Tornadoes

By: Bowen Beecher

You have to live all over the country before I realized that Americans everywhere live with some kind of fear hanging over their daily lives. Natural disasters exist everywhere. Those who live in river towns grow up with stories of floods. West Coasters joke about earthquakes to anesthetize themselves from the omnipresent reality of the real thing. Those who live in California and the Southwest can expect drought and horrific wildfires once or twice a decade, and anyone who lives a lifetime in the Gulf area must feel like they've lived through the plagues of the Old Testament. In the South and Midwest, of course, it's tornadoes. Tornadoes in my opinion are the most terrifying. They do damage in seconds and show up unexpected. Tornadoes teach us humility. For all of our scientific technology, there really isn't a thing we can do to protect those who are caught in their path. That was taught to everyone in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Wednesday and early Thursday. In all, the death toll from the wave of powerful storms that struck was more than 280 people in six states. In Tuscaloosa alone, at least 36 people lost their lives. After reading about this it made me fear tornadoes. I am glad I don’t live in areas prone to them. We are protected by two mountain ranges to the East and West. That’s why we don’t experience many tornadoes. On average only about two tornadoes occur per year. They mostly take shape in southern parts of Utah and are generally small in nature. Not many disasters occur in Utah. Living in areas around Alabama you can expect at least a tornado each year. It was estimated that the damaged ranged seven miles and was one of the most powerful residents have ever seen. That’s pretty scary, it seems like all the weather around the world has been apocalyptic lately. Many people thought that it was going to be the end of them.

The Itsy Bitsy Climbing Spider Who Climbed the Water Spout

By: Bowen Beecher

Once upon a time there was spider named Tony. He was a climber. He climbed all the time. He climbed rocks, trees, and fences. There was only one thing he hadn’t climbed; the water spout. It was a difficult climb because of the running water that was practically unpredictable. Not many around him had done it. At the age of 26 he was diagnosed with cancer. He knew he did not have very much time to live. Tony thought about all the things he was happy with and all the things he regretted. He found only two. He never talked to any of his 3,000 siblings or his parents, and he had never attempted to climb the water spout. He started training the next day. He had about 3 weeks until he wanted to climb it. Tony got all of the necessary equipment and spent time working on his upper body strength. The day of the climb was approaching and he was confident. The spout had gone two days without letting out anything due to the lack of rain. He started the climb in the early afternoon. He hoped to finish by dinner time. Tony was about two hours in and feeling great. Just as he was approaching the top at 11:00 AM, he heard thunder.  He knew it was a storm approaching him. His only choice was to hurry to the top, but it was too late. A slow drizzle started down on him, followed by a raging river of water. It washed him straight out of the water spout. His dreams were crushed. He thought that he was going to die with regrets. All of the sudden it was like the world had shown sympathy for him. The rain cleared and dried all at once. He attempted the climb again and completed it 2 hours before his set goal. He was extremely happy and decided that he was destined to never give up. He built a lab in his basement devoted to find the cure for cancer. He worked nonstop for nine weeks and three days. He succeeded on the last day. He called up a medical clinic to present them with his findings. They scheduled several presentations throughout the country. The cure for cancer turned out to be feta and mozzarella cheese mixed together and injected directly into the bloodstream. He discovered this while carrying his syringe and dinner at the same time. He tripped over his dog while walking and the food and syringe mixed together into a holy combination that destroys cancer on contact. His genius discovery earned him millions of dollars and something to be remembered by. He proved the world that you can do anything that you set your mind to. About three years later while leaving an inspirational presentation he was hit by a car and died. He proved that no matter how you cheat death, you are going to die anyways.

 A Review of: Ghost city symbolises cost of nuclear disaster

By: Richard Ingham

Bowen Beecher

4 / 8 / 11

This story gives you a little bit of a scare. It talks about how the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl ruined the young 16 year old city. It caused nearly 50,000 to flea the city of Pripyat. If you tour there you must wear protective gear and not touch anything. Throughout buildings there is a thick, white powder of deadly chemicals and nuclear fallout. It is kinda scary because the earthquake in Japan could cause a huge disaster. L l l l l l l l lbl l l l l l ll l l l ll l l l l l l l l l ll l ll l p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p  p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p op p pp p p p pp p pp p pp p pp p pp pp p pp the end J

4/7/11

Doubts Raised on Book’s Tale of Atom Bomb

By William Broad.

Published: February 20, 2010

The questioning of this book is very interesting. It is questioned because one section of the book is based on the word of Joseph Fuoco, who is described as a last-minute substitute on one of the two observation planes that escorted the Enola Gay. The problem is he never flew on the bombing run. James Corliss made the flight just how it was scheduled. Many people such as scientists, historians, historians and veterans are upset at this. They are calling Mr. Fuoco an impostor. The author Charles pellegrino agreed to change that section of the book. A lot of people were shocked because many admired Mr Fuoco and he had tons of documents and pictures to back up his work. “ I liked and admired the guy,” said Mr. Pelligrino. He agreed that the wrong history should not be going out, It needed to be corrected. Mr. Corliss died a while back but his family kept the documents that proved his participation in the historical flight  including an air metal given to him from president Harry S. Truman. It turns out that Mr. Fuoco saw the damage of the bomb afterwards when Mr. Corliss fell ill.

