Monday, May 17, 2010

Food Fight

Today at lunch there was a food fight in the Moline High School cafeteria. Apparently there was a frenzy of food tossing for just a short period of time. I was not there but I have heard a lot about it. I’m actually getting tired of hearing about it. A few days ago I started receiving texts planning this food fight. Apparently people were told that I was going to start this food fight, which I was not going to. I was in class when this food fight happened. A kid from my class told me about it. He said it wasn’t very long at all and after it happened students rushed out the doors. The deans closed the doors on the fleeing students. Shortly after hearing about the food fight Dr. Burris came on the intercom. He explained that everyone involved was an idiot. He said that the students captured on video would receive disorderly conduct citations, get suspended for finals, and seniors would not be allowed to walk at the graduation ceremony. I’m glad I was not apart of the action. I would have probably gotten in trouble. I hope graduation is shorter now that less kids will be there. I think the food fight was stupid and unoriginal. Now getting on top of the school roof is cool.

ADHD is caused by fruit pesticides

Sarah Klein’s health.com article explained pesticide use and relation to children with ADHD. Pesticides in commercial fruit exposure are more likely to cause ADHD (1). 1339 children were urine tested for pesticide byproduct (2). Kids with above average exposure had twice the odd to have ADHD (2). Pesticides have been linked to behavioral problems in the past (3). Pesticides are designed to effect bug’s central nervous system (4). Young children are vulnerable to the pesticide (6). Common household use of this pesticide has been eliminated (6). Around 20-30% of fruit has this pesticide (7). Organic and local fruits are less likely to have pesticides (9). Dr. Dana Boyd says ADHD link to pesticides is hard to establish, but a link to the development to ADHD has some relations to the pesticides.

I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Personally, I think it’s a bunch of bologna. I’m just a kid who has a hard time concentrating. I’m not even a big fruit eater. So I doubt pesticides could have caused my ADHD. I just think ADHD is a made up disease. I think the drug companies made it up to sell their drugs to parents with hyper kids and can’t handle their problems. Parents should hit their kids more often and still give those fruit.

Clean up after a few years

Fredrick Fleitigen and Yousif Bassil for CNN wrote a story about Iraqi technicians dismounting Saddam’s nuclear plants. Radioactivity still lingers even though nuclear efforts are being dismantled (1). There is an eleven mile complex that was found in 2003(2). It has been bombed twice (2). Extensive contamination complicates clean up project (3). A decision was made to decontaminate all destroyed facilities (4). Workers are required to wear protection (5). It could take a decade to clean up (5). There are ten facilities like this in Iraq (6). Soviets built reactor in 1960(7). Concerned Israel striked facility in 1981 (7). Iraq still enriched uranium despite damage done (8). Gulf war caused more damage (9). More damage was done when locals looted during U.S. accusations of restart of nuclear restart (10). U.S. transported remaining uranium to Canada (11). Some scientists want to start nuclear power program (12).

Saddam was a crazy dude. Why would a person start nuclear programs after getting bombed. It wouldn’t be a good idea for scientists to start nuclear power programs. They would constantly be surveyed. Suspicion of weapons would still be present.

K2

In local stores herbal mixtures called K2 are delivering legal marijuana like high. It is also called skunk, Yucatan, or spice. It is marketed for incense meditation purposes. Ingredients are common botanicals, herbs, spices &non-organic proprietary synthetics. The technical name or whatever is Canavalia rosea, Clematis vitalba, Nelumbo nucifera, Pedicularis grandifolia, Heimia salicifolia, Leonurus sibiricus and Ledum palustre<. It is used in herbal cigarettes and other blends. There has been a lot of controversy over the psychoactive high-like effects. More than just herbs are suspected to be in K2. In Europe there has been increasing numbers of abuse and health problems due to K2. A German lab confirmed that two synthetic cannaboids are in the herbal mixture. Cannaboids are the active compounds in marijuana. This synthetic compound was made at Clemson University. They were purposely trying to make synthetic THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). This compound can be sprayed on herb mixtures in unknown concentrations.

I went to the store to purchase this K2. It made me feel really weird for about 20 minutes. I could see why they would want to illegalize this substance. I would say it was mind altering.

Young girl shot by police

CNN wire staff reported a seven-year-old girl was shot in a police raid in Detroit last week. Detroit police said they felt “profound sorrow” (1). Aiyana Jones was shot by police in a homicide investigation raid (2). Assistant Chief of police said this event was a parent’s and a cop’s worst nightmare (3). The suspect in a murder shot seventeen year-old in the street in front of the victim’s girlfriend (4). A violent warrant was approved for the cops raid the house where the suspect was believed to be (11). Cops announced themselves before entering the home (5). A flash bang was thrown into the house (6). One shot was fired and hit the girl (7). She was immediately transported to the hospital (8). Father of the girl said that she was sleeping when the police came (9). The father also said the police had the wrong house, but they arrested the 34 year-old suspect (10). An investigation is under way for the shooting of the girl (12). Police said they will do anything to support the family even though they feel bitter towards them (13).

This is terrible. Police make mistakes too. I think the suspect was endangering the girl by being in her house. If police shot my daughter, I would blow up a precinct.

Friday, May 14, 2010

technology makes people happy

I read in Tara Kelly’s CNN article Is the Internet the Secret to Happiness? that recent studies show that technology use can induce stress and addiction (1). British researchers found out that low-income, developing worlds, and women show links between internet and technology use and a person’s well being (2). Social scientist Michael Willmott reported that internet gives people a feeling of freedom and control (3). The Trajectory Partnership analyzed 35, ooo people world wide in 2005-2007 (4). Cord Graham, chair in foreign policy studies for Brookings institution In D.C. said internet and technology use reduces everyday restraints for people in developing countries (5). These studies had no effect on age groups (6). Surprisingly women gain more from technology, but there is no reason why (7). The Trajectory project says these results motivate them to look into why the results were the way they were (8). They also hope this study will help the way technology like computer, iPods and such are made (9).

I can see how internet and technology can make a person happier. When I’m bored I play video games or get on facebook. I don’t know what I would do without my iphone. I guarantee I would get pretty bummed out if anything happened to it. It helps do things a lot easier.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Cop shoots himself


http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/11/philadelphia.cop.shot.self/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Philadelphia police officer Sgt. Robert Ralston initially told authorities that he got shot on patrol. He claimed that he saw two African Americans arguing at the train station. Then he said one of them shot him in the shoulder while questioning them. A search for the imaginary suspects was conducted. Early Tuesday morning Ralston confessed to shooting himself. He made up the story to possibly get attention or a transfer. The police noticed many inconsistencies in Ralston’s story. The forensics did not match up. Gunpowder residue on Ralston’s shirt matched with the same ammunition that the police use. The area where he supposedly shot was predominately black, which makes sense because the officer was white. The police chief was reported saying that this occurrence makes the police look very bad. No criminal charges will be pressed because Ralston was granted immunity for his confession.

I read this story at .I can see why a cop would make up a story like that. If I shot myself I would cover it up too. This really makes cops look like racist because the officer blamed it on a couple of minorities. I think it’s also bull crap that he won’t get pressed with charges. I hope he gets some kind of punishment.