The Dream Act is a Bust

This article is about how the DREAM Act, which was a proposed immigration bill that would give hundreds of  thousands of uncodumented students citizenship. The bill was passed in the House but not in the senate, being 5 votes short for them to pass. The main reason it didn't pass was because of the Senate Republicans, who opposed what the Democrats wanted which also means that hispanic activists were also hurt. What the article later talks about is how the Democrats are constantly fighting with the Republicans in Senate, and how they are trying to take back control in the House while also gaining more seats in the Senate. It further goes into detail explaining that the fight for this bill is not over and that there are pleanty more fights for other bills in Congress. It also says how even though the bill was not passed, the steps in arresting illegal immigrants will not change. They say how they will not take extraordinarily big steps in the arrest of illegal immigrants.
I believe it is incredibly idiotic that laws aren't being passed because of different parties. I believe that if a law is beneficial to the country, we should have it passed without hesitation and not have to worry about it not getting passed because a different parry proposed it. I can see why Republicans would deny it so that the Democrats to not get too powerful, but I believe that if something will help the country we should pass it. Should laws be prevented because two groups dont like each other? Even if it is beneficial to the country? Give your opinion, I would like to know about what you think about this.

Reunited once again

The baseball league was stunned to learn that Monday night, one of the most powerful and solid left-handed pitcher's in the league, Cliff Lee, accepted a $120 million offer from the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee was also sought by the prestigious New York Yankees who offered him a $150 million offer for 7 years but were stumped when he turned down the offer. In addition, the Texas Rangers, the team which Lee left, wanted him to stay on the team for a longer time but he declined. Based on this decision, Lee was not after the money, but was after the team that won the World Series in 2008 and relive the memories. With him on the Phillies, their starting rotation may seem unstoppable with a lineup of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee. All in all, was Lee's decision a wise one? Do the Phillies seem like the "Dream Team" of baseball? Is this a new era of pitching for the MLB?

Ice Volcano Found on Titan

The probe Cassini has spotted a 1,500m-high mountain with a deep pit on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Scientists have identified it as a volcano because of the material flowing out from the top. After further research, the scientists have come to a conclusion that the material is probably water, or very close to water. Because of the extremely low temperatures on Titan, about -180 degrees Celsius, the water then freezes, hence the ice volcano. Also thanks to Cassini, other volcanoes have been discovered on Titan, as well as sand dunes, and other organic material.

Since living things need water to survive and that has been discovered, could there possibly have been life on this moon? Organic material has also been found in the atmosphere, which is a sure sign of life. Could this be a giant lead into our solar system's history?

Update: Child Nutrition Bill Becomes Law

It's official. Yesterday, President Obama signed off on the The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This $4.5 billion measure provides more money to subsidize free meals for more students and will allow the federal government more control over what schools can sell on school grounds (i.e. vending machines and fundraisers). To help offset the higher cost of more fruits and vegetables, the law also increases the reimbursement rate for school lunches.

Opponents of the law largely opposed it because it would take away money from the federal food stamp program. Over the summer, Congress also took money from the food stamp program to help fund legislation that would give more money to cash strapped states in order to avoid more teacher layoffs.

The first lady, Michelle Obama, has made it a primary goal as part of her "Let's Move" initiative to get this bill passed, stating "...in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Nothing." Before signing the bill, Mr. Obama joked "Had I not been able to get this bill passed, I would be sleeping on the couch." To which Michelle Obama said "We won't go into. Let's just say it got done. Don't have to go down that road."

Do you think the Obamas made the right choice in signing the bill in? And ultimately, will it be worth cutting so much from our food stamp program?

French Hostages Saved by Police

A strange, yet really scary situation happened yesterday at a preschool in France. A 17 year old man entered the preschool in the morning equipped with a taser and took over 20 children hostage. According to one of the teachers, he did not threaten the kids, he just came in and said "this is a hostage-taking. I want the windows closed and the curtains drawn." The police soon arrived and surrounded the building. They then negotiated with the man, and the children and teachers were freed. The man, who was later arrested, was reported to suffer from depression and psychological problems. The teachers and police said that he was more looking to kill himself rather than the kids.

