Iran: Safer than Before

This morning a deal was signed between Iran and the United States that would make Iran nuclear free for the next six months. All nuclear facilities would be halted and they will be forced to undergo inspections at the scrutiny of others. Secretary of State John Kerry said that "From this day, for the next six months, Israel is in fact safer than it was." Safer in the eyes of Americans, not safer in the eyes of Iranians. Of course American nuclear facilities will not be shut down or inspected by international organizations, this is a very one sided deal.

This brings me back to a conversation we had in class last week about America having the a larger military than all other countries combined. The United States has more nuclear weapons than most countries combined as well, so why is it fair for the United States government to be putting a ban on the construction of weapons in other countries? It almost seems hypocritical. In a New York Times article I read, which can be found here, it was stated that "the deal would make Israel and Persian Gulf allies of the United States more secure." Although this seems like a large reason as to why they would want to partake in making this deal,  there could also be a hidden agenda. If the United States is already so intent on having the biggest and strongest military compared to other countries then wouldn't it be in their favor to halt the nuclear process in another country? What is the United States really trying to accomplish by making this deal? Do they have other potential goals when making this deal? Please leave your comments below.

Own Your Favorite Players

Recently a new company called 'Fantex' started a unique business platform in which many people would have never seen coming. Fantex is a brokerage service where you can buy and sell shares of your favorite sports players. Based on how well the player and their team are doing the cost of the shares my rise or fall accordingly. Currently Fantex only has two players that have agreed to become part of of this new stock exchange; Arian Foster and Vernon Davis. Unfortunately for Fantex Arian Foster is expected to be having a season ending surgery on his back and Vernon Davis suffered a concussion in this weekends game.

Fantasy Football leagues have become exceedingly popular in the past few years. It seems as if anything that people can have the thrill of putting their money on the line while cheering on their favorite teams is a good idea. Fantex could just be the next step to something like Fantasy Football, just a source of gambling and fun. Contrary to this though Fantex seems to look at their selves less as a game and more as a possible business venture and I also would argue towards this. Fantex says on the homepage of their website "the dollars, accounts, trades, risks and rewards here are all very real." The website can be found here. Fantex makes it very clear that it is not just a game and that everything that happens is real. For Americans simply cheering for a team just does not seem to be enough, it does not have the thrill you get from gambling. Do Americans no longer appreciate sports for what they really are? Do they need an added aspect to enjoy sports? Or is Fantex just a business venture for its users? Does Fantex seem like something you would want to use? Please share your feelings on the topic.

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Airports: Are They Safe?

Today at LAX airport on Los Angeles a TSA agent was shot dead by an attacker inside the airport. This morning a man identified as Paul Ciancia entered the airport and opened fire with has automatic rifle on any TSA agent he could find. Ciancia ended up only killing one agent but injured at least three more. Today marked the first time a TSA agent was killed while on duty since the creation of the agency. 

With all of the added security at airports nowadays it seems to always be expected that it is a safe as can be inside. Yet, today it showed that even when inside it is not as safe as we think. Ciancia was able to conceal his weapon and his over one hundred rounds of ammounition just by putting into a traveling bag. Once inside he was able to quickly take it out and open fire. Even though Ciancia did not get to a plane with his weapon or into the heart of the airport he was still able to do the damage that he wanted to do. 

Are airports as safe as we think? Is an addition to security screening necessary? Are Americans becoming over worried when this is the first time an agent has been killed in the twelve years the agency has been operating? Shar your thoughts. 

Conspiracy Behind Apple?

With the two latest models of the iPhone being released just about a month ago a long with their companion iOS 7 many people are ready to upgrade. Others, not ready to upgrade, are being forced to. A article written in the New York Times, which can be found here, talks about why many people are seemingly being forced into upgrading. Often when a new iPhone model comes out many people begin to notice a drastic difference in the battery life and speed of their phones. When a person notices that there iPhone is now becoming obsolete  they feel they have no other choice then to upgrade to the newest version, in this case the 5C or 5S. So instead of being able to hold on to their phones that had been previously functioning properly they now have to pay the 199+ dollars to upgrade to a fully functioning phone.

