Monthly Archives: September 2013

Claws vs Paws

cats

There is always an argument about something, whether it be sports, or who’s better at something. The one I found to be most common would be the argument between which pet animal is the best. Specifically the dog and cat. Many consider the dog to be man’s best friend. They are known to protect, alert others to danger and play fetch. Others say cats are the better pet. Cats can crawl up on your lap and purr when they are content. Everyone has their own opinion. Cats have been known to save dogs, and dogs have saved cats. It is hard to declare the better pet because both animals have their own loyal followers.

I for one am on the dog’s side of the feud. I have always liked the dog (K9) .They stand their ground and are nice to people. They keep you company and love to play and then relax with you. I myself had a dog, and he was so easy to train. People take points off of dogs because they may bite, but only because there has been a lack of proper training. Cats scratch people and their small claws  plus their sharp teeth can hurt. Cats can also be unpredictable and some just like to be left alone. Both sides have their strengths and weaknesses. The feud could go on, and on. My heart and mind will always be set on the dog’s side of the feud.

~Alex

House explosion in Stamford, What caused it?

As you may have heard, there has been a major house explosion in Stamford, CT.  “The explosion at 305 Webbs Hill Road happened at about 2 p.m., and a next door house was damaged too.” says Police Chief Jonathan Fontneau.  Although officials aren’t sure what caused this massive explosion, a combustible gas tank could be to blame.  “The house received a delivery of 280 gallons of propane about a month ago.”  Ted Jankowski, Stamford’s director of public safety, stated.   Thankfully, nobody was in the house at the time of the explosion, however, the owner of the home was outside and taken to the hospital shortly after the tragedy.

Personally, I don’t feel very comfortable being in homes heated by propane.  Oil feels like a safer option because it explodes less frequently.  This unfortunate, horrible disaster was hard to fathom when I came home from school and saw the news report on TV.  This wasn’t the only one recently reported,  I can also remember a propane explosion in Ohio that happened not too long ago.  It was a devastating tragedy that left me ‘feeling blue” for a while after it happened.  These poor situations happen all the time and I think someone should put a stop to it.  Innocent people should not have to deal with these kinds of problems.

~Mike

OBAMA READY FOR ACTION IN SYRIA!

Only a few short weeks ago on August 21 the Syrian Government used a lethal chemical weapon on it’s own people with hopes to take out a rebellious group protesting against the government. Not only was this achieved but thousands of other innocent people were intoxicated and killed because of this gas. Millions of people fled the country to get themselves and their families out of harms way. The evil action performed by the Syrian government was a crime against all of humanity and the debate is going on now of who should be the one to go to the country and inflict the discipline that they deserve. President Obama believes that the United States should be the one to do so because they be the only one country capable of doing something impactful. He has sent the decision down to congress where it will be voted on whether or not any military actions will take place.

I think that no actions should be taken because it is not the United States responsibility to monitor what goes on around the world. The government’s main focus should be on protecting the US civilians and creating jobs for a struggling economy. I would like to believe that those things are the majority of the talk going on in the White House, not the corrupt country of Syria. Also, I think that the value of American Soldiers lives could be more wisely used on affairs directly affecting America. It would make the USA a lot happier if they knew that their soldiers were not being dumped into a foreign and unwelcoming land trying to settle an affair that has no bearing on the USA. In the end, soldiers lives would be saved by not taking any actions in Syria and and no Americans would die because of the evilness of Syria.

~Harry

Several Wildfires Burn in Several States

As of mid-August, 34 wildfires are burning in eleven states. 10 of which are in Idaho alone. Idaho residents near the town of Ketchum are forced from their homes as 1,200 firefighters battle the state’s biggest wildfire, which burned across 1,000 acres. More than 2,300 homes have been evacuated so far in central Idaho. The fire is only six percent contained. Also, one of the biggest fires in California’s history continues to spread near Yosemite National Park. The fire, which is being referred to as the Rim Fire, was seven percent contained as of August 27 and has burned through 144,000 acres, making it the 14th largest fire in California since 1932, the year the state started keeping wildfire records. The size of the fire is roughly the size of Chicago. The fire’s location made it a threat to San Francisco’s electrical and water supply. Nearly 3,000 firefighters were battling the blaze.