Not only do I feel bad for the kids and teachers at that school, but also for the 17 year old. He must be struggling through life and can't possibly be happy if he wants his life to end. It's scary to think that something like this could happen anywhere, even at Aragon. I think all school's should be prepared for situations like this, and make sure everyone gets out safely. How can they prepare? Luckily, at this school everyone was safely rescued, but that will not always be the case.

Race to the playoffs!

It's that time of year again, it's way past mid season, and it's now time for the hunt of the NFL playoffs to begin. It truly has been an interesting season for all teams in the league, and there's only a few or possibly even one team that stands out as the dominator. The New England Patriots have definitely proven to be the leader of their division with an impressive 11-2 record and their star quarterback, Tom Brady. Don't forget the dangerous Atlanta Falcons who also have an 11-2 record and leader in their division with a brutal offense and Matt Ryan, one of the league's best quarterbacks. Lastly, and with no surprise, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been marching their way to wins and have won 4 of their last 5 games. It surprises me however, that teams that shined last year such as the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings have been a mere disappointment so far. Maybe Manning and Favre are just getting old and slowly losing it. I'm also upset that the Bay Area teams have not been living up to high expectations that were expected in the season. Well, it'll be exciting to see what teams will prevail in the end, and in my opinion, I think we will see a Patriots and Steelers Super Bowl in the future. What do you guys predict?

Doctors slash patients' lab-test costs

After watching too many of his patients walk out of his office without taking the proper laboratory tests they needed, Dr. Doug Lefton decided to take the initiative to do something about it. Stating "it's a little heartbreaking when you have someone in your office and they need a blood test and they won't do it because they can't afford it", Dr. Lefton worked with Summit County Medical Society and LabCorp to create an alternative. Lefton struck a deal with these companeies that would lower the cost of these laboratory tests, not only Lefton's patients, but for everyone. The arrangement is simple. Patients living near a LabCorp office simply have to order a test through the Summit County Medical Society website, select the tests they need, give their doctor's fax number, pay with their credit card, and print out their order form. With their order form, they can go to any LabCorp office, take their test, and have their results sent to their doctor within 24 hours. Pretty nifty, huh? Lefton compares this process to "using Amazon.com to buy your lab tests."

A cholesterol test in Lefton's area can go as high as $148 dollars, for an uninsured patient, while the same test is $18 dollars through the website. Even patients already with health insurance are taking advantage of this low cost alternative. Jeff Hughey, a patient, needed a comprehensive metabolic profile, a lipid panel and a hemoglobin test for blood sugar. With health insurance, the 3 tests would have still cost him well over $400. But through this website, his total only came out to $50.45, including the $9.50 service charge.

What do you guys think about this alternative? Are there any possible drawbacks?

Health Care Reform Named Unconstitutional

In a case taken to court by the state of Virginia, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson has ruled that Obama's health care law is unconstitutional. His reasoning was that the government can not require Americans to buy insurance. He continued to say that putting a penalty on people for refusing to buy insurance is not under Congress' power under the Commerce Clause. Under this clause, the government can only regulate issues that relate to interstate commerce, health care not included. "This dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance — or crafting a scheme of universal health care coverage — it's about an individual's right to choose to participate," stated Hudson. This case is expected to be taken to the Supreme Court for its final ruling.

I think that this law is somewhat unconstitutional. I have learned from this article that this particular individual mandate section of the law is not fair and violates rights given in the Constitution. However, I do think health care is very important, and a proper reform is needed. Is this law unconstitutional or are people just angry because they will have to pay an extra fee for insurance?

What would happen if the health care reform is ultimately ruled unconstitutional? Would it be a big blow to the Obama administration?

Gifts that Nobody Want

I saw this article and couldn't resist posting it. It goes through 19 unusual gifts that are just ridiculous. I definitely got a good laugh while reading this, they are hilarious. I mean, why are these things even made? It definitely isn't helping our economy making these things that no one is going to buy. Can anyone explain? I just don't get it!

