Reality TV

I hope everyone enjoyed my presentation in class today. Here is that video that showed up as not available. I just really wanted to emphasize on how much reality TV has changed from the harmless fun it used to be. I hope no one will find any of these people in this video as idol's or people to even look up to. They are all fake celebrities hoping to get there 15 minutes of fame. Hopefully our country will gain some class back, but as long as big producers and companies continue to make bank off these shows I don't see any changes.

"Video Shows Every Flight on Earth in 72 Seconds"

Aspiring scientists from the Zurich School of Applied Sciences have built a video simulation that displays the flight path of every commercial flight in the world over a 24-hour period. There isn't much of an application for it, but it sure is cool to look at.

While the map may look complex, Dr. Karl Rege tells us he and his team found it surprisingly simple to assemble using data readily available on the Internet.

"We used a commercial website called FlightStats to gather global flight and schedule information," he says. "So there was no need to contact the different airlines."

The team mined FlightStats for the departure and arrival times of every commercial flight in the world, then plugged it all into a computer to assemble their simulation. For the sake of simplicity, they assumed every plane traveled at the same speed and every flight took the most direct route to its destination. Then every flight was assigned a position on a Miller cylindrical projection, which is similar to a Mercator Projection but doesn't distort the poles so much.

"After that we drew it, that was it," Rege says. "It was that easy. We are astonished that nobody did it beforehand." (wired.com)

My first thought to this video was that it was extremely cool. If you watch the whole things you can see how people think alike and leave areas in groups to other areas of the world that turn a dark thick yellow. It amazing how many flights there are throughout Europe,China, and the United States. Also it was interesting to see how the southeast coast of Australia fluctuated in yellow. Overall I think this is a really educational video and could help aide us possibly in our global warming issues.

Economy linked to health?

Recently it was discovered that someone I was close to had a frontal lobe brain tumor. We still do not know why or how, only theories. But to get to my point, my mother was in the hospital asking the nurse questions and something about how busy the surgeons are was brought to my mothers attention. The nurse responded by saying most brain surgeons are working all day until 8 o'clock at night from early in the morning. She also said that every year the stress of the holidays and the new year bring in usually more patients. Brain aneurysms have been strongly linked to stress and this is another way of proving that that is true. She also said that with the economy hitting an ultimate low and stocks being horrible that a trend starting in August brought on even more patients and the numbers have been astronomical ever since. She concluded by telling my mother they usually have enough beds, 16 available at all time, but this month they actually have a 6 person waiting list. How crazy is that? I just think this is even more reason to fix our country asap so even our health will improve.

If meteors hitting Earth's primordial oceans can be represented by balls of iron and carbon shot into a stew of water and ammonia, then meteor strikes may have triggered the evolution of life.

The simulation, conducted by a team of Japanese planetary materials scientists, produced compounds required to form the first cell and every subsequent organism.

"We use shock experiments to recreate the conditions surrounding the impact of chondritic meteorites into an early ocean," wrote the researchers in Nature Geoscience. "Organic molecules on the early Earth may have arisen from such impact syntheses."

Half a century ago, University of Chicago chemist Stanley Miller showed that lightning strikes in a primordial atmosphere could produce amino acids — the protein-forming building blocks of life.

Those results remain a powerful proof-of-principle for life's origins, but meteors have replaced lightning strikes as likely catalysts for life-friendly chemical reactions.

From Wired.com online, I found this article extremely interesting. It goes against almost all religions and if this would somehow prove to be 100% true and reliable I'm sure that most places of worship would deny it strongly. Although the whole creation of the world thing is obvious to some, those who believe a higher power exists might be in denial or could be right. Who knows?

I was shocked to hear a few days ago about a Wal-Mart employee that was trampled on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I just cant imagine what could possibly be worth waiting inline for to begin with at 4am. Then proceeding to run over someone without helping him or shouting? I just dont get it. Major department stores and chains have now reported taking more necessary precautions for next year as well as certain rules and a designated plan for all the cutomers as well. "Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many employees have the day off, which increases the number of potential shoppers. Retailers often decorate for the Christmas season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 am or even earlier) and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924." Hopefully the end of 2009 wont bring on such unexcusable tragic death or injuries.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

I attended the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that took place in Manhattan,NY, thanksgiving morning. It was an experience to say the least. After waking up at 730 in the morning to shower, get dressed, and walk 10 blocks we finally arrived at a suitable street corner. We were already in the 4th row and it was only 830. Soon the sidewalks filled completely and it almost became a weak mosh pit. Although the parade seemed to be brought to the attention more of little kids with floats like, Kermit the frog, Dora, buzz lightyear and a float with Miley Cirus, ugh, it was still something someone should do once in their lifetime or until they have kids, in the many years to come. The parade lasted about 2.2 hours and in the end my toes were numb and my legs cramped up. Overall though it was fun and definitely helped bring in the Thanksgiving cheer.