Why do the iPhones seem to start to breakdown as soon as the newest models come out? Is it just a coincidence? No, it is not just a coincidence. As stated in the article, iPhones have a limited number of charges that they can go through before the battery life starts to drastically decrease. After a year or so, the amount of time usually between iPhone updates, you begin to get near the end of your batteries charges and the life of the battery drops. Although the battery will continue to work for a long while, it will not be what it once was and to many people any insufficiency in battery life is a necessary reason to buy a new phone. It's also not just a coincidence that Apple releases their new operating system a few weeks prior to releasing the new models. iPhones dating back to the 4 and 4S era can not handle the new operating systems nearly as well as the 5, 5C or 5S. With this the speed of the iPhone drops exponentially and causes the phone to crash fairly often. This too makes many iPhone members believe it is necessary to upgrade their phone.

If Apple truly is doing something like this then how are their customers staying so loyal? With other smart phones being known for their durability how is Apple able to compete especially when they intentionally are ruining the older phones? Please share your opinions.

Hate That Dirty Water

Today I read an article on CNN about a man, Chad Pregracke, who has dedicated his life to cleaning out the dirty water of the Mississippi River. Pregracke started out his work life as a commercial shell diver that never would have thought someday he would spend his life being a so called "River Garbageman". Yet, as Pregracke saw that every day there was more and more trash polluting the Mississippi River he knew he had to do something about it. This is when he formed his nonprofit organization 'Living Lands and Waters'. This organization started out with just Pregracke, his boat and a dream of making a difference. Now, some fifteen years later, Pregracke has made that difference.

Pregracke and the eleven other full time members of his organization live on a barge and throughout the year put together about seventy or so cleanups along the banks of the Mississippi River. The members of 'Living Lands and Waters' rely on help from members of the communities that they are visiting for the man power to thoroughly clean areas of the water. In just one fourteen day event, Pregracke and the volunteers had managed to collect an astonishing 120,000 pounds of garbage to remove from the water. Pregracke had the dream of cleaning up the water and making a difference, and to this day he is accomplishing this dream.

Often when you hear stories like these people are trying to preach about their beliefs and are trying to publicize their efforts for their organization. For Pragracke this is not the case. Pregracke says, "If I had one thing to say, it wouldn't even be about the rivers necessarily. It would be about finding (a) cause that is dear to you and taking action." This is exactly what Pregracke did and he has made a huge difference in the communities and wildlife surrounding the Mississippi River and the many  other rivers that he has expanded to. Why do you think that someone following a cause they believe in is so rare? Or do you believe that it is not a rare occurrence what so ever? Please comment and share your thoughts.

Radiation: Should We Be Afraid?

In leu of the Fukushima nuclear problems that started over two years ago, the New York Times published an article today about whether radiation is as bad as we all seem to think it is. Radiation is commonly believed to be a carcinogen that greatly increases the risk of of cancer, many people also believe that radiation has effects that could cause genetic mutations. According to studies mentioned in the article, which can be found here, these are just common misconceptions. Researches have been following many people that were with in ten kilometers of the explosions in Japan at the tail end of World War Two. Out of the 86,611 people they have followed only 10,929 of them have died from cancer. Even more astonishing is that out of those 10,929 only 527 of the those cancer cases were caused from the radiation of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. In addition to this, although the radiation did cause extreme birth defects if the fetus was exposed to the radiation there was no permanent genetic damage.  The article then goes on to explain that although these misconceptions about radiation have been disproven people are still reluctant to move back into an area that is given the all clear for its radiation level.

It has been scientifically proven that many of the affects of radiation that are commonly believed to be true are not true, but why is the fear of radiation sticking around? Should people still be afraid even though these facts are disprove? Why are people, not only in this situation, often reluctant to change their beliefs when they are disproven?

Are Club Sport's Fair?

Last weekend my swim team and I went to Florida for a training trip. Although I had a great time and loved spending time with my friends I realized the extent to which things like this could be unfair for people who can not afford club athletics such as. Looking back at the soccer team I grew up playing on, the swim team I am now on and the lacrosse teams my brother has played for I have noticed a constant trend; the price.  Organized club athletics are a growing part of many peoples life no matter what sport they're playing but is it fair that some people can afford these things over others. 