My personal favorites:
1. Dog Mustache Toy ($10): A chew toy for dogs, that when the toy is in the dog's mouth, it looks like he has a mustache.
2. Banana Guard ($10): A carrying case for your banana. Made out of plastic and paintedbright yellow, this is for you if you're tired of eating a bruised banana.
3. Pet Petter ($8): Shows just how lazy people are getting. This contraption pets your pet for you.
4. Peekaru ($80): It looks just like a Snuggie, except there is a whole in the chest area for your babies head to fit through. It will keep you and your baby warm at the same time!
5. LifeGem Memorial Diamonds ($2,699-$24,999): This is by far the weirdest one. It cremates your pet deceased pet and then uses the carbon to make a gem. They then can put the gem on a ring, bracelet, or necklace.
6. Fiber Optic Holiday Sweater ($30): A typical holiday sweater taken to the next level by adding lights! Nothing gets better than that.
7. Butter Warmer ($50): For the people too lazy to simply use a microwave. You plug it in, put your butter in, and wait for it to warm up. Just plain ridiculous.
8. Spray on Hair ($15): Doesn't stroking your hand through spray paint just sound delightful? Just shake up the can and spray on the bald spots on your head.
9. How to Avoid Huge Ships Manual ($82): The stupidest one of them all. Not small, not big, not large, but huge ships. An entire hardcover book all about how to avoid them. How hard can it be?

Los Angeles Seeking to Eradicate Homelessness in 5 years

As kind of a follow up post to Chris's post on homelessness in L.A., it was reported today that the Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles is trying to implement a plan they call "Home for Good." The proposal proposes to build housing for 12,000 of the chronically unemployed in Los Angeles for about $235 million dollars a year. This proposal was based on several other plans that were successfully implemented in other cities like San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta. Currently, it is estimated that there are 48,000 people that are homeless in LA plus 6,000 homeless veterans. In fact, almost a quarter of all homeless people are in fact veterans.

Part of the incentive in enforcing this plan, are the business and political communities who are concerned the homeless epidemic will tarnish L.A.'s national image and tourism campaign.

In terms of implementing the plan, the drafters of the plan claim that no new money will be needed to finance it. Richard Bloom, mayor of Santa Monica, is so confident in the plan that he believes "it’s not going to require a tremendous amount of political will to make it happen”, claiming he's "seen what happens in other cities, like New York City, Denver and Boston.”

Do you guys think this plan will work out? Five years is an awfully small amount of time to fix such large problem. Also, kind of as a side note, what do you think should be done about the large population of homeless veterans? A large reason why many are homeless is because they don't receive proper treatment for mental and physical injuries they get in war.

32 lives too late

Everyone remembers the tragedy at the Virgina Tech University three years ago when a gunman killed 32 students and staff and goes down as one of the worst campus massacres in history. However, most don't know how slow the school reacted to the shooting. The U.S. Department of Education reported that Virgina Tech did not inform the students about the situation until about 2 hours after it happened. The school had also violated the Clery Act in which universities and colleges must inform their students about crimes that occur at or near their campuses. After this and the Columbine High School massacre, stricter rules and policies should be enforced for colleges and universities for the safety of the students. We definitely don't want to see any more of these tragedies occur, so the U.S. Department of Education should act quick and do something about it.

Egg House

Dai Haifei, a 24-year-old architect in Beijing, China, has created a house that allows him to live rent free. He has built a tiny egg shaped house, that can fit on the sidewalk. The house is made of bamboo strips, wood chippings, sand bags, and grass seed which is expected to sprout in the spring. The house is equipped with solar panels, which power the lamp that is inside. Besides the lamp, all that really fits inside is a bed and a small table. The house cost about $1,000 to make, and that is the only expense he will have to pay if he continues to live in this mobile egg house.

Dai Haifei has taken living to whole new level. Especially living in China where there are 1.3 billion other people, this idea is very smart. The article says this type of housing could be a breakthrough. I think in China it really could be, and maybe some other poor countries. It is definitely the definition of cheap living. The only apparent set back: where do you shower?

Magn-easy-um

Magnesium is an important part of a healthy diet and one of the most abundant minerals found in the body. Too much stress can cause magnesium levels to drop, but having a healthy amount helps to regulate blood pressure and prevents heart disease. Eating processed foods and getting too much exercise can reduce magnesium levels. Halibut, leafy greens and supplements can help you have enough magnesium. It's finals week! Don't stress too much!

