A wind blast from Marine Corps tilt-rotor aircraft performing a Memorial Day demonstration and caused tree limbs to fall, injuring 10 people. The incident occurred after 9 a.m. at Clove Lakes Park on New York's borough of Staten Island. It was part of the annual Fleet Week Exhibition, which included military displays from the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. The tilt-rotor aircraft, an MV-22 Osprey, was coming in to land when the wind generated by its twin propellers gave enough force to knock branches off a tree that was 600 feet away. The injured were spectators. Medical and fire personnel were on the grounds and prepared to deal with the accident. The event continued and people were seen touring the aircraft on the ground. The tilt-rotor aircraft combines vertical flight capabilities of a helicopter with speed and range of an airplane. It can carry 24 troops.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/31/new.york.fleetweek.accident/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
It is sad that people were injured during a demonstration where people can meet sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen. They can also witness the latest capabilities of today's navy, marine corps, and coast guard team. I think that it is cool that they do this kind of demonstration so people can see and understand what the navy, coast guard, and marine do. I hope that all the people injured are alright. I find it weird that they have been doing this kind of demonstration since 1984 and they haven't had any problems until know, or at least problems that I have heard of. They should do some research on what they can do next time so that a similar incident doesn't occur. I hope that they are better prepared next time and that they have a designated area reserved for the spectators so that everyone can stay out of harms way.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Topical storm leaves more than 100 dead in Central America
After a tropical storm battered Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, about 115 people have died. Guatemala was hit the hardest, at least 92 deaths, 54 missing and 59 injured, 112,000 people have been evacuated and 29,000 living in temporary shelters says Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom. Mudslides have destroyed homes and buildings and burying some victims. Nine rivers have higher levels and 13 bridges have collapsed. Classes have been canceled throughout the nation.
In Honduras, 14 have died, President Porfirio Lobo said. 3,500 people have been evacuated and 3,300 in shelters. Over 140 homes are destroyed and 700 damaged.
In El Salvador, 9 people died. The rain stopped Sunday and river levels are beginning to drop. Classes remain canceled.
Agatha was demoted from tropical storm to tropical depression Saturday night and lost the status as a depression Sunday. It was the first named storm for the Pacific hurricane season.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/31/honduras.storm.emergency/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
This is very sad. I hope the people in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are doing okay. This is a scare situation that they are going through. Peolpe worrying about losing someone they love and losing their homes. These people have gone through a lot having to deal with the tropical storm, the rising rivers, and finding a place to live that will be out of the way of river overflow and mudslides. We should keep them in our prayers and hope that everyone gets back on their feet and can continue their lives. Also for those who lost someone, that they are doing well and can continue on without their loved one.
In Honduras, 14 have died, President Porfirio Lobo said. 3,500 people have been evacuated and 3,300 in shelters. Over 140 homes are destroyed and 700 damaged.
In El Salvador, 9 people died. The rain stopped Sunday and river levels are beginning to drop. Classes remain canceled.
Agatha was demoted from tropical storm to tropical depression Saturday night and lost the status as a depression Sunday. It was the first named storm for the Pacific hurricane season.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/31/honduras.storm.emergency/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
This is very sad. I hope the people in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are doing okay. This is a scare situation that they are going through. Peolpe worrying about losing someone they love and losing their homes. These people have gone through a lot having to deal with the tropical storm, the rising rivers, and finding a place to live that will be out of the way of river overflow and mudslides. We should keep them in our prayers and hope that everyone gets back on their feet and can continue their lives. Also for those who lost someone, that they are doing well and can continue on without their loved one.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
7-year-old Girl Killed in Detroit Police Raid
The Detroit Police Department is being accused of misrepresenting an incident where a 7-year-old girl was shot to death in a police raid. Michigan attorney Geoffrey Fieger had obtained a video footage of the shooting captured by a crew filming for "The First 48." He didn't say how he got the tape, but that it shows officers rushing the home and throwing a flash grenade through a window before an officer fires into the house from the front porch. Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee says that the members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team came to the house and announced themselves as police. The officers used a "flash bang" device, entered the house and came across a 46-year-old female in the front room. Godbee says that what happened next is still under investigation, but an officer and the woman had some kind of physical contact and the officer's weapon discharged which struck Alyana Stanley Jones in the neck/head area.
The Police were executing a search warrant. They were searching for the suspect in a shooting that killed a high school student. Godbee said that the suspect was found and arrested at the home where the girl was shot.
Fieger called the explanation "entirely false." He had seen the tape and said that it portrays the grenade device was thrown and a shot was fired. The murder suspect wasn't found in Alyana's house, but in an upstairs apartment next door where he surrendered.