These many wildfires are very hard for most to try and live through. I think it must be hard for all people that are near one of these fires to try and keep calm and live a normal life. I wonder why It has been almost a month now and most of the fires are still burning. How are the firefighters taking these conditions? How many, if any, people have died so far to these fires? Hopefully, all these questions will be answered and we can have all these fires conquered.

~Nick

Apple Releases iOS 7… Good or Bad?

It seemed to be that all the rage the other day, on September 20th, was about downloading the iOS 7 for your apple device. The update comes with brand new features; like a whole new look for your apps and lock screen or the new airdrop addition- which allows one “no setup” file sharing between devices. Pixel Envy’s Nick Heer writes that, “…iOS7 manages to preserve the familiar aspects of iOS while providing a brand new look and feel.” Additionally, “The redesign makes the entire user experience feel brighter and more alive.” However, some negative comments include the fact that the apps look less like actual buttons and seem flatter, and perhaps more importantly that the battery life doesn’t last as long as when one used the old version. But, in your opinion, is the new update better or worse?

Having just installed the iOS 7 on my own phone, I initially liked the way the apps looked. Later, though, I found them difficult to use because it was hard to adjust to the way they were displayed. In addition, I found myself frustrated with the lack of battery life. For example, just this morning when I picked up my phone, I noticed that the battery was at 100%. However, when I picked it up at 3 pm, without having used it, the battery was at only 28%. In conclusion, even though I may face some frustrations with the new format, I am confident that future versions will work any difficulties.

~Emily

Apple’s Fingerprint Technology

The new Iphone 5s includes a fingerprint sensor instead of a password to get into your phone. Sen. Al Franken doesn’t think it’s a safe idea. Franken said that while a password can be kept a secret and changed if it’s hacked, fingerprints are permanent and left on everything a person touches. He also said, “If hackers get a hold of your thumbprint, they could use it to identify and impersonate you for the rest of your life.” Apple says that the fingerprint data is stored in a place on the phone that other apps can’t access. This argument about passwords can go on forever. The good news is that there is an option of disabling the fingerprint password and using the regular 4 number password.

This is my personal opinion on the Apple fingerprint passcode. I don’t think that the fingerprint password is a good idea. For example, if the mom’s daughter wants to play with her phone she wouldn’t be able to unless her mom put her fingerprint into the phone. Also, what if the person who owns the phone forgot what finger they used? Then they’d probably have to get a whole new phone. And what if the person had an evil twin? The twin would have the same DNA and be able to get into her sisters phone. Then she would use her sisters pictures and information against her. She might even lose job opportunities because of that. So, as you can see the fingerprint password is a really bad idea.

~Victoria

Hernandez Case Still Hanging

 

News about professional athletes have the tendency to have as little as possible to do with sports these days, and when dealing with Aaron Hernandez this pattern certainly continues. The 23 year old former New England Patriot was charged with first degree murder, accused of killing a friend of his with five gunshots back in June. Prosecutors are stating that the victim, Odin Lloyd, upset him by talking to people that Hernandez did not like the night before at a nightclub. Less than two hours after his arrest, the Patriots released him from the team. If found guilty, he will most likely be faced with a lifetime sentence in prison. Somewhat predictably, Hernandez pleaded innocent.

Personally, I believe that there is simply too much evidence against him for the jury to even consider him not guilty. The determined location of the murder has tire treads which happen to match the Nissan Altima rented under Hernandez’s name. This same kind of car was returned to the renter damaged and was said to have a bullet inside of it. In addition, it is made apparent that the accused murderer along with the unfortunate victim interacted several times during the previous days according to video evidence and witnesses. Other surveillance was also revealed of the two entering and exiting the Altima, and there was no question that Hernandez had a gun in his hand in this video. Considering the fact that defense attorneys are simply using the “coincidental” point of view and have no true evidence as to why he would not be accused, I strongly believe that Aaron Hernandez should be declared guilty of the murder.

Then again, there is no video evidence, and none appears to ever be released, of the actual shooting occurring. However, there is a large enough amount of evidence against him to make it evident that in one way or another, he was involved with the crime. Sometimes I think it would be best for every person involved with a case such as this, whether they be a judge, lawyer, victim, or other, to take a step back and think about how this is affecting everyone around them. Releasing Hernandez from his sentence would benefit… who? Himself? A few of his family members? If that? Declaring him guilty would put the world, victim’s family members, and all other’s negatively impacted at ease. The fact that he is a professional athlete must be overlooked. Cases such as these happen often, way too often at that. Not every suspect should be charged with their proposed sentence, but when evidence lines up as well as it does here, why hold back? I think that many would agree the world has had enough of O.J. Simpson type scenarios, and Aaron Hernandez does not need to be added to the list of regretted court decisions.