Reaction to Documentary

Even though we only watched a short clip from the documentary that was made by a former Fort Lewis student, I thought it provided a lot of interesting information. When interviewing individuals from all around the world, the fact that they all thought American citizens only heard a biased point of view from the mass media, along with being scared into believing a certain way because of fear. Just like in Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine, he too, discusses how as a country fear is embedded in us by the media purposely to usually support our government when they are not making just decisions.
This video I watched a little of and it was very interesting....

Voting Experience

Waking up at 8 o'clock in the morning I was greeted with news coverage on television of all the polling places all over the country, that my roommate had been watching for about an hour. It was insane to see how long certain lines were and for how many hours people had been waiting to vote. I was pleased to live in a small community we call Durango so there wernt any lines where I voted at Precinct 13. Since this was the first time I was able to vote in a presidential election, I found it extremely easy without any issues or problems. I was asked if I would like to take a paper ballot or do an electronic one. The guy at the check in stand recommended the paper ballot. So paper it was. The questions on the ballot itself I found it be real wordy and confusing, primarily the amendments and such. I'm sure it was like that so some pass even when people don't know what they are reading or voting for. I'm extremely pleased that I was able to be a part of this significant history for our country. Later last night I watched all the states count come in and watched as Obama ran laps around McCain. So I guess its official I took part in the first African American ever to become president.

Barack Obama's Grandmother Dies

Barack Obama's grandmother, whose personality and bearing shaped much of the life of the Democratic presidential contender, has died, Obama announced Monday, one day before the election. Madelyn Payne Dunham was 86.

Obama announced the news from the campaign trail in Charlotte, N.C. The joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng said Dunham died late Sunday night after a battle with cancer.

"She's gone home," Obama said as tens of thousands of rowdy supporters at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte grew silent in an evening drizzle.

"And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side. And so there is great joy as well as tears. I'm not going to talk about it too long because it is hard for me to talk about."

But he said he wanted people to know a little about her — that she lived through the Great Depression and two World Wars, working the second on a bomber assembly line with a baby at home and a husband serving his country. He said she was humble and plain spoken, one of the "quiet heroes that we have all across America" working hard and hoping to see their children and grandchildren thrive.

"That's what we're fighting for," Obama said.

Obama learned of Dunham's death Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Fla. He went ahead with campaign appearances. The family said a private ceremony would be held late

Although this is all very tragic. I still find it extremely interesting that this news is announced the day before the elections. It has gotten the medias instant attention and has been all over the television, internet and election coverage. I wonder if this will have any affect on the presidential election results? Maybe, maybe not.
To read full article visit Obamas Grandmother Dies.

Vandalization of Obama

With the presidential election drawing near, more severe actions are arising with McCain and primarily Obama campaign signs. Even in our small community in Durango, the Durango Herald's front page today was of a Obama sign that had been spray painted with a nazi symbol and his name crossed out.

"A large Barack Obama campaign sign erected east of Durango on Monday sparked two immediate, racist reactions.
The first occurred Monday morning, as Jeff Widen, a La Plata County Democratic Party volunteer, was installing the 8-foot by 4-foot sign near County Road 222 and U.S. Highway 160.

On Tuesday, Jeff Widen, a volunteer with the La Plata County Democrats, looks at a Barack Obama campaign sign he put up the previous day near U.S. Highway 160 and County Road 222 east of Durango. It was vandalized overnight.

"A car drove by and (someone) yelled out the window 'No (racial epithet)!'" Widen said in a phone interview Tuesday. "I stopped, and I said, 'Did I hear what I think I just heard, in Durango, in 2008?' And yes, I did. I was shocked and, frankly, very saddened."

The second occurred sometime Monday night, when vandals used spray paint to draw a swastika on the sign and cover its lettering.

"I was angry and sad that something like this would happen in Durango, because we all want to believe it's a little fantasy land," Jill Somrak said of waking up and seeing the defaced sign the next morning.

Mrs. Somrak and her husband, Mike Somrak, asked to have the sign supporting the Democratic Party presidential candidate placed in their yard, where it would be highly visible to passing motorists.

Disheartened by the negative reactions, Mrs. Somrak said she thought, "'Come on guys, respect my opinion and I'll respect yours,'" she said in a phone interview Tuesday."

The portion that was taken from this specific article "Rasiscm saddens Residants," Really made me open my eyes to the racism that still does take place in this country. Although we have moved forward signifigantly in past or old ways of thinking, our thought to be educated and accepting community still shows signs and parallels with the past. I think it is a terrible shame and honestly an arrogant nieve way of thinking.

"Online divorcee jailed after killing virtual hubby"

Relating to the recent unit subject of gaming, specifically speaking online gaming, I found an interesting article featured on the yahoo home page it read...

TOKYO: A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said Thursday.

The woman, who is jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, used his identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern Sapporo said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

This article seems a bit crazy. I understand possibly the hacking charge, but I mean come on, a fake virtual character? I was never fully aware that these avatar characters were even that popular. But I guess so. Hope it taught the ex husband not to divorce his wife online.