Godbee says that he wished to express to the Jones family the sorrow that they feel at the police department. The police got the high-risk search warrant based on intelligence. Because of the violent nature of the suspect, it was determined to be the best interest to execute the search warrant a.s.a.p.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/16/michigan.police.child/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I feel truly sorry for Alyana Stanley Jones family because they lost a child, a sister, and a family member all due to the police searching for a murderer. In the article it said that the police got a search warrant for the Jones house but not for the home next door. I think that they should have got a search warrant for the houses on either side of the Jone's house because that way they have 2 other possibilities for where the suspect might be. Although they got the warrant based on intelligence, I think that they still probably weren't sure whether or not the suspect was specifically in that house.
I think that if the police announced that they were police then they should have just gone and knocked on the door and if no one came then they could try opening the door to get in. I think that throwing a flash grenada in the window and firing a shot from the porch was a poor choice because that is probably why the woman was a little defensive. She probably thought that they were there it take something from her, like maybe her children. I think that they way they went about entering the home wasn't a very good plan.
I hope that they family is doing okay and that they get the answers they need as soon as possible.
The Police were executing a search warrant. They were searching for the suspect in a shooting that killed a high school student. Godbee said that the suspect was found and arrested at the home where the girl was shot.
Fieger called the explanation "entirely false." He had seen the tape and said that it portrays the grenade device was thrown and a shot was fired. The murder suspect wasn't found in Alyana's house, but in an upstairs apartment next door where he surrendered.
Godbee says that he wished to express to the Jones family the sorrow that they feel at the police department. The police got the high-risk search warrant based on intelligence. Because of the violent nature of the suspect, it was determined to be the best interest to execute the search warrant a.s.a.p.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/16/michigan.police.child/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I feel truly sorry for Alyana Stanley Jones family because they lost a child, a sister, and a family member all due to the police searching for a murderer. In the article it said that the police got a search warrant for the Jones house but not for the home next door. I think that they should have got a search warrant for the houses on either side of the Jone's house because that way they have 2 other possibilities for where the suspect might be. Although they got the warrant based on intelligence, I think that they still probably weren't sure whether or not the suspect was specifically in that house.
I think that if the police announced that they were police then they should have just gone and knocked on the door and if no one came then they could try opening the door to get in. I think that throwing a flash grenada in the window and firing a shot from the porch was a poor choice because that is probably why the woman was a little defensive. She probably thought that they were there it take something from her, like maybe her children. I think that they way they went about entering the home wasn't a very good plan.
I hope that they family is doing okay and that they get the answers they need as soon as possible.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Next Step to Stop the Oil
If a massive dome to cover the source of the oil coming into the Gulf of Mexico fails, crews are ready to clog it. Engineers are deciding if they can close a failed blowout preventer by stuffing it with trash, says Adm. Thad Allen (Commandant of the Coast Guard). Th 48-foot-tall, 450-ton device sits on the well at the heart of the Gulf oil spill. It is designed to stop leaks, but isn't working properly since the oil rig exploded April 20th and then sank. Allen says the next tactic will be called a junk shot. They will take debris and shoot it into the preventer itself and see if they can clog it and stop the leak. The Oil company BP attempted to lower a 4-story vessel over the well. That plan was thwarted after ice-like hydrate crystals formed when gas combined with water. It blocked the dome and made it buoyant. It has not abandoned the dome plan. They are considering the junk shot and other possible solutions. Trying to stuff shut the preventer hasn't been attempted because of possible challenges and risks along with the depth beneath the water's surface. Handling the crystals could take two days. Officials are considering heating the dome or adding methanol to dissolve the hydrates. If the hydrates are gone, BP hopes to connect the dome to a drill ship and suck the oil from the containment dome.
There is estimated 210,000 gallons of crude oil is pouring from the well every day. Many things are being done, like skimming the surface and trying to capture or break up the spilled oil, to prevent the oil moving toward the Gulf coastline. People could see oil hit the coast by Tuesday.
Scientists are examining tar balls to see if they are from the oil spill. Tar balls are shaped like pancakes that are pieces of emulsified oil. They can occur naturally.
Investigators are trying to determine what caused the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon. It left 11 men presumed dead aboard the rig. The company's vice president for drilling in the Gulf and BP employees were on board the rig at the time of the explosion. They were discussing its positive safety performance.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/09/gulf.oil/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I think that what happened is very sad and terrifying. I hope that the family of the people who died are doing well and that the people who are injured are recovering fast. I think that we need to try anything we can to stop the oil spill. We are talking about a spill that is really close to reaching the coast and that is harming many animals and the economic loss to our beaches and tourism. I do agree that we need to do research on the attempts to clean up the oil before we actually try it in the water. I am not quite sure if shooting, under high pressure, debris into the preventer to try and stop the leak is good because we putting garbage into the oceans. I think that it is a good try and if it works then great but if it doesn't work, we have to get all of the garbage that we put in the water out. We need to protect the animals from the oil and the garbage that we might be putting into the oceans.