Many people play their sports a way to help get them into a great college. Yet, if a boy from the northshore excels at baseball and plays on all the best teams how is even possible to compare him to a less fortunate boy who can not afford the best equipment, coaches or teams. As sports become more and more important to people is it fair that the cost is so high? Please share your thoughts. 

Making Guns Safe

Today in the New York Times there was an article about the many recent children who have recently shot and killed either themselves or a sibling/friend. The article can be found here. In the article they mention three events in particular that children were killed in because of inadequate weapon use or storage. Nowadays weapons are becoming so easily accessible that they can be found nearly anywhere and in some families children are acclimated to gun use at such a young age that the dangers of the weapon may not be apparent to them. As shown in this picture, which is also used in the article, these children start using weapons and playing with them when they are still to little to makes sense of the dangers.

New York Times

Accidental deaths are a growing problem in the United States. Last year there was 851 accidental gun deaths even though, according to the article, nearly half of the accidental deaths are not recorded as they should be. With many groups and organizations trying to ban or lower gun usage it seems like gun usage and accessibility is still on the rise. Groups like the National Rifle Association (N.R.A.) whose beliefs on gun laws clash with those of other groups seem to be winning the battle, but at what cost? If the mass shootings and acts of terrorism which happen much too often in the United States is not enough, then what is? Does it have to come down to innocent children mistakingly killing themselves before changes are made? What are your opinions on gun laws and what should be done to end this problem?

Mass Shootings Becoming the Norm

In the past year there has been a bombing at one of America's largest marathons, and also twenty children along with six adults were killed in a shooting in Connecticut. Today, there was another shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C.  As of right now thirteen people have been pronounced dead but for some reason much of this does not seem overly surprising, it seems like shootings and attacks, such as these, are becoming more and more like water to us. Although it is terrible that thirteen or possibly more  innocent people lost their lives because of the actions of a few individuals, it seems like Americans are becoming accustomed to events like these.

Saul Loeb/ Agence France-Presse

Some friends and I were discussing today's course of events in a group text message and when I notified them all that the death toll had risen to twelve one friend replied saying, "It's horrible how it's not even shocking any more." The murder of innocent people, often for reasons unknown, has become so common some Americans  believe that they do not find it "shocking" when events such as this take place. Many people may even try comparing the Navy Yard attack to the Sandy Hook shooting, which took place last December, by saying the casualties were not nearly as high and at least the vast majority of the victims were not children as they had been at Sandy Hook. Why is it that since more tragic events have taken place prior to this shooting the victims do not gain as much sympathy as previous shooting victims have? Why is it that, in America, events like those of today happen so often that some would say that they are no longer "shocking"? What are your views on how to deal with this growing problem?

9/11: Then and Now

Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. The aftermath of the of what happened on that fateful day affected America immensely. People were scared, people were mourning and lastly people were patriotic. Patriotism filled the air and people supported America and their president more than ever before. Flags flew left and right, and no one wanted to take them down. 

Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv

Twelve years after the event things seem to be different. Leading up to September eleventh this year I heard an onslaught of jokes about the attacks, victims and attackers. And only once did I hear someone reprimanded the joke teller, instead everyone else just laughed along. Some people may think its "Too soon" to joke about it, others would believe that it is fine to make the jokes. I personally believe that the 9/11 attacks are something that should be never be joked about. September 11th, 2001 was one of Americas darkest days and in the months after that no one would have made a joke about it. Yet now, twelve years later, what makes it okay to joke like this?

Every year, I remember having a moment of silence for the remembrance of all the innocent Americans who died that day and all of the heroes that had gone into those burning buildings in an attempt to save people. Today was the first time that the school I was attending did not have a moment of silence, the only time I even heard people mention today was the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was during history class. As depicted in the picture above, which I found in a New York Times Article, its almost as if September eleventh now is just a blurred remembrance of what actually happened twelve yeas ago.  Is it okay that people have seemed to move on and think lightly of the attacks? Should there still be public recognition for what happened? Why do you think that twelve years afterwards things have suddenly started changing?