10 years later

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-13-columbine-myths_N.htm

I think this may be the article that I share with everyone in class because reading it really moved me. It allowed me to seriously question our abilities as journalists to deal with crisis events, and the human nature's longing to make sense of tragedy...during which we often frame the happening in ways that weren't completely accurate. 

This article take a strong long at all the ways we got Columbine wrong...the killers weren't bullies, they were trouble troubled young men who never got psychological help. They weren't taking revenge on those that wronged them, they had actually planned a Oklahoma City like attack...but none of the bombs went off. The girl who's mom wrote a book about her sacrifice...never said yes, never happened.

The chaos that occurred ten years ago today led reporters to search for reasons, led the community to search for answers. Amid all of the reckoning with why this tragedy happened the truth got skewed and this article is seeking to bring it back, a decade later. Hindsight is a beautiful thing.

How?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-19-illinois-water_N.htm

Didn't people learn any lesson from watching Erin Brockovich?? You CANNOT contaminate people and expect to get away with it! This town south of Chicago continued to use well water which officials notified them of being contaminated with cancer causing agents, over 20 years ago. What sparks people to put things before an entire village of people's health? I'm interested in watching the follow-up of this story because the actions on the part of the town water-suppliers seems so primitive and unintelligent. The article didnt go into it but I'm interested in knowing the reprocussions of these people's actions...

Drinking, Phoning, Driving...Not a good combo

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/floods/2009-04-19-houston-flash-flooding-fatalities_N.htm

It was 'Texas' in the headline that first caught my eye(obvi), however I thought I'd share this article with you. This guy was drinking and driving AND using his phone in the middle of terrential rain. And five little kids died. I mean at some point you have to start questioning if this man had any reasonable level of common sense and intelligence. It sure doesn't sound like it.

Even though I'm sure we all agree that there is nothing more dangerous than drinking and driving...lets take drinking and driving out of it and think about using our cell phones while driving. Personally, even though I use my phone while in the car sometimes, i think it seriously should be outlawed in more places than just CA. I know when I'm driving and i see someone on their phone or texting, they are either not staying in their lane, driving ten miles under the speed limit, not paying attention, etc. I think the media should really delve into more stories like these to show all the irresponsible people out there how freaking risky it is using your phone while youre driving.

Firing Teachers

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-04-09-detroit-public-schools_N.htm

In detroit, over 600 teachers will be fired and 23 schools will be closed. WHATTTT? I first of all do NOT understand how this is even an option. Mass amount of teachers being laid off? Goodness Gracious! And closing entire schools? What happens to all these kids...they just get forced into another public school where the classes become larger and students have less effective educational experiences? I'm glad USAToday gave this issue coverage because I think something should be done by the government or SOMETHING to help with funding. Because good god we can give millions and millions of dollars to the freaking auto industry but were going to let kids suffer because their schools are getting closed? Why isnt something being done by the big guys in Washington...

Internet Presence after Death

Think about all of your possessions online. Your iTunes library(worth who knows how much) your e-mail accounts, facebook accounts, passwords, blogs, etc. Well, what happens to all of these things after you die? Do they go to someone? Do they disappear into an internet black-hole. How do we deal with possessions and perhaps things of monetary value once we move on from this earth? 

http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/04/i-dont-mean-to-sound-morbid-but-were-all-going-to-kick-the-bucket-someday-if-you-set-up-a-will-or-trust-your-house.html

Well according to this article in USAToday, new companies are cropping up like Legacy Locker which are online safety deposit boxes for everything from "mail addresses and social networking profiles to sensitive online banking and investment accounts"

Is it a worthwhile investment? Do any of you care what happens to your online assets after you hit the bucket?

Someone call PETA?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-04-06-pigs_N.htm

"Military researchers have dressed live pigs in body armor and strapped them into Humvee simulators that were then blown up with explosives to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury."

...My initial reaction to this story was to laugh. I mean the thought of little piggies dressed in military armor is kind of funny. To me at least. But I suppose I should preface that reaction with the fact I'm not a huge animal lover. But then I started thinking about it, and these military researchers are killing hundreds of pigs to decide if body armor causes soldiers more brain injury when they are subjected to blasts. I mean is that seriously a question worth risking all of these animals for? 

I'm not really sure how I feel. My initial reaction is OBVIOUSLY when a soldier becomes victim of a roadside bomb on strong explosive, he is going to undergoes  serious injury. Sadly, that is the nature of war. I'm interested to know what others think-- Is the military justified?

And isn't it a bit questionable to begin with that they are using pigs in comparison to humans and their bodies slash brains. Is it even a relevant experiment anyways...it's a pig! not a human! I'm not a biology major but how alike are we?

Hmmm...

Need money? Print your own!

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-04-05-scrip_N.htm?poe=HFMostPopular

This article in USAToday explains this town which is printing its own money! This can't be possible right? Well it is, because they are creating their own currency. Locals buy the currency for say 90 cents and get a full dollar value at whichever stores accept it. Now technically I can see how this would encourage spending and growth in local markets. But my gut instinct it that it would have serious ramifications. After all, this is the type of thing that was pulled in the depression...

In a way, it is like gold, except with Gold we are the ones probably getting screwed. We use it only at local bethlehem places, who obviously make their prices a bit more expensive so they get more profit as does the school. My question is what this will do to the dollar...this whole printing your own currency thing? And this is something I would not have ever thought of so when the media and mainstream papers give it serious attention...is it going to give other small towns the same idea? Therefor causing even more of an economic problem?