There is estimated 210,000 gallons of crude oil is pouring from the well every day. Many things are being done, like skimming the surface and trying to capture or break up the spilled oil, to prevent the oil moving toward the Gulf coastline. People could see oil hit the coast by Tuesday.
Scientists are examining tar balls to see if they are from the oil spill. Tar balls are shaped like pancakes that are pieces of emulsified oil. They can occur naturally.
Investigators are trying to determine what caused the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon. It left 11 men presumed dead aboard the rig. The company's vice president for drilling in the Gulf and BP employees were on board the rig at the time of the explosion. They were discussing its positive safety performance.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/09/gulf.oil/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I think that what happened is very sad and terrifying. I hope that the family of the people who died are doing well and that the people who are injured are recovering fast. I think that we need to try anything we can to stop the oil spill. We are talking about a spill that is really close to reaching the coast and that is harming many animals and the economic loss to our beaches and tourism. I do agree that we need to do research on the attempts to clean up the oil before we actually try it in the water. I am not quite sure if shooting, under high pressure, debris into the preventer to try and stop the leak is good because we putting garbage into the oceans. I think that it is a good try and if it works then great but if it doesn't work, we have to get all of the garbage that we put in the water out. We need to protect the animals from the oil and the garbage that we might be putting into the oceans.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Can 3-D Television or Movies Make You Sick?
Three-D technology capitalizes on taking advantage of the brain's ability to fuse two images together. The glasses that you wear when watching 3-D are helping your brain interpret two flat images as one object with depth. A bunch of 3-D movies are making their mark in Hollywood.
- Martin Scorsese plans to direct a 3-D movie
- Nintendo - 3-D game console, the 3DS
- 3-D television models
- ESPN - 3-D sports network
There are some dangers, doctors say, for eyes unaccustomed to watching 3-D for hours. there are mild symptoms like disorientation and seizures.
Samsung 3D LED TV comes with health warnings cautioning that certain flashing images/lights could induce seizure or stroke and that motion sickness, disorientating, eye strain and decreased postural stability may result.
The percentage of people to worry about effects is small. Commonly, people may become dizzy after watching 3-D TV or films.
3-D causes the eyes to move in unnatural ways. 3-D presents two slightly different perspectives of the same scene. Three-D glasses have a polarized filter that separates the two images, each to be seen by a different eye. In the brain the images are fused creating the illusion of depth, says Steven Nusinowtz, associate professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Your eyes slightly cross toward each other when you see something come toward you in the real world. The lenses change in order to keep the object in focus as it moves, process called accommodation. With the images on the screen, your eyes try to align the two, but not accommodate because the image is moving toward you. The disconnect will make you feel sick.
Some people can not see in 3-D, like people whose eyes aren't perfectly aligned, or have a weak eye muscle a condition where the eyes point in different directions. People with a lazy eye may also miss out on the depth perception.
Nusinowitz says that 80% of people won't have problems.
No one knows for sure the long-term effects of 3-D television.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/23/3d.vision.brain/index.html?hpt=Sbin
I do think that people can get sick from watching three-D movies. I know that after I watch something in 3-D I am a little dizzy once the movie is over and I stand up. I think that 3-D is a cool effect and it is interesting to know that our eyes help us perceive depth in the real world and the glass help us in the movies, but seeing something in 3-D, I think, is a really treat. If it becomes a common house hold thing then not many people will go out to see movies in 3-D. I think that if someone watches a lot of 3-D their eyes will get too used to the polarized glasses and have troubles seeing in the real world. They don't know the long-term effects so I think that going out and buying all this 3-D technology people should just wait to see what the long-term effects could be. We don't know if it could be something that changes your life drastically or something that is very small and minor. I do think that we need to do more research on 3-D before we all get carried away and someone comes up with 3-D computers.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Several airlines vow not to charge for carry-on bags
Several major airlines promised not to charge passengers for carry-on bags, Announced Senator Charles Schumer on Sunday. Schumer said that he contacted officials at United Airlines, Delta Airlines, US Airways, JetBlue, and American Airlines, and secured commitments from all. Two weeks ago, Spirit Airlines was the first in the U.S. to propose charging $45 to store luggage in overhead bins.
On Wednesday, Schumer introduced a bill that amends the tax code to eliminate a loophole that allows airlines to avoid taxes on certain fees. This came after two other senators put a bill that would change how the Federal Aviation Administration regulates carry-on fees. Spirit argues that the fee is a strategy to make boarding faster and easier. Spirit's chief executive, Ben Baidanza, said that this is a free market and consumers can make their own choices and that Spirit is about giving people options to choose what they want to pay for.