Mark Madoff found dead in apartment

The U.S. faces yet another tragedy when Mark Madoff, the son of Bernie Madoff, was found dead on Sunday in Manhattan. Authorities said Madoff had committed suicide in his own apartment early in the morning and was found by an own family member before calling the police. Most remembered Mark's father as a dark figure who was responsible for what is called the biggest investor fraud committed by a single individual. Mark took his own life on the second anniversary of his father's arrest. Most people remember the Madoff investment as a scam, but now, some light is being shed for the Madoff's for their terrible loss. I think it's tragic how first Elizabeth Edwards and now Mark Madoff, both beloved ones, have passed away in a short time frame. It definitely makes people thankful and grateful for what they have.

Program teaches autistic kids to talk back to bullies

"Sociable Kidz", is a program designed to help give kids with autism the tools they need to face bullies at school. "A lot of children who are on the (autism) spectrum just tend to take it," she said. "Or they'll fight back, but physically fight back. They just don't have the skills or techniques. They don't know what to do" says Susan Hendler, one of the founders of "Sociable Kidz".

The program primarily instructs students how to prepare for possible bully confrontations through role playing exercises and rehearsing statements. They also have the students practice in front of mirrors, so that the students can see themselves as they're practicing. Michael Cohen, a student of "Sociable Kidz" states that he often faces being -- most of all -- name calling", which typically occurs at recess. Attending the program has taught students, like Michael, to ward off bullies with counterstatements like "I don't really like what you did, so I want you to stop" or "So if you hate me a lot, why don't you leave me alone then?."

Bullying not only takes a toll on the victim, but the victim's family as well. Michael's mother, Eileen Cohen, said "You just want to run and protect them or run to the school and scream at someone." After her son joined the program, Cohen believes that the program has taught her son to "stop and think before he reacts" during confrontations.

I think this is a great program and has definitely helped some students gain the self- confidence and self- esteem they need to stand up to their bullies. Although, I feel that more should be done on the administrative level to punish or reach out to the bullies and their families. Bullying is not something that should be put up with. It's wrong and should be nipped in the bud right when it starts. If students like Michael are being "beaten up", "bullied", and "name called", what is the school doing about it to stop it? In Michael's situation, it doesn't sound like the schools are doing much. In his cause, it also sounds like a recurring situation, which is just not ok... at all!

Now, that I'm done with my mini rant, I want to hear what you guys think! Do you guys think programs like these are really effective or are just temporary problem solvers? What's your take on bullying? What do you think should be done?

E.P.A. Delays Tougher Rules on Emissions

A departure from the past two years, in which the EPA quickly reversed several environmental policies initially set by President Bush, President Obama is now temporarily withdrawing from working on delayed environmental regulations dealing with governing smog and toxic emissions from industrial boilers.

New regulations were set to be in effect within the next several weeks. But with this delay, the EPA claims it needs until "July 2011 to further analyze scientific and health studies of the smog rules and until April 2012 on the boiler regulation."

The White House asserts that President Obama is in no way trying to back out of his original "aggressive environmental agenda." Instead some political analysts claim that he's merely reacting to a new political climate with a stronger Republican Party present in Washington.

It's a sticky situation. Personally, I'm kind of in the middle because I do believe in having more stringent environmental regulations, as the US releases emissions at a rate that is highly disproportionate to the amount of people that actually live here. In fact, we are the largest cumulative emitter of energy related CO2 emissions. Crazy! But on the other hand, environmental regulation costs money to enact and enforce. And in this delicate economy, I don't know if the US financially capable of spend this much money on it and possibly lose jobs along the way.

How do you guys feel about this sticky issue? Do you agree with Obama's position?

Parents Embrace Documentary on Pressures of School

Think about all the things we do on a regular basis. We wake up, get ready to go to school, and then we arrive at school, where we try our best to be attentive and learn. After school, most of us then proceed to play a sport, volunteer, work, etc. Most of us then come home to a pile of homework and are sometimes forced up to stay up way beyond a typical sleep time just to finish all of it. It's a cycle that seemingly never ends. But at what risk do we put ourselves in doing this? And what does this tell us about the way our educational system is structured?