~ Elizabeth Lurz

Miley Cyrus: The Performance that Turned a Reputation Downhill.

For the longest time, everybody knew Miley Cyrus as either Miley Stewart or  Hannah Montana, from the hit TV show on Disney Channel, “Hannah Montana”.   All her fans could recite all of Hannah’s “hit songs”, including “Best of Both Worlds” and “Nobody’s Perfect.”  Miley was one of the biggest role models for kids between the ages of 8 and 13.  She was 13 when she started acting for “Hannah Montana.”  Children of all ages watched her grow up on TV.  She was the whole package: she could sing, dance and act!  She wrote over 100 songs while filming the Disney Channel show, and many were used in the show.  She was “perfect.” You couldn’t really dislike her.

She now has a completely different reputation, going from perky teenage actress singing catchy songs that kids love, to singing inappropriate songs accompanied by music videos with  extremely explicit dancing.  Even Liam Hemsworth, her ex-fiance, dropped their engagement because of her actions. After Miley’s VMA’s performance, I think anyone would! For those of you that didn’t see Miley’s performance on the VMAs, consider yourself blessed.  Do you know how many negative reviews came in about her performance from people nation wide?  More than plenty, that’s for sure!

CHILDREN watch the VMA’s, and that performance was for a show only viewed by adults.  She used to be one of my biggest role models, but after seeing her performance, I will never look at her the same way again. The day after the awards show, there was a buzz all over school about her performance, including “Did you see the VMAs last night? Miley is so inappropriate, “She’s an insane lunatic, and  “I used to look up to her…” I am 12 years old, and it was way too mature for my, and my family’s liking.  Think about all the kids that are much younger than I that watched the awards show.  It just proves how awful she really can be.  She has sent herself full speed ahead in the wrong direction!

~Ali

Is Music Today Appropriate?

These days music is becoming more and more provocative. Take Miley Cyrus for instance and her performance at the VMAs. She shocked the nation while she was performing her hit song “We Can’t Stop.” Music celebrities are doing whatever it takes to get popular and famous. The songs all have the same beat to them and sound pretty much the same. But what about the lyrics? What are the artists trying to get across to the listener? They are singing about topics 12 year olds didn’t even know about only a decade ago. There is also explicit language being used that’s not appropriate for kids to listen to. The artists are acting as role models to these kids and if they do risky things or dress a bit risque then their fans will want to do the same. In a result our new generation will become just like them and they are the future. You would be surprised how much music and the artists impact the world and how it works.

Don’t get me wrong it’s not all bad though. Some artists and music today are great to listen to. Such as Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Philip Philips, Britt Nicole, and more. These people are good role models for girls and boys today. They also sing about things that aren’t too bad. I know the world’s changing and moving away from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Third Eye Blind, and many other older artists. People’s ideas in good music and the definition of appropriate are also changing, but that doesn’t mean that kids need to know about the things they should learn about when they’re older. I personally don’t really like music today and therefore I stay with music from the beginning of the 2000’s and older. Do you think that music today is appropriate for this generation of kids?

~Sophia

Sync or Swim

Russia Women's Teams Synchronised

Synchronized Swimming is an Olympic sport where swimmers create a routine to music and perform it in full makeup, beautiful suits, knoxed hair and stunning headpieces. This sport was originally called “Water Ballet” and the first competition was in Berlin, Germany in 1891. In the early 1900s  the University of Chicago had a club team which performed at the World’s Fair. An announcer there made a mistake and called it “Synchronized Swimming” and it has been called that ever since. The sport became more popular in 1939 when Esther William became a famous actress who swam in her movies. In the 1940s competitions started  and it officially became a competitive sport.

I think Synchronized Swimming is a beautiful and fun sport to compete in and to watch. It requires strength, stamina, endurance and grace. Swimmers need to hold their breath for long periods of time while performing difficult maneuvers and they are never allowed to touch the bottom of the pool. I think this sport should get more publicity and be available to more swimmers. Today there are only two teams in the whole state of Connecticut but I would like it to be available in every community!

~Audrey