Senator Robert Menendez countered that air carriers are crossing a line that will end by pricing middle-class families so they won't be able to fly. He also states that airlines can set their prices and families should be able to bring a change of clothes with them.
As a result the bill's co-authors called on the U.S. Treasury Department to close a loophole that gives airlines preferential tax treatment for fees on services that are not deemed "reasonably necessary."
BAG(Block Airlines' Gratuitous) Fees Act would require carry-ons be considered essential. The Free of Fees for Carry-On Act reauthorized funding for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The goal is to ensure that passengers aren't penalized for bringing medication, food and laptops on planes.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/18/carry.on.fees/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I think that having to pay to bring a carry-on bag on board is really unnecessary. I think that everyone should be able to bring a change of clothes and other things that they may need on an airplane and not be charged for it. Also, with Spirit charging for carry-on bags, I think that Spirit will be losing a lot of customers. I have only been on a plane once and from what I saw many people brought on a carry-on. With knowing this, I have a feeling that those people will not fly with Spirit and others may feel the same way and no longer fly on Spirit planes.
I am glad that some Senators are listening to the people and are taking action in keeping carry-ons free. I hope that other airlines will see that if they also charge for carry-ons they will lose business. Also, an effect from charging for carry-ons, many people will choose not to fly and people won't take as many trips or business trips. I hope that the bills work well and Spirit does well with their business.
On Wednesday, Schumer introduced a bill that amends the tax code to eliminate a loophole that allows airlines to avoid taxes on certain fees. This came after two other senators put a bill that would change how the Federal Aviation Administration regulates carry-on fees. Spirit argues that the fee is a strategy to make boarding faster and easier. Spirit's chief executive, Ben Baidanza, said that this is a free market and consumers can make their own choices and that Spirit is about giving people options to choose what they want to pay for.
Senator Robert Menendez countered that air carriers are crossing a line that will end by pricing middle-class families so they won't be able to fly. He also states that airlines can set their prices and families should be able to bring a change of clothes with them.
As a result the bill's co-authors called on the U.S. Treasury Department to close a loophole that gives airlines preferential tax treatment for fees on services that are not deemed "reasonably necessary."
BAG(Block Airlines' Gratuitous) Fees Act would require carry-ons be considered essential. The Free of Fees for Carry-On Act reauthorized funding for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The goal is to ensure that passengers aren't penalized for bringing medication, food and laptops on planes.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/18/carry.on.fees/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I think that having to pay to bring a carry-on bag on board is really unnecessary. I think that everyone should be able to bring a change of clothes and other things that they may need on an airplane and not be charged for it. Also, with Spirit charging for carry-on bags, I think that Spirit will be losing a lot of customers. I have only been on a plane once and from what I saw many people brought on a carry-on. With knowing this, I have a feeling that those people will not fly with Spirit and others may feel the same way and no longer fly on Spirit planes.
I am glad that some Senators are listening to the people and are taking action in keeping carry-ons free. I hope that other airlines will see that if they also charge for carry-ons they will lose business. Also, an effect from charging for carry-ons, many people will choose not to fly and people won't take as many trips or business trips. I hope that the bills work well and Spirit does well with their business.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Earthquake hits southern Spain; damage said unlikely
On Monday near Granada, Spain, a strong earthquake struck. The depth made damage unlikely. The earthquake struck at 12:08 a.m. with a magnitude of 6.2. The center of the earthquake was 15 miles southeast of Granada and 230 miles south of Madrid, Spain's capital. There wasn't immediate report of injuries or damage. The quakes depth was recorded at 400 miles, meaning little damage. "The deeper the quake, the less damage because the earth absorbs the energy." says geophysicist Susan Potter.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/11/spain.earthquake/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I am glad that there was little damage done to Spain. It would be very sad if we had to go through everything, all over again, that happened to Haiti. I hope that all the people are doing well and are okay. Thankfully there were no immediate reports of injuries. I think that the people of Spain should be happy that the strong earthquake had a 400 mile depth so the earth could absorb most of the energy of the quake. I also think that the people are probably happy that they don't have to go through what Haiti went through and are still bouncing back from. I am glad that we aren't having a repeat of the earthquake in Haiti.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/11/spain.earthquake/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I am glad that there was little damage done to Spain. It would be very sad if we had to go through everything, all over again, that happened to Haiti. I hope that all the people are doing well and are okay. Thankfully there were no immediate reports of injuries. I think that the people of Spain should be happy that the strong earthquake had a 400 mile depth so the earth could absorb most of the energy of the quake. I also think that the people are probably happy that they don't have to go through what Haiti went through and are still bouncing back from. I am glad that we aren't having a repeat of the earthquake in Haiti.
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