, while biting away at her. Eventually both of the raccoons were thrown out, before they ran to find shelter. Although both of them ran away, one of the raccoons was shot, only to be found dead after both were rediscovered. The raccoon that was found alive had no rabies after being taken to Atlanta for testing purposes. It was also said that the raccoons found their way into the home by maneuvering through an air conditioning unit. If the parents actually kept the raccoons as pets, they could face charges.

Husky Found Cut in Half

This pass Thursday, next to railroad tracks around Bustleton and Haldeman Avenues, was where the Husky's decapitated body was found. A woman named Sherri Verdon found the upper half of the dog's body laying on her back porch, originally on Monday. The dog was later identified as a three-year-old Chico, which was owned by a woman named Gabriella Ovadia. Chico ran away last weekend, which eventually led to this incident. The owner, Ovdia, believes that a man who she knew, who had vandalized her home before was possibly responsible for the disturbing death of Chico. The SPCA is still on the look out for the person responsible for Chico's death.

North Korea vs South Korea

During Friday, October 22, shots were exchanged between North and South Korea. Although it may have not been clear as to why the incident occurred, reporters from msnbc.com say that South Korea refused to have talks with North Korean concerning the military. North Korean fired their first shots, however there were no reported injuries from South Korea. Since this incident occurred, South Korea's capital, Seoul, has it's security in question as it plans to launch a Group of 20 economic summit during November. This post was particularly in my range of interest because my mother is originally from Seoul, South Korea. 

Taiwanese Woman Wants to Marry Herself

Due to a lack of good men in her life and now at the age of 30 years old, Chen Wei-yih has decided to marry herself. News from msnbc.com reports that she wants to ultimately introduce a new concept in her culture and believes that more people should love themselves. Although this may be the case, the government is concerned that this could actually cause a decrease in the number of birth rates in Taiwan, leading to a lower population. The education ministry gathered information from a survey recently showing that about 40 percent of women believe that married couples would do better in life rather than remaining single. Do you think it would be a good idea to marry yourself?

Chemical Tests Find High Percentages of Formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowout

Some people will go to far lengths in order to get the straightest hair possible. But, how far is too far? According to msnbc.com, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel believes that acceptable amounts of formaldehyde in the hair is only .2 percent. Occupational Safety and Health Administration did research on the Brazilian Blowout and found 10.6 percent formaldehyde, while Canada's health department found 12 percent. It was reported that the chemicals were so harsh that someone had to wear a face mask. Although other salons continue to offer the Brazilian Blowout, Vasken Demirjian, owner of the Vasken Demirjian Salon in White Plains, N.Y., decided to discontinue giving the hair treatment out to people, because percentage rates of formaldehyde were just too "alarming."

Police Dog Attacks the Ground?

In Washington County, Oregon, a police dog bit the ground, which actually was a burglar in a camouflage suit. The burglar was attempting to find his way inside Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro. The museum had its gold nuggets stolen in the past in April, although most of them were recovered. The recent burglar, Gregory Liascos, tried to find his way into the museum by creating a hole in the exterior bathroom wall, which only led to an elevator shaft. Although authorities are not sure what Liascos was looking for, he was arrested before he could even rob the museum of its goods.

Successful Rescue of Miners in Chile

CNN reports that 10 of the Chile miners will be able to go home by this Friday from the Copiapo Regional Hospital. In addition, it is expect that 33 more miners will go home by this Sunday. Although many had suffered from the collapse of the mine, since August 5, many of the survivors responded well with their treatments from the hospital. After the last 33 miners were brought to the surface, the underground routes for rescue will be permanently sealed shut except for one. As a result of this successful rescue, President Sebastian Pinera of Chile said, "Today, Chile is a country much stronger and more united, and a country much more respected in the world."

ATVs vs. Two Wheelers - Which is Safer?

Many people would think that a four-wheeler would be safer than a two-wheeler, because of it's stability. However, according to Science Daily, when looking into the severity of injuries, it was found that ATVs are more dangerous than two wheels. Even when riders were wearing helmets on both vehicles, ATVs were known to do more damage. A medical team from John Hopkins found that internal damage was more severe, mainly due to the weight of the ATVs. In addtion, people who used ATVs are more likely to die in an accident than riding a two-wheeler. In order to reduce accidents, no matter what type of vehicle people are riding, each person must exercise safety, know their limitations, and be precautious.

Inhaling Metals

It could be that China's population may go down due to their high levels of metal found in their cigarettes. The country contains the highest amount of smokers in the world. It was reported by Tan Ey Lyn, on Science Daily, that lead, arsinic and cadium levels are three times higher in their cigarettes in comparsion with Canada. Additional health concerns were expanded on when placing alcoholic drinks into the picture while smoking. What makes matters worse is knowing that quiting smoking is very difficult. Although research is being done about this issue, what form of action will ultimately be taken?

Building On the Moon?