Bowen Beecher

4/6/11

Yitta Schwartz died in January of 2010. She left with 15 children, 200 grandchildren, and many more great grandchildren. It is estamated she had about 2000 descendants. Mrs. Schwartz was a member of the Satmar Hasidic sect, whose couples average nine children. She may have generated one of the largest clans of Holocaust survivors ever. She was an extremely religious person. She attended almost every religious event that occurred in her family. She considered having that many children a tribute to god. She had her first child around the age of thirteen.

In my opinion this is completely rediculous. The fact that she had so many children at such a young age is crazy. She probably had a very limited social life because of it. She was probably more family oriented than anything. Her life was completely absorbed by family and the Jewish religion. She gave birth to a total of 18 children. She lost two children in the Holocaust. Another one was lost in a summer camp accident. She lived in New York near Monroe for the last thirty years of her life. Her children worked in ranges from rabbis , teachers, merchants, plumbers, and truck drivers. She led a very interesting life.

Bowen Beecher

4/5/11

This article is very interesting. It talks about a specific case in Uzbekistan in which one man was charged for slandering and insulting their people. He was charged with a prison sentence of up to three years.  The pictures included children lying in a mud-floored house. It implies that the children live there, but more than likely he just went inside out of curiosity.

The key point of this is that the media may expose the more negative side of a situation. You should not take everything you hear to heart. I thought it was very interesting that someone actually took action and exposed someone for something that has been going on for years. I agree that people should try and focus more on the positive and beautiful parts of other cultures instead of the negative. Nobody is perfect and homeless people exist in the US too. There are also a lot of people who are poor and hungry or live in violent parts of town.  Every time you look on National Geographic you find albums about other nations and it shows all the negative views of their society. This article really brings the matter to your attention.

Bowen Beecher

4/4/11

This article talks about three different people. One of them is from Vancouver British Columbia. Her name is Alexa Loo and she is a snowboarder. The others are the Kin brothers who moved to America from Asia. They came with nothing.

One part I found very interesting is that two Asian immigrants can move to America and know nothing about the country and still become extremely successful. They didn’t let anything hold them back. They started out working long days and learning the language and ended up owning a grocery store chain that is known for its extremely fresh produce. I was also impressed that Alexa Loo didn’t ever give up on her dream to make it to the Olympics. She didn’t even let a torn knee slow her down.

This article made me really consider what my dreams are and how I can pursue them. It really gives you a sense that if you focus enough you can achieve most anything you want. They worked hard but everyone knew that it would pay off in the end. The Kin brothers got much further than most people could, but that is because they never gave up. Alexa Loo didn’t want her chances to get in the Olympics ruined so she got over her torn knee and kept trying.

Obama plans to cut off 1/3 of foreign oil imports by 2025

On Wednesday Obama announced a plan to cut off 1/3 of the overseas import of oil by the year 2025. I think it is a great idea. It inspires people to find an alternative to oil and cuts back on the United State’s dependence on other countries.

Obama’s proposal mostly relies on finding substitutes and using natural gasses in the place of oil. He said he would push for the use of natural gas in trucks and busses as well as building commercial-scale biofuel refineries over the next few years. America only possesses 2% of the world's known oil reserves, a reality that will require an eventual transition away from oil.

The president also announced that he would direct the federal government to ensure that all its vehicle purchases are either alternative-fuel, hybrid or electrically powered by 2015. This is a great idea because it will also inspire the public to buy and drive fuel-efficient vehicles.

They also plan to raise fuel-efficiency faster than previously proposed in 2007. All vehicles will be required to have a fuel efficiency of 36 miles to the gallon or more by 2016. They will be releasing fuel efficiency standard for Heavy-Duty trucks this summer.

"The United States of America cannot afford to bet our long-term prosperity and security on a resource that will eventually run out," Obama told an audience at Georgetown University. "We can't afford it when the cost to our economy, our country, and our planet is so high." He said.

Despite the ongoing crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, Obama reaffirmed his support for a clean energy standard requiring utilities to buy 80% of their power from "cleaner" sources like wind and solar, as well as nuclear, natural gas and clean coal, by 2035. Although there is a crisis in Japan due to their nuclear power plants, it is a clean source of energy and can be the answer to a cleaner environment. "We can't simply take (nuclear power) off the table," he insisted.

It is a great thing and I think that a lot more people will respect Obama if he keeps proposing great ideas like this one. The only part about this plan that is a little bit scary is that domestic drilling permits have been given to do shallow water drilling and some deep water drilling. If another oil spill happened it could be devastating.