Vicki Abeles, an independent filmmaker, explores this in her recent documentary,"Race to Nowhere", which investigates the consequences of this so called "resume building." A child psychologist in the film testified, “When success is defined by high grades, test scores, trophies, we know that we end up with unprepared, disengaged, exhausted and ultimately unhealthy kids.” One student in the film even claimed that she would borrow her friend's prescription for Adderal just to remain focused enough to keep up with being "the vice president of [her] class, play on the soccer team and do homework,”

The film argues that this creates a system in which cheating is rampant and students really aren't "learning." It was reported that half of the students attending schools in the University of California system were required to take remedial courses, despite their "stellar grades", because they were merely "spitting back, and not retaining the information” in high school. The film then goes onto to contend that this system "diminishes creativity and independent thinking", which promotes a lack of initiative in students.

To a large degree, I agree with the film. Too often, I find myself getting caught up in participating in extracurriculars and overfocusing on school. But in reality, will doing poorly on one test really matter on in the end? Most likely not... I do also want to say that I appreciate the attention that this film has garnered and the awareness it has promoted. In fact, our school district even screened this film one night to the public.

What do you guys think about this issue? Agree or disagree with the film? Have another take on it?

A Step Towards Healthier Children

The popular brand of kid's cereals, General Mills, is taking a step towards getting children to eat healthier. They are going to slowly cut down the sugar levels of their cereals. They have to slowly lower the sugar levels because, "consumers have a very keen idea of what these cereals ought to taste like and if you change the taste dramatically or suddenly, they'll walk away from the brand," said Jeff Harmening, the president of General Mills. They don't want to drop the sugar levels all of a sudden, because kids would no longer want to eat the cereal. If they lower the sugar in small increments, the kids won't even notice, and continue to tell their parents to buy the cereals. General Mills also sells Progresso soup and Yoplait yogurt and they are planning to do the same for those products as well.

I think this is a really smart idea of General Mills. Sugary cereals definitely contribute to child obesity. This obesity then leads to other health problems such as high cholesterol and diabetes. It is great that big companies like General Mills are starting to make changes and make children healthier. Hopefully other companies will follow their lead and ultimately end up with a healthier population. Can it be done?

"Don't ask Don't Tell" repeal faces setback

Earlier this afternoon, the attempted repeal that would ban gay troops from serving in the US military failed in the Senate where Republicans voted 57-40 against it. However, some Senate Republicans like Susan Collins of Maine and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut said that the repeal should have an extensions for debate and voting. Unfortunately, the Senate majority leader has refused to negotiate for more debating on the repeal. President Obama is disappointed that Republicans will most likely have a filibuster to delay the repeal along with adding amendments. The "Don't ask Don't Tell" policy debate is not over yet, but it looks like it has some obstacles to overcome if wanting to repeal. Do you guys think the topic is still worth debating in the Senate? Will it eventually be repealed or be stuck in the Senate by a wave of filibusters?

Footbowl

I have always loved sports so it was inevitable that I was going to blog on somthing sports related. However, unfortunately for me there is not much big news on baseball and tennis at the moment, but there is news on the bowl predictions for college football. This article talks about the predictions for the bowl games. What they predict is Auburn(1) and Oregon(2) in the BCS Championship game, TCU(3) and Wisconsin(5) in the Rose Bowl, Stanford(4) vs Virginia Tech(13), Ohio State(6) and Arkansas(8) in the Sugar Bowl, and Oklahoma(7) vs Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl (plus many more but these are the big ones). Personally for me I do find that these games, beside the the Fiesta Bowl, are going to be really good. However, I do feel like the BCS system for picking who gets to play in the BCS bowls prevents some really good teams from playing. For example Boise State(10) and Michigan State (9) who only had one loss are not predicted to play in any BCS bowl game while Connecticut who lost 4 games will be. I personally view that it would be better if they take the top 16 BCS ranked teams and do a playoff system. This would prevent teams like Boise and Michigan State from missing out from on playing on the "big stage". What do you guys think? Do you view the BCS's way which is that "the ten teams selected include the conference champion from each of the six BCS conferences plus four others"? Or the idea of a playoff system?