According to ScienceDaily, researchers from North Carolina State University have been looking into solving problems in order to create a foundation on the Moon. But first, they are studying how the soil might effect the idea of building. By using computer modeling, this may not only help with building on the Moon, but also building here on Earth. Analyzing variables such as the gravity will help to figure out the basis for how certain things should be built. In addition, by using such data, it could possibly be applied to the Moon and Mars. The question is, what is the success rate on this project?

A Park Revitalization

After a few weeks of passing by Clark Park, I've realized it was a program that was held by Mayor Nutter to revitalize the park. Although the northern part of the park may be closed, the Farmer's Market continues along side of the fenced off area. On the website for the park, www.clarkpark.info, it is noted that Clark Park won't be opened again until November. It is a good idea for the park to be revitalized, especially because it's supposed to be a place where families can enjoy the area. However, I believe the place needs more security, mainly because many bad incidents have occurred. The park needs more than a physical revitalization, it needs a communal one.

Frustrations and Outcomes As A Journalist

Ever since I had to start gathering ideas for articles and blogs, it has been quite tough. Because of all the other projects and tests that are sitting in the back of my mind, it becomes a great challenge for me to brainstorm and multi-task at the same time. Often times I have to think hard about what to write on or see as "news." However, as time has gone by, writing blogs every week makes things seem a little less stressful. Ideas start to flow somewhat easier and making a connection with my surroundings makes "news" seem less tedious to pick up on. Going through the whole process takes time, but it helps me to get in touch with what is actually going on around me. During these times, I am able to make a connection on what I see as "news" to others who might be affected by it as well.

No availabilty from Verizon? Forced to stay with Comcast

Recently, a concern about availability for Internet in certain areas has developed personally. The two different companies that have come into the scope are Verizon and Comcast. To break it down, I use the Double Play package from Comcast. My reasons being that it is the only service I could get in my area and is the only way to save money in comparison to getting only Internet. However, I feel as though this is a rip off, because Verzion offers better speeds and pricing compared to Comcast. Sadly, there is no availability of Verizon in my area, which forces me to carry the burden of paying expenses for products that are not really worth the usage. I do not believe that it is fair for people like myself to pay for expensive service like Comcast, especially because I am a full time college student who needs to buy school books and take out loans.

Increasing Poverty Rates

While I was watching the news tonight, there was the topic on the rising number of poverty rates in the world's wealthiest country, America. NBC Nightly News reported that in 2009 about 43.6 million people were living below the poverty line, and today it effects 1 out of 7 people. It doesn't matter what ethnicity they are, it is effecting all kinds of people. Elaborating on the crisis, a woman named Lisa Roberts said, "Before they came to us, they went to their church, to their family, to their friends. They tried everything before they had to come to a food pantry and say I don't have enough to feed my family." Food Pantry Director Lisa Roberts is trying her best to reach people around her area to help aid with poverty. Overall, the loss of jobs has caused the situation to become worse. Creating more jobs would be one of the best resolutions for the issue, not simply increasing welfare.

Clark Park

For almost about a week now, there has been some sort of landscaping project going on in Clark Park. When the time came for the construction to happen, I was pretty thrown off because half of the park was gated. The first thing that I saw when going around the park were the big trucks and machines getting rid of a few trees. The reason for that may have been due to a strong thunderstorm that took place 6/24/10. During that time, quite a few trees that had been uprooted from the storm and even split in half. As time went on, I noticed that the benches and also the cement pathes were torn out of the ground.  My initial guess is that even the grass might get done over, because I saw that a good amount was dug up.Clark park was usually a quicker route for USP students to get to their classes. However, since the project has taken place, many are forced to go around the area. It may take months before the landscaping work gets finished, but hopefully it will turn out to be a nicer place.

When Convergence Becomes a Potential Issue

Although convergence is a very convenient way to get news out more quickly, one major concern points towards the usage of Wikipedia. Although people can use this source as a quick and easy way to view information, potential trouble develops from the idea of allowing anyone to edit the information they way they want to. Editing the information can go both ways and can ultimately lead many users of the website away from accurate data. It should be known that especially when people are writing a research paper or any type of paper, Wikipedia should not be listed as a source. It would only be good to use as a quick reference for general information. On a personal note, I have known someone on a professional level who has used the source for teaching a certain class. In addition, there were a few times where the information was not accurate, which lead to conflict and confusion within the class. Therefore it should not be heavily relied on as a source of accurate information. The best way to go about using the source would be to scan the data given, then research other websites to see if they comply with such information.

Honey Festival in West Philadelphia

In West Philadelphia, there is an event taking place called the "Honey Festival." Today I was watching NBC10 on TV, which was showing many bees that were making honey near the Milk and Honey  market down at 45th and Baltimore. Interestingly, the honey is being harvested in an urban area rather than in the country. One of the people helping to harvest the honey had commented by saying something about there being more forage in the area for the bees in the city rather than the countries. So overall, the process of growing honey in the city is better than the country.