Some conservative critics have accused the administration of doing little to stop rising gas prices as part of a strategy to speed a transition away from fossil fuels. I disagree because a lot of people are resistant to change. People just like to think that they are ahead of others or more superior. I don’t like the smug attitudes of conservationists personally.

Disaster in Japan could be a big burdon on the elderly

About 1/4 of the population in Japan is over 65 years old. How much did the disaster affect them?http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/17/japan.elderly.victims/index.html?hpt=C1

Music collection

Photo Journalism

All of these photographs were taken in the duration of 2 minutes. 

They may not be the best but enjoy.

    This photo is quite interesting. It is pretty much a really intense glare from my cat. It gives you a sort of suspenseful feeling. 

This photo is of a strawberry. If you think about it, they can be quite similar to humans. As you can see, this strawberry has hair quite similar to men's facial hair. It also has pores clogged with seeds, similar to acne that humans get.

This is a very big fish. He is going through the waters expressing his dominance over the other aquatic creatures. He lies low and cleans the algae from the rocks, but will also let you know who this fish tank belongs to.

Great Dancing

Intense Song...

Jimi Hendrix

  
     Jimi hendrix was born on November 27, 1942. He was an inspirational song writer and guitarist. He is considered one of the best electric guitar players of all time.

                                                   Early Life
     Johnny Allen Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington. His father was in the United States Army stationed in Oklahoma when he was born. In 1945 his father got an honorable discharge and returned to his son and legally changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix in honor of his brother. In 1951 Jimi's parents divorced and caused his mother Lucciles alcoholism to worsen and she developed a cirrhoses in her liver and died on February 2nd, 1958. Hendrix bounced around households and was very sensitive and shy. Around the time that Hendrix's mom died, he received his first acoustic guitar for 5$. He practiced for hours every day and listened to records to teach himself to play. About a year later his dad bought him an electric guitar, but he had no ampifier. He practiced a lot of stage moves like playing with his teeth at that time. Music was an important part of Hendrix's childhood.

                                                The Army
     Jimi got in trouble for riding around in stolen cars twice. He was given the choice between jail time and enlisting in the Army. He enlisted in 1961. Many officers and fellow soldiers considered him a rebelious and disrespectful soldier. He had little regard for rules and didn't stay on task. His commanding officers recommended he was discharged from the Army after only one year.
                                                 Career
     After being discharged Hendrix moved to Tennessee to start his music career. He started of in small bands playing low-paying gigs at small venues. In early 1966 Hendrix started being recommended to managers. Not many took a liking to his music until he met Chas Chandler, former bass player for The Animals. Chandler helped Jimi hendrix form a new band named The Jimi Hendrix Experience. They later released their first album Are You Experienced in the UK in 1967. From that point on he had success in just about everything he did. The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up in 1969. Hendrix then went under the band name Gypsy Sun and Rainbows. He later went on to play at Woodstock. His performance was delayed a little bit so the croud was not at its largest. He played a two hour set, the longest set of his career, and ended his performance with his memorable version of The Star Spangled Banner.

                                                  Death
     Jimi Hendrix died September 18th, 1970 at the age of 27 in London. He overdosed on nine sleeping pills. He was found covered in his own vomit, that mostly consisted of red wine at 11:27 PM. Most say that is was a suicide because the normal dosage for the pills were 1/2 of a tablet. Some thought he was murdered by a former manager. Hendrix left the world leaving them with a unique fashion and guitar music like no one had ever heard. Some of the negative things that could have led to making him kill himself could have been drug use. He was known to use LSD, cannabis, heroin, and alcohol. Although he was not the best role model, he was a great person and contributed a lot to the music industry.

Blogging is journalism?
Blogging is not an official form of journalism by definition. Many people engage in blogging and most of the time it is not for news purposes. Journalism is the reporting, editing and photographing of news.

Some do report news but it is often found in other news stories and restated. It is not an immediate form of news. Technology is advancing and so is media and journalism. maybe one day blogging will become more like journalism.

What do you think of this music video?

Super Bowl flyover a waste?

The fans inside the Super Bowl XLV stadium had just as good a view of the four F-18 fighter planes that flew over them as people watching on their T.V.. Just like people watching on their T.V., They watched from massive high-definition LCD screens.

If the view was no better flying over the stadium, why does the Navy waste the tax payers' money. There was about $400,000 dollars total spent on the four second pass. For the fans inside it was a complete waste. But, was it necessarily for the fans at home?

The flyover was shown across the country on everyones T.V.. Most of the performances are for the viewers at home. All the blimp shots and halftime shows are mostly directed to the audience at home.

But the reason of the flyover was not entertainment, it was for advertising. Instead of the Navy spending 3 million dollars on a 30 second commercial, they used that flyover to grab viewers' attention and direct it towards the navy. If all is taken in to consideration, it saved money. They used only a small fraction of their budget on it.

Some say it's wasteful, others thought is was a great idea. It's purely opinion what side people take. But I really can't see anything wrong with advertising the U.S. armed forces, can you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdZo99PM3AU