Ann's Blog on Chinese missiles

Anns LAST BLOG for 1st semester!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

"U.S. official: Chinese test missile obliterates satellite" (cnn.com, Thursday January 18, 2007)

There could be oncommin issues in the relationship between The US and China. Last week (actually January 11), China launched a missile that destroyed an orbiting satellite. The US now sees China as a threat to the satellites used by the US military. The missile that they sent out was aimed at a Chinese weather satellite that was in orbit about 357 miles from earth. Apparently, this was the first sucess in three trials. There are space tracking sensors that indicate that the satellite was destroyed in addition to hundreds of pieces of debris. The US along with Australia and Canada have issued protests. US officials are worried now because if there were to become issues between the US and China then the first thing that they would do (and be capible of doing) would be to destroy all of the US satellites that orbit lower. This would take away all of our spy equiptment and thus put us a step behind. This is mainly a threat to the US.

I am always in awe of all the the military capabilities that the would is always gaining. The whole atomic bomb still amazes me. I am also in fear of whether other countries know where to draw the line between moral and immoral. At the same time, it is really impressive how accurate stuff like this can be. I can't even begin to fathom how they would even start to be able to launch a missile that could be so precise that it could collide with a satellite. I am also very suprised to learn that we have many satellites in orbit that have spy technology. I had a friend who visited Washington DC and while they were there they visited a place that had technology that connected with satellites that allowed them to see their house in Alexandria. THATS CREEPY!! And at the same time really cool...It is just like google (earth) which allows anybody to use the technology to zoom into places around the world. I can see how that could be helpful to use as a spy device in feuds between countries. I hope that we don't get involved in conflict with any other countries any time soon. I think that we are having enough trouble dealing with Iraq. Its weird to think about the world getting sucked into a WW3. That would be so scarry; I can't even imagine. I would like a peaceful world very much, I hope that that is a high priority to our world leaders.

Article From:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/01/18/china.missile/index.html
Picture from:
http://www.nd.edu/~techrev/mag-images/Spring2002/rouss3.jpg

Ann's Blog on Ashley:

Anns second quarter blog #8:

"Disability community decries 'Ashley treatment'" (cnn.com, January 18, 2007)

There is a girl named Ashley who has an unchanging brain injury of an unknown origin so she will remain in an infant state for the rest of her life. She will never be able to walk, talk, roll over by herself, etc. This condition is called static encephalopathy. In an effort by her parents to make it easier to care for her, they made the decision to remove her uterous and breast buds. This will ensure that she never goes through puberty and she will remain about 75 pounds the rest of her life. There is a lot of contraversy in this decision. There have been many debates over whether this action was moral or immoral. Many object saying even though she is disabled, she should still be treated like a human. Most of this debating has occured over the internet by blogs!!! Even the parents of Ashley have not spoken publicly, but have made their reasoning known by blogging.

As a parent, this would be such a hard decision. First of all, I'm sure it is probably really hard to deal with the struggles that come along with any sort of disabled child, but then to make a decision that you thought of as in your childs best interests and then getting ridiculed because of it. That would be a lot to deal with. I don't have the strongest of opinions on this one, but i think taht alot of it rests with the parents. The parents are the caregivers of this child and they are the ones who are going to have to make the sacrifices in order to take care of their child. I guess, in my eyes I don't see it as being immoral to remove her uterous and breast buds. My main reasoning behind that being that it is not necessary for her to go through puberty because there is no need for her to. There is no chance that she will ever become pregnant and, furthermore, her mind is in an infant state, why should her body be able to keep progressing as if she were normal. It all seems like a waste to me. I feel really bad for her parents, they are getting such a hard time after making their decision, and, in my opinion, it is theirs to make--nobody elses. I look up to them for what they do and I hope that they are able to get through this easily.

Artricle From:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/11/ashley.outcry/index.html
Picture From:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/images/273175.jpg

Ann's Blog On Video Games:

Ann's second quarter blog #7:

"Slamdance festival pulls Columbine video game" (cnn.com, January 16, 2007)

At the Slamdance Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah, a video game portraying the events of the Columbine massacre has been pulled out of the competition. The co-founder and president of the Slamdance Film Festival stated the justification for this being that there are still many people who are suffering from the Columbine incident. He is quoted saying, "some things are more important than one game or a festival." This video game can be downloaded off the internet and contains cartoon versions of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the shooters who killed thirteen people and then themselves in April of 1999 in a school in Colorado. While playing the game, the player takes on the role of Harris and Klebold. The creator of the game, Danny Ledonne, is from southern Colorado and was a sophomore in high school when the actual Columbine took place. The actual shootings by Harris and Klebold were partially blamed on violent video games and Ledonne wanted to create discussion about the shootings. Ledonne said that Slamdance contacted him wanting him to enter his game into the competition and then he said "They picked up something that they, in the end, didn't have the courage of their convictions to stand behind."

HOLY SMOKES!!!! This is so ridiculous. I can't believe that anyone would be so insensitive that they could create a game that idolized real-life murderers. Thirteen real people were killed by Harris and Klebold and their families and friends still have to deal with the grief of their losses. I don't understand how anyone could feel it appropriate to create a game that lets the player into the shoes of the killers. This Ledonne guy is psychotic. Honestly, I am pretty sure that he has issues. Normally when I read current events they don't really move me one way or the other too much, but this one got me really worked up and upset. If I had the money and the time and if I knew how, I would definitely sue this guy. I wasn't even personally connected to the Columbine and it irritates me that much. The thing is, I have lost a loved one to a more natural cause, and I know the grief that goes along with it. If my beloved had been murdered I would hate, with all my heart, the person responsible. Then to see the person responsible for their death idolized would make me go insane with anger. I know that this is really judgmental, but if I were to have to choose the person that I had the least respect for and disliked the most, Ledonne would be the winner. What an insensitive person. I have absolutely no respect. Reading this article reminded me of a song that I know that is about the Columbine that is really good I put the lyrics below:

It was a test we could all hope to passBut none of us would want to take.Faced with the choice to deny God to live,For her, there was one choice to make.This was her time. this was her dance.She lived every moment; left nothing to chance.She swam in the sea; drank of the deep;Embraced the mystery of all she could be.This was her time...Though you are mourning and grieving with us,Death died a long time ago;Swallowed in life so that life carries on.Still its so hard to let go.This was her time. this was her dance.She lived every moment; left nothing to chance.She swam in the sea; drank of the deep;Embraced the mystery of all she could be.What if tomorrow, and what if today,Faced with the question,Oh what would you say? This is your time. this is your dance.Live every moment. leave nothing to chance.Swim in the sea. drink of the deep.Follow the mercy and hear yourself praying.Wont you save me? Wont you save me? This is your time. this is your dance.Live every moment. leave nothing to chance.Swim in the sea. drink of the deep.Embrace the mystery of all you can be.This is your time. this is your dance.Live every moment. leave nothing to chance.Swim in the sea. drink of the deep.Embrace the mystery of all you can be.This is your time...(wont you save me? )(this is your time)(wont you save me? )

Apparently, the murders attempted to get a young girl to deny her faith in order to save her life and she wouldn't. That is when they killed her. That is what this song is about. Now that i think about it Lebonne would take number 3 on that list behind Harris and Klebold. What kind of a person would put a gun to someones head and say "deny God or I will pull this trigger." I can think of a couple of nasty words I could name them but I won't. This is such a frusterating piece of current events. I'm done.

Article from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/16/columbine.videogame.ap/index.html
Lyrics from:
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/m/michael+w.+smith/this+is+your+time_20093181.html

Ann's Blog On School Bus Crash

Ann's second quarter blog #6:

"Bus hits students then wall; at least 17 hospitalized" (cnn.com, January 15, 2007)

Some sort of mechanical problem left a school bus out of control in Fairless hills, Pennsylvania. After attempts by the bus driver to regain control of the bus it covered almost 1/2 of a mile. On its way, it ran over a curb, drove over a sidewalk, broke through a fence and crashed to a stop at a retaining wall. This all happened over crowded school grounds, thus many people who weren't even riding the bus were hospitalized. In all, fourteen who were on foot and three that were riding the bus were rushed to the hospital. In an effort to dodge the bus, one boy jumped under the bus where he lay on his back while he watched the bottom of the bus drive over him. There is one seventeen year old girl who is in critical condition and is going to get transferred to the Philadelphia hospital. While the bus was driving out of control, a security guard drove along side it to try and clear the way for the bus.

Vehicles scare me. There are so many things that can go wrong with them. Recently I had a leak in one of the tires on my car and the whole time until I could get it fixed I was paranoid. While driving, I would have these visions of blowing a tire and my car going out of control and running into oncoming traffic or trees or telephone poles. Ever since then I will have these visions of me getting into some sort of accident and I get really scared and start driving really slow. It is so weird to think about all the others that can be in an accident that aren't even riding in a vehicle. Like all the people who were just walking outside of their school. How scary would that be, all of a sudden a big yellow bus is charging toward you? Its weird to try and put myself in that situation. I can't believe that my impulse action would be to throw myself underneath the bus like the one boy. But when I hear about the seventeen year old who has to get transferred to Philadelphia I get really sad. I always do when I hear about people having to get transferred. That is one of my biggest fears. So many people have died in the helicopter ride to a different hospital. My heart goes out to her family. I, from experience, know exactly what that's like and the stresses that go along with it. The people involved in this accident will be in my prayers tonight.

article from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/12/bus.crash.ap/index.html
picture from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/12/bus.crash.ap/index.html